What do you listen to while you work? I don’t often listen to music while working since I have so many diverse tasks to accomplish that require concentration, such as writing, emailing, sorting magazine content, and subscription management. However, if I have the luxury of a few hours to just design the magazine, then I will listen to music.

How do you listen? I have some simple desktop speakers and a small selection of music on my Mac Pro and iPhone.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Just iTunes, like everyone else.

Who influences your musical taste? My husband, Glen Dresser, listens to more music than I do. He’s a writer finishing up his second novel and he has playlists to suit the themes and moods of his book. I’m most influenced by his tastes. I also might see a band that I like on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” or listen to the recommendations on Black Eiffel blog.

How has music influenced your work? When UPPERCASE was just starting out, an entire book was inspired by music. Glen and I were driving across Canada and listened to Ben Folds and William Shatner’s collaborative album “Has Been.” It must have gotten into my subconscious because we decided it would be fun to do a gallery show about William Shatner. At the time, he was going to be turning 76, so we invited 76 illustrators to interpret Shatner’s life and career—from Captain Kirk to T.J. Hooker and more.

“The Shatner Show” was published it as a hardcover book; it was UPPERCASE’s first publication, and though the subject matter was unique and not typical of what I do now, it led to me turning my attention full-time to publishing the magazine and other books. The summer that “The Shatner Show” was on display, I listened to “Has Been” more times than I ever care to remember!

JANINE’S PLAYLIST

1. Oh No, Andrew Bird
2. Gogol, Gonzales
3. Everything Is Moving So Fast, Great Lake Swimmers
4. Empty, Ray LaMontagne
5. Ammends, Viggo Mortensen
6. If You Would Come Back Home, William Fitzsimmons
7. It Hasn’t Happened Yet, William Shatner
8. The Vampire, Bob Lanois
9. Last Flowers, Radiohead
10. Messiah Ward, Nick Cave
11. Let Me Tell You About My Boat, Mark Mothersbaugh

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Photos: Janine Vangool

But let’s face it: there’s always that “gah!” feeling—a moment when you realize that there was one more perfect song that you wish you had included. In that spirit, we gave a few past Playlisters the chance to add that one extra tune to the mixes they previously created for our column. Here’s what a few of them are choosing to include. (We think it makes a pretty great mix just in itself!)

Song: Candomblé by Utsumi

Added by: François Chambard of UM Project

Song: The Drying of the Lawns by The Tallest Man on Earth

Added by: Interior Designer Isabel Borland

Song: July Flame by Laura Veirs

Added by: Art Director & Graphic Designer Rick VanderLeek

Song: Painted Eyes by Hercules and Love Affair

Added by: Designer Matt Singer

Song: I’ve Been Tired by Pixies

Added by: Architect & Designer Emily Fischer of Haptic Lab

Song: Golden Years by David Bowie

Added by: Graphic Designer Carolyn Sewell

Song: Hounds of Love by The Futureheads

Added by: Resource Specialist and Musician Royce Epstein

Song: Turn On Me by The Shins

Added by: Writer & Photographer Nichole Robertson of Little Brown Pen

Song: Off to the Races by Lana Del Rey

Added by: Daniel Kanter of Manhattan Nest

Song: XO/The Host by The Weeknd

Added by: Matthew Hickey of Turntable Kitchen

Image by Daniel Kanter

What do you listen to while you work? Depending on what I’m doing, I’ll either listen to nothing, to white noise, or to some music! When I’m writing, I find it really helpful to listen to white noise. There’s a great website called Simply Noise that plays several different “temperatures.” Otherwise, I’ll aurally stalk my friends on Spotify or play a record.

How do you listen? My white noise routine is all about focus, so those are on my eschuché headphones (a gift!). If I’m venturing outside my own brain, I’ll play on our not-particularly-audiophile-friendly speakers. I have a 25-foot 1/8-inch jack that snakes its way around the room to my laptop. Sort of unrefined.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I love using Spotify, even though I’m a musician and should probably be boycotting it. It’s got almost everything I ever feel like hearing and it’s a great way to discover new stuff (especially if you try to avoid music blogs).

