Boards
Mixtape Etiquette
If you don't supply feedback to the mixtape creator, you are off the list of people who will receive future ones. It's quite a good way of getting the measure of someone's character.
But this one was weird-
Guy at work- don't know him well but I strike up a conversation when I see him wearing a Clutch t-shirt as I think Clutch are pretty good and I think I have a duty to give him the props he probably never gets. He asks me if I would like him to burn him some Clutch. He clearly wants to make these for me more than I want them to so I accept and hell, I'm happy to have more Clutch in my life.
He gives me a homemade Clutch compilation and almost immediately asks me for feedback. I haven't listened yet but realising my obligation to mixtape etiquette I listen that night. Decide which tracks I like so I have enough opinion to reward him for his efforts.
He offers to lend me a Clutch live DVD. Since I'm not prepared to watch a live DVD just to feedback I decline
A couple of weeks later he asks me if I like Monster Magnet. I tell him I think they're alright but haven't heard much of them. He offers to burn some for me. I realise my mistake, but I've turned him down for the DVD so I accept.
He burns me about 6 albums and every single day asks me for feedback. I listen to one, give him some basic feedback. He's not satisfied. I listen to another. He's not satisfied. I'm too polite to say "look, it really did nothing for me" after all- he's done 6 albums!! So I stop listening to them. But still every day he asks and I've got to find a new polite way every day of saying I've not had a chance to listen to anymore of them, like I'm in some kind of stoner rock Groundhog Day.
I avoid him at work in case he collars me for more feedback
Ah, I know a way to deal with this- I'll beat him at his own game whilst doing a nice thing. So I lovingly make 2 compilation CDs, carefully selecting music which from the clues he's given me I think he'll like. So it's pretty much wall-to-wall left of centre rock or noisy stuff. Nothing too indieish and nothing dancey or hip-hop. I put Walkabout by Atlas Sound on just to see if he goes for it, but other than that it's all testosterone-fuelled rock with bands that sound like bands he's mentioned.
I present him with the CDs and sit back and wait.
The next day- he doesn't come to me
The next week- nothing.
So I approach him "have you had a chance to listen to those CDs yet" I tentatively ask him.
He responds "yeah I listened to a couple of songs but they were a bit dancey. So anyway, have you listened to those Monster Magnet CDs yet" and that's that.
Either he's deaf or lying.
Bastard.
If he was deaf, it at least explains why he wanted to know what the CDs sounded like.
Do you have mixtape etiquette experiences to tell.
Preferably not as tedious as my one.