Musical Menagerie

Author Playlist: Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

2009-09-16T10:19:00.007-04:00

Did you love Sea Change by Aimee Friedman?
Wondering what kind of music Aimee listens to?

Today is your lucky day! Straight from Aimee herself, The Musical Menagerie along with The Reader's Quill presents her personal Sea Change playlist!

AIMEE:

These were some of the songs I listened to while writing, and they also correspond to certain scenes in the book:

* Summer in the City--Regina Spektor

* Sea of Love -- Phil Phillips
* Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
* Someday You Will Be Loved--Death Cab for Cutie
* Wrapped Up in Books--Belle and Sebastian

* Disturbia-- Rihanna

* People's Parties--Joni Mitchell

* The Ocean -- Dar Williams
* Turn On Me--The Shins
* Ask--The Smiths
* Stronger--Kanye West
* I Want You To Want Me -- Cheap Trick
* Maps--The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
* God Only Knows--The Beach Boys
* Believe--The Bravery
* Beyond the Sea -- Bobby Darin

Don't know about Sea Change? Get caught up with our review and interview!

Playlist: Sarah Rees Brennan

2009-06-10T16:34:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, I posted my interview with the ever charming and brilliant Sarah Rees Brennan. Today, I have a special treat for all of you! Ms. Brennan was kind enough to share with us her Demon's Lexicon playlist! Enjoy!

Danny Elfman - The Little Things

I'm armed with delusions
And one little thing,
And it all comes down to you.

Have you heard the news?
Bad things come in twos.
But I never knew
'Bout the little things.

For me, this song is about Nick and his view of the world, and his complicated relationship with his brother: who lies to him, annoys him and can sometimes form the perfect (and kind of badass) team with him. And who is the person who matters most to him in all the world.

Aimee Mann - The Moth

Nothing fuels a good flirtation
Like need and anger and desperation

During The Demon's Lexicon, Mae and Nick are both having a stressful time of it. Attractive people. Emotions running high. Two plus two equals sexy good times.

Mindy McCready - Oh Romeo

Oh Romeo
Who would lay down her life?
Swallow the poison, pick up the knife
Maybe I cried
Just a teardrop or two
I would not die for you

Yes well, I did warn you about the country music... I listened to this song a lot when I was writing Mae. She has a determinedly sensible approach to romance!

Snow Patrol - Signal Fire

The perfect words never crossed my mind
'Cause there was nothing in there but you

Nick, a guy of few words. But he gets by on them.

Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child

Why don't you tell me my future?
Why don't I sell you my soul.
So here it comes - the sound of drums.
Here comes the drums, here comes the drums

This song reminds me of the Goblin Market, the danger and exhilaration and adventure it offers.

Beth Orton - Devil Song

Gonna take you back down
I won't feel no shame
Till my dreams
Are my own again
Gonna take you right down, and I'll take the blame

Alan and Olivia, expecting the demons and Black Arthur, and taking responsibility.

Nerina Pallot - Sophia

Sophia, Sophia, I'm burning, I'm burning.
It's a fire, it's a fire, I cannot put out,
Sophia, Sophia, I'm learning that some things,
I can't go without and one of of them is him.

This song's about longing, and standing on the outside - about people who aren't sure others love them back, and demons - especially Liannan - and thus, about everyone in the book.

Ben Lee - Gamble Everything For Love

Tell me the truth, and I’ll tell you the truth
If you gamble everything for love

People in The Demon's Lexicon just do that: gamble everything for, and on, love: even with the spectre behind them of Olivia who gambled everything for love and lost.

Breaking Benjamin - Dance With the Devil

I believe in you, I can show you
I can see right through your empty lies

All the dances in the book, and all the lying in it, too.

Vienna Teng - Harbor

The light in me
Will guide you home
All I want is to be your harbor

I listen to this song and think about Alan, and what he hopes and sometimes despairs of being for his brother.

Playlist: Laura Whitcomb

2009-01-06T10:01:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, I reviewed and interviewed Laura Whitcomb, the author of A Certain Slant of Light and the upcoming novel, The Fetch. Recently, we caught up with Ms. Whitcomb and she was kind enough to give us a short playlist of her favorite songs with the reasons why she loves them! Enjoy!

