ParanetOnline
McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: KWPech on January 14, 2011, 04:33:52 PM
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I'm one of those that likes to write to music. Non-lyrical.
But I'm finding myself longing for bigger play lists and a bit more variety lately. I need some help and suggestions.
Currently, the staple playlists on my itunes are Trent Reznor's Ghosts on occasion and a small assortment of soundtrack scores that I like. But main one though is Apocalyptica. I filtered through everything I have on them and sifted out all the heavier stuff which left me with the ballads and instrumentals.
I want more!
I'm really liking classical music with a modern beat. I have a number of Lynkin park's songs all done on the piano that are really cool.
I'd kill for cello (something similar to the first part of OneRepublics secrets), or some cool piano.
Any suggestions?
What music owns you right now?
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I tend to like soundtracks myself, KWPech.
Plus compilations of different kinds of music.
Certain music will actually evoke scenes in my head.
Soundtracks
Van Helsing
The Music from the TV series Cosmos
The Inside Man
Tarzan
Compilations
1996 Pure Moods compilation
Groups or Performers
Most of Enya
Vangelis - Direct
Enigma
Pat Benatar
Drew Tretick (plays an electric violin - very lovely)
And for when you're feeling really silly or tired
The Hamster Dance
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My favorite classical music right now is Twilight of the Gods - Richard Wagner (which I confess I only bought because I wanted Ride of the Valkyries, Dresden geek that I am).
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All kinds of free listening here in the classical section:
http://www.soundclick.com/genres/charts.cfm?genre=Classical&subgenreID=48
There is a "Play all" button on the RH side of the grey divider bar...
Other genres also have instrumental music, of various quality.
Rock
http://www.soundclick.com/genres/charts.cfm?genre=Rock&subgenreID=139
Modern Jazz (and several other flavors of jazz too, one level up):
http://www.soundclick.com/genres/charts.cfm?genre=Jazz&subgenreID=268
Electronica:
http://www.soundclick.com/genres/charts.cfm?genre=Electronic&subgenreID=73
It's all non-commercial (although some of it would like to be commercial!), and as I said, the quality is all over the place in terms of both musicianship and production values.
But it's free, and there are occasionally examples of utter brilliance among the piles of so-so stuff...
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I'm really liking classical music with a modern beat. I have a number of Lynkin park's songs all done on the piano that are really cool.
Check out my friend Scott D Davis on YouTube. He used to be a hardcore rocker, but now he does piano arrangements of mostly heavy metal. I especially like "Nothing Else Matters." He's got several million hits on his videos, 5.8 million just on that song. If you like it you can buy albums from his website and iTunes too.
SF
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God bless Pandora radio. Have you tried creating a station? It doesn't do so well with score composers, though I have a combination going of Yann Tiersen, Philip Glass, and Yo-Yo Ma that's not half bad. If you do it by band - or better yet, by song - it really shines. I use different stations depending on which story I'm working on at the moment.
If I'm working on something more of a fantasy bent, I'm a big fan of film scores. Right now I've got the scores to Stardust, The Pillars of the Earth, The Tudors in a playlist, and a YouTube window open (because I can't find the cd anywhere) with the theme to the old Merlin miniseries (the one with Sam Neill).
If I'm working on something more modern, I've been rather obsessed with Mumford & Sons and Florence and the Machine lately.
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The Piano collections from Windham Hill and Narada have some really good solo and ensemble stuff on them.
David Lanz has some pretty powerful piano pieces, as does Ludovico Einaudi.
If you can find them, the piano arrangement albums from the Final Fantasy series are some great music (even if you aren't into the games themselves).
For modern classical stuff, I go to Bear McCreary. He did most of the Battlestar Glactica music, as well as Caprica. He did the first season's music for Human Target and The Walking Dead (good lord I hope they put out a soundtrack for that show, the work was incredible!); he's currently scoring The Cape.
Yoko Kanno has to be my all time favorite composer, though. She can do classical. She can do jazz. Rock. Blues. Pop. Sometimes more than one style wrapped up in the same piece....
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XBfZD_Yvl0
Video's not much to look at, but the sound is somethin' else. The Moonlight Sonata has always been a direct path to my emotions, and this does it in a way I'd never have expected.
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Month or so later: I think I'm set for a while.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I found Adam Hurst, who is an amazing cellist and makes great mood music with a variety of instruments. I enjoy the piano/Cello songs the most.
http://www.adamhurststudio.com/
I dug out my old box of CDs and found my collection of Movie scores from the pre-mp3 days. And started hunting around for new stuff since then.
I thought I'd post up what I found and have running,
Top 3 at the moment:
The Last Samurai
Pearl Harbor movie score (Rip and then delete the faith hill song.. its a mood breaker if your in a groove)
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
The Rest:
Dragon: The Bruce Lee story
House of Flying Daggers
Curse of Golden Flower
Straight Story
Dragon Heart
LOTR triology
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Try Bond.