Music Monday: Failure Anthem

Ever been to a convention? Whether it was horror, sci-fi or simply a gathering of authors peddling their stories, you would be guaranteed to see the various subcultures which develop around certain genres. The same goes for music. Depending on the band and/or venue, you'll see the influence music has on people. So, it takes no stretch of the imagination to see how fiction and music work well together.

Maybe you're a novelist looking for inspiration, a reader searching for the right mood music or a musician trying to make a connection with the audience, words are everything to all three. Which brings us to the next installment of Music Monday...

FAILURE ANTHEM is the music feature for this week. When I first heard First World Problems a few years ago, I remember thinking the album forms a story of sorts, with each track functioning as a different chapter. I love how much effort the band puts into their lyrics. My favorite songs include The Ghost Inside, Paralyzed, Just A Wasteland and I Won't Say Goodbye. Definitely an album I recommend to everyone who enjoys high quality rock. Unfortunately, the band has suffered some setbacks with their lineup, but I'm still hoping for another FA album one day.

In the meantime, some very specific book titles come to mind when I think of which stories I enjoyed reading to the sound of Failure Anthem:

The BLOOD Trilogy by Ruth Miranda centers around a young man named Caius, a musician who discovers, through a traumatic event, he is not human. Miranda has a true talent for taking headlines, such as the battles with addiction and tragic overdose deaths of those in the music industry, and turning inner demons into supernatural creatures struggling with the same afflictions.

The Law Giveth by JE Gurley, the second novel in the Jake's Law series. In the first novel, Jake's Law, readers are introduced to a diabetic survivor, Jake, who creates a new system of law in a zombie post-apocalypse. The relationships Jake established in the first book and in the time since then have not held up well in the face of constant conflicts. Jake is more withdrawn than ever, but continues to attract new acquaintances to his way of doing things, following Jake's Laws.

Of course, readers may find other titles more suitable for the accompanying music of Failure Anthem, depending on how each individual interprets the songs.

Bottom line: if you haven't listened to First World Problems, you should ASAP.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Tuesday Tunes: Aranda

Band of the Week: Aranda

Music Monday, Tuesday Tunes...when you keep the hours that I do, the days and nights run together, and calendars are for other people who live and die by the clock...but I'm here to discuss words, not numbers.

There is an undeniable connection between literature and music, with drama, fantasy and, sometimes, tragedy woven throughout both. Many people also associate Rock with all kinds of naughty stuff, but the music is so much more than attitude and appearance, just as genre fiction is so much more than plot twists and setting. Both provide a way to escape with a passion we can all relate to on some level.

Not The Same, 3rd Aranda Album

With all that said, this week's recommendation for your listening pleasure is ARANDA, from OKC. Not The Same, is their third release, but it's the album I stumbled upon while looking for something new to listen to, a few years back. I've been told the sound is very different from the previous two, but that's irrelevant to me. The tracks switch between moods and tempos rather haphazardly, which is kind of how I like my fiction...I've never been a fan of the predictable.

We Are The Enemy reminds me of scenes with groups in conflict. Don't Wake Me reminds me of the flawed personal traits of many characters in mystery-thrillers. Stay is uncharacteristically sweet, much like an unexpected happy ending. I could keep going, point is, every single song has its own flavor. Not surprisingly, this is one of my go-to albums when I'm reading an anthology featuring numerous authors with diverse writing styles.

I think flash fiction fans are the ones who will appreciate Aranda the most.

Keep listening...keep reading...keep checking back...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Music Monday in the Lair

Many authors like to include a list of music they listen to when writing their stories...a sort of soundtrack. I've decided I would begin sharing some of the music I listen to when I read the stories I'm reviewing. Welcome to Music Monday in the Lair!

For the record, I listen to many different genres of music, but, just as I prefer horror to other literary genres, I will always prefer Rock over anything else. Unfortunately, there was a long period of time when the Rock genre disappointed me...I thought I'd have to be satisfied with my collection of 70s, 80s and 90s albums, cassettes and CDs (yeah, I'm that old). Then something amazing happened: Rock remembered how to kick ass again, instead of whining about life.

Over the last four or five years, many great Rock albums have been released, and I've found several bands to be the perfect background music for my reading marathons. Some have impressed me more than others, but they've all impressed me one way or another.

---

To begin, I present to you, Adelitas Way. Now, if you're looking for stats on the members or a history of their music, go find a music blog. I'm simply bringing up a couple of their albums which I listen to on a regular basis, while tearing through the latest round of horror stories.

Although Getaway is not their first album, it is the first time I listened to anything by Adelitas Way, and it blew me away. Their lyrics are down and dirty like songs from Guns N Roses and Mötley Crüe, but delivered with a smooth style reminiscent of bands like Sleeze Beez and Shotgun Messiah. With tracks such as Bad Reputation, Filthy Heart and Sometimes You're Meant To Get Used, the band establishes they are not here to play nice. Getaway flows with darkness and personal demons, setting the mood for those storylines centered on a character readers love to hate.

Their most recent album, Notorious, is just as badass as Getaway. The first track, Notorious, is like the silver tip on boot headed directly for your face: you are going to feel it, and it is hard. Other great tracks include Ready For War, You're Not The Only One and Vibes...a perfect backdrop for any character-driven story.

Adelitas Way has already had some of their music featured in several forms of media ranging from the WWE theme song to the soundtrack of Saw 3D, but I'm hoping more movies in the horror genre will use this band in future soundtracks.

---

Check back next Monday for more music suggestions to accompany your next reading session!

As always,
AstraDaemon