path: root/docs/music/band_discovery.md

# How I Discover a Band

2024-03-16

I listen to 6 bands. By "listening to" a band, I mean I have at least two
albums and regularly put them on, at least once a month.

An outline of the process of me discovering a band:

- Listen to one of their songs (usually hit single)
- Ooh I like it
- Listen to other songs
- Hmm some of these are good
- Listen again
- Woah most of these are good
- OK I guess I like the band now

The process can be modeled as a function of E (how much I enjoy <insert
band name\>) over t (time). E(t) is composed of three stages:

- Linear growth (t0 to t1, 0 to E1)
- Constant (t1 to t2, E1)
- Logistic growth (t2 to infinity, E follows an S-curve: it first takes
  off exponentially but flattens and converges to an asymptote at EM)

![Diagram of said function](img/band_discovery/curve.png)

If EM is greater than a threshold, I decide that I like the band. As
I discover and/or they release more music, E might grow beyond EM.

In general,

- t0: hit single
- t1: hit single on repeat
- t2: I become interested in other songs

Now, we just need to find these parameters for every band.

## twenty one pilots

### t0: July 2016, "Stressed Out"

That was the time when twenty one pilots were as hot as the sun. "Stressed
Out" and "Heathens" were everywhere. I was on a flight with no headrest
screen, and the only form of entertainment was a tiny overhead TV (boring)
and a headphone jack on the armrest. It let you pick a channel, and
channel 13 was playing Billboard songs which happened to include "Stressed
Out". I thought it sounded special, like "I'm 14 and this is deep" kind of
special (I was, in fact, 13, so this is incredibly on brand). Anyway, as
soon as I landed I streamed it on repeat.

### t1: August 2016, _Blurryface_

Didn't take long to find out that other songs on _Blurryface_ are even
better. My favorites were "Heavydirtysoul", "Ride", and "Lane Boy".
"Polarize", "Hometown" and "Goner" are good as well.

I listened to _Blurryface_ every week, but not any other album. Once I put
on "Implicit Demand For Proof", but the intro was too long for my liking.

### t2: August 2017, _Vessel_

One summer afternoon I was doing dishes. After a year of listening to one
album, I grew bored. So I put on their 2013 album, _Vessel_.

Completely honest reaction: my jaws dropped at how good "Ode to Sleep"
was. Then how good "Holding on to You" was. All the way to "Car Radio",
which to this day remains my favorite song.

"Ode to Sleep" was even special-er. 5:08 long and full of tempo changes,
it was the closest thing to Bohemian Rhapsody tøp have made. (I at that
time had never heard of Bohemian Rhapsody, but I would have enjoyed it.)

### Soon after t2

_Vessel_ got me into the rabbit hole. Very soon I put on _Regional at
Best_, and "Kitchen Sink" became one of my favorites. (Funny because
I literally discovered _Vessel_ at a kitchen sink.) Then _Twenty One
Pilots_ (aka Self-Titled), which I obsessively listened to in June 2018,
even on a trans-Pacific flight.

Unfortunately that was everything they had made. I downloaded their live
performances, covers, and Tyler Joseph's solo album, _No Phun Intended_.
They have shaped my teenage years.

### 2018, _Trench_

In July 2018 they left hiatus and announced _Trench_, which is my first
experience of anticipating an album and discussing the lore. It dropped on
2018-10-05, a date I will never forget. It remains my favorite record.

Fav tracks (a tough choice): "Morph", "Chlorine", "Nico And The Niners",
"Bandito"

Trivia: my previous laptop's hostname is bandito; my current one's is
chlorine.

### 2021, _Scaled And Icy_

One night as I'm about to go to bed, I checked Wikipedia for no reason and
apparently a few days ago tøp had announced a new album. It was totally
a coincidence.

Later one Thursday afternoon I took sick leave from school, and when I got
home I found the music video for "Shy Away" just dropped. Totally another
coincidence…

_Scaled And Icy_ (2021) was not as soul-wrenching as _Trench_, because as
Tyler explained, the depressed world does not need yet another depressing
album. They had an online concert which I watched for like $20, which is
heck of a performance. There was 10 times more props, visuals and
choreography than a regular tour. It was flawless (other than Josh
dropping his drumstick at the end of "Car Radio", but he quickly grabbed
another one without missing, quite literally, a beat).

