Breaking the rules.

That's right folks, two posts in a row written in the daylight hours. I can't say for sure why this is, but I figure if I didn't write one last night, I was due for one this afternoon.

So what haven't I talked about in like a day? That's right: music. More importantly, I am interested in how music affects mood. In High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (and in the movie, John Cusack) pose the question "Did I listen to music because I was miserable, or was I miserable because I listened to music?" Similarly, in an interview with Charlie Rose the other day, sports caster extraordinaire Jim Nance mentioned putting on songs with specific emotional attachments while he was writing his latest book, which is about his relationship with his father. So this got me thinking along the same lines. Would my outlook on life be different if I liked other kinds of music?

Generally speaking, I listen to what most people would call indie rock. Other people out there would call it crap (Courtney, I'm looking in your direction). No matter what you call it, a major tenet of a lot of the music I listen to is to blend interesting and compelling melodies with bleak lyrics. You know what I'm talking about: bands like the Smiths, The Magnetic Fields, and My Bloody Valentine. So what affect does this music have on me? There is an overused statement that every kid who ever enjoyed punk music says: "Punk rock saved my life." I take great issue with this staement, but that's a whole other post. I only mention it because you never (or at least I never) hear any indie fans say "Indie rock ruined my life." In his book, John Sellers even gives the sub-title of "How indie rock saved my life." While it was an interesting and fun read, I think he is a little over-dramatic in his titling, and I also think that his VERY broad-sweeping definition is rather off base.

But I digress.

Anyhow, I feel like I'm running in circles here. If you have any insight, indie or not, on how music can affect your outlook on life or just your mood in general, please chime in. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go mope around while listening to some of my favorite albums. Just kidding. Or am I?