Music To Write To

[Guest]

I know we've had threads like this before, but I'm feeling lazy and can't be bothered to search for one.

What's currently in your sound system?

What's your favourite music to write to?

At the moment I've got Snow Patrol's album (Final Straw) on continuous loop. Chocolate is one of the most uplifting songs I've heard in a while, while Run is very mellow and moving. Depending on the scene I'm writing, I play one in particular.

I've also got Keane's album (Hopes and Fears) here, ready to whack in when I need a bit of a change.

Lou - rocking to Chocolate...

Edited to add lyrics, just cos I felt like it (and I'm procrastinating )...


Chocolate

This could be the very minute
I'm aware I'm alive
All these places feel like home

With a name I'd never chosen
I can make my first steps
As a child of 25

This is the straw, final straw in the
Roof of my mouth as I lie to you
Just because I'm sorry doesn't mean
I didn't enjoy it at the time

You're the only thing that I love
It scares me more every day
On my knees I think clearer

Goodness knows I saw it coming
Or at least I'll claim I did
But in truth I'm lost for words

What have I done it's too late for that
What have I become truth is nothing yet
A simple mistake starts the hardest time
I promise I'll do anything you ask.. this time


Run

I'll sing it one last time for you
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all i've done.

And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Anywhere from here

Light up, Light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder, louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

To think I might not see those eyes
It makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbyes
I nearly do.

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder, louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

Slower, slower
We don't have time for that
All I want is to find an easier way
To get out of our little heads

Have heart my dear
We're bound to be afraid
Even if it's just for a few days
Making up for all this mess.

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear.

 

[McKenna]

I'm almost embarrassed to admit what kind of a nerd I am... but at the moment I've got some Gaelic folk music playing. It's a cd I bought while I was in Scotland, and since I'm trying to write a travel essay about Scotland, I thought it might help put me in the mood.










And I also just like Gaelic-Celtic folk music. I've got the largest collection of the stuff of anyone I know. Oy.

 

[Guest]

Right now listening to Tito and Tarantula. No big hits that I know of but they did most of the music for Desperado and From Dusk til Dawn. Kind of a cross between The Ventures and Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass.

 

[MLyons]

Depends on what I'm writing.... well no. That's not true. It's more dependent on how the writing is going. If I'm buring through something that I'm finding exceedingly easy to write (which usually means it's something that comes to me naturally--like pure, mindless perversion), it's best if I just leave the music off completely. If the story requires a lot of thought and introspection in order to even write a damn paragraph (which usually happens when I'm trying to write something decent for a reader to read), I'll usually put something on at low volume. For "Cindy: TPB" I ended up listening to alot of George Thorogood, Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Roger Waters for some reason. Don't ask me?

For my current project, (my own attempt at a first time story) I find myself listening to a lot of Weird Al (including his version of Peter and the Wolf). Anyway, I don't concsiously try to set the mood with music. That doesn't work for me. I just let whatever I'm in the mood for kinda take over, and that may or may not have anything to do with what I'm writing. I don't think the music really has any impact on what I'm writing. It's mostly about what I can listen to and enjoy while still actually getting something done, given whatever mindset the story has put me in.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Right now, I have a CD on continuous loop, "La Toilette des Étoiles" by a Portuguese band named Belle Chase Hotel. It has a jazzy feel, very eclectic and funny. Cool lyrics too, jumping from English to French to Italian to Brazil Portuguese.

 

[McKenna]

Right now, I have a CD on continuous loop, "La Toilette des Étoiles" by a Portuguese band named Belle Chase Hotel. It has a jazzy feel, very eclectic and funny. Cool lyrics too, jumping from English to French to Italian to Brazil Portuguese.

Now see Lauren, this is what I like about you. You're so ... so.... international!

 

[Guest]

I'm almost embarrassed to admit what kind of a nerd I am... but at the moment I've got some Gaelic folk music playing. It's a cd I bought while I was in Scotland, and since I'm trying to write a travel essay about Scotland, I thought it might help put me in the mood.