Marc Cohn's "Walking In Memphis" just makes me happy.

Billy Joel's "For The Longest Time" -- I fell in love with this song partly because when I used to babysit my nephew Nicholas, he'd stop crying whenever I dropped the needle on this track of the record. (Shows you how long ago this was--I had the LP.) The song was like magic "cheer up" music.

Bonnie Raitt's "Feels Like Home to Me" -- I like the way this song uses simple, down to earth illustrations of the profound comfort of being loved.

Paolo Conte's "Via Con Me (It's Wonderful)" -- my niece Siobhan and I heard this song in a commercial in a movie theater before the show started and it cracked us up. I bought the CD and every time I picked her up from school we'd play it again. It's unapologetically joyous, quirky, and cool.

Sing Me the Blues

2008-12-13T09:13:00.005-05:00

I know, I know. I've been somewhat bad about posting lately. In my defense, I've been working day and night to get some pretty awesome surprises for all of you. Some patience will be required, however.

In the meantime, I've decided to post my (personal) playlist for this week. Perhaps it will give you all a much needed break from all the Christmas music that's playing virtually everywhere you go these days.

Enjoy!

The Snow

2008-11-30T11:35:00.009-05:00

Artist: The Snow
From: Los Angeles
Great, if you love: Kings of Leon, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Deftones and Bitter: Sweet

A few weeks ago on The Reader's Quill, I posted the song Bittersweet Faith by Bitter: Sweet. This little LA band sound familiar? Perhaps you may have heard their likes on Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Entourage... or perhaps even off their album, The Mating Game.

Having had a little time on my hands (and an interest in what the band is up to these days), I had a look at their Myspace. What I found myself interested in, however, was another LA band they were linked to. The Snow.

While the Myspace offers little information about their band, their music more than makes up for it. Equal parts Radiohead and Pearl Jam, this band will surely interest those who love melodic, alternative rock bands whose music is a little bit garage rock, a little bit blues and a lot of awesomeness.

Don't believe me? Have a listen for yourself:

The Snow - We Want It All

Interested? Be sure to check out their Myspace and show them some love!

Cassandra Clare's City of Glass Play List

2008-11-19T23:38:00.009-05:00

Cassandra Clare, the New York Times best selling author of The Mortal Instruments series, was kind enough to give us her playlist for the upcoming City of Glass novel along with the reasons as to why these songs are her favorites! Enjoy!

Beloved, VNV Nation

We were once young and blessed with wings
No heights could keep us from their reach
No sacred place we did not soar
Still greater things burned within us
I don't regret the choices that I've made
I know you feel the same

I just love VNV Nation, and this song has an ethereal quality that fits the darker parts of the book. Plus it echoes the repeating motif of wings, and the lyrics about of thinking you had "great things" burning within you in the past made me think of the Circle.

Hometown Glory, Adele

I like it in the city
When two worlds collide
You get the people
And the government
Everybody taking
Different sides

I like songs that evoke an urban atmosphere. And I felt like the lines about worlds colliding in a city fit with all the urban destruction in CoG.

An End Has A Start, Editors

I don't think that it's
Gonna rain again today,
There's a devil at your side,
But an angel on the way

You came on your own,
And that's how you'll leave,
With hope in your hands,
And air to breathe,

I won't disappoint you,
As you fall apart,
Some things should be simple,
Even an end has a start

Devils and angels/the war between people's worse and better natures. And this song is really about understanding and accepting death, especially the death of someone you love.

Like a Knife, Secondhand Seranade

But what do I know, if you're leaving
All you did was stop the bleeding.
But these scars will stay forever,
These scars will stay forever
And these words have no meaning
If we cannot find the feeling
That we held on to together
Try your hardest to remember.

Love messes you up. Having to leave someone you love, even though you really don't want to, but you have no choice. Or maybe it's more about being left. Either way, it works.

The Same Fire, Bishop Allen

a million firefighters
and 99 alarms
an ocean full of water
i will burn through it all unharmed
for you
you're so beautiful

The metaphor of love as fire is taken very literally here "he white house 1814/moscow 1812/san francisco after the earthquake/i loved you then as well" but it's a beautiful song, and it works. And it's such an upbeat song, I suppose it reminds me of Magnus and Alec, who have a less tragically dramatic relationship than some of the other couples in the book.

