I’ve only been listening to non-classical music for a couple of years. Considering that I’ve lived a life shaped around classical music, this is not surprising.

But it’s sad.

Rock music is cool.

How did I start making my way through the vast ocean of rock music? With the Beatles, of course. “Paperback Writer,” “Yellow Submarine,” and “Norwegian Wood” were favorites, and “Eleanor Rigby,” too, for the string quartet. And so it rested.

My sophomore year of college I discovered Simon and Garfunkel. Even now, hearing “Bleecker Street” brings me back to my dumpy bedroom overlooking a courtyard full of snow at the apartment complex I lived in then. Okay, that doesn’t really sound like such a great memory, but I was happy listening to Simon and Garfunkel in my dumpy room, what can I say? I stuck safely with these two for a long time.

Last winter I discovered Zveri. Normally one doesn’t listen to Zveri unless one is Russian, 14 years old, and into boy bands, but I fell in love. And NOT with the lead singer (for crying out loud, I’m too old to have crushes on pop stars, not that I ever did back when it was excusable). Because I can’t speak Russian, their rather dopey lyrics don’t bother me, and I’m free to rock out unhampered by the clumsy turns of phrase that become so irritating in my native tongue. It was after this discovery that I began my (thus far unsuccessful) hunt for the English-speaking (singing?) Zveri. Actually I am embarassed by my passion for Zveri, partly because of the boy-band ethos, and partly because, except for a few songs, they really aren’t that good. But I like them too much to stop listening. It’s a guilty pleasure.

Finally making it mainstream I discovered Coldplay next, listening enraptured to X&Y during my 30-minute commutes, having selected that particular album because there was no waitlist at the library. On the one hand, I like smashing guitars and angry loud banging noises, but Coldplay is my comfort music. I actually own all four of their albums now, purchased secondhand at Half Price Books.

The explorations continue. I’m a big fan of U2, and I went through a Death Cab for Cutie obsession as well. Since I’m completely new to this type of music I am free to listen to whatever I feel like without feeling stupid. So what’s in my playlists now? Here’s just a sampling:

• Coldplay: “High Speed,” “Green Eyes,” “Til Kingdom Come,” “Viva La Vida,” “Strawberry Swing”
• Zveri: “Dozhdi-Pistolety” (Rain-guns), “Tramvai” (Tram), “Lapami Vverkh” (Paws up), “Napitki Pokrepche” (Stronger Drinks)
• The Killers: “Human,” “Goodnight, Travel Well”
• Travis: “The Last Laugh of the Laughter,” “Driftwood,” “Why Does it Always Rain on Me?”
• Death Cab for Cutie: “A Lack of Color”
• Guster: “Satellite”

And, finally, if you’d like to sample some of this, here are some links and videos (just click on the song title for the link):

Zveri – Tramvai

Travis – The Last Laugh

Death Cab for Cutie – A Lack of Color

Guster – Satellite

Coldplay – Til Kingdom Come

Frou Frou – Flicks

Coldplay – Strawberry Swing

As you can perhaps hear, I’m in a calm, contemplative mood these days. Not too long ago I was pounding away to the Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day…but there’s music for every mood!