MUSIC MONDAY #31: The Definitive Isabelle Lightwood playlist

It’s time for the Definitive Isabelle Lightwood playlist… I had the best time finding songs for her and talking to fans about what it is to BE Izzy. She is empowering, inspiring, bitchy, ballsy with brains and beauty to boot who has a sensitive side deep within… she is the kind of girl we ALL want to be. So, let’s take a look at some songs that we think of when we see Izzy:

We will also be doing the ultimate Shadowhunter playlist  soon, so if you want to give us a song suggestion, feel free to put it in the comments below.

Music Monday #30: The Definitive Simon Lewis Playlist

We first brought your character playlists for The Infernal Devices and now we are going to bring you a brand new set of TMI: City of Bones character inspired songs to get us through the next several weeks. Here's the playlist schedule so you can keep up with some of your fave characters:

June 10 - Simon Lewis
June 17 - Isabelle Lightwood
June 24  - Alec Lightwood
July 1 - Magnus Bane
July 8 - Jace Wayland
July 15 - Clary Fray

Keep sending us your selections for all these characters by sharing your comments below or on Twitter to @TMI_Institute with the #TMIPlaylist tag. Be sure to name the artist and song and even why you think it's the right choice, and we'll continue to add to our playlists!

I thought I'd start with some picks from the Institute for my personal TMI fave: Simon Lewis!!!


Man Who Can't be Moved by The Script


Wasteland by Matt White


With Me - Sum 41



Lonely Boy - The Black Keys



The Spectator - The Bravery



Fallen Leaves - Billy Talent

@tmi_institute every night by imagine dragons! :)

— Maria (@mpetterzen) May 17, 2013

@tmi_institute anything by Mariana's trench
— Trixi Peterburg (@trixipeterburg) May 17, 2013

@tmi_institute Watching You Watch Him by Eric Hutchinson.
— Shannon Michelle (@ArtemisFlight) May 17, 2013

@tmi_institute Angels Calling - Rooster. I want to hear this song on Simon dead scene, I'm sure it makes us wail lol
— Dessy (@dessywinsy) May 17, 2013

Music Monday #25: "Up In The Air" by 30 Seconds to Mars

I'm starting to compile songs for my character playlists, and I'm looking at songs that fit our central villain in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Valentine Morgenstern. As you can hear in this song as you listen along, you can see why I selected "Up in the Air" by 30 Seconds to Mars as my Music Monday song of the week.

Valentine Morgenstern, that egotistical maniac hell bent on destroying the Downworlders and eventually planning to create a new type of dark Shadowhunter, embodies a lot of elements of this song. As lead singer Jared Leto, that handsome devil he is, belts out pure emotion, I can hear Valentine thrashing around trying to "explain" the reasons of what

Let's take a look a few of the lyrics:

I've been up in the air
Out of my head
Stuck in a moment of emotion I destroyed
Is this the end I feel
Up in the air
F*cked up on life
All of the laws I've broken
Loves that I've sacrificed
Is this the end
I'll wrap my hands your neck so tight with love, love
A thousand times I've tempted fate
A thousand times I've played this game
A thousand times that I have said today, today, today

I think Valentine took the things he thought was important - his love for Jocelyn, his connection with Luke, his need to fix what he felt was a broken world - and twisted his beliefs down a dark, dangerous path. Was he ever truly a good person? One seems to think he probably was, but I guess we won't get true insight unless Cassie does a prequel with Jocelyn, Luke and Valentine (crosses fingers for such a treat).  

 I've been up in the air
Lost in the night
I wouldn't trade an eye for your lies
Your lust for my life
Is this the end?

 You were the love of my life
Darkness for light
This is the portrait of a tortured you and I
Is this the, is this the, is this the end
I'll wrap my hands around your neck so tight with love, love, love

Finally, I feel like Valentine could be saying that he realizes that his miguided hopes could all be dashed by the hands of one very clever Shadowhunter, Jace Wayland:

 I've been up in the air

Is this the end I feel?
Up in the air
Chasing a dream so real

What are your thoughts on this song by 30 Seconds to Mars? Could you hear this on the soundtrack to The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones? What other songs do you think of when you think about Valentine? What about the other characters? Weigh in below in the comments section or talk to me on Twitter at @TMI_Institute.