And I also just like Gaelic-Celtic folk music. I've got the largest collection of the stuff of anyone I know. Oy.

I have a little Gaelic folk music, but not enough. I like listening to it late at night.

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

I'm all over the place when it comes to the music I listen to when I write. I'm not currently writing(unless you include this post, LOL) but I do have music playing.
My play list is presently as follows although it really doesn't change much.

Rest In Pieces - Saliva
Figured you out - NickleBack
In A Little While - Uncle Kracker
Picture - Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow
Rockabye - Shawn Mullins
One Last Breath - Creed
Bitch - Meredith Brooks
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
Invisible - Clay Aiken
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nuggent
Can't Get No Satisfaction - Stones
Fire Down Below - Bob Segar
She Fuckin Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd
Come Sail Away - Styx
Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
Enter Sandman - Matalica
Mighty Quinn - Manfred Mann
Come and Go With Me - Dell Vikings
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Fat Bottom Girls - Queen
Beautiful Disaster - Kelly Clarkson
I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
What A Wonderful Workd - Ray Charles


I have a ton more that I put on as a loop and it usually plays the whole day once and a half around. Of course depending on my mood I skip around a lot too.

Wicked

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I can't write while listening to music. The music takes over my writing, I find myself trying to concentrate on both, and the stuff I put out is mediocre at best.

But if you just want to talk about tunes: I've been listening to a Charlie Mingus CD (Mingus Dynasty) and to Mancini's "Peter Gunn" album. (I dare anyone to write through a full Mancini jazz arrangement.

Over the summer it was the MJQ's "Pyramid", a classic summertime album for me, as evanescent as fireflies in trees and as cool as water over smooth stones, and Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker, who always have the ability to break my heart. In a good way, of course.

---dr.M.

 

[McKenna]

I have a little Gaelic folk music, but not enough. I like listening to it late at night.

Ohhhhh! We should compare albums!

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Currently in the stereo, (well, actually in the CD-ROM since I'm at work), BB King, Live at San Quintin. I'm not really a big blues man, but I do enjoy it occasionally. And I'm definitly in the mood for blues today.

I listen to all kinds of music when I'm writing, depends on my mood. But some of the more common are:

The Eagles, Hell Freezes over, Live (very cool disk for Eagles fans)

Paul Simon, Graceland

Sheryl Crow, any

Michele Branch, (hey don't laugh, I didn't laugh at your music )

Jewel, any

Huey Lewis and the News (hey, I thought I said no laughing )

There are others but my brain just doesn't seem to be working this morning.

 

[CrazyyAngel]

When I am writing, which is not very often unfortunately, I only play music which is mostly instrumental. Original Movie scores are perfect for that. Lyrics only distract me, especially when they are in German . But if its only instrumental, I can somewhat tune it out and concentrate on writing.

Currrently I mostly hear the soundtrack to "King Arthur" ... awesome work by Hans Zimmer. Other than that ... no fast beats. I absolutely love Nora Jones and Katie Melua.

CA

 

[Liar]

I'm just like Mab. If I hear good music when I write stuff, I either can't concentrate on the writing, or ever worse, it comes out like fdnfdvz gfdsm voi dkldsan filsvvn sa58rea m kmöx ,m ,m bvkc u9i+3153, bvcm 3 109ivxcnkleq7y3232 gfr t43 re9+!, which is me using my keyboard as a virtual drumset.

On repeat right now in my MP3 player for other occations than when writing is assorted tracks by:

Cocteau Twins
Ladytron
Franz Ferdinand

#L

 

[Belegon]

when I'm writing I prefer instrumental as well, lyrics and vocals distract me.

Mostly Jazz or movie scores, although I will branch out into other forms on occassion. James Horner is my fav movie composer.

