Crescendo Blog Tour: In which I discuss the Crescendo playlist!

Today's stop on the Crescendo blog tour is all about music! I listen to music constantly and I love it just as much as I love reading, so thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for asking me to do this post. I had a lot of fun with it! I got to listen to a lot of good music, revisit some old favourites and I even found one or two new songs to check out, and hopefully you will too!

Songs chosen by Becca Fitzpatrick for her Crescendo playlist: here  
Words: Me.
Let me know what you think of my picks!

The playlist kicks off with Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go) by Garbage, and this is the first of two songs I’m going to dedicate to Marcie Millar. Love her,hate her, or just love to hate her, Nora’s foe plays a big part in this book. She uses her looks to get what she wants, and she wants what Nora has.(oh oh!)

With your cherry lips and golden curls
You could make grown men gasp when you go walking past
And in your hot pants and high heels
They could not believe that such a body was for real

Suicide Blonde by INXS is also included in the playlist, and for me, this is the perfect song for Marcie Millar.  It’s a song that’s dangerous, edgy and sexy, while the lyrics indicate that all is not as it seems where this blonde is concerned. In Crescendo everybody has a secret, and you’ll never guess what stories Marcie  has to tell!

Smooth Criminal, the Alien Ant Farm cover of the Michael Jackson classic is frantic in it’s tempo.  It’s fun but dangerous too.  We know that wherever Patch goes, danger follows, and now there’s more trouble in store when mysterious new boy Scott arrives in  town.  The Boys are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy is a song that sums up his arrival perfectly. This guy is trouble. He takes crazy risks and we know that Nora loves taking those too. What a combination!

With Marcie and Scott causing all this grief, we need some light-hearted relief on this playlist, and that’s where Vee comes in. She’s a true friend to Nora, and is always there for her. I could have chosen I’ll Stand By You by The Pretenders to sum up their friendship, but, let’s face it, while  a beautiful,song it’s also pretty downbeat.  Instead I’ll go with Our Lips Are Sealed by The Go Go’s - it’s sunny and upbeat, kinda like Vee herself. Also, as every good friend should, Vee gives Nora great advice - the best way to deal with the Marcie Millar’s of this world is to ignore them and not to play up to their antics - our lips are sealed, indeed!

This song can also be applied to Patch and Nora. See if you can spot the particular line I’m talking about!

There are lots of songs on the playlist that perfectly describe the relationship between Patch and Nora. I’ve tried to narrow it down, but you can check out the full play list on Becca’s website where more songs are included.

I was so happy to see Placebo’s version of Kate Bush’s Running Up That hill on the playlist. I’m generally not a fan of cover versions, but I love this one.  It’s darker and edgier than the original. The lyrics hint at risk and sacrifice, both of which are elements of the Patch and Nora relationship.

You don't wanna hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder.
There's a thunder in our hearts, baby.
So much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?

As you might have guessed, it’s not all plain sailing for Patch and Nora in Crescendo. Their love is intense, dangerous and forbidden, and they face a lot of obstacles if they want to be together.  This leads to a lot of heartbreak and tough moments for them.   However, Patch and Nora still have those tender moments. He still calls her  his angel and then there's that wonderful scene where he reveals his real name to her. Gravity by Sara Bareilles captures their all-consuming, but difficult relationship perfectly.

You might also like to read: My review of Crescendo
Next week the Crescendo blog tour is at Wondrous Reads where Jenny will have a whole week dedicated to Crescendo. Be sure to check it out!