I'm really cautious about what I play at work. If I stick to stuff like The Killers and U2 I'm fine but as soon as I venture out even a little bit people get weird. I too think I'm doing them a favor by introducing something that's not Nickleback, Dave Matthews or Coldplay but unless I stick to stuff that's easily accessible it never seems to go over that well. Usually, in the end, I end up being slightly offended and judgemental of those who allow ClearChannel to dictate their musical tastes. I've learned to keep my music to myself for the most part and only discuss it with people who are interested in stuff that won't be pounded into their brain by a local radio station.

it's seems like radiohead are the common-person's doorway to alternative music they deem "complicated" or "difficult" or simply "not mainstream", so all other such artists are easier to lump in with 'em. whatever.

play this person some mclusky or animal collective or madvillain and see if you elicit the same response.

what do you mean by this? is rock convention like 3 chord bar band stuff, or more traditional elvis-style rock? because i would look at that mix and think that very little of it "avoids rock convention". in fact, i would venture to say that the reason a lot of it is on there is because it holds true to convention and should therefore be easily palatable, particularly at work.

She's an idiot. The only song that might even resemble a Radiohead song would be the one by Travis. Brush your shoulders off.

On another board I lurk somebody made the statement that Radiohead-OK Computer was the first cohesive protest album ever made. I laughed my ass off. Some of these Radiohead fans are complete idiots.

That's a nice work mix. Don't worry about it, you done good.

My new tactic is this: no more mixes. Too much pain involved in making a mix that the recipient ends up slagging. I just lend a cd or two, tell them why I think they might like it. If it's something I love, I make it VERY CLEAR that if they don't like it I don't want to hear a word about it.

I'm just trying to avoid the irrational rage that wells up within me when someone says they think, for example, that the Weakerthans are just not good. Okay, don't like them if you must, but you can't just say they're no good, you know? That's just incorrect.

This tactic has led to surprising results with coworkers, and I'm no longer as emotionally attached to their responses.

OH THE BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bet she listened to the cd in the background and when you asked about it, she didn't really have an answer because she hadn't paid too much attention to it. To sound intellectual, she just said whatever she said.

cool thing at my work: the iTunes network. everyone with OS X on their machines and a +40 GB hard drive shares their MP3s. things range from mainstream fare (lots of Coldplay, DMB) to indie rock (the usual stuff) to metal and hardcore (Neurosis, Isis, Refused).

not much hiphop, but a pretty cool situtation, i must say.

KPH

That's why most of us are here.

I think the best tact is to slowly sneak in new music to my work environment. Once people know that you are the music mavin then they are more likely to respect your musical decision... sometimes I didn't even like some of the stuff I listened to until the 2nd or 3rd time.

I never intended for this mix to be played at her work. The girl it was intended for showed interest in music and apparently already liked death cab and mellower stuff like that so i just made a mix in that vein to show her some bands she may be interested in. The girl it was intended for really likes it. I'm not sure she's ready for The Jesus Lizard, Chrome, Disco Inferno, Third Eye Foundation, Lightning Bolt, Download mix just yet. I have a feeling that's how you lose people.

I went from the Pixies and Pavement straight to The Jesus Lizard, Bad Brains and Skinny Puppy. So i tend to think in those terms when putting stuff together for the uninitiated.

I have bad grammar and spelling.

This girl's just a big dummie. I wouldn't even waste one second caring about her opinion.

make a new mix with some fucked up shit on there - melt banana, dillinger escape plan, JAMC, Einsturzende Neubauten etc. and play it, then she'll beg for the old mix to be played

i agree with her

Ooohhh... Yr so indie 8)

How do they sound like radiohead rip offs?

Ride isn't even possible.

I'd like to know why.

Good call with Vapour Trail. Ride is such a Radiohead ripoff.

Take a cue from our boy The Hug. "[You] Shoulda cut that bitches' head off"

and if The Decemberists aren't Radiohead clones then i'm afraid they don't exist. Call me crazy.

The Decemberists vocals, arrangements, mood and lyrics are completely different.

Decemberists feel old and lived-in, like they could be spinning their tales in any generation. Radiohead have always felt alien and future-looking.

There's no similarity whatever between the two bands, not in mood and not in song structure.

But, other than the complete dissimilarity, she's absolutely right.

I agree. Never in a million years would I confuse these two bands.