I got into a conversation about buying music the other day.

Even though I'm engineer by nature, I've never been fond of downloadable music. I'm against piracy in principle, and against commercial downloads in practice. I think the makers should have their rights, and even if the record companies were dirty capitalistic bastards, that doesn't give individuals the right to do what they want. Of course everybody wants everything to be free, that doesn't mean they can act as if it's true.

On the other hand, commercial downloads haven't actually been a viable choice either. They've been expensive, and restricted - and as we've seen with music services by Yahoo! and MSN, they give all new possibilities to screw you sideways. And even if the files don't have DRM and they are of decent quality, they are still... non-existant. Bits on a hard drive, to be taken away by a whim of the user, computer crash, or something else that haunts digital data.

Physical release gives you something concrete. They are pretty stable, they fill up your bookshelf quite nicely. They offer cover art - even if it's not the vinyl kind - and more than that, they actually give you a sense of possessing something.

So, I've taken a habit of going through the midprice section at local supermarkets, and ordering some CDs every once in a while, to keep my shelves filled and to, at least in some small ways, support my favorite musicians.

Keeping that in mind, I browsed through my collection and realized something: over the past year or so, I've bought over 80 CDs! Some are singles, some are collections, all of them have had significance. There are some clearly defined groups in my list of purchases.

The old reliables

The Beautiful South - I got introduced to them in the beginning of the 90's, and I've always liked them. I probably didn't understand much of the lyrics, but that didn't matter back then. I got some albums from the library, but during the spring I've actually bought most of the albums for myself.
CMX - I've listened to CMX for quite some time, starting from the early punkish records. They steered me away from it for a long time; I thought it was just artsyish noise. Surprisingly, though, once I got to listening their newer material, I've also started to enjoy the older albums. I replenished my collection with most of CMX albums last year, but I'm still missing the oldest ones.
Faith No More - Easy.
J. Karjalainen - One of the great Finnish lyricists. Some could say he's an institution, and he is, but that doesn't mean he's chiseled in stone. His latest album proves that - Lännen-Jukka is something that not many artist could pull off.
Kolmas Nainen & Pauli Hanhiniemen Perunateatteri - Probably unlike most fans, I never really got into the Kolmas Nainen boom, even though I was in ripe age for that. I first started listening Perunateatteri, and that in turn reintroduced me with Kolmas Nainen. Both have been on my playlists ever since. My latest purchases included some Perunateatteri singles that complete my collection more than actually give anything new to listen - just shows how irrational it is, sometimes.
Queen - The first band I really Listened. It started somewhere between Miracle and Innuendo, I was about fourteen and realized this is the best music there is. Best there ever will be. I bought just about all of their albums as vinyl records, and lately I've bought some of them as CDs. I haven't had any reason to change my opinion.
Viikate - Finnish melancholy combined with melodic power chords. I'm more fond of the older material, but the latest albums have found their way into my shelf as well.
YUP - The other three-letter-band. To me it's the more significant one, too. In addition to their newest album Vapauden kaupungit I've also managed to grab a few EP's and two compilations that I didn't have previously.

Familiar by relation

Hehkumo - Pauli Hanhiniemi turned into folk music, and I turned with him. I liked their first album, but Aukkoja Tarinassa really convinced me. Not in small part because of the incredible gig I attended.
Herra Ylppö & Ihmiset - I've listened to the "original band", Maj Karma, but most of their material just isn't for me. Their alnbum Ukkonen was something of an eye-opener, though, and Ylppö's Sata vuotta rubs the same nerve from a slightly different angle.
The Housemartins - I never realized Paul Heaton was member of The Housemartins. For that matter, I never realized Caravan of Love was their song. Once I made the connections, I bought three albums, and I've been happily listening to them ever since. Bought the first Heaton solo, too, and I'll more than likely get the new one soon.
Jarkko Martikainen - His solo albums don't really sound like YUP, and that's a good thing. Not because YUP is bad (duh), but because he has quite significant story-telling skills, and different stories require different atmosphere.