Does music influence your work? Well, it definitely influences my work in my band! Jesse (my boyfriend and bandmate) and I always play each other different songs that are capturing our attention at a given moment.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Mostly from friends or from Jesse. I don’t have a lot of patience for most music blogs and they don’t necessarily cater to my tastes. I feel like the accuracy with which I can find something I like is always much higher if a friend tells me about a band… OR if I’m at a show for a band I already like, a lot of times the opening bands will be of a similar ilk.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Again, probably my own. I’m also completely brain-obsessed with David Byrne. I keep thinking I’ll get tired of his tweaky antics, but I never do!

ZINZI’S PLAYLIST

The Electrician, Princeton

Organized Scenery, Au Revoir Simone

Mikelah, Superhumanoids

Open Rhythms, Bodies of Water

For You, Bruce Springsteen (I can’t help myself!)

When I Hear Music, Debbie Deb

Bad Street, Twin Sister

Temecula Sunrise, Dirty Projectors

It Never Entered My Mind, The Embassy

Never Understand, The Jesus and Mary Chain

Baby Can’t Stop, Lindstrøm and Christabelle

Flashlights, Mystery Claws

When Am I Going To Make A Living, Sade

The Great Curve, Talking Heads
Images: Zinzi Edmundson

What do you listen to while you work? It depends on what I am doing. For editing images and researching, I usually listen to a friend’s playlist on Rdio or catch a history podcast (my favourite being the BBC History Magazine). While writing, I opt for music sans words and usually opt for Philip Glass or Wagner, depending on my mood.

How do you listen? Built-in computer speakers. Boring, I know. For the podcasts on my iPhone, I play them on an old clock radio connected via AirPlay. When using headphones, thanks to noisy neighbours and the bars below the apt, I use my Bowers & Wilkins P5. My turntable and records did not make the move years ago (I moved with a small suitcase) and are under the care and keeping of my youngest sister.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Almost all of my podcasts are downloaded in iTunes (which is also the home of my music collection) and for new music listening/streaming, I usually opt for Rdio because of the great playlists my new music-savvy friends have created. Spotify is also great for scratching an itch to hear something that I don’t own.

Does music influence your work? Music influences my knitwear design and photography; it helps boring tasks like editing the white balance in hundreds of photos be much less tedious. One of the knit hats in my collection (the little burrow on Etsy) was strongly influenced by a Bon Iver album. When it comes to photographing tech, I find my generally very soft, warm, folkish playlists to be helpful in keeping the technology human-focused. It’s not all about specs all of the time, and the music reminds me that it’s important to capture the experience of using the product.

Who influences your musical taste? Friends. I am primarily introduced to new music via my friend Kory Westerhold. He makes fantastic playlists and it’s been awesome to see him adapt them for new mediums and sites as they come along. Right now he’s making playlists on Rdio. I am also influenced by the music curation of NPR and love listening to “All Songs Considered” on long subway rides.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Goodness, this is a challenging question; any answer I provide will make me look like I have a very large idea of my own greatness! Since I don’t want to be that person that has a non-answer answer, I’d say Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. When I hear her music I think of a strong lady with robot friends and a deep sense of history and tradition. This works because I do like to think of myself and my work as coming from a place of technology curiosity, robot friendliness, and history love.

JOELLE’S PLAYLIST

Cold Front Blues, Southeast Engine

Blood Bank, Bon Iver

If I Had a Boat, James Vincent McMorrow

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, Bob Dylan

To Be Alone With You, Sufjan Stevens

Metamorphosis No.2, Philip Glass

Peng!, Iron & Wine

You Can Close Your Eyes, James Taylor

Generator (First Floor), Freelance Whales

Shake It Out, Florence + The Machine

Brand New Start, Little Joy

Keep on the Sunny Side, The Whites

Images: Joelle Alcaidinho

1. Wasted Hours by Arcade Fire from The Playlist: Ben Lambers of Studio Aandacht

2. Autumn Leaves by Cannonball Adderly & Miles Davis from The Playlist: Stylist & Product/Interior Designer Sofie Brünner

