I gave this writing to mood music workshop to my smaller writer’s group. I put together a CD of mood music that covered anything from sexy to sad… from trippy to eerie. I would give them a beginning sentence then everyone would write while the music played. Each person’s reaction was emotionally individual and some of the best ideas and scenes came out of this meeting. I even gave them all a copy of the instrumental CD as a take home.
I probably spend too much time on mood music, but I’ve always been into music. I mean “really” into it. I don’t just flip on the radio, I search out good independent bands, listen to soundtracks during movies, join fan clubs so I can find other recommendations. I buy rock, alternative, classical, new age… you name it. I sometimes want feel good music like David Gray, Van Morrison, Over the Rhine, Dave Matthews Band, Ivy, Ben Harper, Ray LaMontagne (couldn’t believe this was on Idol last week — Trouble should be a required CD) … there are too many of these to list.
But sometimes, I’m looking for the right kind of music to fit a certain mood while I’m writing. I prefer instrumental because I have this rock star fantasy problem and I end up singing. Loud. Seriously. You should see what happens when Fiona Apple’s Criminal comes on. (g) But songs with singing can still inspire the right kind of emotion.
On one of the message boards I occasionally visit, a bunch of writers were discussing sexy and bleak music. Good bleak (if that makes sense) for dark moments. I was typing up a reply when I thought it’d be more fun to take it into depth here. A few are bands I’ve covered before but they’re worth another mention.
So, here are some sexy, some bleak and other kinds of mood recommendations. I’ve also added a bunch of soundtracks. Almost all of these can be found (and clips heard) on Itunes. If not, I’ll put up a link. I wanted to add so much more, but I have to get to writing!! Hope you find at least one you love.
Sexy and Bleak –Carolyn Lavelle fits both.
Her CD A Brilliant Midnight has Lost Voices and Anime Rising for beautiful and bleak then Firefly Night and Anxiety for sexy.
Anxiety’s clip on Itunes is not long enough! It is one of the sexiest songs I’ve ever heard It starts with this down and dirty beat and a simulation of heavy breathing. “I let him in. He won’t stay out. The wrong one he loves me. Unshakeable doubt. He waits for me… to wake me up. Til he wrings me out… every drop.” When it kicks in, the beat gets raunchy and the violins are incredible! The rest of that CD is more ethereal, a bit celtic… Farther Than the Sun gets me every time.
Bleak- A Natural Disaster by Anathema. Balance, Are You There, Flying– they have a lot of emotionally bleak songs on this one. But don’t let the word bleak keep you back. These are good. I have so many CDs from Anathema…
Bleak, but so well done — A Girl Called Eddy. Kathleen, Somebody Hurt You and Girls Can Really Tear You Up Inside. Lyrics on that last one… “Why do you run? Why do you hide? From all you are. You’re just a man. She could tear you up inside. ”
Bleak — The Autums by the Autumns. The End is lovely bleakness at its best. The emotion toward the end of this song makes me hit repeat every time.
Sexy and bleak— Open by Cowboy Junkies. I’m a junkie for this group. I Did it All For You is bleak, Bread and Wine is just plain cool, I’m so Open is one of those feel good songs that grabs you by the throat. Then you have Upon Still Waters. Wow. I think it’s sexy. It could have something to do with the lyrics… “I want to lie beside you in a warm bed… feel your heartbeat… in my throat.”
Bleak— Memoir by Gossamer on the CD Closure. Not everyone likes that deep, goth male voice– usually not me– but this song is fantastic. I like Sweetest Misery too. Her Ghost rips me back to the eighties.
Sexy— Picture Pervert by Pollyn on the CD Songs for Sale. The song starts with “You take off all your clothes…” Stimulation is pretty hot, too. Actually, the entire EP is pretty good. Give them a try. They aren’t on Itunes yet, but their EP and the entire songs can be found here. Pollyn
SEXY!!! — I’ve blogged about Massive Attack before when it comes to sexy. I swear, friends tell me that Mezzanine saved their sex lives. Just listen to the short clip of Inertia Creeps on Itunes. This is down dirty, dark sexy. The good stuff.
Sexy — if you want groove and a sexy female voice, Supreme Beings of Leisure’s Last Girl On Earth from the Supreme Beings of Leisure. Very groovy, sexy tune. Nothing Like Tomorrow has that same good beat. I love Under the Gun!
Bleak— They only have an album of remixes on Itunes, but on Fading Collection’s website, you can find the old version of a song called Space from Interactive Family Radio. I think most of this CD was written about the pain of divorce. It’s a very spare, static CD, but it has a certain appeal. If you can make it through the most spare of the songs, Space, the emotion will tear you up. Ouch– I nearly broke into tears near the end. On itunes, there is a remix version of this, but I haven’t heard it. The Fading Collection has clips of this.
Bleak and Sexy— Portishead. I miss Portishead. Another group my husband calls an acquired taste. Yes, they were different, but I was nuts about them. The best CD is Dummy and Roads is fantastic! Glory Box is sexy.
Sexy – Simple Things by Zero 7 is a downtempo, sexy CD. Destiny has vocals by Sia– who has this bleak, beautiful song called Breathe Me on her CD Colour the Small One. That song was featured on the Six Feet Under finale.
Sexy— Somewhere Down the Crazy River by Robbie Robertson from the CD Robbie Robertson. Oh yeah. “She said… “You like it now, but you’re gonna love it later.”
Bleak yet incredibly sexy — is Mercy Street by Peter Gabriel on the CD So
Okay, I could go on forever. Something I’m sure you all have figured out by now. But I did want to add some soundtracks. Movie soundtracks are a writer’s best friend. Someone has already put together mood and art. We benefit. Can’t get better than that. I couldn’t possibly go into all of them here, but let’s list some.
Bleak, Sexy and Eerie — Basic Instinct’s soundtrack fits the bill. So does Hollow Man. Both of these are composed by Jerry Goldsmith. He also did LA Confidential (fantastic movie!) and Medicine Man (another classic) and more I don’t own. Yet.
Romantic and Sad –Can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I even own John Berry’s Somewhere in Time soundtrack. Okay, I own a couple by John Berry.
Cool. Can be dark, can break your heart — I also like James Newton Howard’s Sixth Sense or his collaboration with Hans Zimmer in Batman Begins. Hans Zimmer did the breathtaking Gladiator soundtrack with Lisa Gerard. I have several CDs with Lisa Gerard– mainly Dead Can Dance. Itunes has them listed as jazz. What’s up with that?
Kick Ass Urban Fantasy Stuff — I just bought the Aeon Flux soundtrack by Graeme Revell. Talk about the ultimate UF music! Graeme Revell has some excellent dark soundtracks for paranormal writers. All I should have to say is… The Crow. You can buy the rock song version or the instrumental. Both are good, but Graeme Revell’s original will raise the hair on your arms. Any writer who needs a dark element should own some of Graeme Revell’s work.
Just now exploring — V for Vendetta by Dario Marianelli sounds excellent so far. Haven’t seen the movie. He also did the new Pride and Prejudice… Talk about opposites here.
Okay, the best for last. Uplifting, dark, disturbing, epic, science fiction, fantasy, horror, happy — he has it all. Support this composer!!! I can’t say enough about the incredible moodiness of Justin Durban’s work. Go here. Edgen Animations – Justin R. Durban – Cinematic Film Composer, Web Designer, A
Or if you need a certain mood, he categorized “BY MOOD” here Music by: Justin R. Durban – Composer for Film and Games – Music – Listen I’ve bought a couple of his CDs and they came with inserts of stories that went to each song. Brilliant.