The new ones

Fiona Apple - It just hit me. Actually this is sort of relation, since I noticed her voice in Bridge Over Troubled Water. Her voice is distinctive and her songs are strong. What's there not to like? I started lightly by buying all three albums after listening part of When the Pawn...
Audioslave - I never really liked Soundgarden, even if I tried to. It just seems too generic. Audioslave, on the other hand, sounds powerful from the first note.
Dream Theater - Well, yeah. When a friend is a huge fan, it's hard not to at least get to know the material. I still skip most of their 20-minute antipop tunes, but I actually liked just about every track of Systematic Chaos. Does that mean they're selling their souls?
Kotiteollisuus - Not that new, really, but I haven't actively listened to them before. I guess the heavy metal pummeling slowly softens me.
Kuha. - Hard to describe this one. They have a humorous attitude into music, but unlike some humor bands, they actually know how to play. Songs are weird, in a positive way, and if you get tired of that joke, there's still the music in itself.

In addition to these there's a bunch of random albums from different artists. One thing stands out, though: I'm getting more and more Finnish. Yeah, there's your regular row of Led Zeppelins, Queens and System of a Downs, but there's also hefty set of CMX, Kolmas Nainen, Nylon Beat, Perunateatteri, Sir Elwoodin Hiljaiset Värit, Zen Café...

Getting back to buying the music. Even though I don't download music, I've taken pretty freely advantage of local libraries: most of the albums I've bought I actually already have as mp3s. In fact, I have a few albums still in wraps, because I listen to the files. I just like to have the physical media as well. Stupid? Probably. But maybe, just maybe, that's more common than record companies would like to think.

This list is mainly for me. A record of over 20 years of gig and festival going. First ever gig was The Cult at Wembley Arena in 1987. Bit of an improvement with the second when I saw Cardiacs.

These are the ones I can remember. I haven't included support artists unlesss I specifically wanted to see them. I am sure there are more but my memory isn't what it once was...



22-20s

Alabama 3 x3
All About Eve
Arcade Fire
Ash x2
The Automatic

Balaam and the Angel
Barenaked Ladies x2
Beastie Boys
The Beat x2
The Beautiful South
Belly
The Pete Best Band
Björk
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Blockheads
Blondie
Luka Bloom
The Blue Aeroplanes
Blur
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
The Bootleg Beatles x2
David Bowie
Billy Bragg x5
The Breeders
Bright Eyes
Brilliant Corners
British Sea Power x2
The Broken Family Band
James Brown
Buddy Guy
Buzzcocks

Cardiacs x3
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
Carus
Johnny Cash x2
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds x3
The Chesterfields
Cocteau Twins
Leonard Cohen
Cold War Kids
Coldcut
Coldplay
Julian Cope x3
The Creatures
The Cult
The Cure x2
Curve

The Damned
The Darling Buds
De La Soul
Dead Kids
Neil Diamond
The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
Doves

Steve Earle
Echo and The Bunneymen
Echobelly
Eels x2
Elastica

Marianne Faithfull x2
The Fall x13
The Family Cat
Fields of the Nephilim
The Flaming Lips x2
Franz Ferdinand

Bob Geldof
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Glasvegas x2
God Damn Whores
The Godfathers
Gogol Bordello
Goldfrapp
Al Green
Pete Greenwood

The Handsome Family x2
Rolf Harris
Hawkwind
Hayseed Dixie
Hole
The Holloways
The House of Love x4

Ima
Neil Innes

James x2
Jayne County
Jay-Z
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Jesus Jones
Jim Bob
Tom Jones

Kaiser Chiefs x2
Kings of Leon

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Seth Lakeman x5
The Lemonheads
Levellers
Nick Lowe
Luna
Lush

Shane MacGowan and the Popes
The Magic Numbers
Manic Street Preachers x2
The Marley Brothers
Paul McCartney x2
Ian McNabb With Crazy Horse
Meat Loaf
Menswear
Mercury Rev x2
Freddie Mercury
The Mighty Lemon Drops
The Mission
Christy Moore x2
Morrissey
Motörhead
Mungo Jerry
My Bloody Valentine

The National

Naz Nomad and the Nightmares
New Model Army
New Order
The New Pornographers

Oasis x2
Sinéad O'Connor x2
Yoko Ono
John Otway
Oysterband
Ozric Tentacles

Page & Plant
Pavement
Pixies
PJ Harvey x3
Robert Plant
The Pogues x2
Pop Will Eat Itself
Primal Sceam
The Primitives
Pulp

The Quarrymen

The Raconteurs
Rage Against the Machine
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lou Reed
Rilo Kiley
The Rose of Avalanche x2