I have plenty of celtic stuff myself, and will listen to it at very random times. I also like, or at least am interested by, anything that "breaks rules" for a particular form.

a perfect example is the "Wicked Tinkers", piping and drumming with an attitude!

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Paul Simon, Graceland

Don't you get the feeling from that album that Simon is in over his head? That he's the weakest musician of the bunch?

I keep on wanting to tell him, "Just shut up already and let them play!"

It's a good album. Without Simon--who I've always admired, by the way-- it would have been great.

---dr.M.

 

[impressive]

Don't you get the feeling from that album that Simon is in over his head? That he's the weakest musician of the bunch?

I keep on wanting to tell him, "Just shut up already and let them play!"

YES! After hearing Graceland I immediately bought two of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's CDs (the "backup" band). Excellent!

If I remember correctly, their founding member was killed during Apartheid -- "escaping" from a police roadblock.

As for writing music -- Melissa Etheridge, cranked on the headphones. k.d.lang or Indigo Girls, maybe, on the stereo if I'm not going for too much tension in the story.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Don't you get the feeling from that album that Simon is in over his head? That he's the weakest musician of the bunch?

I keep on wanting to tell him, "Just shut up already and let them play!"

It's a good album. Without Simon--who I've always admired, by the way-- it would have been great.

---dr.M.

I've never really thought that myself but then again, look at my taste in music and you'll see I'm not much of a music critic. It actually has always been one of my favorite of his albums. One of my favorite things about it was how each song has a different feel to it.

 

[cloudy]

I've never really thought that myself but then again, look at my taste in music and you'll see I'm not much of a music critic. It actually has always been one of my favorite of his albums. One of my favorite things about it was how each song has a different feel to it.

I love that one, too. Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, and, of course, You Can Call Me Al (I love that song).

 

[jeanne_d_artois]

I (and Og) like writing to a piano sonata - Beethoven or Mozart.

If not available, a Haydn symphony can be substituted.

I like music I know very well because I can hear it without concentrating (and play it back in my head).

Jeanne

 

[Colleen Thomas]

At the moment, I have Journey's greatest hits playing. Reo speedwagons greatest hits is behind that and little river band behind that. No idea what I have in the 4th and 5th slot today, I don't expect to get to them, but I may

-Colly

 

[impressive]

At the moment, I have Journey's greatest hits playing. Reo speedwagons greatest hits is behind that ....

Ah, memories of high school.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

At the moment, I have Journey's greatest hits playing.

-Colly

Good call Colly. That one's on my list to. Wheel in the Sky, Faithfully and Open Arms, some of my favorites.

 

[millennium_bard]

I have almost 4 gigs of songs in my computer from a wide variety of genres.
Depending on what I am writing, I create a playlist for Windows media player or realplayer and just let it run in the background.
Although I almost never play music from my own band while i am writing. I keep getting distracted by thinking of how we could have improved the sound.

When I revised and expanded my first story here on lit, I was listening to Boston, Mannheim Steamroller, Concrete Blonde, and music ripped from a CD called "Classical Thunder".

 

[fogbank]

I've got an all-purpose writing playlist that I tweak depending on my mood and what I'm writing. It generally includes a bit of upbeat alt rock (Cake, Modest Mouse, Scissor Sisters), a lot of more mellow, folky rock (Sufjan Stevens, Neil Halstead, Hank Dogs), I bit of rock (David Bowie, PJ Harvey), a dose of Canadiana (Gordon Lightfoot, Weakerthans, Rheostatics), and a bit of jazz (Mingus, Ron Carter). Oh, and some mellow or low-fi electronica (Beta Band, early Amon Tobin). Right now I'm finding the Sufjan Stevens stuff really works fantastically for writing.

 

[cloudy]

I mostly write to:

Ohhhhh - who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Absorbent and yellow and porous is he
If nautical nonsense be somethin' you wish
Just drop on the deck and flop like a fish



I have a four-year-old, what can I say?