Most often I listen to indie music. My favorites are Rilo Kiley, The Decemberists, Metric, The Arcade Fire, Feist and Stars. It doesn't look like I have any peers here.
But, I do enjoy some Pop (like Ben Folds and Dispatch), Baroque, Ska and Big Band as well.
edit: I also love Gunther and Swizz Beatz. I don't know why.
That said, of course, I prefer soothing tapes of Paul Graham's voice.
I'm exclusively indie rock. You're a bit softer in taste than I, but there's some overlap. The Arcade Fire is one of the best bands playing right now. Their live show is astoundingly good...best I've seen in years.
My faves are: Spoon, Midlake, Fugazi, Death from Above 1979, Voxtrot, Mission of Burma, Cat Power, The Lemonheads.
When I'm working I'm most productive with things that have no lyrics or illegible lyrics, but are familiar. Jesu, The Fucking Champs, and electronica like Booka Shade and Apparat. Embarrassingly, perhaps, I'm totally loving working to old school metal lately--some from before my time, actually, but I like it anyway--Judas Priest, in particular. Also stuff I liked in high school and college: Carcass, Godflesh, Neurosis.
I made a list of my favorite tracks at emusic a while back (need to update it with Arcade Fire and a few other recent faves):
But, I do enjoy some Pop (like Ben Folds and Dispatch), Baroque, Ska and Big Band as well.
edit: I also love Gunther and Swizz Beatz. I don't know why.
That said, of course, I prefer soothing tapes of Paul Graham's voice.