For the past year and a half, almost every interview we’ve ever done on the Flyer, whether it’s a band, a business owner, or a local politician begins with the same question; what have you been listening to lately?

It started as a way to get an idea about what musical background a band may have without asking the lamest question you can ever ask a band (what are your influences?) (vomit).

But over time, it became a great icebreaker for us, and a great way to get a good idea of who it is we’re talking to in the first few minutes of an interview.

I’m not saying that you should judge a person’s character based solely on their musical taste. Don’t do that. It’s hard to describe, but something about the types of bands or artists people identify with give you an idea of where that person comes from, their background, and a little bit about their personality in a totally-subconscious-just-beneath-the-surface kind of way.

Plus, it’s just plain cool to know what others are listening to that so that you can check it out, and see if you like it for yourself.

Anyway, as I was shopping for the ingredients for the grilled cheese sandwich that became my dinner tonight, I realized I’ve never asked you, Flyer readers, the question that everyone else gets to answer. This post doesn’t really work without participation, and don’t freak out and think that we’re gonna be judging you on your musical taste. I’ll participate in the comments too, and you can make fun of me if you want, but answer me this, Fayetteville. What have you been listening to lately?

[Photo by el patojo via Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0.]