As I understand many other writing types do, I often gravitate to soundtracks when I put music on while I write. The absence of lyrics keeps the language processing centers of my brain free, and unlike proper classical music, soundtracks are written with the intention of staying in the background while you focus on something else instead of ( Read more... )

I needed some heavy-duty relaxing this weekend, so I took a bath with my third-best copy of Trojan Gold. (What, you don't hoard multiple copies of your favorite books? I mean, you can't take your only copy of your favorite book into the bath ( Read more... )

I have an entire playlist now that is just different versions of 'The Confrontation'. I pretty much think that everything would be better with men fighting while they sing angrily about their feelings. Not gonna lie, the film version is kind of my favorite because of the audible fighting in the background. Rawr. And then there's the live versions ( Read more... )

Forget Christmas; Easter has the best music.

As is traditional (shut up, once you do something twice it is so a tradition), I've uploaded some transcendently lovely music that I've recently acquired to share with you all.

This time, it's Carlo Gesualdo's setting of the Tenebrae service.

Discs 1 & 2 (192 kbps MP3s, 176 MB zipped)

The two newly-released singles I've been playing on endless repeat dovetail surprisingly well. After all, they're both songs about change and ambivalence and dealing with the perceptions of others. Still, something of an odd couple.

(Warning: music will stream at you from these links.)

'It's Alright' by Dar Williams

'I Don't Care' by Fall Out ( Read more... )

Dar Williams is releasing a new album in September!

You know what's fun? Wandering around your house, dripping wet and half-blind, trying to find something to wash your hair with. (I ran out of shampoo. My mother recently switched to this shampoo that makes my hair fall out, so I'm certainly not using that. My brother is at camp with his shampoo.) I eventually turned up something in the far ( Read more... )

For those of you who haven't sampled Jonathan Coulton's charming brand of geek folk pop, allow me to make a few recommendations, because lately I keep listening to his stuff on repeat and I thought I'd share the love:

Skullcrusher Mountain (mp3) (lyricsA tender ballad of an evil genius struggling to gain the affection of the fair maiden he has had ( Read more... )