Playlist/Soundtrack for my Current Project

 I know, I know, it's en vogue for artists to tell people all about the music they're listening to while they work these days.  Forgive me for being trendy, but I had an urge to share.  I'm currently nearing the end of my fifth novel, currently titled 101 Nights of the Rougarou.  Ever since I wrote Trailer Park Trash & Vampires, people have been asking me if I would ever pen a story about werewolves.  In a way, this current project is just that, though much I like did with vampires, I'm doing things a bit differently.  The rougarou itself is a bit different from the werewolf, though there are similarities.  There are also several variations sprinkled throughout the folklore pertaining to this particular beast, so that gives me a lot of room to maneuver.  I like that.

Anyway, like many, I like to listen to music while I work.  I've always thought it was a good idea to listen to a fairly consistent mix while I work on a project to maintain a certain mood, so I actually create soundtracks for each of my projects.  I have always been a very visual writer, and I think my work would lend itself well to film, so I proceed accordingly.  Each of these playlists starts with a song I imagine playing over the opening titles and ends with a song I would like to hear played over the credits.  The rest of the music suits the mood and flow of the piece.  Often, there will be songs that are tied to specific scenes.  Finally, since I favor big third acts, you may notice that things build to a crescendo toward the end of the playlist.

So, for those who are interested, here is my soundtrack  for 101 Nights of the Rougarou:

"Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven" by The Black Angels

"I Can Almost See Them" by Tomahawk

"I Am A Man Of Stone" by The Toadies

"Human" by Elastica

"Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Three Dog Night

"Connected" by Stereo MCs

"Caress Me Down"  by Sublime

"Blood On Our Hands" by Death From Above 1979

"The Hives Are Law, You Are Crime" by The Hives

"Adrenalize" by In This Moment

"Silver Queen" by Philm

"Lobster" by Bender

"Smoke a Little Smoke" by Eric Church

"Aisha" by Death In Vegas

"Nervous Shakedown" by AC/DC

"Psychotic Break" by Jerry Cantrell

"The Talking Horse" by The Melvins

"Boom" by Soulfly

"Hush" by Tool

"Adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood" by Future of the Left

"Exhale" by Kylesa

"Stillborn" by Black Label Society

"Bury Me" by Helmet

"Evil World" by Powerman 5000

Black-and-White Isn't Bad

I love my wife, I truly do, but we certainly have our differences.

For example, earlier today I asked her what she thought of Run Silent Run Deep.  Her response: "That stupid black-and-white movie you were watching?"  It wasn't stupid and black-and-white, it was stupid because it was in black-and-white.

Seriously, if it's in black-and-white, she can't hang, and she's not alone.  Yet the girls have watched a number of movies and shows in black-and-white without complaint, so it's not some new age dilemma, I think it's just a natural tendency for many to discount that which isn't contemporary.  The less contemporary, the worse. 

Folks, there are too many good old movies for that type of logic.  And I don't care what's being released on Blu-Ray next week or the week after, if we turn the clock back and direct our attention to some true classics, we'll wind up with better films.  Greatness isn't contemporary, it has no age.  It's where you find it, and there are a lot more old movies than new ones. 

Don't apply this line of thought to films alone, for it holds true with any type of art I can think of.  Also, don't miss out on Run Silent Run Deep.  My wife is right about a great many things, but this isn't one of them.  How can you go wrong with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster? 

Of course, I should probably pay more attention to the new stuff.  My wife was unfamiliar with Gable and Lancaster, so I began to describe them, and in doing so, I noted that Gable was before my time.  He is, . . . and so is Lancaster.  In fact, both men were stars long before the time before my time.  But I digress . . . 

The Mighty Chris Visions

I had the pleasure of working with Chris Visions on the illustrated edition of my novel, Trailer Park Trash & Vampires.  The artwork gracing my page here is from the stupendous cover he prepared, and all of the grisly illustrations he composed for the book were savage treats.  He has a wealth of skill and style, and I could go on and about his composition.  Recently, I got to interview Chris for RVA Magazine.  The end result was a fun piece that reveals a lot about Chris and his methods, among other things.  I encourage you to check out RVA and scope out my interview with the mighty Chris Visions.