Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Phoebe's Playlist

I'm sometimes asked via posts to my blog or at book events to talk about what I like to listen to (or, even more often, what Phoebe and Margi like to listen to) when I'm writing. My usual answer--"almost anything"--may seem like a cowardly dodge, but considering that there are currently 33,422 songs on my iPod, I assure you it is a true statement.

That said, I tend to have certain things on in a heavier rotation during certain projects. I'm listening to a lot of Miles Davis and Flying Saucer Attack for something I'm working on now, for example. GD and KOL were written while under the influence of a number of specific songs and albums, and I got the chance to write about a few of them for the wonderful blog LARGEHEARTED BOY, which, in addition to reviews and news about music and literature, also has two great sections, "Book Notes" and "Note Books", featuring authors writing about songs, and songwriters writing about books, respectively.

Click the link to read about what I listened to at the start of writing the GD series--I guarantee that both Phoebe and Margi have these songs on their iPods!--but budget your time, because you are going to want to click around and read what all of the other great writers and musicians have to say about the works that inspired them.

18 comments:

Lita138 said...

OMG! these are some of the best songs!!! Some of these bands I have heard of but don't have any usic by them..I am on a mission now!!!

Amelia said...

Great playlist! You've got to be the most fun person in the world.

Minx said...

hi Dan.!
I know what you mean by "almost everything".
Thanks for getting me hooked on The Ting Tings! :)

~Meg

missmuffcake said...

How odd, since reading the books I kinda compiled my own play list that goes with the books in my own way...
Some of the songs i thought of:

"Horror HighSchool" - Zombina and the Skeletons
"Midnight Spookshow" - Calabrese
"Boy With a Thorn in His Side" - The Smiths
"Love Like Blood" - Blitzkid
"I Could Always Eat your Brain" - Harley Poe

I could go on but I need a nap!

Watching said...

Oh my gosh!! That's a very large amount of songs on your iPod! it seems like it would take a long time to collect all of them. ^o^

Anna-Tommy-lover said...

Hi Daniel!
I´ve lost 2 posts!
TT_TT
OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!Guess what?
I finished Kiss of Life on Monday!
I looooooooved it soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!
Yo can´t imagine!
OMG!
And...there´s a Zombie called Anna!
I was so excited!
Imagine!My name on my favorite book!
:)
You are the best author ever!
Really!
Generation Dead series should be traducted into spanish...please, it´ll be sooo cool!
OMG!Great music!Really!!!Phoebe and Margi have a good taste!
Bye!
You rock Daniel!

ReaderGirl said...

Way cool! I got a lot of great music from it, stuff I never would have found otherwise case it's not the sort of stuff I'd normally listen too. Thanks! :)

~ ReaderGirl Reviews

http://www.readergirlreviews.blogspot.com/

missmuffcake said...

So I know I already posted but today I was listening to Placebo's new album and when "Kitty Litter" came on and the lyrics played I thought of the Haunted House...

Yazzeh said...

Hey Dan! I'm back, thought you'd lost me for a while? :P

lol, thought I'd drop you a comment to asure you i'm still around ;]

All this talk of iPods has upset me now;; Mine died earlier on today *cries*

no music on the go for me for a while =[

Amber Lynne said...

Ah, their great<3
Uhm, I just got done reading kiss of life, it was GREAT!
Theirs going to be anorher one right..?
Eh, I hope Karen isn't dead; I LOVED her character.
Reply please [:

Sarah513 said...

