Tunes to Write to

DEFFINETLY check out Anberlin, that's some MAJOR mood music for writing, although you can get caught up in the lyrics if you don't pay attention. :P

-Sandra

DEFFINETLY check out Anberlin, that's some MAJOR mood music for writing, although you can get caught up in the lyrics if you don't pay attention. :P

-Sandra

I love artists like Group 1 Crew or Flame. However, if I'm getting distracted or need to calm down and focus a little more, I always turn to the song "Bella's Lullaby" (from the Twilight Soundtrack). It's beautiful. Check it out. :D

~~~Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.~~~

I'll definitely have to check out a few of these. I haven't heard of Owl City, so I'll have to look them up for sure. As far as specific music goes...I suppose I listen to Styx quite a bit over NaNo. I'm not sure why. For intense scenes, I usually zone to Three Days Grace.

By the way, I wrote this article on using music for writing inspiration. It doesn't give any specific song suggestion, but I mention a few different ways to pick a playlist and use it to your advantage. Here's the link, if you're interested: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2277369/fiction_writing_using_m...

'06 Haze (Winner)
'07 The Girl

I like to listen to foriegn music when I write; it seems to filter to background noise better (like a movie soundtrack xp)

BoA is awesome, I would recommend her if you're doign any dramatic dance scenes or anything. Try "Did Ya" "Obsessed" and "Scream", those are all good songs by her (and what I'm listening to at the moment too).
Kyo is very good as well. They are a French rock group. The only song I can think of off-hand by them is "Contact". If you want a more 'pop' type of French music, try Superbus. Most people know of them, and they are a very 'bubble-gum pop' type band.
You might like Angela Chang, a korean singer. She does pretty songs that are romance-y. "Wo Lian Ai Le" is my favorite song by her.
If you like Japanese, UVERworld, Asian Kung Fu Generation, and Utada Hikaru are all good.

They aren't foreign really, but Placebo is good too. Their songs have a lot of what I can 'writing lyrics' because they inspire plunnies in my mind like crazy. Powerman 5000 is the same; just, only about half of their songs are any good. The cd 'Tonight the Stars Revolt' is the best in my opinion.
Also, if you don't mind 80s music, Duran Duran is awesome, and so is Tears for Fears and Pet Shop Boys.

If that all fails, try to get a good movie soundtrack. They are usually filled with a smattering of suspense, romance, and action all in one cd. Lord of the Rings and The Fast and the Furious both have good soundtracks.
Don't discount game music either, Kingdom Hearts has good sountracks in it (there are 9 so far though...)

Hope that helps some (only just now realizes how much she has typed....). I'll be sure to check out Owl City too, thanks.

“Ask and I can try to grant…take and I’ll smile…let me have the reins and it may be too much.” -Strailo

NaNo09: Technoxity (WT)

If you like harp and poetic lyrics, Joanna Newsom (The Sprout and the Bean, Emily, etc) and Gregory and the Hawk (Meredith And The Harp - Geysir Nationale)...And any of Port Blue's songs. Most of them are lyricless and sooo amazing.

---------

I tend towards more ambient sounds when I'm writing, trying, I suppose, to access those deep brain waves that will transport me to my fictional worlds. ^_^

In that vein, I recommend Enigma, Globus, ES Posthumus, and Jean Michel Jarre.

For things a little more modern, I like jazzy trip-hop electronica, and thus recommend Thievery Corporation for their Brazilian jazz chill sound. Add in a little (or a lot) of global fusion and get Dissidenten, al-Yaman, Transglobal Underground, DJ Cheb i Sabbah, Lo'Jo, and Tinariwen. For gorgeous, lush vocals, Ofra Haza and Lisa Gerrard cannot be beat.

Classical music is also a favourite for certain moods. Mozart and Tcherepnin add instant drama, Bach's Cello Suites can be lonely or soothing, and when I feel violin-y, Vivaldi never fails. Paganini adds some recalcitrant genius.

That's my soundtrack.

I also recommend naoi's picks. Kyo is excellent and completely accessible even you aren't familiar with foreign language rock. I also heartily recommend Uverworld and Asian Kung-Fu Generation, though my favourite jrock is Buck-Tick *loveforever*.

^_^
5

| 2009 The Devil you don't
| 2007 The Orchid's Respite [incomplete]
| 2006 Of Tulips and Dancing Boys [win]

I suggest checking out Pandora Radio. (www.pandora.com) It's a free web radio site that lets you set up stations based on artists or songs that you like, and the Pandora looks for other songs/artists like the ones that you like, so you can try new stuff but still stay within the same genre or sound (if that makes any sense at all). Then once you have a station set up, you can add new songs to expand the variety it looks for, etc...

I adore Pandora, because it lets me set up a radio station for each WIP I have, or radio stations for individual characters.