### 2024, _Clancy_

And now in 2024 there's another record in the oven. How did I find out?
Wikipedia! Just need to wait…

"Overcompensate" is an absolute bop.

## I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

### t0: some time in 2018, "Choke"

I discovered the music video for "Choke" and thought wow that sounded
cool.

### t1: some time in 2019, _1981 EP_

Later I downloaded _1981 EP_. It was the first time I bought music with
money. I remember the summer when I played this on the bus.

Now, because they were a new band, there wasn't much backlog discog to
explore.

### t2: October 2020, _Razzmatazz_

It's a really good record and I liked it instantly. In March 2021 I bought
it as a birthday treat to myself.

Fav tracks: "Leave Me Alone", "Clusterhug", "Razzmatazz"

### December 2023

IDKHOW announced a tour for their upcoming album _GLOOM DIVISION_, and
I got a ticket. The only downside (pun intended; "DOWNSIDE" is a track
title) is it's in Detroit. My advisor had once told me not to go to
Detroit alone. I'm gonna do it anyway hope I don't die lmao

So the album is out now in February 2024. Fav tracks: "DOWNSIDE",
"INFATUATION", "SIXFT"

## My Chemical Romance

### t0: 2020-ish, "This is How I Disappear"

tøp covered "Cancer", but it doesn't count. My real first exposure to MCR
is either "Welcome to the Black Parade" or "This is How I Disappear" (I
probably found this video: [This Is How I Disappear but it’s just Gerard’s
vocals in a large
cathedral](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lITNYUmM50g)).

Later I added "Cancer", "Mama", and "Sleep" into the list. These songs got
me obsessed — for a little while. I almost never listened to them again.
Until 2021.

### t1: 2021, _The Black Parade_

The summer I graduated high school, I went to a driving school. On my way
home I put on _The Black Parade_ in its entirety and it was better than
I remembered. But still, no progress.

### t2: 2022, _Three Cheers_

Forgot why, but I randomly decided to put on _Three Cheers_. I had already
listened to "Helena" and "The Ghost Of You", but not the rest of the
album.

It was fire. Even better than _Parade_. Fav: "Helena", "Give 'Em Hell,
Kid", "It's Not A Fashion Statement, It's A Fucking Deathwish", "I Never
Told You What I Do For A Living".

### August 2022, _Danger Days_

I can hardly believe this is the same band that made _Three Cheers_, but
it's fire nevertheless.

The semester began in September with unpleasant memories, and they got
kinda associated with some of the songs (especially "The Only Hope for Me
is You"), but it is what it is.

Fav: "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)", "Bulletproof Heart",
"S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W", "Summertime".

### November-ish 2022, _Bullets_

MCR's debut banger. I listened to it in the final exam weeks. After I came
back home, I got covid, but once I awoke I would blast _Bullets_. It was
the record I jammed to when I was learning Haskell.

Fav: "Drowning Lessons", "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville", "Demolition
Lovers".

### 2023, _Conventional Weapons_

Fav: "Boy Division", "Gun.", "The World Is Ugly".

And thus I have finished MCR's discography. I wrote a review: [Review of
My Chemical Romance discography](mcr_discog_review.md).

## Green Day

### t0 and t1: December 2022, "21 Guns"

I was preparing for SoulRocker (campus rock show, lots of bands there) and
saw "21 Guns" on the setlist. This seems to be the only song I had
a chance of jamming to, because the rest were either older than my parents
or weeb music. So I checked out Green Day and learned the lyrics to "21
Guns".

The performance was a bop, everyone was high af, but nobody's throwing up
their arms into the sky.

### t2: March 2023, _American Idiot_

This is the first time where the hit single did _not_ lure me into its
album. Instead I listened to this popular choice.