3. Mambo Sun by T. Rex from The Playlist: Product Designer Jonah Takagi

4. Time to Pretend by MGMT from The Playlist: Environmental Lifestyle Expert Danny Seo

5. Workin’ Day And Night by Michael Jackson from The Playlist: Artist/illustrator Jonathan Woodward

6. Solar by Thunderball from The Playlist: Graphic Designer & Art Photographer Paul Vanzella

7. The Twilite Kid by The Twilight Singers from The Playlist: Creative Director Eric Karjaluoto

8. When The Sun Goes Down by Steffaloo from The Playlist: Matthew and Kasey Hickey of Turntable Kitchen

9. Everlasting Light by The Black Keys from The Playlist: Graphic Designer Carolyn Sewell

Image sources: Eugene Huh for Eric Karjaluoto, Carolyn Sewell, Sofie Brünner

I asked Alison Williams, who is the co-founder of The Academy of Archivists, to help me pin down exactly what she does. “I’ve been describing myself lately as a creative entrepreneur.  I have my own company and I work with other companies, brands and artists to help develop their identities and get their work to the people who should see it, in whatever form that takes.  I talk to people, think about things, observe, strategize, write, create.  I feel lucky to have a job that I enjoy, working with amazing people.” And what role does music play in all that? Well, read on to find out.

What do you listen to while you work? When I’m writing I need music that is inspiring but not distracting, so I’ll listen to opera, or something without words.  I love the soundtrack from Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poulain by Yann Tiersen.  On the other hand when I am feeling daunted by a project or need to brainstorm I’ll either go to an album that I am entirely familiar with or something totally unknown.  When I’m working with other people I am open to what they want to listen to.

Photo: Cara Robbins

How do you listen? My favorite place to listen to music is in the car.  It’s so contained and personal.  But obviously, I can’t work in my car!  Although I have an office space I move around a lot visiting clients, so I usually listen to music on my computer or on my iPhone with headphones.  Or in my car.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I went through a recent obsession with Pandora.  The problem with Pandora is that I end up feeling spoonfed, so now I try to moderate my usage.  I also discover a lot of music from KCRW, which I listen to on the radio as well as their website.  They have incredible podcasts and studio sessions.  And, of course, iTunes.

Does music influence your work?  Can you show me an example? Music and the culture of music is an influence on all spheres of my work.  My company does marketing for a music house called Black Iris that we do a lot of additional creative work with, including album art, websites, and events; and we also work with a production company called Caviar which has amazing directors who do a lot of incredible music videos.  One of my favorites was Keith Schofield’s “Heaven Can Wait” video for Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck.  I also loved Daniel Wolfe’s epic videos for Plan B.

In addition to my work with my company and the creative people I am fortunate to work with, I am also a writer.  One of my current projects is based entirely on music by current female singer/songwriters, like Sam Phillips, Gillian Welch, Lex Land, Liz Green.  I am presently obsessed with Jesca Hoop’s latest album “Hunting My Dress,” which I have listened to way too many times.

Where do you find music recommendations?  Who influences your musical taste? I’m afraid my musical taste is kind of formed at this point.  I find myself going back to albums that I truly love rather than searching out new music.  I just reverted to a Led Zeppelin phase, for example.  It’s a summer thing.  I do get a lot of music from my friends, who send me playlists.  And because I spend a lot of time on the web, sometimes I’ll just surf and go from one musician to another.  The other day I discovered Ellie Goulding from a video for a cover she did of Elton John’s “Your Song,” and I ended up buying her album from iTunes.  Or somehow I found this song “Painted By Numbers” by The Sounds somewhere and now it is one of my faves.

Photo: Cara Robbins

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?  What song or artist best represents the work you create? So hard to say!  I guess maybe Nina Simone.  Kind of strange, hard to pin down, intense, creative, diverse, but also down-to-earth and intellectual.

ALISON WILLIAMS’ PLAYLIST: “WORKING GIRLS”

The Sundays, I Feel Fine

Liz Green, French Singer

Jesca Hoop, Money

Pat Benatar, Invincible

The Sounds, Painted By Numbers

Lady Gaga, Poker Face

Florence + The Machine, Dog Days Are Over

Jenny Lewis, The Big Guns

Ellie Goulding, Your Song

What do you listen to while you work? Scott: I love ambient and experimental stuff with layered, digital beats and sounds. Some friends get stressed by a strong percussive-driven rhythm, but I used to be a drummer and DJ (Chicago House mostly) and it relaxes and motivates me. I like to find new bands and music all the time, and although I listen to older stuff, I prefer to keep it fresh—I’m always looking for something I haven’t heard. I have Brian Eno, Plastikman, New Order, Black Uhuru, Jazzanova, Kraftwerk, Autechre, and old-school rap rotating through my Pandora stations as I write this and I find stuff I haven’t heard all the time. Pandora limits me to 100 channels, but if I could have 1000 I’d fill it—quickly. Jerinne: Scott has an aversion to headphones and since we have adjoining offices, I tend to listen to whatever he’s playing—usually ambient, house, or techno. When he’s away or has his music turned down, I can get away with listening to my own music, KCRW or KEXP in the mornings, but usually indie rock.

