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“Steam”Peter Gabriel

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

November so far

121 plays across 68 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. Street WormsViagra Boys3 plays
  1. 01Los Leo29
  2. 02Viagra Boys10
  3. 03Aaron Copland4
  4. 04Gilla Band4
  5. 05Shame3

This week, years ago

  1. 2025Cool If I Crash — Hotline TNTAlso Viagra Boys, Fontaines D.C. · 70 plays that week
  2. 2024Nonagon Infinity — King Gizzard & The Lizard WizardAlso Gilla Band, Stevie Wonder · 69 plays that week
  3. 2023Street Worms — Viagra BoysAlso Gilla Band, Vitesse X · 158 plays that week
  4. 2022Preacher’s Daughter — Ethel CainAlso Young Fathers, Magdalena Bay · 83 plays that week
  5. 2021Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — Hans ZimmerAlso METAHESH, The Body · 23 plays that week
  6. 2020You Won't Get What You Want — DaughtersAlso The Japanese House, The Chain Gang of 1974 · 61 plays that week
Show all 12 yearsShow fewer
  1. 2019iridescence — BROCKHAMPTONAlso Green River Ordinance, Twenty One Pilots · 88 plays that week
  2. 2018FM! — Vince StaplesAlso Tennyson, Flagship · 58 plays that week
  3. 2017If You Want To Make Money — Will Joseph CookAlso Gorillaz, Danny Brown · 14 plays that week
  4. 2016Being No One, Going Nowhere — STRFKRAlso St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Ayer · 74 plays that week
  5. 2015Black Sands — BonoboAlso Fink, Grimes · 140 plays that week
  6. 2014Cerulean — BathsAlso The Chain Gang of 1974, Buchanan · 245 plays that week

Counted from Last.fm · 66,698 plays since 2013 · synced Nov 10, 2026