Random Question...

Published 18 December 07 09:44 AM

Since I discovered that I can keep my laptop powered during the 5 hour flight between Seattle and New York, I've been able to do some programming again!!  And naturally (well, maybe not naturally), that got me thinking about...music.

So the question: what do you listen to while programming? 

For me, the list consists of bands like Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, Rage Against the Machine, NiN (older stuff) - and sometimes the random classical Indian music (I play a little tabla and I'm a huge Zakir Hussain fan).

by hdierking
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# Tom said on December 18, 2007 12:58 PM:

I listen to woxy.com, an Internet radio station.

# Stephen Stagg said on December 18, 2007 12:59 PM:

I find that it has to be music that I know really well, otherwise, I can't concentrate properly.

# Will said on December 18, 2007 1:54 PM:

On the radio, 93.3 in Colorado. On the laptop, J-Pop and Alternative Rock (Three Days Grace, Jack Johnson, My Chemical Romance, Matchbox Twenty, NiN, Disturbed, Phantom Planet, etc...)

# James Avery said on December 18, 2007 3:56 PM:

Lately: Okkervil River, Decembrists, Jens Lekman, Bloc Party, Beach Boys, Destoyer, My Morning Jacket, The Mountain Goats, Yo La Tengo, Radiohead

All Time is probably favorite for programming: Portishead

-James

# Gary DeReese said on December 18, 2007 5:01 PM:

Boards of Canada does it for me.

# BenScheirman said on December 18, 2007 6:01 PM:

@James - dang I don't know very many bands on that list...  though I do really like Radiohead, so I have some listening to do :)

I like everything you mentioned, Howard...  I also like listening to ambient music (as it's less distracting).  Explosions in the Sky is pretty good (instrumental mellow rock)

Prodigy & Juno Reactor also make my list.

# Iain said on December 19, 2007 10:23 PM:

Usual suspects are:

Mira Calix (her stuff is awesome), Portishead, Aphex Twin (lighter stuff), Bjork and somtimes Tool (not much gets done while this is playing though)

# Evan said on December 21, 2007 2:34 AM:

A few sites to check out:

free.napster.com

virginradio.co.uk

fm4.orf.at (sometimes strange, sometimes awesome, always with entertaining german/austrian accents)

# Mike Azocar said on January 29, 2008 2:41 PM:

Has to be talk radio or some really obnoxious rap music.

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About hdierking

I am currently the Editor-in-Chief for MSDN Magazine. I joined Microsoft in 2006 as a product planner with the certification team at Microsoft Learning. Prior to that, I spent my career as a developer and later as an architect. My main technology passions include pretty much anything on language theory, agile development, and service-oriented architecture.
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