How do you listen? Scott: My desktop Creature speakers. And sometimes, if I really need to concentrate, I use Apple earbuds. Jerinne: Headphones, but only in one ear so I can take calls or talk to people in the office. I also got a Jambox for Christmas, which is a fun way to listen, too.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Scott: Soundcloud is great to explore stuff that producers make in their basement and just upload, and I love my Pandora One app. I surf through Mixriot and listen to Groove Salad, Proton Radio, KCRW, and KEXP in Seattle. I’m a Sirius radio subscriber and I like college radio (KXLU, Loyola Marymount’s broadcast in LA, rocks). Jerinne: Pandora. Proton Radio—I like to listen to Transitions with John Digweed.

Does music influence your work? Scott: Absolutely and it always has; it’s actually hard for me to work without it. I listen to a variety of music types throughout the day depending on what I’m doing. If I’m designing, I generally like something a little more up-tempo, I like a DJ from Rotterdam named Eelke Kleijn and a British producer named Gilles Peterson—both do podcasts. If I’m working on a proposal or business stuff, I like Jason Bentley’s show on KCRW a lot and KEXP. Our office is a member of both stations and we just completed a large custom interior and exterior wall installation for KCRW studios. Jerinne: I’m mostly Operations, so I don’t need music to help inspire me to design or create something. But it does influence me in that I feel more productive and focused when I’m listening to it and generally just more relaxed.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Scott: Jerinne and friends definitely influence, but I also love to discover new stuff on my own; not a lot of people I know like exactly what I like. I tool through Soundcloud and like to sift through sites like Bleep and Warp Records. Jason Bentley and Gilles Peterson play a lot of stuff I connect with and I start with the bands I hear from them and then explore further. Jerinne: I’m not really influenced by anyone or anything, I just play what I like, which is pretty eclectic. Scott gives me recommendations; he introduced me to Pandora and Proton radio. I listen to Sirius XMU and then buy what I like and when I buy a song or album on iTunes, I do check out the “Listeners Also Bought” recommendations. I’ve discovered new stuff this way.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Scott: I love Brian Eno and how he works like both a scientist and an artist. He’s constantly pushing boundaries and exploring what is new and he operates on so many levels. My mind works that way; I often pull from my background in research and science to study and explore what we do at BLIK. Jerinne: Can it be a radio station? KCRW is a great independent radio station with eclectic programming and in a way that best describes Blik and what we do. We’re very independent and aren’t influenced by others; we work with a variety of interesting established and up-and-coming artists and designers so our designs vary, which is good because we have decals that appeal to all tastes.

SCOTT’S PLAYLIST

Music for Airports (Album), Brian Eno

Age of Consent, New Order

Breathe, A Place to Bury Strangers

Just Like Honey, Jesus and Mary Chain

Nil, Autechre

Safe from Harm, Massive Attack

Little Pleasures, Tokimonsta

Paid in Full, Erik B. and Rakim

Time Space Transmat, Juan Atkins

Xtal, Aphex Twin

Jerinne’s Playlist

La Esquina, Federico Aubele

Under the Milky Way, The Church

I Wanna Be Your Lover, Prince

First Cool Hive, Moby

Rocket Man, My Morning Jacket

Love the Way You Lie, Eminen

You Hear Colours, CFCF

Black Metallic, Catherine Wheel

Photojournalist, Small Black

Blood Red Sentimental Blues, Cotton Jones

For Today, Jessica Lea Mayfield

Codex, Radiohead

Images courtesy BLIK

What do you listen to while you work? Ever since my college-radio and party-throwing days, I’ve had a pretty strong taste for dance and electronic music. Techno, House, Disco, etc. are in my ears on the regular. I’m always looking for something I haven’t heard yet, so as a result, these genres are usually what are playing while I work. As much as I enjoy the details and thoughtfulness that live in quality dance music, I think most people can appreciate what a steady beat and rhythm can bring to working long days or nights.