"Now is the winter of our discontent." - We Are The Weapon
Paranoia Is Total Awareness!
Take Back Your Country!

Dystopias forever.

I like to use the "Mostly Classical - SKY.FM" link in iTunes radio (under Classical). It usually plays more modern versions of "Classical" music with a variety of high and low points. No lyrics and no extremes to create a good backround ambience without becoming distracting.

Just wanted to say how wonderful it is that I've gotten so many posts!
You could not BELIEVE how much I enjoy stumbling across new music- even the most random stuff inspires a scene or story.

So, with that, my newest contributions are loud and obnoxious:
Cobra Starship and 3!OH3, because let's face it who doesn't like a group of white guys yelling about how gangster-y they really are. XD

-- Caits

Yeah, I'm *that* girl....

I get up in the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop.
~ Clarence Budington Kelland

Typically, I make a soundtrack for stories I am serious about. If a song immediately pulls me into the story and reminds me of the characters, then it gets added to the track. Not every song can do this. Some songs, when put together distract me so it's a delicate process lol. A complete soundtrack takes months.

Some favorites though:

Albums:

Hate by The Delgados
Appeal to Reason by Rise Against
Famous Last Words by Hedley

Artists:

Cascada
Dido
Loveholic
Namie Amuro
Rie Fu

Wow, cool suggestions...I'll check some of these out.

Let's see...this year my novel is set in the late 1980s...so a lot of Billy Idol, Prince, Pat Benatar, Madonna, and, of course, Michael Jackson (may he RIP) will be listened to and referenced in my novel. I'd recommend White Wedding, Rebel Yell, Flesh for Fantasy, and Eyes Without a Face from Billy Idol. From Pat Benatar, I'd recommend Invincible, Fire and Ice, Sex as a Weapon, Hell is for Children. From Prince, definitely Theives in the Temple and When Doves Cry. From Michael Jackson, Thriller, Beat It, Smooth Criminal...and to leave the 80s for him, Scream. Of course, Billie Jean is a great one too from MJ. From Madonna, probably my all time favorite will have to be Like a Prayer.

In times past, I love to listen to Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, Enya (excellent if you're doing emotional, rather than action, scenes...I've found it great to really get into a fantasy-type setting), and a variety of different rock, pop, and new age...some techno in there too. Groove Coverage is a great one to listen to, as well as Alice Cooper...Grove Coverage does a cover of Cooper's "Poison" that's great! I listen to Styx and a little Blue Oyster Cult as well...Hmm...what else? Loreena McKennit, Tangerine Dream, HIM, Destiny's Child, Three Doors Down...and I generally love soundtracks as well. I own the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, the Sweeny Todd soundtrack, the Shrek 2 soundtrack, the Twilight soundtrack, a couple of Harry Potter soundtracks, and many more...

2009:

I've always loved collecting video game music, and since it's very modular, I find it works well when I need to set a mood for a scene. Some of my favorites are:

Chrono Cross for light-hearted dialogue, warm temperatures, and rather sunny scenes.
Halo 3: ODST for somber scenes, isolation, lots of thinking. The rain in the opening track helps as well.
Xenosaga Episode I and Final Fantasy for character scenes, if I want to make a character really shine, or have an epiphany.

I also like to have different variations of video game songs, in case I need a different take on a musical theme. For that, I go to www.ocremix.org. You can find remixes of music from many different games, and the best part is that it's free to download. Ailsean, Injury, and Scott Peeples are a few of my favorites.

2009: Safehaven

I like instrumental music a lot--sometimes lyrics are distracting. My tastes run toward electronic often, but not like dance music.

For (sometimes) weird, interesting instrumental stuff, I really like Four Tet and The Field. Four Tet is eclectic and The Field is really nice sort of moody ambiance.

Jazz is good, too. Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" and John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme are great. My favorite jazz, though, is Charles Mingus' album "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady." It's almost like jazz mixed with classical, and it's fantastic.

Somebody mentioned French rock bands. Phoenix is awesome, and they sing in English, so I recommend that for some pop-rock fun.

Right now I'm also writing to Grizzly Bear's new album, "Veckatimest" and Animal Collective's new one, "Merriwether Post Pavilion" -- both fantastic.

I'm like AnEmperor, I usually will form a playlist of songs that I just suddenly want to listen to when I write a certain part of the story. Some groups stick out more than others though.

Old Blind Dogs
Anuna
Komponent
Barlow Girl
Billy Joel - Vienna in particular has been one I've listened to a lot today.
