Neighbors who play horrible music too early/late

[J Larsen]

I am cursed. No matter where I move, I wind up with an upstairs or downstairs neighbor who feels like imposing their awful music on me ridiculously early in the morning. I thought I had finally broken the curse with my new apartment, but I just got a new upstairs neighbor. Not only does she sound like an elephant walking around (she litterally shakes my ceiling lights when she walks over them), but she starts playing bad music at about 8am every morning including weekends. On Sunday I was woken up by a string of disco (there's NOTHING I hate more than disco). She played that "To Be Real" song about four times in a row, and then plowed right through the 70s for the rest of the morning. I finally left my apartment at about 10am to get away from it. This morning she woke me up at 7:30 AM by playing the WORST top 40-style song I've heard in years no less than seven times in a row (yes, I counted). It might be the most ridiculous song I've ever heard. There's a whiny male with a high voice singing "I don't want to die like that/I don't want to die making love to you" (I'm not kidding) in the so-called "contemporary R&B" style. In the background there's another guy with a slightly deeper voice going "Woah-oh-oh making love, making love to youuuuuuuuuu-oh-oh, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die oh-oh, etc. etc.".

If anyone else cares to share similar horror stories, I have an unlimited supply of them.

Edited June 30, 2003 by J Larsen

[Dmitry]

Sounds like she's longin' for love. You might want to pay her a visit with a six-pack of Brooklyn Lager and some Tony Bennett.

A word of advice - DO NOT try to counter her crap with playing your music loud. You cannot win.

[J Larsen]

A word of advice - DO NOT try to counter her crap with playing your music loud. You cannot win.

I learned that the hard way in 1994 when living directly above an early-rising polka fan.

[Saint Vitus]

I just wanted to say I kinda like that "To Be Real" song.

Several years ago I had a neighbor upstairs who would play Mariah Carey loud to mask the noises she and her boyfriend were making . Not sure which I would have preferred.

[J Larsen]

St. Vitus, I loathe disco in general, but my feelings about "To Be Real" may have been shaped by having grown up too close to a seedy gay disco joint on Polk St. in SF. You have no idea how many times I've heard that song at high volume. For that matter, neither do I.

[connoisseur series500]

On Sunday I was woken up by a string of disco (there's NOTHING I hate more than disco). She played that "To Be Real" song about four times in a row, and then plowed right through the 70s for the rest of the morning. I finally left my apartment at about 10am to get away from it. This morning she woke me up at 7:30 AM by playing the WORST top 40-style song I've heard in years no less than seven  times in a row (yes, I counted). It might be the most ridiculous song I've ever heard. There's a whiny  male with a high voice singing "I don't want to die like that/I don't want to die making love to you" (I'm not kidding) in the so-called "contemporary R&B" style. In the background there's another guy with a slightly deeper voice going "Woah-oh-oh making love, making love to youuuuuuuuuu-oh-oh, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die oh-oh, etc. etc.".

If anyone else cares to share similar horror stories, I have an unlimited supply of them.

Christ, JL, you are indeed in a big pickle!

I recommend calling for an artillery strike by the local national guard. Make sure you're out of the apartment first of course!

Edited June 30, 2003 by connoisseur series500

[J Larsen]

Since this is a problem everywhere I move, perhaps I should call for pre-emptive strikes before taking up residence anywhere new.

[scottb]

I used to have neighbors above me who would bring the party home after the bars closed at 2AM with the monotonous thumping bass of club music at club like volumes!!

[Soul Stream]

I would suggest nipping the problem in the bud. Usually, a courteous neighbor call does the trick. If not, talk to the apartment manager and lodge a complaint every time it happens, day or night.

[Guest Mnytime]

All I have to say to you is Evan Parker or Peter Brotzmann or similar musicians right back at her at 8am everyday until she stops.

[Brad]

That's why, if you can, you try to buy a house!

[Guest Mnytime]

That's why, if you can, you try to buy a house!

Well yea but until he does he need Anti-Disco material.

[shawn·m]

In my experience, jazz wins over just about everything else at comparable volume levels. Especially if we’re talking trumpet. Those horns cut through just about anything; walls, floors, double-pained windows, fine masonry and R&B Disco… and do so at moderate volumes.

Soul Stream’s right though; a courtesy call is your be chance for peace.

[J Larsen]

That's why, if you can, you try to buy a house!

Well, the ideal scenario is that my thesis results in a profitable patent, in which case I move back to California and buy a house in two years or so. However, I'm not exactly the first or only person with that aspiration . That actually is the main reason I don't plan on staying in New York. The average cost of a townhouse here is more than what the average person makes in their entire life, and this apartment shit is getting really old. (I've lived in apartments virtually my entire life, so it's not like I'm spoiled in that regard.)

