Musical Phases

I like all kinds of music. It doesn't really matter what style it is, if it speaks to me and I can feel the genuine emotion then I dig it. Surprisingly, there's a freight train full of good and original stuff out right now and I'm loving it! I have no shame or musical alliances that I adhere to, if I like it, I like it and I really don't care if one genre thinks it's stupid. I feel like music shouldn't have boundries.  Here's some new finds that I thought I'd share.

The Lumineers - Wrapped in a train hopping 1930s circus hobo image, The Lumineers sometimes dark folky goodness first caught my ear with the song Stubborn Love which sort of reminds me of the major label version of Tim Barry without losing the integrity.

Cradle of Filth - I've pretty much always dug Cradle Of Filth. They're over the top blasphemous music is still full of emotion that drives my story-minded brain into overdrive. Here's a fun fact, I've probably written more words while Cradle Of Filth is playing than any other band. They just have scenic music, especially when writing action. I haven't heard it all yet, but they're new album The Maticore and Other Horrors is on par with some of the better CoF records.

Alt-J - I just heard this band the other day and I really really like them. The first song I heard is called Breezeblocks and is like a weird Radiohead meets Bad Brains meets Porishead group from England. It's quite original and has a sort of dark, chill yet quality beat driven music. Somehow, the feeling reminds me of classic Jane's Addiction but in a totally different way.

Krewella - Signed to Skrillex's label, Krewella is like a modern day Tatu. I told you I have no shame and despite their gimmick that was still kind of awesome, Tatu made good music damnit. Krewella is much like that but has a solid five songs that are awesome. Keep in mind that these girls and dude just came out last year, so as long as they don't implode, they could put out some darn good music for quite some time.

Loss - Opposite on the musical planet is the band Loss, from Nashville, TN. This is Doom Metal at it's best and dare I say ranks up in all modern metal's best. While thunderously heavy and slow, Loss still puts me in a cerebral state that conjures images of burning cities and apocalyptical landscapes. See my previous post, "Loss (the band)" from earlier in the month to see a full description.

Graveyard - I'm not a huge fan of the new 70s metal that's out right now, I kind of dig Graveyard. They're unapologetic look and music makes them look like they stepped out of a time machine but their music sounds like Monster Magnet but with more modern hooks.

Nero - I don't know a lot about this band but I know they've had some hype for a while. The song Promises featuring Skrillex is really good.

AWOLNATION - From the band, Under The Influence Of Giants. Awolnation's one man band hit the radio charts with the song Sail, which sounds like Nine Inch Nails with a little more sass and less seriousness. The sad thing is I hate every other song on the album. The rest of the record is just too Weird Al - goofy for me.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - From what I've read, this band is a strange mix of like twelve musicians that often play together in different numbers depending on who's available. It's again a folky style with an alt-country feel I dig the songs, Home, Om Nashi Me and Bad Bad Love (By Alexander) one of the many members of the band.

Thomas Riley 2 is done

I'm done! After way too long and the roughest yet most amazing and wonderful time of my life, I'm so happy to say that Thomas Riley 2 is finished. I promise, this won't happen again. I'll literally be starting Thomas Riley 3 tomorrow. Thank you to everyone that have been so awesome waiting for the next book. I hope that the extra time it took to finish this has yielded a more dynamic novel. Musically, it took everything from Cradle of Filth to Made out of Babies to La Dispute and Touche Amore to get the steam to write this. Also the art above is a rough in progress look at the cover art by the amazing Will Routon (who did the art for book one). I figured he wouldn't mind me sharing.

Thomas Riley 2 (which doesn't have an official title yet) is a much darker story than book one. It's definitely an act two kind of tale. It's a love triangle that has turned into a love square. The story follows Thomas Riley and Cynthia Basset into a new battle against their longtime enemies, the Lemurian nation where Cynthia threatens everything with her love for famous sky pirate and now Lemurian recruit Sam Burges.

This instalment in the Thomas Riley series has a title wave of new characters and dangers ranging from Lemurian sharpshooter Joseph Allerberger, the even more insane than his predecessor, Doctor Wolfgang Gerhard and an airship larger than the Titanic that has the futuristic ability to manipulate the weather. Also there's an "American" pirate, Captain Bradford Booker who assists Thomas and Cynthia on their journey with his ethnically diverse crew to find Sam Burgess when he was taken prisoner after saving Thom and Cyn in book one. And finally, a young Sophie, or (Long Form) Sophie Marie Franziska Antonia Ignatia Alberta von Hohenberg, daughter of the Lemurian ruler takes center stage in book two. You may remember her from book one when Thomas and Sam infiltrate the Lemurian palace to rescue Cynthia. You'll also get a more in depth look into the characters from book one. Ann Read has become more bitter and vengeful while her counterpart Kathleen Benika has become completely mad. The latter may or may not have cannibalized a priest...

