music – marginalia and such

5 things: music to write to

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a 5 things, and with the death of Polyvore, I’ve been thinking how to create new themes.

For today, I give you 5 of the Spotify Playlists I listen to when I need to focus on writing, or while working on projects where I crave no distractions.

Thor: Ragnarok soundtrack

This album is electronic, atmospheric, and just the right amount of adrenaline-pumping to get me going. Really good for writing action.

Late Night Jazz

This playlist works for me at any time of day, but particularly when I want to relax into writing and forget about everything else. I also enjoy this playlist when settling in for a good reading session.

The Dark Knight Rises soundtrack

Like the Thor soundtrack, this one is atmospheric enough to get me going, but smooth enough when I need to focus on words rather than pacing.

Ambient Chill

I listen to this at work. It’s my version of office muzak. Unobtrusive and easy to listen to when working in an office.

Femme Fatale

Sometimes I need something dark and sexy to set the tone.

life: the morning after

Happy Wednesday, ya’ll! I’m in a morning after, post-concert daze, but the show Rage + Rapture tour was spectacular. Garbage was a formative part of my rock girl feminist education, and more than lived up to my expectations. Blondie is just classic, and was more than I imagined in a live performance. Even the opening act, Deap Valley, was amazing. One of the best shows I’ve seen in a while.

shaking it out

I’m too tired for a proper post, but last night’s Florence + the Machine show was amazing and totally reawakened my love for live music. It’s been too long since someone worth seeing was in town and this more than made up for it. The boy got me floor tickets for my birthday so it was a much anticipated birthday present.

Some pretty pictures to share until I upload the videos.

Tunes that got me through my teen years

In response to Em’s response to a segment she heard on NPR…

What she had to say…

NPR did this music blog asking people what albums got you through your teenage “angst” or were cathartic when all that mayhem was going on.

So these are the albums that got me through my terrible teens

*Note: not necessarily my top albums, just the ones on replay.

1998-2004 (13-19)

Hours…, Low – David Bowie
Version 2.0, BeautifulGarbage – Garbage
Different Class, His ‘n’ Hers – Pulp
Dizzy up the girl – Goo Goo Dolls (I still have this somewhere, where is it?)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Soundtrack (show)
La Lune – Sarah Brightman
Surfacing – Sarah McLachlan
Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morrisette
Return of Saturn – No Doubt
The Science of Things – Bush
Placebo, Without You I’m Nothing – Placebo
Vespertine – Björk
The X-Files the Album
Parachutes – Coldplay
White Blood Cells – The White Stripes

These are the ones I can think of at the moment, but I’m sure there were plenty more. I remember these sitting in my cd players for days at a time.

God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties

Watching “Clatterford” reminded me how much I love The Kinks’ “The Village Green Preservation Society”

when enough is enough

I am a huge Bowie fan. Anyone who knows me really well knows that my obsession can be a bit much at times. So, a couple of weeks ago I went on a closet cleaning frenzy and did what I had been threatening to do for ages: I uploaded all by Bowie albums onto Cassius (Cassius being my iPod. That could be read in so many ways, otherwise.).

Now, I love Bowie and every so often I feel like I rediscover him again. For example, when I’ve gone for months without listening to a certain song and I hear it and remember when I first heard it. It’s like re-reading a favorite book, or watching a movie you loved as a kid (though that didn’t go very well for me when I watched “The Little Mermaid” as an adult and realized how very inappropriate it can be. Still love it, but can’t help but be a little struck by the fact that Ariel is only sixteen… but I digress). Anyhow, I put Bowie on a loop, all 253 tracks. For about 2 weeks. It was supposed to keep me alert while writing, but even I am a little sick of it now.

Now, I’ve rediscovered Moby… 🙂