Make a Mix Tape

Recently a book arrived in the post from a friend, whose novella recently arrived via Lazy Fascist Press, whose promotional team also managed to create a mix-tape of recent songs that recall the feelings and emotions of the book.

Recently, another friend with a book coming out brought a mix-tape to the wedding as a gift, and gave it to my wife and me as a wedding gift. (This is an awesome wedding gift, by the way.)

Make a mix tape, why don't you? Make a Dogsland mix tape.

For the Dogsland Books, the first, NEVER KNEW ANOTHER, is probably all Arcade Fire and Decemberists. Can you hear the lonely rhythm of the streets of the city?





With the second, WHEN WE WERE EXECUTIONERS, there was plenty of Fever Ray going down, and plenty of Metric. This is not a happy love story, is it?





With the third, WE LEAVE TOGETHER, I find that Tom Waits and Ladytron rule the streets, day and night. The simplifying urgency of Rachel's heartfelt need to run, the urgency of Jona to stay, and to keep, and to hold... Crystal Castles plus Tom Waits. (Frankly, if I were casting Nicola Calipari for a film, I'd be encouraging Tom Waits to whomever was around and listening.)






If I were looking for the sound of the narrator's voice howling in a song instead of an open field at night, it would be Bjork.



Generally speaking, if I were looking for a song to hold Rachel up and speak to her heart and her desires, I think it would be...



Walking that tightrope, and all the contradictions inside of her coming up all right, I reckon, even if she's on the run. (Janelle Monae wouldn't be a bad casting choice for Rachel, if she had an interest in acting and the knack, plus anyone was making a cinematic version of things, which I don't think anyone ever will.)

Rachel, Rachel, Rachel... Where are you running to and how are you running and how can you run from this? I'm working on the third book now - working on cleaning it up and getting her story straight and true. Jona's dead, but where are you?

Everyone's leaving the city, one way or another.









Make a mix tape, all ye writers and bloggers. What are the songs of your veiled, plasticine worlds?