I like to think that more time was taken for the reader to really get involved with the characters, you get some back story as well as a hearty look into their personalities (even though many of them are completely crazy). Also for those who were wondering where the phantoms come into play in book one... all of that is explained and actually is now a part of an evil Lemurian scheme to win the twenty year war. Also, for those wondering what happened to Lillian Beuafort's soul? You'll get all the answers while being given a host of new ones.

So again, thank you to everyone that has been so patient waiting for this to be finished. This includes everyone from friends and family to Zova Books and fans that have been so great during this process.

What Makes You Tick?

Like many of you, in order to write I need a specific environment. As I haven't studied everyone Else's writing habits, I wonder if any of my needs for writing match other writers? So in the spirit of learning more about you, I will share what I do and I hope you will let me know what your writing environment is like.

Space
First off I need to be alone. The phones ringing, the TV, the dog wanting to go outside are all huge distractions when it come to writing for me. I need my space. If I had my choice I really enjoy setting the mood with Christmas lights, and incense. Making a writing nook is critical to get a lot of work done for me. I am very happy to report that soon I will be moving to a new house that my wife and I just bought and one of the major selling points for me was that it has a separate finished garage that will become my personal studio. I can light it, decorate and make it my own!

Music
I am a music nut. Years ago, I discovered a huge connection with reading, writing and music. I was reading The Thief of Always by Clive Barker and I read the entire book in one night with Tori Amos' cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit playing on repeat. The mood of the song just seemed to match what I was reading. Ever since, I love reading to music. Voivod's albums "Angel Rat" and "Noithingface" seem to go very well with Clive Barker's Imajica novel as well. So when I started writing, I like to heighten my emotions by listening to music. The funny thing is I listen to really odd music.

Let's Get Weird
My first manuscript was a horror novel, so I wanted something evil to stir my imagination. Already liking some pretty "dark" bands, I opted to put in some black metal and summon some demons on the written page. Ever since, I've been hooked. If it is a fight scene, a creepy scene, an action scene, it was probably written while blasting really fast minor chorded music with a guy screeching over it. Here are some of the bands that I can not write without.

WARNING: You very well may think I am crazy so listen at your own risk. (If you are easily offended you might want to check out another blog today.)

Cradle of Filth
These guys are my number one when it comes to setting an evil or action scene. They set such a wonderfully disturbing mood, that it makes writing an evil character almost easy. Despite that you won't be able to understand barely a word of hat they are saying, their lyrics are quite smart, focusing on Vampires, Faustian Philosophy, and historical figures such as Elizabeth Bathory.



Godspeed You Black Emperor
Yep, that is the name of the band. These freaky guys and gals play what I like to call, "End of The World Music". It is sad, ultra dramatic and basically sounds like an orchestra playing a requiem for the world. Great for crashes, devastation scenes, or describing a barren landscape.



Wolves In The Throne Room
This American Black Metal band has a bit of an earthy feel to them. Their experimentation with very fast tempos mixed with an occasional acoustic guitar creates a great breeding ground for raw and violent characters. Need a gnarly goon? Put this one and one should pop in your head immediately.


Battle Of Mice
Compiled of underground superstars, this band is just plain creepy. Their singer, Julie Christmas, can be absolutely frightening and brings out a raw emotional element that is perfect for some painful introspection by your characters. This band is a tension builder for me. When things are getting ready to hit the fan, Battle of Mice will be vibrating the walls in my house. (You may want to check out Julie Christmas' other band, Made Out of Babies... absolutely crazy!)



Envy
These guys don't speak a word of English, but they come across as so genuine and passionate that it stirs a vast array of emotions. It is a wonderful soundtrack for that part where the protagonist finally beats their nemesis.


Fin
This is a tiny cross section of things I listen to. I literally listen to more bands than I can count while writing, but these are some of my elite team of inspirational music. I know it isn't your ordinary lot of music, but it gets me going. I know some of you have to be thinking, "Ok Nick, you are kind of weird. I'm not so sure you are totally right in the head." I assure you I am a perfectly adjusted writer... Oh, Yikes!

So how about you? I want to know what you do to write. Do you play music? If so, what do you listen to? Do you write in the park? Do you need to be alone? What makes you tick?