(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

I will never understand the system behind German iTunes' music classification. I suppose STS' "Fürstenfeld" is sort of folk (it's about a folk-singer, and parodies both earnest sixties folk and Austrian Volksmusik, anyway); but if it is so, then why is Bob Dylan singing "It ain't me" pop, or Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" rock?

Of course, the basic problem is that singer-songwriters tend to float about between genres (folk/ rock/ pop/ alternative/ country/ and, for the German stuff, chanson - have I missed one?) But this is why I have a problem when people ask me what sort of music I like...

Comments

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

Ha - some time ago I got fed up with iTunes classifying all my nice choral music as either 'Classical' or 'Gospel & Religious' and deleted all the genres. I can't say I've missed them.

[tree_and_leaf]

I think iTunes insisted on wanting to call Nine Lessons and Carols from Magdalen 'Christian'. Which is true, but not in the way I suspect that they meant. Flanders and Swann seem to alternate between 'unclassifiable' and 'books and spoken word'm neither of which seem particularly sensible!

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

It thinks all my English traditional music (amplified and not) is "Reggae"!

To be fair, a lot of the time it's eMusic that thinks that, but still. I mean, the closest thing I have to reggae is Edward II & the Red-Hot Polkas (they are kind of reggae/polka fusion, seriously), but iTunes classifies them as "Rock."

[fpb.livejournal.com]

It's not much better in English-speaking countries. Just mention favourite artists; to say "I love Bob Dylan" says a lot more about you than "I love acoustic pop" or whatever.

[tree_and_leaf]

Hence the success of Last FM, I suppose (though that's never worked particularly well for me, either).

[jtree.livejournal.com]

Ah, it's a nightmare question, isn't it. To define All your musical tastes with a few simple words and classifications when the very definitions of the genres are so elusive..

I've say that's a very appropriate icon for this. :)
Also, I friended you out of curiosity, hopefully you won't mind this?

[tree_and_leaf]

Sure, nice to meet you!

[azdak.livejournal.com]

I suppose STS' "Fürstenfeld" is sort of folk

Is it classified as "folk" or as "Volksmusik"? Because while there's a degree of overlap between the two classifications, there's also a large degree of non-overlap, and I suspect the categorisation of "Fürstenfeld" falls into one of these areas of non-overlap. It counts as Volksmusik because it's sung in dialect, just as most Austropop can at a pinch be thus classified.

[tree_and_leaf]

No, definitely 'folk'. I agree that 'Volksmusik' would have made more sense - though I suspect that a lot of the people who might buy STS would consider it a pejorative term?

[azdak.livejournal.com]

I suspect that a lot of the people who might buy STS would consider it a pejorative term?

Yes, probably - though if you want to be rude about commercialised Volksmusik of the besequinned Dirndl variety, you call it volksduemmliche Musik rather than Volksmusik. STS is on the margins of the category rather than a central example - the instruments aren't at all folky - but the language and to some extent the musical style align them with Volksmusik, and a song like "Grossvater" really looks more like Volksmusik than pop.

[tree_and_leaf]

'volksdümmlich' is brilliant!

I suppose in some ways they are comparable to Runrig, who are pretty squarely on the border between folk and rock.

[azdak.livejournal.com]

(folk/ rock/ pop/ alternative/ country/ and, for the German stuff, chanson - have I missed one?)

Schlager!


LJ is amazing. I never thought I'd find myself discussing the musical categorisation of Austropop with anyone, let alone a fellow Brit...

[tree_and_leaf]

Oh, of course, Schlager! I should have thought of that, as I recently had an argument with someone IRL as to whether or not Reinhard Mey wrote Schlager.

And indeed, LJ, is an astounding place at times... Though I must confess that I know nothing about Austropop as such - I know STS because some of their songs have been adopted by German Scouts I've often sat round a fire and sung with.