One of the things I love best about the internet is youtube. I know, I know, it’s a potential hellscape waiting to fill my head with toxicity, but I’m careful! I use youtube for two things, and two things only. Troubleshooting guides and music. And youtube is utterly wonderful for music.

Part of it is–I am the MTV generation. Not what MTV became–reality tv and some clever scripted shows, animated or otherwise–but the original “I want my MTV” music video source. It was just so insanely cool and new, you have no idea.

It’s a no brainer: music shapes emotional response and adds weight to stories. It’s why movies have soundtracks! To help cement a mood. And music videos? I think they warped my brain from the very start. All my first writings were basically music videos with words: Lots of emotion, lots of drama, lots of style–not necessarily a cohesive narrative. Even now, after decades of writing experience, the best scenes for me are the ones that have a soundtrack and a mental music video. (The soundtrack in my head, FYI, for Sylvie Shadows is the Kidneythieves’ Underneath. underneath I fight your wars, over and over again)

Anyway, the point being youtube not only gives me access to music I wouldn’t hear otherwise in the repetitious radio wasteland, but it gives me access to stories. With music. That’s awesome.

It’s also where I hear about new music from my favorite artists first! That’s an amazing mood booster. A crappy day, and a quick trawl of youtube and hey! ZZ Ward has a new song out! (She does! Forget About Us. Came out the 16th!) Suddenly my day is at least 50% better, or at least, has a better soundtrack than my own miserable thoughts.

So this week, what I want to do is showcase some of the music that has made a difference to me in the past six months. Let’s start with something pop-rock and fun. Voilá Figure You Out which is not only an earworm, but the start of a 5 music video series. It’s fun! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.