music shame: the ethics of culling a collection

I'm sure we've all experienced at one point 'iPod DJ anxiety'. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and tell the reading several a secret. The skeletons in my iTunes, if you will. I'm not the kind of gal who cleans out her music collection. I've heard of a few people doing that with their iTunes and I just don't see the point. Sure, it would make for less embarrassing times when you offer up your device for the shuffling (cause when I say DJ that's really what I mean) in public, but what about the nostalgia?

Unfortunate experiences with liquids and computers have resulted in me using various programs to restore my music collection over various years (until I got me a hard drive) and I've lost bits and pieces along the way - things I'd downloaded at whim and forgotten about. Others have stayed with me from the first time I began an iTunes library - when my affair with the work of Steve Jobs began - right up to now. Some things are embarrassing and others I still listen to. Maybe I should delete them.. but I have the space and I don't see why I can't use it.

I promised skeletons, so here they are.

Bands I used to listen to and don't anymore
Muse, Incubus, Shapeshifter, Athlete, Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon, John Mayer (I used to love him A LOT, but I suppose he got all arrogant now he dated some Hollywood gals), Oasis (my small town friends used to put on Wonderwall in the car as we drove around, a departure from Britney and the other top 40 songs that we indulged in together, always preceding it with "this one's for Suse". I was over wonder wall by 1999, I don't know about you guys), Kanye West (I developed a liking for him driving round in the car in those days, his earlier stuff was good!! Man he used to be good), New Young Pony Club, Architecture in Helsinki, Keane, Coldplay, The Strokes, Eskimo Joe, Snow Patrol (and okay for the last five artists we are talking their OLD stuff, like Is This It, Parachutes, Final Straw.. blah.. so old. I have favourite songs off these CDs that I don't skip should they come on shuffle. SHAME), Be Your Own Pet.

So some of them are embarrassing and I don't want to listen to them any more, but others I have favourite songs.. or they meant heaps to me at the time and I don't want to get rid of them because they are a source of comfort or something.

Bands I still listen to every now and then
Rilo Kiley, Josh Pyke, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Bjork, Sufjan Stevens, Joy Division, Midlake, Spoon, Regina Spektor, Bright Eyes, Jamie Cullum, Feist, The Black Keys.. Cat Power I have had since I first got an iPod and she's stayed with me for that long and I have to say I listen to the Greatest and You Are Free a LOT still.

I might get rid of all that Muse. I literally have all their albums from before Knights of Cydonia (or whatever that one was) including some live thing I've never listened to before. I am a hoarder by nature!! But there's just no point in having it there! But Matt Bellamy used to be so sexy.. same with John Mayer. It's kinda like phone numbers. I've got old phone numbers of uni people in my phone. I don't text them or call them at all, but it's nice to know I could if I needed to.

As for what I listen to now, well you'll have to look at my last.fm for that business! Me and Stacey both have profiles, she is accomplishments and I pleskitt if you should wish to stalk our music tastes, questionable though they may be at times.