Comments on: Music to Work By

By: Condominiums Mississauga

Condominiums Mississauga — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:51:44 +0000

Frankly, the record industry is in steep decline because they’re stupid and don’t figure out how to keep up with technological advances nor how to serve niche markets. But good luck–maybe you’ll find yourself properly placed to exploit the future we can’t predict.

By: Property Management Software

Property Management Software — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:28:11 +0000

I wish I was one to listen to music and work at the same time. Unfortunately it drives my productivity to nearly nothing. No ipod for me, sorry apple.

By: Benjamin Vis muziek recensies

Benjamin Vis muziek recensies — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:30:35 +0000

Try writing to Pseudosix or Sea Wolf and the likes. Works really well. One needs music that has a ‘flow’ to it.

By: Jet

Jet — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:50:22 +0000

It’s all in the rhythm of the music. I found that the unexpected indie hit Fleet Foxes was a joy to write to!

By: Nan

Nan — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:34:23 +0000

Smooth jazz on streaming WinAmp — every day, all day.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:07:43 +0000

• Lisa Miskovsky – Still Alive

• Web Developer

By: Margie

Margie — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:07:54 +0000

Viva la Vida by Cold Play, the best to zone in on tough work stuff.

By: Brian O

Brian O — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:16:13 +0000

So if I’m really trying to think; come up with something outside the box, I need white noise, like the AC running or the sounds of traffic through the nearest window and a keyboard to jot down my thoughts.

If it’s a remedial or tedious, time-consuming task, I find Slayer’s Decade of Aggression will get me through about 35 minutes of the task in the blink of an eye.

After that it’s shuffle with a heavy dose of Misfits, Ramones, Exploited and “I-heard-it-once-in-a-soundtrack-and-never-again” downloads from iTunes, like Restless Eric’s Go The Whole Wide World and stuff like that. 2008 was the year of commercial downloads. I would hear a song I’d never heard before in a commercial and go download it. Thanks to Chocolate for introducing me to Wild Cherry.

No shuffle is complete without Tina Turner and some Neil Diamond though. I find Tina keeps me in tune with my feminine audience while Neil is in place to lighten my mood after a little too much speed metal.

And finally, AC/DC and iTunes be damned for not letting me get their music there!

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:15:11 +0000

got and love the touch love the all the apps so far. jamming Rush when I want to concentrate on the music and the task is menial. if the task takes more brain, jamming something celtic, of something to the likes of enigma or even enya

By: Frank Candy

Frank Candy — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:03:47 +0000

Clay Cotton’s rockin piano is happiest, the most upbeat, fun music we’ve ever used – We use it every single day. Hear sample tunes at http://cdbaby.com/claycotton – Truly outstanding !

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:15:33 +0000

Power Metal does it for me. Lots of Dragonforce. It helps me keep the momentum going.

By: Jack Bailey

Jack Bailey — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:13:32 +0000

I do a lot of writing (and thinking before writing). For me that means tunes on the mellower side like Hem (Rabbit Songs, Eveningland). I’ve also recently been savoring an album of acoustic guitar genius called “Friday Night in San Francisco” by John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, and Paco DeLucia.

By: Reuben

Reuben — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:54:10 +0000

Smooth electronica like Massive Attack, Morcheeba and Cafe Del Mar work best in my opinion. Anything with too insightful lyrics and you’re more inclined to listen to them than focus on the task at hand, lol

By: Robert Wallis

Robert Wallis — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:50:01 +0000

I’m a software developer, and I listen to St. Germain. Someone lent me the CD years ago, and I hated it, but I kept the music. Now, if I have a deadline, I almost can’t do it without listening to this. The songs are: Rose Rouge, Montego Bay Spleen, So Flute, Land Of…, Latin Note, and Sure Thing.

I also listen to Chambao, Cafe Del Mar, Caia, and Transoceanic. Or if that playlist is old, I listen to the mp3s that came with Civilization IV.

Music with lyrics is bad for me because I have to concentrate on creating new things, and complex systems.

By: Mike Weber

Mike Weber — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:43:54 +0000

I love this thread! I’m a huge music aficionado, with close to 8500 songs in my iTunes library. I can’t stand Blues, Bluegrass, Acid Jazz or Zydeco.

That being said, I’ve been listening to a lot of New Wave 80s (P-Furs, Tears, Blancmange…) and what I like to call Surf Punk: Cartel, Boys Like Girls, Click Five…)

With Pandora’s iPhone app, I put all of these artists in a playlist and let it ride.

By: Karl Barndt

Karl Barndt — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:14:06 +0000

Mostly prog, but lately can’t seem to get enough of Furr, by Blitzen Trapper. Also digging the new It Bites album, The Tall Ships (yeah, it’s proggish, but so what).

By: Randy Matheson

Randy Matheson — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:13:25 +0000

These days listening to Zero 7, Mercury Rev and Catherine Wheel… but on any day it could be anything from Decemberists, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses to Springsteen or Metallica. Whatever suits the mood I’m in…

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:55:12 +0000

When at work, shuffle is a girl’s best friend. That said, I find myself listening to Brian Eno a lot when I’m hard at work on something — the trancey music helps me focus on the task at hand. When I need to bring up my energy, I crank the Marnie Stern or Cold War Kids.

When I’m writing, I have playlists for different projects.

By: Mercedes Millberry

Mercedes Millberry — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:38:35 +0000

I work to the WOXY Vintage station on iTunes. Lots of good 80s, and you never know who it will be. It can go from B52s to Cure to Tom Jones to Lone Star. Keeps me guessing, and working!

By: Caroline Chambers

Caroline Chambers — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:02:28 +0000

I work for a chamber of commerce and campaign in my spare time – I always have http://www.musicovery.com on – it just goes with my mood, finds other music I may not have heard and sometimes just throws a great/fantastic old track at me

By: Der Onkel Plak

Der Onkel Plak — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:30:47 +0000

Metal: Necrophagist, Obituary, Helloween, etc.

By: Micah Davis

Micah Davis — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:14:39 +0000

What a great way to spur some discussion Bryan. Lately I’ve been listening to:

Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
Fleet Foxes – Self Titled
Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block
Vampire Weekend – Self Titled

-and-

Pepe Romero – Pepe Romero Guitar
Ivan Moravec – Chopin: Complete Nocturnes
Tallis Scholars – Lamenta

Super excited to now be able to purchase music from iTunes on my iPhone over 3G!

I am senior web designer for LaCrosse Footwear. I am also reading as many books as I can from PersonalMBA.com’s recommended reading list (Bryan you need to be on that list).

By: IamJustinM

IamJustinM — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:32:24 +0000

I pretty much fine tune my Classical music list on last.fm while working late hours (In-house SEO).

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of international music.
My two favorite “discoveries” are Solas (check out Solas – It’s Still Raining, fun stuff) and Toumani Diabate (check out Toumani Diabate – Toumani)

For some reason I can’t work when I listen to mainstream music. It’s strange.

By: Daniel Waisberg

Daniel Waisberg — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:42:20 +0000

Thanks for expanding the discussion Bryan.

This is something really helpful, music sometimes can fill you with the energy necessary for a good piece of work!

I still did not find something more inspiring than Miles Davis for working (especially ‘Kind of Blue’). While it is energetic, it is calming and helps you focus on what you are doing…

By: Jamie

Jamie — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:24:13 +0000

I work in the e-services department of my organization. I listen to different things every day. I will shuffle on the iPod when I’m not really going to pay attention, I’ll start Genius if something catches my fancy. I also listen to Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code, CC Chapman’s Managing the Gray, Digital Photography Life, etc. It all depends on the day and what I’m working on.