The Saw Doctors
Scissor Sisters
Seasick Steve x3
Sex Pistols
Shakespear's Sister
The Sisters of Mercy
Skunk Anansie
Patti Smith
Sonic Youth
The Soup Dragons
Soweto Gospel Choir
Sparkadia
Spearhead x3
The Specials
Stackridge
Neville Staple
Starsailor
Stiff Little Fingers
The Stooges
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros
Rod Stewart
Suede
The Sundays
Supergrass

Television
That Petrol Emotion
Therapy?
These Animal Men
Throwing Muses
Tinariwen x2

The Ukrainians
The Undertones

Vampire Weekend
The Velvet Underground
The View

Martha Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
The Waterboys x2
Roger Waters
Waterson:Carthy
Patrick Watson
The Wedding Present x2
Paul Weller
The White Stripes
The Who
Wombats
The Wonder Stuff

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Young Knives
Neil Young

Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction


And still counting...

What with all my internet connection troubles and the fact that my ipod refused to scrobble, not a lot of what I listened to this cwek is actually up.

It sucks, how's the word supposed to keep turning when the internet doesn't know that I bought and listened to Blue is the Colour by The Beautiful South

Hmm, this is probably going to be a bit crap because there isn't that much stuff in my charts yet, but I'm bored, so I'm going to do it anyways!

Apparently, I have to list my top ten people on my chart and tell you my top three songs by each one! How exciting!!

1. Alanis Morissette

3. Hands Clean
2. That Particular Time
1. Simple Together

2. Busted

3. Loner in Love
2. Better Than This
1. Who's David

3. Steps

3. If You Believe
2. Here & Now
1. You'll Be Sorry

4. Robyn

3. Cobrastyle
2. With Every Heartbeat
1. Handle Me

5. Andy Bell

3. Crazy
2. I'll Never Fall in Love Again
1. Love Oneself (feat. Claudia Brucken)

6. Mariah Carey

3. We Belong Together
2. Side Effects (Feat. Young Jeezy)
1. Whenever You Call

7. Erasure

3. I Could Fall In Love With You
2. Angel
1. Hideaway

8. The Beautiful South

3. Song For Whoever
2. You Keep It All In
1. A Little Time

9. McFly

3. Umbrella
2. That Girl
1. Star Girl

10. George Michael

3. Father Figure
2. Round Here
1. Praying for Time

Yeah, that was a bit pointless because I don't actually like those people all that much! I'll do it again when my charts are a bit more acer!

Andromeda Heights was released in 1997 by Prefab Sprout and produced by Paddy McAloon and recorded by Calum Malcolm.

The production style and pacing of the album is a fairly strong departure from their previous works, especially Swoon (1984) and Steve McQueen (1985). The liner notes do list a thank-you to previous Prefab Sprout producer Thomas Dolby for "his encouragement and advice". This album's sound is akin in tone to the later works (post Painting It Red) of the The Beautiful South, with warm full tones and a more relaxed feel.
The liner notes state that the music was performed by the 'Andromeda Heights Orchestra', which is essentially Prefab Sprout with additional accompaniment. Original Sprout drummer Neil Conti does not appear, and is replaced by Paul Smith.

Track listing
Electric Guitars (3:41)
A Prisoner Of The Past (5:01)
The Mystery Of Love (4:37)
Life's a Miracle (3:44)
Anne Marie (4:35)
Whoever You Are (2:47)
Steal Your Thunder (3:41)
Avenue Of Stars (3:59)
Swans (2:36)
The Fifth Horseman (4:42)
Weightless (3:36)
Andromeda Heights (4:03)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Heights

1. How did you get into 29? (Spaced)
God knows how a TV programme has got here, but I got into it after watching the brilliance that is Hot Fuzz and demanding Spaced for my birthday.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? (Basement Jaxx)
Been listening to Basement Jaxx since I was in Primary school, earliest song I remember is Romeo

3. What's your favorite lyric by 33? (The Feeling
Oooh, I dunno. Probably the jokeyness of Rosé

4. How did you get into 49? (I don't have a 49, so I'll go for one of the 48's, The Human League
Probably when I was rediscovering the joy of 80's music/New Wave stuff late last year. I can't really remember how The Human League came up.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own? (Kaiser Chiefs)
2 - Employment and the new one, which isn't as good. I've gone off them really.

6. What is your favorite song by 50? (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Used to always be Relax but now might be Two Tribes. Great intro.

