Well grease up your musical mechanisms with 5 suggestions that never fail me when writer's block strikes!
The related videos in YouTube are endlessly useful - find a song you know and love, then explore! Chances are you'll wade through tons of crap, but eventually you'll find that gem you've been looking for. Listening to new tracks is always helpful, try your own spin on the quality songs you find either in the form of a remix or an original tune - you're sure to find something that inspires you during the process.
Some of the best music is in the background. Get some friends over and tuck into some popcorn (ideally not whilst playing a game like Modern Warfare 2, or you'll probably lose) then keep your ears pealed. Movie music is great for sampling since it's such high quality and so epic!
I can't count the number of times that my listeners have introduced me to awesome new music. Just send out a status update on facebook/twitter or have a chat with them at your next performance in the real world. You already know they love music because they're listening to you, so squeeze their brains until some aural gold comes out!
Not only will it expand your horizons and inspire, but you'll improve as a producer. When you learn how to do something new, you're going to want to test it out, right? So have a search for some tutorials (there are literally thousands of free ones available on YouTube - Shockingly enough, I suggest checking out boyinaband.com for a starting point) and tuck in!
Same principle above - give yourself some new toys and you will want to play with them. There are more free plug-ins on the internet than you can possibly conceive, so dive into Google head-first and crunch your way through them!