Hey :) usually I have playlists that I listen to when reading/writing with songs that potray more of the characters than the book itself, but I couldn't help it with GD, there were just too many songs that fit perfectly :) here are a few (since I can't remember tham all):
Dead Man's Party- Oingo Boingo
Undead-Hollywood Undead
Die Tonight Live Forever-Innerpartysystem
I Don't Care-Apoclyptica feat. Adam Something of Three Days Grace
Chop Suey-System of a Down
Second Chance-Shinedown
We're From America-Marilyn Manson
Dead Again-Buckcherry
Teenagers-My Chemical Romance
Zombie-The Cranberries
The Dead Heart-Midnight Oil
Living Dead Girl-Rob Zombie
House of 1000 Corpses-Rob Zombie
Dead Generation-Sloth
Kiss of Life-Supergrass

Also, I rented a movie last night and I was watching a preview for a movie, Sex and Death 101, (looked really funny), and at the very end, when it shows the names of the people involved in making the film, at the very end it said "Written and (something I couldn't read) by Daniel Waters" So what I'm wondering is if it's just a coincidence, or if you're involved in the movie Sex and Death 101? I'm risking looking like an idiot if it's not you, but I'm really curious, so thanks! :)

RealisElastic said...

wow. we have a similar playlist. :) awesome! lol. and my friend has been bugging me to ask if there will be a third book (i believe there will.. cause cliff hangers are mean to just end series :P ) and i will get more music thanks to you. thanks!
Haley

SaraLanae said...

Dan, I think a great song for Phoebe's playlist would be "Little 15" origionally by Depeche Mode, but I think the version Phoebe would go for would be by the band "Between the Buried and Me". It's so perfect for everything she is and her life in general. :]

MaliceInWonderland said...

It was very interesting to see some of your inspiration. I love getting more insight into ideas like that. And listening to some of them while reading the book really enhances the experience.

And, it's almost time for the winner to be chosen for the zombie naming! Yay! Good luck to everyone!

MaliceInWonderland said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Daniel Waters said...

Hi Lita138!

A secret mission?

Take care,
Dan

Hi AMelia!

Thanks! Well, maybe not the most fun. Top ten, maybe.

Take care,
Dan

Hi Meg!

My pleasure!

Take care,
Dan

Hi missmuffcake!

I haven't heard the first or fifth one you mentioned, so I'll check those out. That's one of my favorite Smiths songs, though.

Take care,
Dan

Hi Watching!

Yes...a lifetime!

Take care,
Dan

Hi Anna-Tommy-Lover!

Wow, thanks! I'm glad you liked it. And someday I hope to see a spanish language ed. of GD. I'd love to have a copy of a book that I wrote that I can't read!

Take care,
Dan

Hi Reagergirl!

Happy listening!

Take care,
Dan

Hi again missmuffcake!

I've not heard that one...

Take care,
Dan

Hi Yazzeh!

Yay! Yaz is back!

Sometimes you just need to reboot the iPod--hold down play and the center button. Or is it menu and the center button? I forget!

Good luck with the ressurection of your iPod. You know what I named mine? "Generation DeadPod". I'm such a geek!

Take care,
Dan

Hi XxamberxX!

Thanks! Yes, there will be at least one more Generation Dead book. And, um, I hate to tell you, but Karen has been dead the entire series!

yuk yuk yuk

I can promise you, Karen has a major role in the next GD book...

Take care,
Dan

Hi Sarah513!

Great list! I've actually not heard of some of them ("Dead Again" should have been in the Largehearted Boy blog, though, because I listened to the (then) 3 Buckcherry albums, and the Josh Todd album, often while writing the first book.

I am *not* the DW who wrote that movie (he also wrote Heathers and Hudson Hawk) although sometimes I get his hatemail. Never his fanmail, for some reason, just his hatemail.

Take care,
Dan

Hi Haley!

Cool!

There will be a third GD book, called Passing Strange.

BTW, what cliffhangers?

Take care,
Dan

Hi SarahLanae!

I'm embarassed to confess that I haven't heard either of those! I'll check 'em out, tho.

Take care,
Dan

Hi MaliceinWonderland!

Thanks! I always liked that sort of "behind the scenes" thing, too. I'm a liner note junkie.

Take care,
Dan

find me said...

Hey daniel.
I love your books!! they are the best...i find that i can relate to pheobe and margi alot!! I really hope that there will be more of these books to come, if not, i dont know what i'll do :P
thanks for your very talented writing :)

Amber Lynne said...

Haha, thanks.
I justr hoped she wasnt dead like gone gone forever ;p