My favorite was "Jesus of Suburbia", which is the Bohemian Rhapsody of
punk rock. Other favs are "Letterbomb", "Wake Me Up When September Ends",
and "Whatsername".

### March 2023, _21st Century Breakdown_

This time I got the album "21 Guns" is from. Honestly, it's not as
consistently good as _Idiot_. I would skip tracks.

Fav: "21st Century Breakdown", "Before the Lobotomy".

I would skip: "Christian's Inferno", "East Jesus Nowhere", and on a bad
day everything after "Restless Heart Syndrome" except "21 Guns".

### April 2023, _Dookie_ and _Nimrod_

They have not grown on me (yet). If I feel like it, I might listen to them
again.

## Linkin Park

### t0 and t1: March 2023, "In The End"

u/SorridoSnake (deleted account) on Reddit posted this on r/sbubby:
[Posting a Sbubby for every lyric of Linkin Park’s “In The End” until
I complete the whole
song](https://www.reddit.com/r/sbubby/comments/1184kep/posting_a_sbubby_for_every_lyric_of_linkin_parks/)

and I thought hey why not listen to this song

(I know I am terminally late, I know it's a 2001 song, but this is the
first time I listened to it seriously, like not from a radio or
loudspeakers in some supermarket)

Once the song finishes I know I have a new band to check out. (Don't ask
why it took a month)

### t2: April 2023, _Hybrid Theory_

This is the first band I listened to with two lead vocalists. I like
Mike's rap lines as much as Chester's screaming. They formed my basic
understanding of rap rock, and later inspired me to make [This Song Will
Uncure Your Depression](uncure-your-depression.md).

Fav: "Papercut", "In The End", "My December".

### June 2023, _Meteora_

It's as good as _Hybrid_, but I got distracted and never had a "hey what
if" moment to listen to more Linkin Park.

## Radiohead

In May 2023, I heard a band cover "Creep" but didn't investigate further,
mistaking Radiohead with Just Another Band Talking About Girls And Stuff.
Big nope in hindsight.

### t0: January 2024, "My Iron Lung"

I watched this video titled ["My Iron Lung Looks Just Like Buddy
Holly"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KGRvIFrF3c). It is incredibly
stupidly well-made. I will show the transcript:

> 0:00 [Depressed Radiohead sounds] BaawwwhDooDeeDoo  
> 0:01 [Depressed Radiohead sounds] WawwhDooDeeDoo  
> 0:02 [Depressed Radiohead sounds] BowDooDiiOhDaaiiiiiaaaaDo  
> 0:05 [Depressed Radiohead sounds] WohhhOoDeeOo  
> 0:06 [Depressed Radiohead sounds] HehhOoDeeOo  
> 0:07 DADOODADEEDIIIIIEEDOODOO  
> 0:10 OOHWEEOOH AILUKJUHSLAIBUDIHAAALIIIIII  
> 0:15 OOHWEEOOH AILUKJUHSLAIBUDIHAAALIIIIII BOW  
> 0:15 OH OH ANYURMERITAILERMOOOOOR

Naturally, the words "Depressed Radiohead sounds" caught my attention and
naturally I wanted to hear what the whole song sounded like. It absolutely
rocks.

This is the first time I discovered a band from a silly video.

### t1: January 2024, "The Bends"

Immediately I listened to _The Bends_. Instant favorites are "Planet
Telex", "(Nice Dream)", and "Street Spirit". Very depressed indeed.

### t2: February 2024, _OK Computer_ and _Kid A_

I tried OK Computer but did not find it as good as either _The Bends_ or
_Kid A_. "Paranoid Android" is a banger but the rest sounded awkward, like
early CGI. Especially the synth in "Exit Music" that sounds like it came
straight from a carpenter's workshop.

_Kid A_ did the trick for me. It's just undisguised EDM and sounds much
more polished. Favorites: "Everything in its Right Place", "The National
Anthem", "Idioteque", "Morning Bell". Love the 10/8 and 5/8 signature.

Later in March I revisited _OK Computer_ and admitted I was wrong. The
tracks are pretty good actually. Favorites: "Airbag", "Paranoid Android",
"Let Down", "No Surprises".