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad? (Fantastic Plastic Machine)
I doubt it! Maybe There Must Be An Angel because it's my alarm clock tone on my mobile but it's still an amazing song and great to wake up to, so no.

8. What is your favorite song by 15? (Will Young)
I don't really know... Probably Who Am I

9. What is your favorite song by 5? (Jamiroquai)
Cosmic Girl

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy? ( Gwen Stefani)
Hollaback Girl makes me smile.

11. What is the worst song by 40? (Coldplay)
There's gotta be a bad one hasn't there? I've probably mentally blocked it.

12. What is your favorite song by 10? (The Libertines)
Many good songs but... What Katie Did

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30? (The Zutons)
They remind me of my 2nd home, Liverpool, which is a good thing.

14. What is your favorite song by 38? (Daniel Mudford and Pete Woodhead)
None really, they did the Shaun of the Dead soundtrack if you're wondering.

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy? (The Cure)
The Lovecats. Especially when the Moon sings it in The Mighty Boosh.

16. Is there a song by 25 that makes you sad? (Muse)
Soldier's Poem

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23? (Paolo Nutini)
I think it was Alloway Grove. Nice song.

18. What's your favourite lyric by 11? (David Bowie)
The whole of Life On Mars?

19. Who is a favourite member of 1? (Guillemots)
Fyfe Dangerfield, of course. Who I met and whom was just plain lovely.

20. Is there a song by 14 that makes you happy? (Keane)
Probably not :P

21. What is a good memory involving 27? (Belle and Sebastian)
None I can think of...

22. What is your favorite song by 16? (Air)
Tricky... All I Need, or Sexy Boy, or You Make It Easy, or Run, or Playground Love. Damn them for making so many good songs!

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47? (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Enola Gay

24. What is your favorite album by 18? (The Specials)
I've only got a best of...

25. What is your favorite song by 21? (Gorillaz)
Today, 19-2000, tomorrow something different!

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26?
I haven't got a 26 :(

27. What is your favorite album by 3? (No Doubt)
Rock Steady

28. What is you favourite song by 2? (The Mighty Boosh)
Everything they sing. For a start Isolation, Electro Boy, Tundra Rap, most crimps, Eels, The Hitcher, Love Games!, It's What's Inside That Counts, Bouncy Bouncy, Future Sailors. I may have got carried away. Julian Barratt god bless you and your musical talents.

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32? (The Doobie Brothers)
Not as cool as the Boosh... Long Train Runnin'

30. What is you favourite song by 8? (Pink Floyd)
Time or The Great Gig in the Sky. Many songs of pure brilliance though.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live? (7 Seconds Of Love)
Never, because they don't know what the North is! :p

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy
Haven't got a 44 :(

33. How did you get into 12? (CSS)
Free song on iTunes would you believe.

34. What is the worst song by 45? (Lemon Jelly)
Not really heard enough to know...

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34? (The Beautiful South
Perfect 10

36. What is the first song you ever heard by 48? (The Human League)
Don't You Want Me.

37. How many times have you seen 42 live? (Zero 7)
Never

38. What is you favourite song by 36? (Los Campesinos!)
You! Me! Dancing!

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28
No 28.

40. What is you favourite album by 7? (Duran Duran)
Again I've only got the best of.

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy? (The Fratellis)
Baby Fratelli.

42. What is your favorite album by 41?
No 41. :(

43. What is your favourite song by 24? (Arctic Monkeys)
Dancefloor. Predictable but true.

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46? (don't have one)
gah

45. What is your favourite song by 35? (Daft Punk)
Digital Love

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy? (Mr Hudson & The Library)
Cover Girl.

47. What is your favourite album by 4? (Lily Allen)
She's only done one!

48. Who is a favourite member of 37? (The Police)
Sting? :P

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43?
No 43 :(

50. What is your favourite song by 20? (The Rumble Strips
Boys and Girls in Love. If only the rest of the album was as good as that song...

Stole this from someone on here (who probably nicked it from someone else, but hey, it's all a bit of fun).

Using last 6 months chart.

1. How did you get into 31?
Placebo. My friends had been orgasming over 'Every You Every Me' for a while, so I thought I'd check out an album or two and turns out they were pretty good.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
The Rolling Stones. I really don't know since their songs are everywhere... probably 'Brown Sugar' or something like that.

