Originally Posted by TheBig3KilledMyRainDog

me: So it was interesting coming into this, I usually ask people how they came to Musicbanter and I can remember when they showed up, but you actually pre-date me and almost everyone on the boards. That being said, how did you find musicbanter, and how did you find it so early?
Sent at 3:34 AM on Friday

allison: you know I actually can't remember in the least. I think I must have done sort of google search, maybe for a music forum, but I did stumble across MB and stuck around.

me: And if I remember correctly, this was in ~2003, what were your first impressions of the place?
Sent at 3:36 AM on Friday

allison: I think it was actually Jan. 2004. Back then it was a super small community, not many posters but there were some really interesting people there. I was definitely impressed by the range of different musical tastes bouncing around. I remember some very heated discussions, a lot about politics, and there was just a great vibe to the place.

me: Has the vibe changed?
Sent at 3:41 AM on Friday

allison: A little yeah, I mean the site has grown so much so there will inevitably be a lot of changes. What hasn't changed though is that there's still a real community feel among the more active posters, there's just more people to add to it. The music discussions are a lot more diverse, and because there are so many people to weigh in on it I think that side of the boards has really improved.
Sent at 3:44 AM on Friday

me: Its been my experience in talking with some of the posters, and certainly doing these interviews, that people come to the boards with a certain musical scope, and naturally that expands into areas they never thought they would go to, listening to music they had hated, or even just experiencing bands they had never heard before but grew to love. Are there any acts you really got into because of your presence here?
Sent at 3:46 AM on Friday

allison: When I came to the boards I already had a pretty eclectic music taste, so I'd say that MB just introduced me to bands that I hadn't heard of before or really given a chance to. I remember around the time i joined I was really into punk more than any other genre, and I really got into the riverdale's, teenage bottlerocket and a few other bands after browsing the punk section.
Sent at 3:52 AM on Friday

allison: I'm sure there's a lot of other bands that I've stumbled on from MB, it's tough for me to pin them down since I get hooked on genres, rather than specific bands. I'll go for a few months listening to punk, then go on a real indie binge, then move to folky, singer/songwriter stuff, it changes all the time

me: What genre are you hooked on currently?
Sent at 3:54 AM on Friday

allison: right now I'm on a huge electronic kick. It was actually the genre that up till a few months ago I really had no interest in. Then a dj friend of mine dumped a ton of electronica onto my itunes and over the last few months i've been sorting through all of it, and discovering more and more that I really like all the stuff he gave me.
Sent at 3:56 AM on Friday

me: Anything that stands out from this new sea of music you've found?
Something you can recommend to readers?
Sent at 3:57 AM on Friday

allison: I've had infusion - all night sun light on repeat on my i-pod for a couple days. Its one of the few albums from any genre that I can say I genuinely like every song on it. Also really into Calvin harris, I have I created disco and ready for the weekend. Basement Jaxx is just really fun to listen to, definitely more pop-y that some of the others, and Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream as well
Sent at 4:00 AM on Friday

allison: most of the stuff I like is more pop-electro or other genres with heavy electronic influences, not so much a fan of trance or house but who knows, in a couple months maybe I'll find I really enjoy it
oh, forgot Cut Copy, that's actually the one group i've been listening to for years, way before the recent electronic obsession

me: Got a favorite track for us to try out?
from Cut Copy I mean
if only because they've stood time's test

allison: cut copy - going nowhere, it's the song that got me into the band and it's remained my favourite

me: And what about that song specifically?
Sent at 4:05 AM on Friday

allison: It's got a good strong beat and structure which I really like, and I think mostly it's just associated with so many good fun memories. I originally found it on a ski movie soundtrack and it went straight into my "ski mix" so it's caught up in all these great happy upbeat memories for me. Even now when i listen to the song it puts me in a real energetic mood
Sent at 4:08 AM on Friday

me: A ski mix huh? is that for the way to the mountain or are you listening while you're actually skiing?
Sent at 4:10 AM on Friday

allison: both, my "ski playlist" has grown to about 150 songs so I'll plug it in on the way up to the mountain to get myself all pumped up, and then have it playing on my i-pod as I'm skiing. It's really just a mix of songs that get me stoked for a day of skiing, most of them I've found on various ski movie playlists. The ski movies have actually been a really great resource for new music, since most of the production is done on a relatively low budget, so they generally search for unknown bands and artists to feature in the segments, maybe it has something to do with the royalty costs
of course the ski playlist hasn't been used for skiing in a good year, haha
Sent at 4:13 AM on Friday

me: Now is that a lot of techno as well or is it all over the map?
Sent at 4:14 AM on Friday

allison: oh all over the map. I've got everything from techno to punk to hair metal to modest mouse
and a healthy dose of rap in there as well

me: hair metal huh? I think I'll leave that one alone
Sent at 4:16 AM on Friday

allison: yeah the whole mix is pretty off the wall, it'll go from styx to modest mouse to the dead kennedy's and into some gangsta rap
Sent at 4:18 AM on Friday

me: And it works?
Sent at 4:19 AM on Friday

allison: oh for sure, depending on what I'm doing. If i'm doing something super technical and scary as hell (kinda thing where there's a no-fall zone where if you screw up you'll drop off a cliff) I'll listen to really heavy rap to get me pumped up and focused on what I'm doing. Modest mouse or more kinda mellow songs are good for powder when I can just kinda float down, and so on and so on
Sent at 4:20 AM on Friday

me: Switching gears here, you say your taste is all over the map, but is there something you've never really gotten into?
Sent at 4:23 AM on Friday