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“Hearts - Single version”I Break Horses

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

November so far

141 plays across 80 artists

  1. LL-1000Los Leo6 plays
  2. Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Billy the Kid & Fanfare for the Common ManAaron Copland4 plays
  3. Le PopLos Leo4 plays
  4. Copland Conducts Copland - Expanded Edition (Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, Old American Songs (Complete), Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes)Aaron Copland3 plays
  1. 01Los Leo29
  2. 02Viagra Boys11
  3. 03Aaron Copland7
  4. 04Gilla Band4
  5. 05Shame3

This week, years ago

  1. 2025NEU! 2 — NEU!Also Viagra Boys, Fontaines D.C. · 73 plays that week
  2. 2024Nonagon Infinity — King Gizzard & The Lizard WizardAlso Viagra Boys, Foals · 97 plays that week
  3. 2023Street Worms — Viagra BoysAlso Gilla Band, Magdalena Bay · 157 plays that week
  4. 2022I Saw — Young FathersAlso Kalax, Holy Fawn · 48 plays that week
  5. 2021Red Earth & Pouring Rain — Bear's DenAlso Mint Julep, Caspian · 26 plays that week
  6. 2020You Won't Get What You Want — DaughtersAlso Vasudeva, The Japanese House · 54 plays that week
Show all 12 yearsShow fewer
  1. 2019Out Of My Hands — Green River OrdinanceAlso BROCKHAMPTON, Twenty One Pilots · 119 plays that week
  2. 2018Royal Blood — Royal BloodAlso The 1975, TV on the Radio · 88 plays that week
  3. 2017Intrepid — PinegroveAlso Will Joseph Cook, Danny Brown · 3 plays that week
  4. 2016Sea Of Noise — St. Paul & The Broken BonesAlso Minor Threat, OneRepublic · 26 plays that week
  5. 2015Hard Believer — FinkAlso Passion Pit, Battles · 100 plays that week
  6. 2014The Haunted Man (Deluxe Version) — Bat for LashesAlso Buchanan, The Chain Gang of 1974 · 317 plays that week

Counted from Last.fm · 66,718 plays since 2013 · synced Nov 14, 2026