Duncan Sheik

2009: That's Where You'll Find Me (working title)

I usually listen to this random CD I picked up of piano music. It is very calming and only 1 song has lyrics so it doesn't get me caught up in the song instead of writing. I think it may be Jim Brickman but I don't really know. If I am writing something that has a lot of action, I listen to anything peppy to get me jumping. I blast it throughout the house, dance around, and then finally turn it to a low hum and get to work. Usually All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, or Nickelback get the job done.

I can't write without music! At least, not well.

For the novel I wrote back in the spring (contemporary romantic suspense) I had a lot of Kings of Leon, Carolina Liar, Shinedown, Muse, Travis, Joe Purdy... that stuff was perfect for that book, but it all depends on what I'm writing.

For another WIP that's on hold during NaNo and is historical fiction, I use mostly classical.

my NaNo book is fantasy, and for me, that means Celtic music. Mostly instrumental, but what I do have that has lyrics, I can't understand them anyway. Gary Stadler, David Arkenstone, and Enya so far on that one, but the playlist is as much a WIP as the book right now. :)

WIP for Nano '09:
-The Shield of Antara-

Whoever made the suggestion, thank you for www.pandora.com! I've been playing with it awhile, and I love it. I don't listen to music when I write, but when I'm plotting, I like to listen to music, especially with words, since I find it sparks me to think of scenarios and character quirks, etcetera. I hate surfing iTunes, but I didn't know what else to do to find something interesting. This is perfect.

Thanks again!

LeaAnnS
New Author
The Perfect Ten

Guys, this post is just keeping me sooo busy. I love these suggestions!!
Please keep them coming- whatever you are listening to right now, just pop your head in and yell it out at me.
Already, I'm getting inspiration that's lending itself to my story (and other plot bunnies running rappant in my mine...)!

For this post, I've got a few specific songs from artists, most aiming toward sad/scary/darker/thoughtful moments:
Autumn's Monologue by From Autumn to Ashes;
Let It Rain by Sarah Brightman;
Sleeping With Ghosts by Placebo;
Understanding by Evanescence;
Nature Boy (there are a few versions, but I prefer David Bowie's from the Moulin Rogue soundtrack);
Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking by Snow Patrol;
One More Time by Daft Punk;
Requiem for a Dream (from the soundtrack);
Running Up That Hill (Placebo, Within Temptation, Kerli, and many many other versions are out there);
Sally's Song (Fiona Apple, Amy Lee, or the Original- all three are amazing!)
Disturbia (Rihanna did it famously, but The Cab has a good version);
Starless by Crossfade;
and last but not least,
Look After You by the Fray.

Wow, that was a little of a spam post, but I hope you can find at least one good song from the list...

(also, if anyone would be interested in a CD exchange, send me a line!)

-- Caits

Yeah, I'm *that* girl....

I get up in the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop.
~ Clarence Budington Kelland

Well, I guess for me the best way I can describe what I'm listening to right now would be depending on which scenes I'm writing (I write in scenes instead of chapters).

My first scene was in a wasteland with lots of dust and tons of the color red. For that I used the Halo 3: ODST soundtrack.
My second was in a township on another continent, so it was much more pleasant. I used some tracks from Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts.
My third was in a nightclub, so I used a lot of the non-stop megamixes from Initial D. Eurobeat FTW.
I'm on my fourth now, which is in an aircarrier, so I'm using the Battlestar Galactica soundtracks.

Okay, I've procrastinated for 30 minutes. Time to get back to it!

2009: Safehaven

Just to add a few more songs to this totally awesome thread, I've been listening to Abingdon Boys School and Flyleaf recently.
Abingdon Boys school is a j-rock band that I've been using for the past three scenes. "Freak Show" and "Innocent Sorrow" are good tracks.
Flyleaf is just awesome and their song "All Around Me" has managed to completly alter my planned storyline. >.<

Kyo (french rock band) has also made it's way back onto my playlist and I would like to recommend "Dans Ma Chair" for dramatic scenes. It's been on repeat for my lawyer vs. kid battle. ^ ^

aaaand that's enough getting distracted. Hope you guys enjoy it, and the other suggestions have been great so far.

“Ask and I can try to grant…take and I’ll smile…let me have the reins and it may be too much.” -Strailo

NaNo09: Technoxity (WT)

I like to jam out to Jack's Mannequin first and foremost. They are my go-to band, then I head to Something Corporate, Mayday Parade, The Beatles, Tegan and Sara, Meg and Dia, and Taylor Swift.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the word"
-Gandhi