Musical Seasons

MrKnickerbocker

MrKnickerbocker

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This came up in the Opeth thread, and I believe it warrants a larger discussion.

Are you inspired to listen to certain music depending on the season and/or weather?

I find that I listen to certain bands and certain albums seasonally, usually in conjunction with the weather. A lot of my seasonal preferences are tied to holidays and specific memories, which are obviously different for everyone here. I'm particularly curious as to the listening tendencies of our international posters and those from different religious backgrounds, as I'm sure not everyone shares the same holiday traditions.

WINTER is reserved almost exclusively for power metal, symphonic metal, and some prog. For me, it's also a good time for some melancholy pop/rock and classical music. It's about the grandeur, the atmosphere. I want to listen to music that sounds like a cold winter night during an epic snowstorm. Common winter artists for me include: Symphony X, Nightwish, Kamelot, Seventh Wonder, Chopin, John Mayer, Matchbox Twenty, and, of course, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

SPRING is a mix of rock, prog, punk and folk music, but usually reserved for indie and rock'n'roll bands, and occasionally rap. Something enjoyable, moody, and catchy. I'd say spring is my most indecisive musical time, and I can often be found listening to just about anything. For some reason, I also get oddly international in the spring. It's an odd mix of bands like: Oasis, Powderfinger, Muse, Soilwork,Missy Higgins, Rush, Dio, Bad Religion, Jimmy Eat World, Brandi Carlile, and Tom Waits.

SUMMER is usually metal bands, blues, and folk. Stuff that's heavy and driving, but not really dark or depressing. Iron Maiden, Dio, Clutch, Joe Satriani, The Duhks, Armored Saint, Metallica, Anthrax, some Megadeth, The Waifs, The Black Keys, Johnny Cash, Joe Bonamassa, Soundgarden, and anything blues related.

FALL is my favorite time of year, and generally reflected with moody metal, sad and dark folk music, and any heavy bands that sound inspired by Halloween. I spend most of this time listening to Opeth and Iced Earth, with the occasional Tom Waits or Tracy Chapman as downtime in between.
 
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Doom and black metal is the best during winter. I love going for a walk at -20°C while it's snowing, while listening to My Dying Bride, Swallow The Sun or Secrets Of The Moon. Also, stuff like Turisas, Ensiferum, Wintersun, finnish power metal like Stratovarius, etc.
Fall: stuff like Mastodon and Alice In Chains.
 
Less so these days, but I used to find hot summer days always put me in a mood for things like AC/DC, Status Quo, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, ZZ Top.... hard rock etc.

Things like Here I Go Again just seem to fit summer!
 
Opeth is probably my only seasonal band, mostly Fall and Winter for me. I like listening to Night Of The Stormrider by Iced Earth in the winter time too. Though from Fall to Spring, I'm mostly listening to Jazz, Classical, and various indie music. Summer is pretty much all Metal and Prog.
 
Night Prowler said:
Doom and black metal is the best during winter. I love going for a walk at -20°C while it's snowing, while listening to My Dying Bride, Swallow The Sun or Secrets Of The Moon, as I sacrifice my endless pain to the eternal night
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Fixed that for you.

But seriously, these are both genres that I do not know anything about. Could recommend a band, song, or album that you think truly captures the genre?

Crimson Idol said:
Less so these days, but I used to find hot summer days always put me in a mood for things like AC/DC, Status Quo, Whitesnake, Aerosmith, ZZ Top.... hard rock etc.

Things like Here I Go Again just seem to fit summer!
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I'm with you there. Cheesy hard rock and metal with a swing feel, that spells summer for me, too.

Mosh said:
Opeth is probably my only seasonal band, mostly Fall and Winter for me. I like listening to Night Of The Stormrider by Iced Earth in the winter time too. Though from Fall to Spring, I'm mostly listening to Jazz, Classical, and various indie music. Summer is pretty much all Metal and Prog.
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I honestly couldn't imagine fall without Opeth. They are as important to that season as falling leaves and pumpkin ale.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
But seriously, these are both genres that I do not know anything about. Could recommend a band, song, or album that you think truly captures the genre?
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Well, from these 3 bands I mentioned:
Both doom and black metal have lots of different subgenres, so it's hard to pick just one. If you like this, I can put more links :)
 
I don't have any seasonal preferences but Opeth is pure autumn. I probably do play Opeth more often then.
 
@Night Prowler, I'm listening to those songs now and I'll discuss 'em in the Black Metal thread!

Seems like Opeth is a common thread for fall/autumn. I feel like, although fall is one of my favorite musical seasons, it's also my most narrow. I pretty much only listen to two bands for the whole month of October. I'd love to find some more bands that fit into autumn...
 
I forgot to mention that Blind Guardian is also very fitting in winter. But only the early albums, especially my favorite - Tales From The Twilight World.
 
Spring: Crust, hardcore/punk, R&B, and soulful hip-hop
Summer: Death metal, thrash/speed, sludge/stoner stuff, and g-funk* type hip-hop for cruisin'
Fall: Doom metal, black, and hip-hop everywhere
Winter: Black metal, death, blues, and downtempo hip-hop, chillwave.
 
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Luke said:
Spring: Crust, hardcore/punk, R&B, and soulful hip-hop
Summer: Death metal, thrash/speed, sludge/stoner stuff, and g-gunk type hip-hop for cruisin'
Fall: Doom metal, black, and hip-hop everywhere
Winter: Black metal, death, blues, and downtempo hip-hop, chillwave.
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Nice variety! But...what the hell is Crust?

Forostar said:
No. I always look at staple of CD's I have never heard, and then I'll decide my pick.
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As in, CD's you own but haven't listened to before?
 
Yes, I have a constant staple of CDs that I haven't heard (most are jazz, but it also contains albums by Jethro Tull and some other artists). So, usually I give my attention to that new stuff.

In the last years I have become a consumer of music but of course I also play CDs that I know, often in the car, but as well fitting to forum topics, e.g. now the Rush discography.
 
Spring and summer are generally when I get experimental and start listening to a bunch of music I've never heard before. Fall and winter are pretty much exclusively reserved for Opeth, Symphony X, and Iced Earth. But make no mistake -- those bands get plenty of play in spring and summer, too.
 
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