Hi, all–
Hope the weekend treated you well. I wanted to talk about music, because I’m a huge music fan, and I listen across genres and time periods. And yes, I do play a couple of instruments, but I’m way out of practice; I’ve also been a radio DJ and a sometime dance DJ. Anyway, music is one of those things that, as a writer, sets the mood for things that I’m working on. Plus, there’s a soundtrack to your life, no matter what generation you are. There are certain songs and certain genres that can instantly take you back to parts of your past and you’re right there, remembering something that happened like it was freakin’ yesterday. Like smells, music triggers memories, both bittersweet and good.
With that in mind, I thought I’d share this great piece from a recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. I’ve been a subscriber to RS for…oh, geez. Too long to talk about without tipping my age. 😀 A while, now.
Anyway, RS does these “playlist” features (and sometimes whole issues) that features various artists who list a few of their fave songs/artists in a particular genre. This recent piece featured Mick Jagger listing his fave reggae tunes; Norah Jones and her Neil Young playlist; John Mellencamp on protest songs; Dave Guetta on dance-floor classics; Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and his fave Stevie Wonder tunes; Merle Haggard and the songs he wish he’d written; Lou Reed on jukebox awesome-ness; Tom Petty on his fave Elvis tunes; Miranda Lambert’s fave revenge songs; Patti Scialfa and girl groups; Billy Gibbs and his fave blues guitar tunes; Cee-Lo on southern hip-hop…basically, a seriously super groovy funkalicious major-ass playlist that will open your brain, dredge up some memories, and maybe even introduce you to some folks and songs you didn’t realize were out there.
I had a blast looking these up on YouTube (easier than doing the iPod thing in this case) and remembering the first time I’d ever heard these tunes. Almost all of the songs you can find easily, and, if you’re like me, you’ll go dig some of your old albums/CDs out, turn on the ol’ stereo (“SHUT UP! You still have one of those???” Um, yes. I do.), sit back with a tumbler of Jack Daniel’s and your beat-up guitar that you haven’t messed with in a while, and have yourself a solitary jam session.
So here you go. The link to the awesome-sauce playlist in the recent issue of RS.
Rock on, peeps.
Andi Marquette 
yes, but i want to see one of *your* playlists. what were you listening to when you wrote Land of Entrapment? What about the Farseek Chronicles? just curious…
~allie
Hmmm. I don’t really keep “playlists.” I just have different music that I listen to as the mood strikes. “Land” involved Missy Higgins, Tristan Prettyman, Catie Curtis, Donna Lewis, Sarah McLachlan, Billie Myers, Melissa Etheridge, Shawn Colvin, some country music, some chill and trance, some Tom Cochran and Peter Gabriel, and world beat.
The Far Seek Chronicles involves a ton of chill and trance. Kai is partial to Chicane and Torri seems to enjoy ATB quite a bit, but they also appreciate some BT, Ryan Farish, Bliss, PSH Project, and things along that line.
“The Ties that Bind” did have a distinctive soundtrack, as did certain parts of “State of Denial.” Kind of weird how that happened. The muses seem to tell me what to play to help me capture a specific mood. I do write to music, no matter what it is I’m working on, but sometimes the muses want specific songs for specific scenes. And who am I to argue? 😀
<==clicks over to YouTube to check out some artists…ok, i totally see how the chill/trance stuff works for Far Seek. and the singer/songwriter vibe goes well with Land of Entrapment.
When you mentioned your muses wanting specific songs for specific scenes I envisioned the way a lot of the dramas on tv end these days with the song that plays over the final scene(s)…
But ultimately, it’s about what the reader sees and hears, yes? 🙂
Peace!