Top Soundtracks of 2009

Any year that features films from music-oriented directors Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino is going to be a good year for soundtracks. Many of the films' soundtracks this year were highly anticipated, with indie rock star power attached early on to films like The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Thom Yorke, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver) and Where the Wild Things Are (Karen O. of Yeah Yeah Yeahs), but not all delivered on that promise when the visuals were married in the final product.

The commonality of most the soundtracks on this list is nostalgia, whether it be for old cinema classics or for our own childhood. It's a tricky business, tickling that ache for the past, but for the films below, business is mostly good. (As an added bonus, several of the entries below have 'reassembled' playlists incorporating all the songs used in the film -- enjoy!)

10. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
New Moon makes this list almost purely because of the inclusion of new material from the likes of Grizzly Bear ("Slow Life"), Thom Yorke ("Hearing Damage") and pairing Bon Iver with St. Vincent ("Roslyn"). Whether it's the best music for Taylor Lautner to remove his shirt to is probably up for debate.
"Hello biceps. You know, anabolic steroids are really bad for you."

9. Whip It
The final tally on the soundtrack for Drew Barrymore's debut ran up to over 50 songs, making room for such diverse artists as Sugar Hill Gang, .38 Special, Radiohead and, serving as the soundtrack's heart, Sweden's pop maestro Jens Lekman. Extra points for cleverly referencing other films through the borrowing of Jon Brion score (themes to I Heart Huckabees and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Nearly makes up for trying to squeeze too much music into the proceedings.

"Yeah, let's celebrate mediocrity! That's fantastic."

8. Sin Nombre
Every year, there's one album I include that's purely for the score, and this year Marcelo Zarvos's brilliant work on Sin Nombre should (but likely won't) win him a nomination. A harrowing look at the plight of Central American immigrants who put their lives in the hands of a coyote trying to make it to the United States.
"Get off the train, Smiley!"

7. (500) Days of Summer
In looking at 2009's prospects, I had assumed this would make my list when I saw who was involved, and I'm only slightly disappointed by the final product. Before this film, Marc Webb was known as a music video director (Regina Spector, Fergie, Miley Cyrus) and it's possible that experience helped dilute the final product. Hard, though, to resist the charms of how Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams" is used.
"Either she's an evil, emotionless, miserable human being, or... she's a robot."

6. Observe & Report
Easily one of my favorite soundtracks of 2009, but conversely, also one of my least favorite movies on this list. Too bad all the magic dust used to bring back forgotten gems from The Action and Patto couldn't have been sprinkled on the screenplay. McLusky, Dwarves, Bob Dylan and even Flash Gordon-era Queen rule the day.
"The world has no use for another scared man. Right now, the world needs a f*cking hero."

5. The Limits of Control
I was blown away by this Jim Jarmusch thriller, and the feedback-laden soundtrack was a big part of it. Boris, Sunn 0))), Earth and The Black Angels all contributed to the psychological noir, even leaving room for some fun with LCD Soundsystem and some flamenco tracks as well.

"Sometimes for me, the reflection is far more present than the thing being reflected."

4. Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino originally had Ennio Morricone tentatively signed on to do the score, but the legendary composer's prior commitments prevented him from contributing. Instead, we get eight classic Morricone songs, which worked out OK for Tarantino, seeing how he loves referencing other films anyway. The result is stunning, even if a part of me wishes the planets would've aligned for a real Tarantino/Morricone joint.

"You know somethin', Utivich? I think this might just be my masterpiece."

3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson films have always had an 'out-of-time' quality to them, and while the time and place appears to be an English countryside around 1970 (the year Roald Dahl published the children's book the film is based upon), the real setting is nostalgia. Robin Hood parallels are abound, and the soundtrack contributes to it leading off with "The Ballad of Davy Crocket" (used in the early TV series,) and even sneaking in a ballad from the 1972 film from Disney (Nancy Adams' "Love"). Fun 1950s-era Burl Ives folk songs are sprinkled throughout and more 'modern' classics from The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones (who have a song in every Anderson film). Don't forget to leave room for Jarvis Cocker, who voices Petey and sings a Davy Crockett-like ballad ("Fantastic Mr Fox AKA Petey's Song").
"I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds illegal."