How do you listen? At home I have a pair of super affordable Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers powered by a Pyle mini amplifier. It’s a cheap-yet-quality sounding set up which requires minimal space. Because my office is also my living room, I wanted to avoid a very “computer speaker” look. Less office, more living. At work I have a pair of Audio Technica Onto over-ear headphones. Out and about I use Etymotic Research hf2 earbuds.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I usually bounce between a few favorite blogs—soundcloud.com, YouTube, and recently, I’ve discovered an always-good-music newsletter called Qratr. I think it’s answering a frustration I’ve been experiencing for a while now: blog fatigue. It tracks some of my favorite blogs, picks the best stuff, and sends it to me in an email every other Thursday. One blog I can also always rely on is Simply Good Music (as its name says…). Some favorite labels are Ghostly International, Rush Hour, Clone, Mahogani Music, and Delusions of Grandeur. If you’re looking to buy vinyl, Halcyon in DUMBO and Dope Jams in Clinton Hill are the place to be.

Does music influence your work? I don’t think music plays an obvious influence in my professional work. I try to approach work based on the specific needs and requirements of the client. I can definitely say that my work with Ghostly International, an indie music label out of Ann Arbor, MI, is a result of musical influence. I always knew I wanted to work for/with/around musicians. An example of work I completed with them would be their Ghostly Discovery iPhone app. I designed the website and online experience for the application.

Who influences your musical taste? As I mentioned, there are a number of blogs and sources I look to for recommendations online. I also have a great group of friends with fantastic taste and resources of their own. I enjoy spinning records at home with a good friend who always introduces me to something I haven’t heard before, and it’s always fun trying to mix back and forth with unfamiliar and often times very different genres of music. I also try to get to the occasional loft or warehouse party. Mr. Saturday Night is a solid party with good people and great tunes.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Ha. I’m really not sure—my work is typically very utility driven. I design to help people discover and obtain information or enjoy content. I’m not sure how that type of work translates to music. I would definitely be interested in any ideas other might have on that subject!

JONATHAN’S PLAYLIST

What Do You Do?, Fudge Fingas

Let The Music Play, Virgo Four

Sir John (Mark E Remix), White Elephant

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (Stallions Remix), Round & Round

Unchain My Heart, Maria Minerva

Gliese 581g, Genius of Time

Love Papers, Toby Tobias

Marriage (Star Slinger Remix), Gold Panda

Time Spike Jamz, Lapalux

Falling (Dark Sky Remix), Ben Westbeech

Images courtesy Jonathan Rahmani

What do you listen to while you work? Music that lifts my mood and keeps me energized….between Gretel and my two-year-old daughter Beatrice, I don’t get as much sleep as I used to! I have to admit that my taste in music isn’t sophisticated or deep. I just like what I like and it’s often sung by someone who’s (at least) ten years younger than me.

How do you listen? On my iPhone, on my computer, or via satellite radio in my car.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? One main influence is British radio, which I listen to a lot on my computer and in my car (on satellite radio). It’s just a really good way to keep connected and feel at home here in Miami. BBC Radio 1and 6 Music play a great selection and variety of music. Friends and travels are also an influence of course; I’ve been listening to Brazilian music ever since a trip there several years ago.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I think the light-hearted music that I listen to says a lot about me and Gretel. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and really hope that people just enjoy what they see on our website. We keep Gretel’s ever-changing selection of products as fresh as possible and unveil new “windows’” each season. So maybe we’re the Madonna-wannabe of the design-world. Except that my British accent is real and we’re not planning on being controversial any time soon.

ABBY’S PLAYLIST

Forget You, Cee Lo Green

Dynamite, Taio Cruz

Bulletproof, La Roux

Beija Eu, Marisa Monte

Hung Up, Madonna

Take Your Mama, Scissor Sisters

Let The Sun Shine, Labrinth

Fireflies, Owl City

Love The Way You Lie, Eminem and Rihanna

Islands, The xx

Photos: Claudia Uribe Touri

What do you listen to while you work? In general, Tony and I listen to different kinds of music while working. Tony likes indie and classic rock/pop, and I like pretty much anything from the 60s (especially girl groups), and upbeat stuff I can sing along and bounce to. There’s some middle ground, fortunately, and it’s called Talking Heads! We usually take turns listening to albums when we work together, since marriage–and a business partnership–is a compromise.

How do you listen? In the studio, we put the iPod through the tiny second hand stereo (our studio gets really messy and paint splattered), and on job sites we listen to the iPod through headphones so we don’t disturb our clients. We listen to NPR on the radio, too.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Tony uses eMusic, and we both find Newbury Comics a reliable place to get good used cds. We both like all the college radio stations Boston has to offer, especially MIT’s station.