No One's Gonna Love You, Band of Horses

It's looking like a limb torn off
Or altogether just taken apart
We're reeling through an endless fall
We are the ever-living ghost of what once was

This song is most likely about a relationship dying, but I really think it could be about the dissolution of any kind of a dream. Makes me think about Jocelyn and Luke.

Come on Get Higher, Matt Nathanson

I miss the sound of your voice
the loudest thing in my head
and I ache to remember
all the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said

it's all wrong
it's all wrong
it's all wrong, its so right

A reader sent me this song, saying the lyrics reminded them of Clary and Jace. I downloaded it and I had to agree.

We Are Broken, Paramore

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And oh, the promise we adored
Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole

Doesn't really remind me of any characters so much as it makes me think of the fate of the demon towers in Idris and the Shadowhunter's whole view of how safe they are versus the reality.

Mirrors and Fevers, Bright Eyes

When I opened my eyes
I saw myself in the mirror
And I knew I would do like my father has done
Yes, we will never break from these chains

A song that makes me think about Jace's relationship with his father.

They Don't Know, Kirsty McColl

And I don't listen to the ones who say
That you're bad for me and I should turn you away
Cause they don't know about us
And they've never heard of love

Sort of self-explanatory. And such a cute little song, even though it doesn't sound like anything else on the playlist.

This is for the ones who stand
For the ones who try again

There's a lot of scenes in Glass where characters are pushed to the limits of their endurance, and this song to me is about going on even though you think you can't.

Don't Fight It, The Panics

Where has my light gone?
Where has my fight gone?
What keeps us burning when the fire is long gone?"

This song makes me think about the dilemma of fighting the good fight, even though you don't want to and don't really think you can succeed.

Archers, Brand New

Who do you carry that torch for, my young man?
Do you believe in anything?
Or do you carry it around just to burn things down?

Brand New is one of my favorite bands. This song makes me thing about Jace, and what could kindly be termed his anger management problem. Of course it could also apply to Valentine...

It's All Over, Broken Family Band

I could fight, your beautiful words
And mourn, your beautiful loss
Throw me out, of your beautiful lifestyle
And call, your beautiful name.

For whatever reason, this song makes me think about people pretending to be something they aren't.

Closer, Joshua Radin

so, we're alone again
i wish it were over
we seem to never end
only get closer
to the point where i can take no more

This song is about the classic "Hedgehog's Dilemma" — the closer you get to someone, the more they can hurt you. Intimacy isn't possible without pain.

Bring on the Wonder, Susan Enan

I don't have the time for a drink from the cup
Let's rest for a while 'til our souls catch us up
Bring on the wonder
Bring on the song
I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long

To me this is just a very pretty love song. Love denied, finally realized. All that good stuff.

Be sure to check back soon for more play lists! And remember to check out The Reader's Quill for more on Cassandra Clare, including an exclusive interview!

Love is in the Air, Pt. II

2008-11-13T12:46:00.011-05:00

What's more exciting than a being in love? Below is a selection of songs that pertain to the different stages of falling for someone new (or old). No explanations needed.

This play list has a little bit of everything. New, old, indie, jazz, alternative, blues... something for everyone! Enjoy!

Love is in the Air...sometimes

2008-11-12T22:57:00.029-05:00

For a while now, I've been getting emails asking for song suggestions in terms of relationships. And I don't just mean the "I-love-you, you're-my-one-and-only" kind, but rather all different kinds of love and acceptance....letting go of love... new love...

Lots of love goin' around these days.

Below you will find some of my favorite songs per the variety. I've listened to most of these during various stages of my life. They've been my companion in more ways than one. You will find that this installment is broken down into two categories. Here's the first:

Letting Go of Love

There are many, many, many songs that I wanted to put on this play list, but unfortunately could not since Playlist.com does not have it stored in their inventory. I'll edit this post later on with a full list of my compilation for those of you interested.

A New Beginning

2008-11-12T22:49:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, I've been posting music suggestions weekly over at The Reader's Quill. However, I've received various emails asking for more information about certain artists, as well as many play list inquires. So, I've created this. The Musical Menagerie. Ta-da! Add it to your favorites and be sure to check back soon!

-E.B