2. Adventureland
It could be I just have a soft spot for movies that look back fondly at the year 1987, but the music used and general feeling in this coming of age movie transcends simple nostalgia. Sandwiched between songs from The Replacements is The Velvet Underground ("Pale Blue Eyes" serves as a sort of theme for Kristen Stewart's Emily) and everything from Animotion to Judas Priest. And, of course, several playings of Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus," dampened only by the sweet, sweet dancing of Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva).

"Oh, but I'm an atheist, maybe more of a pragmatic nihilist I guess or an existential pagan if you will... "

1. Where the Wild Things Are
Karen O. continues the great tradition of artist curated soundtracks, taking a break from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to create a more Arcade Fire-ish score for this fantastical adaptation. Karen easily taps into the primal nature of a troubled boy, and with help from an indie rock orchestra featuring Deerhunter, Liars and The Dead Weather, has made an album that could even outlast the film. It doesn't hurt that Karen O.'s voice nearly matches Max's voice, from whisper to growl to scream.
"It's going to be a place where only the things you want to happen, would happen."

Also worth mentioning:
Away We Go, Crazy Heart, Funny People, I Love You Man, Watchmen and The Hangover.

Previously: Top Movie Soundtracks of 2007, Top Movie Soundtracks of 2008

In the soup with John

Like a lot of people, I wasn't too impressed with the first hour of HBO's surf noir John From Cincinnati. It was hard to find things to like about any of the characters, and it was cryptic in a way that was more 'wtf??' than 'wow, you just blew my mind!' But now that I've seen three hours of the David Milch drama, I'm hooked to it like The Sopranos, Lost and, yes, Milch's last HBO series, Deadwood. Since it's probably not a show you can just drop in anywhere on, HBO is re-airing the first three episodes tonight – like lined up peaks for you to totally shred (Dude.)

There's so much going on in these three episodes, it's hard to put in one post, but here's some of the highlights. First and foremost is the opening credits, which are a mesmerizing montage of old surf film clips cut beautifully together with Joe Strummer's "Johnny Appleseed." In this regard, JFC dutifully fills The Sopranos shoes as opening credits that you relish watching again. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but Strummer's lyric about "don't go killing all the bees" feels especially ominous with recent news and all John's talk about "the end is near."

The music grows as a storytelling method throughout the series. When the second episode ends with a 'resurrection,' TV On The Radio's "Staring at the Sun" plays with the opening lyrics "cross the street from your storefront cemetary..." and goosebumps appear.

By the third episode, we're inundated with musical references. As Freddy "the ice cream man" (Deadwood's Dayton Callie) talks to himself in his car parked outside the hospital, he's listening to the Sarah Brightman duet with Andrea Bocelli of "Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò)" Freddy must assume the worst about Shaun to be listening to a song like this (especially considering his brutish nature.) "Aww. That's where the blind dago was supposed to come in. What's this, a different version?" No, Freddy, Bocelli actually comes in later. Some may remember once upon a time this song served as a sort of theme for Carmela on The Sopranos.

Then, in a very Twin Peaks-like scene back at the 'haunted' hotel room, Barry says, knee-deep in Milchspeak: "I alone, then, am favored by that jovially croaking postcoital falsetto winsomely caricaturing Debby Boone?" To which he starts to sing "You Light Up My Life," (did anyone else flashback to Todd Solondz' Happiness here?) When Barry later mutters the seemingly non-sequiter "black bobby socks," I find myself eerily looking forward to a Lynchian flashback that involves said song and socks.

