Musical Inspiration #22

No explanation necessary. Just watch:

Musical Inspiration #21

Great song to start the week, and as an added bonus, it's a kick-ass video too! Enjoy...



DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION - The Blood Arm featuring Anais

Musical Inspiration #20

One of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a long time.


FALLING SLOWLY, the Academy Award® winning song from the movie ONCE

I hear the movie is pretty damn good, too.

Musical Inspiration #19

We haven't done one of these for a little while. Here's one from 6 or 7 years ago.


Gorillaz - 19/2000

Musical Inspiration #18

Friday...thank God! I thought the insanity would never end. Out here in L.A., the entertainment world is a mess with this unresolved writer's strike. People are getting laid off, award shows are getting down graded to glorified news conferences, and the temperature has barely climbed out of the 50s so we're all bundled up in our winter best. (Note to all you laughing about our whimpiness: I've seen plenty of cold weather folks move out here and mock us in their first winter only to be wrapped in sweaters and down jackets like the rest of us the next one.)

So today we ask the question, where is the love?


Black Eyed Peas - Where is the Love

Musical Inspiration #17

It's Tuesday, so how about a little Jazz..."Why?" you ask. I say, "Why Not!"

And if we're going jazz for the first time on A Writer's Sphere, let's start off with two of the great!

Enjoy:


Miles Davis & John Coltrane- So What

Animation Inspiration #2

I love this style...simple, yet very effective. Everything is aimed at helping to tell the story:


M. Ward - Chinese Translation

Musical Inpsiration #16

Something fun to get the first full week of 2008 started!


Len - If You Steal My Sunshine

Musical Inspiration #15

Some fun for a Friday. It's the video that really gets my attention. Love the animation style.


Puffy Ami Yumi - Tokyo I'm On My Way

Musical Inspiration #14

Happy New Year, everyone! This year will be another big one, hopefully for all of us.

Later this month will see the release of the KILLER YEAR Anthology.
More about that later.

June will bring the publication of my next novel THE DECEIVED.

And while all this is happening, I'll be working on the third book in the series. So a busy, big year.

To get us started on the right foot...a little bit of inspiration and musical entertainment...


1 Giant Leap - Braided Hair

Musical Inspiration #13 And A Holiday Break

I'm going dark for a few days to celebrity the holidays with family, but to keep in the Holiday spirit and as our morning musical selection...a special tune. I remember this one from when I was a kid. I remember for years trying to find a recording of it. It wasn't until sometime later I discovered a 45 of it at a record store.

But now, thanks to YouTube, you can both hear and see the performance.

When worlds collide...Bing Crosby and David Bowie...Little Drummer Boy

Musical Inspiration #12

Something for your Thursday morning. A little Black Eyed Peas:


Black Eyed Peas - Where is the Love?

Musical Inspiration #11

Today I thought I get things going with a song that's actually mentioned in THE CLEANER. For those of you who have read the book, this song is playing in the background auring the bar scene at in Ho Chi Minh City.

I love the video that goes with it, too. For your pleasure...here are the Gorillaz:


Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

Musical Inspiration #10

Courtesy of one of my favorite Los Angeles blogs.

Thirty years ago (apparently today) Declan MacManus, or as most of us know him Elvis Costello, performed on Saturday Night Live. He was supposed to play "Less Than Zero," but apparently he had other ideas which ended up getting him banned from SNL for twelve years.

Read more about the incident here

And now...Elvis Costello



Elvis Costello - Radio, Radio

Musical Inspiration #9

I've always been fascinated by the voice of today's musical treat. There's emotion, strength, sadness wrapped in nearly every note. If I'm writing a particularly emotional scene, her music will definitely be in rotation on my iPod.

This morning, a week before Christmas Eve, I'd like to share with you the little sparrow...



Edith Piaf - La Vie en Rose


Learn more about Edith Piaf here.

Musical Inspiration #8

(Sorry for the late start today...busy morning)

Since we went with one of my favorite musicians yesterday (David Bowie), today I thought we'd lighten it and go with the hilarious Bowie parody done by The Flight of the Conchords...

If you've never seen the HBO show The Flight of the Conchords you are seriously missing some brilliant writing and acting. Find in. Watch it.

In the meantime, I give you this snippet from Episode 6:


The Flight of the Conchords - Bowie's in Space

Musical Inspiration #7

Today, perhaps one of the coolest people on the planet, David Bowie. I had the pleasure of seeing him in concert a few years ago, and it was one of the best shows I've ever attended.

Here's a live performance of one of my favorite songs:


David Bowie - Hereos

Musical Inspiration #6

Music has a texture, a tone, a feel that can evoke strong emotions. Sometimes it doesn't even matter what the lyrics are, it's all about the passion and strength of the performance. I often listen to music when I write. Depending on the scene I'm working on, the more emotion the tune the better.

Let's start today off with one that always pulls me in. Haunting...beautiful,,,



Evanescence - My Immortal, Live at the David Letterman Show

Musical Inspiration #5

Can't beat the classics...(the video and audio are just a bit out of sync, but who cares, it's Hendrix, baby!)



Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower