I would like to think I listen to anything really, but my music interests change really rapidly. I think a few years ago I absolutely loved everything to do with pop music, so I still listen to pop music from a few years ago from time to time.
Lately I've been exploring funk (with bands like Jamiroquai and Red Hot Chili Peppers). As a bass player, I was curious about slap bass, so this is where I ended up for the time being.
When I check artists out, I usually grab the entire discography if I can. It gives me the fullest idea of what kind of music they produce.
This song definitely piqued my interest! It is just a "tiny bit" repetitive, especially on the bassline. Apologies.
But if we're going for consistency, I will always be amazed by the technical ability of bassists and guitarists throughout the metal genre.
So I rocked out with Metallica; I progressed through Tool. I then tried experimenting with bands such as Nile, Nekrogoblikon, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Finntroll, Edge of Sanity, Myrath and Týr. Folk metal fascinates me.
I've been meaning to check out Dream Theater, so they're next on my list when I'm done with funk.
And, y'know, sometimes I'll just take it easy and listen to video game soundtracks. These currently include Super Mario Sunshine, Sonic Adventure, Donkey Kong Country 2, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, The Neverhood/Skullmonkeys, Pokémon Crystal and Psychonauts.
Although I get somewhat limited use out of my stereo, my music teacher always appreciated my wide tastes in high school. From getting the top grade in my class I have "John Williams & The Boston Pops Orchestra: A Celebration", which is mainly focused on movie themes and such. In addition, I received "The Essential Dave Brubeck", which is obviously a jazz-focused CD. Love that one.
Here's a miscellaneous group of people. I've really enjoyed Pink Floyd, and my parents have some vinyl from them and other artists that have been great opportunities. Muse is, in my opinion, as close as I can find to a modern sounding Pink Floyd. There's also Caravan Palace which I think is a unique band with a really nice sound. Lastly, there's a Toronto-based electronic artist named Renard, who takes on a bunch of different aliases and produces genres like gabber, hardcore, happy hardcore, rave, house, whatever. I have a lot of his music and it gave me a better appreciation of that type of music for sure.
I think friends and family influence what I listen to as well. I have a friend all about the black metal scene who has his own band, another who plays a jazz bass, etc.
As if this wasn't already long enough, I really appreciate vocals that challenge the status quo. For example, take the main theme of the animé Elfen Lied:
And lastly, I really appreciate where a lot of trends could be traced back to. I think this would be incomplete without mentioning baroque or classical music. When I had interest in piano, Erik Satie's "Trois Gymnopédies" was always what I aimed to play. A high school favourite was Gustav Holst's "The Planets". I remember our music class was taken to an empty auditorium by our teacher where we listened to the entirety of the piece in the dark. Life-changing.
On the neo-classical side, I really recommend The Secret Garden. It's a blend of Norwegian and Irish tastes.