Later in the episode, John makes Kai "see God," set to Buddy Guy's rendition of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen." Why Buddy Guy's version? Most likely because in the middle he starts improvising with the lines "gotta get away from John for a bit." The 'seeing god' montage is once again very David Lynch, showing four of the characters all being burned by metal: Kai's piercings, Ramon's necklace, Vietnam Joe's shrapnel in his leg, and the transdermal horn implants in Butchie's head. That last one was an odd revelation, one that you'd assume will have more meaning later, but Butchie as "the beast" here makes perfect sense. As Shaunie skates the half-pipe outside the Yost home, it's set to the song "Feeling Good," popularized by the great Nina Simone, but covered here to great histrionic effect by Muse. The onlookers gasp (Link revealingly says "Jesus Christ!") as they watch the resurrected son riding the homemade wave... cue credits.

Speaking of resurrection, you can imagine there's a lot of religious themes going on here - even the main character, named John Monad, a last name which philosophers associate with the obscure metaphysics of Leibniz. This use of a last name in sync with philosophy is pure Lost. Monism is the theological/metaphysical belief that 'all is one,' and there are no fundamental divisions. The setting of Imperial Beach is full of these 'divisions' or borders – Mexico and the US, Tijuana and San Diego, land and ocean, life and death. The main characters are faced with miracle after miracle, but refuse to recognize it as such, until Dr. Smith (played by chameleon Garret Dillahunt, who played two different roles in Milch's Deadwood) is shaken to his science-based core by Shaun's recovery. Then folks start to acknowledge what they've known all along: weird things are afoot since John arrived.

And last, but certainly not least, is Milch's dialogue he perfected with Deadwood. The characters speak a lot that seems nonsense, but with their actions, these words have a lot more meaning. When Linc (Luke Perry) says to Dr. Smith "Thank you. Thank you for the work you do," he sounds polite, but the look they give each other suggests enemies have been born. Meanwhile the following exchange appears to lead to punches, but instead to comaradie.

Bill: "What is your name please?"
Freddy: "What's your name?"
Bill: "Bill Jacks. I'm a retired police officer. And you don't want to make me ask your name again."
Freddy: "Retired cops don't get my name, what time it is, or pissed on if they go up in flames."
a few minutes later...
Freddy: "I'm a friend of the family, all right?"
Bill: "I'm a friend of the family."
Freddy: "Then they got two friends looking out for them."
Bill: "And you look out for them how, by seeing when their backs are turned so you can steal their drapes?"

The characters stand side-by-side with arms crossed staring at the house, the cop and criminal on the same side. It's exchanges like these that lessen the blow of not having another season of Deadwood to look forward to.

Playlist: John From Cincinnati - Ep101-103
1. "Johnny Appleseed" - Joe Strummer - opening credits/theme song
2. "Sun/Rise/Light/Flies" - Kasabian - closing credits episode 101
3. "Tic" - Kava Kava - surfers get ready for competition, episode 102
4. "Staring at the Sun" - TV On The Radio - Shaun opens his eyes, closing credits, episode 102
5. "Time To Say Goodbye" - Sarah Brightman - Freddy listens and talks to himself in the car outside the hospital, episode 103
6. "You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone - , episode 103
7. "Boogie Chillen" - Buddy Guy and Junior Wells - John bones Kai / Kai sees God, episode 103
8. "Feeling Good" - Muse - Shaun rides his skateboard as people look on in disbelief, episode 103

More: HBO, in their infinite wisdom, has included a "inside the episode" section, giving the viewer more insight into each episode. It's very illuminating and you'll find yourself wanting to rewatch an episode as a result. Bonus: Here's Milch discussing discussing the show in a recent interview.

tags: playlist, john from cincinnati, television, hbo, soundtrack, tvotr, joe strummer, muse, buddy guy, twin peaks, debby boone, sarah brightman, andrea bocelli, deadwood, sopranos, rhapsody