White Winter (Writing) Playlist

It’s winter.  There’s nothing to do.  I suppose that means writing should be happening.  A lot of it.  This is difficult.  My walls are uninspiring.  The bare trees are uninspiring.  It’s easier to lay in bed and watch The Walking Dead.  Mad Men.  New Girl. 

When I think I’m getting bed sores and I think I maybe haven’t showered recently, I’ll try to create an environment conducive to writing.  I’ll crank the heat a little more, so my fingers don’t  feel too numb to type.  I’ll brew coffee.  I’ll create a playlist. 

Yes.  A Winter Writing Playlist.  This is good. 

1)      White Winter Hymnal, Fleet Foxes.  The title says winter, so I figure this is a good start.  It sounds like the sunlight sparkling off the snow.  It’s got a good rhythm.  Ok, pour the coffee, bob the head, this can work.  Fingers: poised over the keyboard…

Fleet Foxes Looking Inspired Like I'm Not

2)      Fitzpleasure, Alt J.  The song is a reference to the 1964 novel Last Exit to Brooklyn.  My mind was more or less blown when I first realized this, and the title of the song took on a whole new meaning.  “Broom shaped pleasure.”  I should do something cool like that—plumb history for some anecdote heavy with meaning and shamelessly take advantage of it…

3)      When the Levee Breaks, Led Zeppelin.  And then I’ll imagine Hunter Thompson listening to this.  Whether he ever did or not.

4)      Wrecking Ball, Miley Cyrus.  (As I was typing, I went Mylee.  Delete delete delete. Mylie.)  She makes her art, I make mine.  We are just fellow artists, ya know?  Working to bring light into this world.

5)      California Dreaming, The Mamas & The Papas.  And I’ll go ahead and put this one in twice.  It deserves a re-listen.  “California dreaming, on such a winter’s day!”  Apt.  So apt.  All I can think of now is that scene from Chungking Express where the girl at the diner in the heart of Hong Kong cranks this song on repeat so loud that you have to shout your orders to her.  She says that she plays her music so loud so she doesn’t have to think.  She says someday she’ll go to California. 

6)      Get It Get It, Girl Talk.  The caffeine has hit me by now, and it and the music is sending my brain into spastic twirls, and my fingers are zipping across the keyboard and I believe I’m being more productive than I really am.  Spastic, frantic circles. 

7)      Mmbop, Hanson.  Am I just tragically depressed by the sinking suspicion that everything I just wrote is going nowhere and I have no desire to build on it?  Whatever happened to Hanson?  Geez, that hair was gross.  I used to know a girl when I was a kid—she had a voice like gravel, and she ate, breathed, functioned in one glorious dedication of her life and being to Hanson. 

Yes, this is a picture of Hanson on the BER blog.  It's a thing.

      8)      Spring Love, McSomething.  I play this because I have to get up, stretch, get my blood moving.  It intimates saucy climates and twirly dresses.  I should join a Zumba class.

      9)      Maps, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  WHO AM I?  DEAR GOD, WHAT IS MY LIFE.  In WHAT DIRECTION am I POISED?  WHAT CLIFF am I on the BRINK OF.  (On what cliff am I on the brink?)

      10)   Eblouie Par La Nuit, Zaz.  Ok, I am just procrastinating.  Sit down.  Focus.  A French song.  I’m an ARTIST.  I got this.

11)   Royals, Lorde.  I will never.  Ever.  Be a royal. 

12)   He Trusted in God, Handel.  YAHTZEE.  The song’s a wildcard to cleanse the palate.  When I have kids, I’m going to make them listen to this shit all the time.  Opera.  They’re gonna be geniuses.  I’ll name them Cora and Zane.  

Handel: OOh la la

…Ok, What have I written?

…I mean, it’s still rough, ya know, needs some editing, some touching up so to speak.  Yeah, there’re kernels here, I can milk a few pieces out of this.  *Throat clear*

Ok, but that music was good, the coffee was good, I am 96.2% likely to repeat this tomorrow.  So step 1 DONE.  (Establishment of an environment “conducive to writing” that I want to return to.) 

And maybe tomorrow, the writing will be good too…