Chris Shoemaker

Cellist · Pianist · Programmer

Notes on music, listening, and the odd bit of code.

I’m Chris. I’ve played cello since I was seven (now in the Oakland Civic Orchestra) and piano since nine, studied computer science at Carleton, and still believe the best playlist is the one you’re about to hand to a friend.

On Music

All writing →
  1. No. 02The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross: First (sort of) impressionThirty-odd pages into Alex Ross on the twentieth century: Strauss, Mahler, and the art of the frenemy.
  2. No. 01IntroductionWhy this page exists: a cello at age three, a flat refusal to be taught, and a bootleg Planxty CD on the road to Louisville.

Listening

A rotating playlist of whatever has been on repeat lately. Currently spinning: October ’26.

Last heard“Freedom! '90 - Remastered”George Michael

Ratings and reviews of everything else live on RateYourMusic, and every play gets logged on Last.fm.

November so far

99 plays across 53 artists

  1. LL-1000Los Leo6 plays
  2. Le PopLos Leo4 plays
  3. Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Billy the Kid & Fanfare for the Common ManAaron Copland3 plays
  4. Cocainemoonlght2 plays
  1. 01Los Leo29
  2. 02Viagra Boys7
  3. 03Gilla Band4
  4. 04Aaron Copland3
  5. 05Soul Coughing2

This week, years ago

  1. 2025AudioLust & HigherLove — SG LewisAlso Hotline TNT, CHRYSTAL & NOTION · 57 plays that week
  2. 2024Most Normal — Gilla BandAlso Stevie Wonder, Viagra Boys · 82 plays that week
  3. 2023Us Ephemeral — Vitesse XAlso Gilla Band, Smut · 171 plays that week
  4. 2022Being Funny in a Foreign Language — The 1975Also Magdalena Bay, Holy Fawn · 95 plays that week
  5. 202122, a Million — Bon IverAlso Hans Zimmer, The Body · 47 plays that week
  6. 2020You Won't Get What You Want — DaughtersAlso The Japanese House, The 1975 · 80 plays that week
Show all 12 yearsShow fewer
  1. 2019i,i — Bon IverAlso The 1975, The Fray · 39 plays that week
  2. 2018FM! — Vince StaplesAlso Young Fathers, The 1975 · 83 plays that week
  3. 2017Atrocity Exhibition — Danny BrownAlso Gorillaz, Run the Jewels · 13 plays that week
  4. 2016Being No One, Going Nowhere — STRFKRAlso St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Ayer · 108 plays that week
  5. 2015Black Sands — BonoboAlso Fink, Grimes · 137 plays that week
  6. 2014Cerulean — BathsAlso The Chain Gang of 1974, Until the Ribbon Breaks · 246 plays that week

Counted from Last.fm · 66,676 plays since 2013 · synced Nov 8, 2026