Writer's Grove

Rocking out

I’m probably a bit late to this particular game, but I console myself that plenty of people haven’t figured out cell phones yet and they have yet to hop on the Internet(s).

I’ve discovered Pandora. I read an article about the site in Rolling Stone months ago, but then forgot about it completely until my Twitter peep Hillary Jacques reminded me. I tried it out and DAMN. This is awesome.

I created a bunch of different stations and have been really surprised at the quality and variety of new music it pulls up, especially on a station I made based on Rodrigo y Gabriela. I really like to write to instrumentals because there aren’t any lyrics to distract me from the words trying to escape m’head. Guitar instrumentalists don’t get a lot of publicity, however, so I’ve never heard of most of the artists Pandora is pulling up. Coolest new find for me is Strunz and Farah; their music is a world beat sort of thing, some Middle Eastern rhythms mixed in with flamenco and other neato stuff.

Of course, I have also have a DragonForce station for those times I need to write fight scenes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym5TTqPY2sk&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1[/youtube]

Because of that station, I’ve learned about bands like Hammerfall and Kamelot. Kamelot’s latest album cover, Poetry for the Poisoned, is some pretty messed up stuff. I want to write a short story about these undead clockwork snake ladies:

Have you tried Pandora yet? Who have you discovered?