Tiff's Top 10: Revenge of the Playlist

Now editing: Reanimated Love by Kevin L. Williams

Now revising: Mistress of Night: A Ship's Haven novella (November 26, 2024)

Now listening: "Pain Remains" Lorna Shore

Now reading: Game of Hate and Lies by LJ Andrews

It's here. It's Time. Another Tiff's Top 10!

The author in her favorite hoodie from Quill & Crow Publishing House's The Crow Shoppe

Apologies for the long period of silence - editing deadlines and grad school have done a number on me recently. So we'll ease back in with a Tiff's Top 10 to get us warmed up before the writing and bookish content resumes later this week! You see, dear readers, I have many talents beyond writing. I'm also a musician (I play six different instruments AND I sing), an artist (both fiber arts and painting), and I'm a damn good cook. Music and writing are forever intertwined for me - I make playlists for my books, and sometimes listen to the same song on repeat for hours because it's fueling the scene I'm working on.

I have playlists for driving, for editing, for relaxing... I have a favorite playlist I listen to in the shower because it has a song the exact length of time I need to deep condition my hair. Music is as integral to my life as food, water, and sunshine.

And so, without further dramatics (lol, as if), I present to you...

Tiff's Top 10 Albums

In no particular order, because I could NEVER choose between these beauties.

"The Silver Scream" Ice Nine Kills - I've loved INK for YEARS, but this album is where they really seemed to find their sound and created an incredible narrative for themselves. Also, Spencer Charnas? Yes.

"Take Me Back To Eden" Sleep Token - Sleep Token never misses with me, and this album is no exception. I love EVERY SINGLE SONG. I don't think I could narrow down to a single favorite, but "Vore," "The Apparition," and "DYWTYLM" are my most played songs from the album in recent weeks.

"Pain Remains" Lorna Shore - This album is exceptional, with powerful meanings behind each song in addition to incredible talent. The Pain Remains trilogy, comprised of the final three songs on the album, is nothing short of impressive. Tell me you've seen more deeply passionate lyrics than these. I'll wait.

Spotify lyrics of "Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames" by Lorna Shore

"Sleeptalk" Dayseeker - I love Dayseeker's vibe, and the title track for this album is on about 50% of my Spotify playlists.

"Corporation" Aviana - The entire album is amazing, but "Anomaly" is my second-most played song right now on Spotify for good reason - the instrumentals are catchy and gorgeous, and the lyrics? *heart eyes*

"Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie" Volbeat - This is quite possibly my favorite Volbeat album. "Seal the Deal" is one of my pump up songs when I'm feeling down, but every single song on the album is fantastic. "The Devil's Bleeding Crown" featured prominently when I was writing the climax of Daughter of Shadows.

"Handwritten" The Gaslight Anthem - The Gaslight Anthem has a gorgeous retro sound and lyricism that brings me great joy. My favorite tracks are "45" and "Handwritten" - check them out and listen to the lyrics carefully. Each song tells an incredible story.

"Sundowning" Sleep Token - Sleep Token appears on this list twice, and I don't feel bad about it at all. Each of their albums is filled with creative sound, and I genuinely believe you could teach a course on lyricism just by exploring their songs. My favorites on this album? "Give" and "Blood Sport"

"Prequelle" Ghost - Ghost's thematic explorations within their albums are always impressive, but this album is my favorite of their discography - primarily because of "Dance Macabre," my all-time favorite song by them. The album explores themes of memento mori and survival, in addition to the Black Plague and the Medieval time period.

"Audioslave" Audioslave - Chris Cornell was a generational vocal talent. I loved Soundgarden, and I loved his solo work, but Audioslave's self-titled album is full of nostalgia for me. One of the first alt-rock albums I purchased in high school, I listened to it on repeat for weeks on end. After all these years, "Cochise" and "Like A Stone" are still among my favorite songs.

So there you have it, dear hearts! Tiff's Top 10 Albums, in no particular order. And, of course, a few honorable mentions with no explanations:

"The Curse" Atreyu

"Finding God Before God Finds Me" Bad Omens

"DAMN." Kendrick Lamar

"Portals" Melanie Martinez

Be on the lookout for more writing and bookish content coming soon!

XOXO - Tiff