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 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: August ’26.

Last heard“Flame - Roosevelt Remix”Sundara Karma

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

October so far

223 plays across 107 artists

  1. PugnelloGilla Band24 plays
  2. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky21 plays
  3. In Search Of...N*E*R*D17 plays
  4. Audit In ProgressHot Snakes12 plays
  1. 01Gilla Band26
  2. 02Modest Mussorgsky21
  3. 03N*E*R*D17
  4. 04Hot Snakes12
  5. 05Torche8

This week, years ago

  1. 2025Aspect — Seventeen Years Old and Berlin WallAlso Kyuss, The Stooges · 105 plays that week
  2. 2024abasement tapes — semiwesternAlso HighSchool, Closebye · 62 plays that week
  3. 2023A Place You Grew Up In — LavedaAlso Mitski, Gilla Band · 222 plays that week
  4. 2022Charcoal — BramblesAlso Arkells, The 1975 · 105 plays that week
  5. 2021Mr. Beast — MogwaiAlso John Adams, Blood Cultures · 44 plays that week
  6. 2020Conatus — Zola JesusAlso Daughters, M83 · 52 plays that week
Show all 12 yearsShow fewer
  1. 2019Ghosteen — Nick Cave & the Bad SeedsAlso Now, Now, California Wives · 85 plays that week
  2. 2018It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) — The 1975Also Aminé, Turnover · 87 plays that week
  3. 201722, a Million — Bon IverAlso The 1975, Papertwin · 19 plays that week
  4. 2016Oh My My — OneRepublicAlso Grouplove, Francis and the Lights · 74 plays that week
  5. 2015Yume — HeliosAlso Julien Baker, Battles · 143 plays that week
  6. 2014Young Blood — Bea MillerAlso Baths, The Magician · 200 plays that week

Counted from Last.fm · 66,506 plays since 2013 · synced Oct 24, 2026