[J Larsen]

In my experience, jazz wins over just about everything else at comparable volume levels. Especially if we’re talking trumpet. Those horns cut through just about anything; walls, floors, double-pained windows, fine masonry and R&B Disco… and do so at moderate volumes.

Soul Stream’s right though; a courtesy call is your be chance for peace.

You haven't heard the bass on any of my neighbors' systems. We're not talking about audiophiles here. To them, the ideal system is the one that booms the most.

The courtesy call isn't too effective, as few of my neighbors speak English very well. Also, the neighborhood is a shade seedy (which is the only reason my girlfriend and I can afford it on our grad student budgets). I don't really want to rock the boat too much. Right now my neighbors have our backs, but I'm sure that could change.

[Guest Chaney]

I would suggest nipping the problem in the bud.  Usually, a courteous neighbor call does the trick.  If not, talk to the apartment manager and lodge a complaint every time it happens, day or night.

Excellent advice.

Although, I say f*ck courtesy. What level of courtesy has she shown you? Go directly to the property owner / manager with your complaint.

Unless she's really cute... then the beer advice offered above is the better route.

[Soul Stream]

In my experience, jazz wins over just about everything else at comparable volume levels. Especially if we’re talking trumpet. Those horns cut through just about anything; walls, floors, double-pained windows, fine masonry and R&B Disco… and do so at moderate volumes.

Soul Stream’s right though; a courtesy call is your be chance for peace.

You haven't heard the bass on any of my neighbors' systems. We're not talking about audiophiles here. To them, the ideal system is the one that booms the most.

The courtesy call isn't too effective, as few of my neighbors speak English very well. Also, the neighborhood is a shade seedy (which is the only reason my girlfriend and I can afford it on our grad student budgets). I don't really want to rock the boat too much. Right now my neighbors have our backs, but I'm sure that could change.

Yeah, it's always tricky. Balancing trying not to be pissed off, or pissing others off. B)

[catesta]

Unless she's really cute... then the beer advice offered above is the better route.

I have problems with the college age kids a few doors down from me. I hear them pulling into the garage....,BOOM.....,BOOOOOM....,BOOM, it always sounds like the same tune.

But, in this case the two chicks are hot, so I leave it alone.

[shawn·m]

So the neighbors have the bottom end covered and they don’t speak English. A few courteous hand gestures and those screaming trumpet will get the point across. Also, it’s probably best to avoid any pelvis shaking in your bridge-the-gap pantomimes.

Seriously, moving from an apartment to a house doesn’t guarantee peace of mind. Sometimes neighbors see ownership as a license to inflict even more of their fine musical bounty on others.

[Claude]

I am very lucky now, because I chose my appartment specifically for music listening purposes. The house is built like a bunker and I can play music anytime at adequate volumes, and I never hear my neighbours' noise.

But as I student I lived together with 6 other people in an old house in Brussels. The walls were so thin you could hear every fart (and sometimes smell it). Unfortunately the guy who had the room above mine was a big country music fan and played it all day, except during his girlfriend's visits. Nobody in urban Europe likes country music, but this guy had more than 300 CDs of it. We got along very well though we hated each other's music (I just discovered jazz). When he had his stereo set too loud I used to put on Peter Brötzmann's "Machine gun" (the most offending music in my collection back then) and turn up the volume real loud for a minute until he made his music quieter. It became a sort of a signal.

[mgraham333]

Claude: excellent use of the parenthetical - your first one was top notch!

[Guest Mnytime]

As I said and Claude confirms Brotzmann, Parker and even later day Trane. As loud and long as you can get away without the police coming for you.

We must fight Disco whenever it pops it's head up around the world!! And anyone that listens to Disco you can be sure will hate those musicians I mention.

[Guest Mnytime]

Unless she's really cute... then the beer advice offered above is the better route.

I have problems with the college age kids a few doors down from me. I hear them pulling into the garage....,BOOM.....,BOOOOOM....,BOOM, it always sounds like the same tune.

But, in this case the two chicks are hot, so I leave it alone.

Is anyone else getting an image of Catesta listening to Miles or Trane while drinking a Cold one and using his binoculars while watching said hot girls next door?

Edited June 30, 2003 by Mnytime

[catesta]

Is anyone else getting an image of Catesta listening to Miles or Trane while drinking a Cold one and using his binoculars while watching said hot girls next door?

Yea, all the rest of my neighbors.

You pull the damn things out once, and you're branded for life.

[catesta]

You pull the damn things out once

The binoculars that is.