Does music influence your work? Not really, to be honest. Our inspiration usually comes from color and other visual cues. Music helps us to create a nice atmosphere while we work though, and we appreciate that.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? We occasionally find new music though friends, college radio, and eMusic. But most of the music we listen to we’ve been into for a long time. We’re both pretty settled in our musical ways and neither of us can stay up late enough to go to concerts and shows anymore to discover new things!

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? We’d never claim that our work is as awesome as the groups we listen to. But in terms of the mood or feeling it creates, perhaps Cambridge-based Passion Pit. Their music is super vibrant and colorful, and we like to think our work is similarly fun to live with.

TONY’S PLAYLIST

Month of May, Arcade Fire

Taxman, The Beatles

Mr. Dash Dash, Detachment Kit

The Swish, The Hold Steady

Tragic Monsters, Les Savy Fav

Jellybones, The Unicorns

ALICIA’S PLAYLIST

I’m Waiting for the Day, The Beach Boys

If You Find Yourself Caught in Love, Belle & Sebastian

This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody), Talking Heads

Sleepyhead, Passion Pit

Young Bride, Midlake

Needle in a Haystack, The Velvelettes

What do you listen to while you work? What I’m working on usually determines what I’ll listen to. Since most of the time I’m either writing or editing, the majority of my daytime music is composed of instrumental tracks. Ambient, classical, shoegaze, chillwave, jazz, hip hop beats…anything that won’t interject unintended lyrical influence. If I’m in Photoshop, then the whole library of 20,000 tracks is usually on shuffle and can bring up anything from Iron Maiden to Charlie Parker.

How do you listen? Since both my girlfriend and I work at home, I’ll regularly don my noise-canceling Audio-Technica QuietPoint headphones if I want to listen to anything beyond the lower end of the volume dial. They do a great job of drowning out the sound of traffic in the background and the cries of our cats for snacks in the foreground. When I’m just listening while browsing online, then a pair of Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 speakers do a fantastic job of filling in the small closet-size home office space I work within. They’re superb desktop speakers, though the low end probably would do well with the addition of a separate sub.

And for just relaxing or while cleaning the house, then I’ll turn on the vintage Bang & Olufsen system and put on a record to listen to. Our collection is a mix of my girlfriend’s Northern Soul/girl bands and my 80′s-90’s hip-hop albums, so you never know when they’ll be an impromptu dance party in our living room.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? The Quiet Sounds. These podcast mixes are made for late nights with the lights out, except for the glow of the monitor illuminating your room. If you’re into Brian Eno and Angelo Badalamenti with a splash of Washed Out, I’d highly recommend a listen to a few of these hour long mixes. Gorilla vs. Bear is another favorite music blog alongside the Kitsune Noir Mixcasts, while Cocaine Blunts is where I check in for new and old hip-hop tracks, and The Funky 16 Corners for yesterday’s diddys.

Does music influence your work? I don’t know if music evidently influences my work for Apartment Therapy and Unplggd, but a recent extended headphone-listening session on a slow evening led to me creating a couple desktops or my personal blog.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I usually discover music in the same way I research topics for work and leisure, meandering between Tumblrs, music blogs, friend’s tweets, Facebook mentions. I’m sort of all over the place when it comes to musical interests, but I would admit the cinema heavily influences what I’ll actively investigate. Lately I’ve been falling back in love with Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production, thanks to a recent screening of the documentary “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector.” Last night I watched a surfing film, Sipping Jetstreams, and now I’ve got the combination of music and imagery floating in my head, egging me to call it a week and enjoy some summer sunshine. Surf and skate films are definitely a goldmine of good music.

GREGORY’S PLAYLIST

Mysterious Skin soundtrack, Robin Gurthrie & Harold Budd

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, The Beach Boys

Honey, You Know Where to Find Me, Morrissey

The Black House, The Blue Sky (Stars vs. Montag Mix), Stars

Wet Hair (Japandroids Cover), Teen Daze

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss), Grizzly Bear

Trap Door (Ft. MF DOOM), Jake One

As It Is When It Was, New Order

Michael, the Lone Archer of the North Shore, Deastro

Symphony No. 9 In D Minor (Ode To Joy), Ludwig van Beethoven

The Want And The Waiting, The Six Parts Seven

All of the Signature Sounds, Volume 1, DJ Premier

Images: Gregory Han

What do you listen to while you work? I usually start the day off with an up-tempo bossa or funk cut. I need something with a thick groove to wake me up and get my day going. As I begin to dip into the day’s workload, I slow down the tempo and lower the volume. I’ll usually throw on a jazz album or listen to talk radio. At night, I log into Netflix and stream a movie while I answer emails.

