Music Mondays: Trent Reznor = Astor Piazzolla

Ok, not really.

It's hard to directly compare the industrial disco-metal stylings of Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails with the tango nuevo of Argentina's Astor Piazzolla. The music itself is very different.

Or is it? Both of them -- Piazzolla and Reznor -- certainly create music that has a propulsive, relentless almost narrative drive to it, also music that appeals to both the head and the heart and the feet.

It's really all about the passion and intensity. You don't listen to either Reznor or Piazzolla and come away from it with "eh."

You see, I listen to music on my commute. I have about 40 minutes on bus and subway each way and I read, surf the net on my iPhone, but mostly I listen to music.

And right now, my music player has somehow ended up full of both Piazzolla and NIN. And strangely the last week or so it seems to be alternating them quite often.

And it struck me.

They're the same. That passion, drive, intensity, that crazy insane mad relentless focus. They both have it in spades. I somehow have come to see them as artistic siblings or at very least cousins.

But listen for yourself.

A few NIN tunes from their official Youbube channel here:

• Just Like You Imagined
• Somewhat Damaged
• The Way Out Is Through

And a few Astor Piazzolla pieces as well, although he's not that well represented on Youtube:

• Adios Nonino
• Le Grand Tango
• Libertango

And yeah, catholic music tastes for sure.

So what are you listening to that's surprising these days?