Hello, Gentle Reader.
I have curated a playlist for “The 12 Burning Wheels,” and I am releasing it today, the day before the book hits the streets.
Here is the FREE YouTube version of the “12BW” playlist so you can listen for FREE (keep in mind the St. Etienne song is only available in YouTube as a cover).
You can also go right into iTunes and download yourself the whole thing so you can play it on your iPod anytime, anywhere. YEAH!
1. The Broken Chest
Pedro Infante, “100 Años”
Pedro Infante, one of the classic singers from the Mexico’s Golden Era. Look him up, love him. A hundred years. This song insists on the perseverance of emotions and memories through time, just like those found in the father/daughter relationship of “The Broken Chest.”
The Scryer
L7, “Shitlist”
You don’t fuck with a Worm Queen or her kin. That’s all I can say about this 90’s classic.
Honey
Goldfrapp, “Deep Honey”
You can read the afterword in the book to hear the connections between Honey and this track off Goldfrapp’s “Black Cherry.” And to clarify, Brachygastra mellifica is a species of wasp that makes honey. Most other species don’t.
Mantis Love
VNV Nation, “Defiant”
“Defiant” doesn’t sound like your typical VNV song, but it does convey a youthful energy and courage, which is what I feel when I read through “Mantis Love.”
Madre Catrina
Sally Shapiro, “Looking at the Stars”
Italo disco reminds me of whale sonar, the lower depths of the ocean and shimmering waves of blue. All praise the arpegiator.
Victoria
Saint Etienne, “Hobart Paving”
Victoria’s life and its limitations, despite its gruesome backdrop, fill me with melancholy. So does “Hobart Paving.”
Tincture DRK-01
Neko Case, “This Tornado Loves You”
How do we explain the obssessive, all-consuming quality of love? Is it an artifice or something found deep within? Is it a force of nature?
Dig Your Own Hole
The Pixies, “Silver”
“In this land of strangers there are dangers.” The dusty, creaky quality of this Pixies song generates an image of a brooding sky, an uncertain black future, just like that which nears in the story. The title came as a reference to the Chemical Brothers song, but “Silver” captures its sound better.
Lemonade: an Electronic Opera in Six Parts
Vitalic, “Repair Machines”
I still have never heard a song that accurately captures the sounds of this opera. But this great Vitalic song serves. For more ideas on how you can make your own mental and auditory Lemonade opera, see Tangerine Dream, Art of Noise, The Knife, Atari Teenage Riot, Aphex Twin, Matmos, Fever Ray and Brian Eno.
A Conversation with the Elephant
Smashing Pumpkins, “Siva”
If you haven’t read the story yet, I’ll advise you to skip this one for now. “Slowly for Those,” the song referenced in the story, should really come from your own imagination. When you’re done, though, you can come back to “Siva.” Then listen for that explosion of raw sound near the end. Try not to look into the elephant’s eyes.
We Merge
Ladytron, “Runaway”
Some of the synths in this song make me think of giant spider legs trampling trees in the woods.
Machina
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Red Light”
Divination through technology. I imagine each reader’s imagining of the Machina App would have unique sounds attached to it, but whirring shutters, synths and eerie vocals from the Ice Queen put me in the right mood to have my dreams interpreted by the machine.
And below, some notes to explain the cuts. Don’t forget you can buy “12BW” right over at M Brane SF.

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