I love music—most music, most of the time. But when I sit down to code, not just any music will do. I need music that will help me get the job done, not hinder me. It has to be simple enough not to distract, but complex enough to engage me and to keep me from being distracted by everything else besides my code. Keep me awake but don’t make me hyperactive. The best coding music can be half-tuned out when you’re working through a difficult problem, yet you can sing along when you finally solve it.

I’m going to profile some of my favorite music every Friday. I realize everyone’s taste is different so if you prefer a good polka while you work then go for it (just wear headphones if I’m working next to you). Even for me, it depends on the time of day, my mood, and the particular bit of code in front of me too. So buyer-beware, your-mileage-may-vary, and I’m-not-saying-your-taste-sucks-if-you-don’t-like-my-choices.

For the inaugural music post, I’ve picked Elliott Smith. (Plus other music releases from this week after the jump.)

The first reason I picked Elliott Smith is that he has been a long-time coding favorite of mine. His songs strike the right balance between complexity and simplicity. The rhythms stay interesting and energetic while the melodies are like familiar lullabies. Elliott’s half-whispered vocals remind me of a conversation at a nearby table in a cafe; they can be tuned in or out depending on where your attention is. Exactly what I need when working. And the brilliant song-writing and catchy hooks hold up when put it on your iPod and leave the office. His songs are melancholy (that’s an understatement) so it may not be the perfect choice for every mood. I can see how it could make a bad mood worse, but even when I’m down the lullaby melodies are soothing. Elliott Smith works best before noon, especially if you are not fully caffeinated yet. It’s mellow enough to let you ease into the day ahead. Of course it can also be pleasant on the flip-side, in the twilight hours or late night, provided that you aren’t fighting off sleep, as well as anytime the afternoon feels a bit gray and hazy.

The second reason: New Moon, a “new” Elliott Smith double-album, was released this week. A quick bit of history will help explain the scare-quotes around “new”. Between 1994 and 2000, Elliott Smith released five albums. He was working on his sixth when he died in October 2003 (it’s inconclusive whether it was a suicide or a homicide), and the album was released a year after his death. So what is New Moon then? It is a collection of 24 rare and unreleased songs recorded between 1994 and 1997 while Smith was working with the independent record label Kill Rock Stars. Many hard-core Elliott Smith fans believe this time period represents his best work. Of course, many hard-core fans already had these tracks as internet-swapped bootlegs, but the quality of these versions on New Moon still make it worth purchasing. For me, the best track is his cover of Big Star’s Thirteen, but that’s mostly because I love the original.

Elliott Smith on Wikipedia

Elliott Smith album list

(with iTunes links)

• Roman Candle (1994)
• Elliott Smith (1995)
• Either/Or (1997)
• XO (1998)
• Figure 8 (2000)
• From a Basement on a Hill (2004)
• New Moon (2007, but recorded 1994-1997)

Other Notable Music This Week

• Björk: Volta
• Travis: The Boy With No Name
• The Sea and Cake: Everybody

This entry was posted on Friday, May 11th, 2007 at 12:11 pm and is filed under Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.