I’m not gonna lie – I was SO excited when Victoria Grace Howell nominated me for this blog tag (thank you, Tori!) that this was my reaction.
OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration… But music is one of my many loves in life, along with writing, books, and tea. So if you’re a music fan as well, fair warning: This post features YouTube videos. It also features links to more YouTube videos. I tried not to go overboard… but you still might be here a while. 😉
First, like any blog tag, let’s start with…
Do you listen to music while you write? Has a specific song or music artist ever influenced one of your stories, poems, etc.? This has happened with a number of my published poems. Thus, Poetry & Song is a limited-run series where I share one of my published poems and the song that “helped me write” it. I also offer insights into why I chose that particular piece of music, as well as any other inspirations for the poem.
After the amazing response to the first Poetry & Song post back in May, I knew I’d have to write another one down the road. Today happens to be a good day for that, because… um, well, September 5th is my birthday. (*blushes*) But that’s all the attention it’s getting. Instead, the joy and gratitude I always feel on this day gives me reason for blogging about “Eve of Spring.”
What? You say spring was five months ago? Who’s counting, though? 😉
Today I’m sharing “Eve of Spring” and the life-changing song I listened to as I wrote it. And together, both pieces were among the saving graces that helped me through one of the most challenging periods in my life.
Welcome to the first edition of An Ode To! Music has been a huge part of my life for a long time. But after leaving my music journalism gig last May, I’ve struggled to find a fresh and inspiring way to continue talking about music without committing myself to a routine meme. Now I have, and I’m very excited to share the music I love in a brand new way.
What can you expect from this and future Odes? Readers will learn a little bit about the highlighted artist and who they sound similar to (in case readers haven’t heard of them before). Then comes the best part: songs! I’ll pick out some of my favorite songs by said artist, briefly explain why I love them, and include YouTube clips so you can watch / listen for yourself.
So, without further ado…
Hello!
I hope your New Year has gotten off to a promising start. The end of 2012 was a busy time for me, between various writing projects, the holidays, and other things. However, I made sure to consider which albums from 2012 I considered as some of my favorites.
I always make two lists: a personal one that combines all of the music genres I listen to, and one for Sonic Cathedral that focuses exclusive on female-fronted rock and metal. Now that the Sonic Cathedral Best of 2012 article is online, it’s time for me to share my picks for both lists! And – ready for a shocker? – for the first time in a couple years, my #1 picks for both lists are different albums. Then again, that just goes to show how incredible some of 2012’s albums were.
So, here are the lists!
My Personal Top 10 Albums of 2012
1. Anathema – Weather Systems
2. Beyond The Bridge – The Old Man & The Spirit
3. The Mariana Hollow – Velvet Black Sky
4. Xandria – Neverworld’s End
5. Astral Tears – Hypnotic
6. Lyriel – Leverage
7. Kamelot – Silverthorn
8. Ideal Zero – Ideal Zero EP
9. Atoma – Skylight
10. Arjen Lucassen – Lost In The New Real
My Sonic Cathedral Top 10 of 2012
(click here to read the full article by the SC staff)
1. Beyond The Bridge – The Old Man & The Spirit
2. The Mariana Hollow – Velvet Black Sky
3. Xandria – Neverworld’s End
4. Astral Tears – Hypnotic
5. Lyriel – Leverage
6. Ideal Zero – Ideal Zero EP
7. Leah – Of Earth & Angels
8. Venturia – Dawn Of A New Era
9. Vajra – Pleroma
10. Akoma – The Other Side EP
And now it’s time to share my latest review at Suite101.com! I still can’t believe I was able to get a (legitimate) press copy last month – a full 2 months before the album’s actual release date. So, many thanks to Tell All Your Friends PR and The End Records for making this review possible.
Anathema’s upcoming album, Weather Systems, is in some ways a lot like its predecessor, We’re Here Because We’re Here. The band still plays an organic yet atmospheric brand of progressive rock with intertwining male and female harmonies. However, We’re Here… was merely a foreshadow of the brilliance that the world’s about to hear on Weather Systems. I won’t say much more here on my blog because a) I’ll end up repeating a good chunk of the full review, and b) it’s quite difficult to describe Weather Systems any more than I already have. All of the most positive adjectives I can think of fall short of defining the album’s aesthetics and ability to evoke deep emotions within the listener. So, I’ll use one of the phrases from my review: It’s “one of 2012’s rock masterpieces.”
Click here to read my full review of Anathema’s Weather Systems at Suite101.com.
Stay tuned to my blog for a big poetry announcement!
~ Sara
Sara Letourneau 