How do you listen? Since I work from home, I can listen to my music out loud. I have a chubby little sub woofer and a speaker set plugged into my Macbook Pro. In the past I listened to records while I worked, but recently I find it too distracting to get up and flip the record each time it reaches the end of a side.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Sure do. Here’s a few of my faves: Props radio, Soul Sides, KALX, and Quimsy’s Mumbo Jumbo.

DAVE’S PLAYLIST

Camino del Sol, Antena

InnerSpeaker (The whole darn album), Tame Impala

New Life, Sounds of Liberation

Egypt Strut, Salah Ragab & The Cairo Jazz Band

To Brother John, DJ Food

Lost Week-end, Wanda Jackson

Cloudy Shoes, Damien Jurado

Nothing But A Heartache, The Flirtations

Pearlie’s Swine, Monica Zetterlund

Buddah, Jazz Quintet

A Go Go, Dara Puspita

Opiniao, Zelia Barbosa

Nava, Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics

Images: Dave Cuzner

Do you listen to music while you work? It varies with the task that I was working on. If I’m working on something new or doing research on trends or colors, I usually don’t listen to the music because I don’t want to be distracted. I prefer to switch on TV in the other room just to have some working companion, so usually while I was writing down my ideas, Mrs. Fletcher was successfully solving homicides in the other room of our apartment.

How do you listen? I use the headphones to listen to my iPod.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I use Deezer a lot and also Jamendo when I have more time. I like the site because it gives independent musicians the opportunity to publish, share, and promote their music as well as the opportunity for us to enjoy them.

Does music influence your work? I really like to match the music with what I’m working on. I put on the music once I get the initial ideas of color palettes and materials, etc. For example, there was Vivaldi for my spring necklace collection and Maria Pradera for the summer ones. In addition, I go on YouTube to listen and watch music videos that have similar themes with my collection. Music helps me to construct a better working environment, stay focused on my plans, and inspire me with new idea.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Well, recommendations sometimes come from magazines, sometimes come from friends, and sometimes comes from my husband. Because I’m interested in traditional textiles and costumes from all over the world, I find very interesting music while doing research on these elements. That traditional music from different countries often has influence on my musical taste.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? I really like a large variety of music, and it would be very difficult to actually pick out one song or musician that represents everything!

KRIS’S PLAYLIST

Sebastian, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

The Ship Song, Nick Cave

Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, Moby

Hope There’s Someone, Antony & the Johnsons

La Chanson des Vieux Amants, Jacques Brel

Le Banquet, Yann Tiersen

Gnossienne No.1, Erik Satie

Postcards from Italy, Beirut

Blue Tears, Black Heart Procession

Space Oddity, David Bowie

Images: Kristina Klarin

1. Immediately download the eclectic picks from her playlist.

2. Wish the plant sitting in your office was potted in one of her handmade creations.

3. Finally get yourself tuned into Morning Becomes Eclectic (it’s our third mention in a row—get there already!)

Do you listen to music while you work? This is always changing depending on what the studio mood is, but I always tend to return to a few artists, they feel like old friends…The Magnetic Fields, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear. I’ve had Janelle Monae’s album on repeat a lot lately.

How do you listen? We have an iPod docking station in the studio along with a radio so we get our daily dose of NPR.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I have four assistants, and when we’re not making up playlists off each other’s iPods, we’ve got my iPhone plugged in and playing Pandora. It’s like having a built-in DJ in my studio, and I really like the surprise of not knowing what is coming next. It also introduces me to a lot of new music, since I don’t have a lot of free time to read music blogs or scour Pitchfork.

Does music influence your work? Very much so. I tend to gravitate toward music that has a low-fi, natural, spontaneous quality to it, and I think that directly correlates to my aesthetic, which has an understated, homegrown, rustic imperfection to it that provides a nice contrast to my modern design bents. New collections or designs often spring from a feeling I get from a color or a sound—it’s crucial to my whole sensibility. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you just have to blast Queen or Lady Gaga and bust out some work; but for the most part, I use music to create a more meditative work atmosphere.