3. What's your favourite lyric by 29?
Carole King. I've been told her lyrics are great, but I'm a bigger fan of the music...

4. What is your favourite album by 49?
Foo Fighters. The Colour and the Shape, I think. The self-titled album is pretty good too. Tbh, those two albums are their only really good ones.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
Bloc Party. Two.

6. What is your favourite song by 50?
Blur. 'The Universal'.

7. Is there a song by 4 that makes you sad?
Nouvelle Vague. Nope, pretty much all their songs are upbeat and/or sexy :o

8. What is your favourite song by 15?
Dragonette. 'True Beliver'

9. What is your favourite song by 5?
Queens of the Stone Age. Tough one this, but probably 'A Song for the Deaf'.

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
Stervhïa. Their music is generally very moody and atmospheric, but I would say the awesomeness of 'Water Crystal' pleases me.

11. What is your favourite album by 40?
The Pierces. Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. The only album of theirs I have.

12. What is your favourite song by 10?
The Silk Demise. 'The Garden'

13. What is a good memory you have involving 33?
Biffy Clyro. It was during one of their gigs that I got extremely drunk with a friend and had a generally excellent night in Cardiff. It was also the same gig I first heard Blood Red Shoes.

14. What is your favourite song by 37?
The Meligrove Band. 'Everyone's a Winner'

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Well, Lacrimosa from his Requiem makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end

16. How many times have you seen 21 live?
Air. Never.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 'Pin'

18. What is your favourite album by 11?
Tricky. Maxinquaye

19. Who is a favourite member of 1?
Radiohead. No idea.

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
The Beatles. Was born 16 or 17 years after they broke up, heh.

21. What is a good memory involving 45?
The Beautiful South. Can't remember anything specific.

22. What is your favourite song by 16?
The Music. 'The Dance'

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
Squeeze. 'Cool for Cats'

24. What is your favourite album by 26?
PJ Harvey. To Bring You My Love

25. What is your favourite song by 18?
Manic Street Preachers. 'Judge Yourself'

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 38?
Madness. 'Our House'

27. What is your favourite lyric by 3?
The Smashing Pumpkins. Again... meh lyrics.

28. What is you favourite song by 2?
Moloko. Probably 'Caught in a Whisper'.

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
Nine Inch Nails. 'The Wretched'

30. What is you favourite song by 8?
Portishead. 'The Rip' lately.

31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
Interpol. None.

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
The Cure. 'Love Cats' of course.

33. What is you favourite album by 12?
Muse. 'Absolution'

34. What is the worst song by 34?
Silversun Pickups. Not sure. They have a few average tracks but nothing stand-out 'worst'.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 46?
Simon & Garfunkel. 'The Sound of Silence'

36. What is you favourite album by 42?
Scissor Sisters. 'Scissor Sisters'

37. How many times have you seen 39 live?
David Bowie. Never.

38. What is your favourite album by 36?
Pink Floyd. Wish You Were Here

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
Blood Red Shoes. I think they opened with 'It's Getting Boring By the Sea' but, as I said earlier, I was fairly drunk for that gig...

40. What is you favourite album by 7?
Massive Attack. Mezzanine.

Basically I took my top 50 (last 6 months since it's the most accurate) and sorted the artists into order by country, just to see what'd happen... the usual suspects dominate and I suppose it's pretty narrow overall:

UK (26)

Moloko
Radiohead
Tricky
Massive Attack
Portishead
The Beatles
Muse
The Music
Manic Street Preachers
Bloc Party
Led Zeppelin
Placebo
The Rolling Stones
Blood Red Shoes
Goldfrapp
Biffy Clyro
PJ Harvey
David Bowie
Pink Floyd
Madness
The Cure
Lamb
The Police
Squeeze
The Beautiful South
Texas


USA (14)

The Smashing Pumpkins
Queens of the Stone Age
Puracane
Interpol
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Incubus
Silversun Pickups
Carole King
Nine Inch Nails
Nirvana
Sparta
The Pierces
Simon & Garfunkel
Scissor Sisters


Canada (3)

The Silk Demise
Dragonette
The Meligrove Band


France (2)

Nouvelle Vague
Air


Mexico (1)

Stervhïa


Iceland (1)

Björk


Austria/Germany/whatever (1)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart


Ireland (1)

The Commitments


Norway (1)

Röyksopp