Where do you find music recommendations? My employees are always great about bringing in new music to the studio; I also have a few friends whose taste I trust that will suggest artists. (Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising.) Morning Becomes Eclectic and our local public radio station’s weekend music program In House also introduces me to a lot of new bands.

LISA’S PLAYLIST:

All is Love, Karen O and the Kids

Tennessee, The Silver Jews

Home, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Still Crazy After All These Years , Paul Simon

The Greatest, Cat Power

Sunflower, Low

Shelter from the Storm, Bob Dylan

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel

Jesus, etc., Wilco

I Feel It All, Feist

From, Dr. Dog

Sons & Daughters, The Decemberists

Parenthesis, The Blow

Images: Lisa Jones and Alicia Carrier

[Via MocoLoco]

What do you listen to while you work? Lately, I listen to a lot of Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, Phil Collins, The Knife, Simon and Garfunkel, Barbara Streisand, The Roches, Edith Piaf, Dead Can Dance, Arthur Russel, Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian, Wild Beasts, Black Mountain, Echo and the Bunneymen, and Kid Creole and the Coconuts.

How do you listen? We plug our laptops into a sound system in the studio. Lots of times I’ll make a mix for the occasion, so I have a ton of mixes on my laptop with names like “Rainy Sunday in September” or “Rainy Monday Night with Martini” or “Mother’s Day.” (It’s funny—I have a lot of rainy-day mixes.)

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? I look at Pitchfork sometimes. But in general, I hear about new music from my partner Eric, who’s much more plugged in, or from friends.

Does music influence your work? It definitely does. It’s hard to give specific examples, but I sometimes get really emotional when I’m working with flowers. Music, especially when I work alone, tends to add to the experience of checking out of reality and tapping into the subconscious flow or process of creation. Not to sound out-of-control corny, but the bottom line is the pleasure principle—arranging flowers is really pleasurable (incidentally we listen to a lot of Janet Jackson, too). Music just adds to that intrinsically aesthetic process. Wine is nice, too.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Eric keeps me up to date with new music, which I know very little about. He also listens to a lot of hip-hop and jazz—not always things I would turn on, but enjoy nonetheless. (I mean, I love some Naughty by Nature and Expose.) My friend Aaron is also a walking music-history library. My love of Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, Julie Cruise and all that weirder late 80′s/early ’90′s ethereal femme jazz comes from his immense record collection.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Kate Bush. So feminine, creative, beautiful; ultimately, such an amazing storyteller. She has such an imagination! I aspire to that sort of creative synergy in my life.

Read on for Sarah’s playlist…

SARAH’S PLAYLIST
Ascension Day, Talk Talk

Atom’s Tomb, Electrelane

Running Up That Hill, Kate Bush

He’s a Dream, Shandi

Point of No Return, Expose

Hooting and Howling, Wild Beasts

Oriental Nightfish, Linda McCartney

Runs in the Family, The Roches

America, Simon and Garfunkel

In God’s Country, U2

I Know It’s Over, The Smiths

Passionless Pointless, PJ Harvey and John Parrish

Storms, Fleetwood Mac

Hold Me Now, Thompson Twins

In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins

Never Leave You – Uh Ooh, Uh Oooh!, Lumidee

Images: Sarah Ryhanen

We have had a great response to our Wednesday Playlist music series. It seems a lot of us listen to music while we work so I thought for todays Unplggd post we’d take a look at stylish ceramic speakers.

“Nothing like sprucing up the sound bytes with a little ceramic creativity. We were once skeptical of the ceramic speaker idea, but after having brains melted with audio heaven at a local audiophile shop, we’re fairly convinced you can mix the two without much degradation to sound quality. Here are our picks to inspire some additional shiny to your music routine.

OUR PICKS:

Joey Roth Ceramic Speakers
Pig Speaker: Well, That’s One Way to Camouflage a Speaker
Philips Ceramic Speakers
Broberg Ridderstrale Ceramic Cone Speaker
John Caswell – The Wailers Ceramic Speakers
Zemi Ceramic Ball Speakers
Phonofonics II – Ceramic iPod Speaker

Our favorite from the bunch? The incredible looking Phonofonics II, of course! Even though it costs $835, it’s said to be able to get a 55 dB sound level out of your iPod without using any external power. Now that’s shiny and impressive! If we could only get our hands on one to check out the sound quality…”

By Anthony.