Slumdog Millionaire: Mumbai Underdog

The film Slumdog Millionaire is a frenetic portrait of Mumbai, a gritty fairytale of beating the odds and standing firm in the face of adversity, and propelling it forward is the pulsating score by A.R. Rahman. In the wake of the recent tragic event in Mumbai, the film -- and even it's soundtrack -- becomes even more visceral than it's already ebullient depiction of the Indian city.

To be honest, I had just started to write something about the soundtrack last week when the news of the terrorist attack happened, and I couldn't help wondering if this tragedy would now be linked to the film, for good and for bad. Hearing M.I.A. singing "Some some some I some I murder, some I some I let go" in the song "Paper Airplanes" while watching the news unfold can steer one's thoughts in the oddest of directions. That song of course has made her a star, and one of the drawbacks of that higher profile is it has made her a target. M.I.A. this summer had to release a statement disclaiming accusations that she supports terrorism, a rumored link she's repeatedly had to dispel thanks to both her estranged father's participation in the Sri Lankan terrorist outfit LTTE and her arguable glamorization of their cause. Of course, M.I.A. is no terrorist, she just has a natural fascination with the cause, having grown up with it. (Critic Robert Christgau wrote a great piece on this struggle nearly four years ago, and it holds up especially well.)

"Paper Airplanes," of course, got it's second life this past summer thanks to being featured in the trailer for Pineapple Express, but it should be pointed out that Slumdog had it first, and that once you see the song used in the film, it will cease to be "that song from that stoner comedy trailer." Director Danny Boyle always had that song in mind for the film, but for the score, he had his sights set on White Stripe's Jack Black. Thankfully, the prospect of Black taking a year off to write music in India was a bit of a pipedream, as then Boyle settled on the "Mozart of Madras," Bollywood legend A.R. Rahman.

For those not familiar with Bollywood, A.R. Rahman is like Michael Jackson and John Williams all rolled into one -- king of both pop and score. At only 42, Rahman is the 8th best-selling music artist of all-time, and with a long career still ahead of him he will undoubtably work his way further up the list. Boyle let Rahman loose, asking for something of a pulsating rhythm, and that he resist sentiment. As Boyle has been retelling at post-screening Q&A's across the country, "I told him, 'Never put a cello in my film!'" implying his need to keep the film clear of too much melodrama. (This, along with a sort of nostalgic look at growing up in a favela, is what makes the film a bit more like it's Brazilian doppelgänger, City of God.)

The result is an intoxicating mix of old and new India, juxtaposing classic Indian instrumentation with big beats and hip-hop synth sounds (hear "Mausam & Escape"). Early in the film, it's his collaboration with M.I.A., "O Saya," that truly sucks you in, sweeping you into the gritty favelas of Mumbai. Rahman also mixes in some popular Bollywood cues, giving the fans of the genre some of extra thrills. The song "Ringa Ringa" which plays as Latika dances is actually a reworking of the popular Bollywood song "Choli ke peeche" from the film Khalnayak (1993). Rahman even utilized the same voice talent, Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun, that sang in the original chart-topping version. Meanwhile, for a gangster-related scene Rahman borrows the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy song "Aaj Ki Raat" from the recent Bollywood gangster film, Don: The Chase Begins Again (see video of original use).

The final song in the film (and in the soundtrack) is "Jai Ho," which, along with the cast dancing, has the distinction of keeping the audience in their seats through the credits. It's an explosion of joy that the film and audience feel like they've earned, witnessing all that Jamal has triumphed over. Whether or not the film is married to tragedy remains to be seen (it's still playing on less than 50 screens,) but the ending goes a long way to distancing itself in spirit from the evil the city just endured.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist: Does your chewing gum lose it's flavor?

Perhaps I'm stating the obvious, but the best soundtracks always take on the character of the movie they accompany -- and vice versa -- and that's certainly the case with Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The film, which follows the bridge-and-tunnel protagonists Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) on a night of hijinks through the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan, is packed full of blink-and-you-miss-it hipster cameos from current faves Andy Samberg, Seth Myers, John Cho and Kevin Corrigan. Likewise, the soundtrack is so chock-full of NOW indie rock, that it can make you feel like you're really trapped in the back seat of Nick's claustrophobic yellow Yugo. (A magical Yugo, it seems, as it's somehow always able to easily find street parking in Manhattan.)

Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, The National and Band of Horses are all on board, but in fact, they're impact in the film is felt even less than the five seconds of Andy Samberg's homeless beastiality turn. The song selections aren't all as wasted, though. In fact both the film and soundtrack start off beautifully, pairing the heartbreak of Chris Bell ("Speed of Sound") with the equally devastated Nick. Leaving the pathetic phone message with Bell on in the background (on vinyl, no less) tells us more about Nick in the first few minutes than the rest of the film will

There are more touching moments like this, where the music pairing is thoughtful and not concerned with being hip. A little past halfway through the film, there's a montage that features Richard Hawley's enchanting "Baby You're My Light," and then a little later, the Paul Tiernan ballad "How to Say Goodbye" provides ample goosebumps in a scene between our love birds. All these songs seem more in the spirit of what the book, that the film was adapted from, was aiming for. Co-writer Rachel Cohn recently provided a list of all the music mentioned in the novel, which, in many respects, would've made for a better film, perhaps on par with High Fidelity. Telling that the only artist that made it into this adaptation (Dusty Springfield, albeit with a different song, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me,") wasn't included on the soundtrack. To that end, here's a playlist of all the music I noticed in the film, including those songs that didn't make the soundtrack:

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Tracklisting

The original Nick and Nora (Charles, The Thin Man) were detectives solving a mystery, and that's sort of the case here as well, as our protagonists look for clues to hunt down the location of a secret show by their favorite band, the fictional Where's Fluffy. First they find each other, starting the night at a Bishop Allen show, whose opening act is Nick's queercore band We're the Jerk-Offs (the other 2/3 of Nick's band are gay, 3/4 if you count the drum machine, which is so gay). One of the clues they find leads to a bait-and-switch show, featuring the infectious Brooklyn laptop duo Project Jenny, Project Jan as the disappointing Are You Randy? For some reason, their song "Negative" empties the building like a bomb threat. Another search requiring gumshoe is finding the alcoholic Caroline (played by the scene stealing Ari Gaynor,) who has run off after overhearing something about "going balls deep." It's the stoner metal act Scissorfight that provides the phrase with their disturbing song "Balls Deep," and make for one of the more interesting music choices of the film, especially given their name's reference to tribadism. I guess it's just as well, considering there's a gay Lothario involved as well.

Devendra Banhart makes a cameo as well, but his is even more puzzling to me. "This is my song," says Norah at one point, perking up when the Banhart's "Lover" plays in a club (the song's second appearance in the film). Later, though, in an awkward cameo Banhart speaks to her, and she doesn't seem to have any clue (or care) who he is. Maybe it's just that Banhart isn't playing himself, but he certainly dressed the part -- no wardrobe staff required here.

It was towards the end of the film, probably as Nick steered his yellow Yugo into another mythical NYC parking spot, that I found myself flashing back to Martin Scorsese's under-appreciated work After Hours (1985,) which similarly follows it's hapless protagonist Paul (Griffin Dunne) all night through the streets of New York, peppered with a great collection of hilarious cameos. Instead of that film's lost $20 bill loosely tying the film together, though, here we're subjected to Caroline's gum. After awhile, like the film and soundtrack, even puke-laden gum inevitably loses it's bite. In the end, both the film and soundtrack prove to be color-by-number offerings, sprinkled with just enough interesting moments to keep you caring to the end.

More: Heck, I'm a bit more partial to the playlists that actors Michael Cera and Kat Dennings put together for iTunes (Cera, for the record, doesn't own an iPod).
Michael Cera's Playlist
Kat Denning's Playlist

Celebrate Sub Pop's Anniversary on the small screen

Twenty years ago in Seattle, the flannel was plentiful and the music was loud, and at the center of it all was the record label Sub Pop. This weekend, the label celebrates its 20th anniversary and so the story of the Seattle music scene is being retold all over again in the media. Probably the best and surprisingly accurate description of what happened is the Doug Pray documentary Hype!, which was five years in the making.

Hype! is told from the perspective of the people swept up in the middle of the grunge scene, with Sub Pop at the epicenter of both the scene and the film's voice. Not only are there amazing live performances captured, but the film is pretty hilarious, poking many holes in the mythology of the so-called genre. Sub Pop employee Megan Jasper famously sold The New York Times on bogus grunge slang, making up phrases like 'swingin' on the flippity-flop' (hanging out) and harsh realm (a bummer) which the Times printed verbatim ("Grunge: A Success Story," November 15, 1992). Between that and seeing models on the runway wearing flannel at Fashion Week it was inevitable that the anti-market scene was being over-marketed and would phase out soon enough (and in its wake, a chorus of "good riddance"). The film also features footage of the first time Nirvana played "Smells Like Teen Spirit," which has a special place in my heart -- because I was there!

Another great film that indirectly documents Sub Pop's historical rise is the Sonic Youth concert film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. The NY band was one of the first to appear on a Sub Pop imprint (the compilation Sub Pop 100), and befriended several bands on the label, including Nirvana, who they took under their wing on tour in Europe just prior to their (and, in turn, Sub Pop's) breakthrough. Full of great concert footage and oddball humor (see Kurt Cobain mock Kevin Costner from Madonna's Truth or Dare concert film) it captures a moment in time before everything would change, for good and for bad.

Other DVD's that share a part of Sub Pop's history:
Acquired Taste - A collection of videos from more recent Sub Pop artists including The Shins, Iron & Wine, The Postal Service, Sleater-Kinney and Hot Hot Heat
The Murder City Devils: Rock & Roll Won't Wait - An all access, warts and all look at the once popular Seattle punk rock act. Full of drinking, punching, bleeding and of course rocking.
Mudhoney: Live at El Sol - Recent (2007) performance of the legendary Seattle rockers, which beautifully captures singer Mark Arm's lovably ornery humor.
David Cross: Let America Laugh - At the turn of the century, Sub Pop started branching out into comedy, starting with funnyman David Cross, who's albums on the label are a throwback to George Carlin's classics from the 1970's.
Garden State - The Zach Braff curated soundtrack promised to change your life, but it mostly changed Sub Pop's. It was nearly Nevermind: The Sequel as The Shins became huge, and allowed the label to expand it's stable of artists once again.
Flight of the Conchords: Season 1 - Considering they were doing both music and comedy, the label is the perfect fit for this comedic duo to release their music. The series is already a cult hit, and the music's not bad either.

Metropolis rediscovered, Moroder remembered

Cinephiles everywhere are rejoicing over the discovery this week of a near complete version of Fritz Lang's masterpiece, Metropolis, featuring footage that was long thought to be lost. When Lang originally screened it in his native Germany, it flopped, and so it was edited several times, with US distributor Paramount paring it down at least 30 minutes in an effort to simplify it. One of Lang's earlier edits ended up getting purchased to be shown in Argentina in 1928, and that's the version that was found, just sitting in Buenos Aires' Museo del Cine's archives. It's only missing one key scene that is can easily be culled from a cut already in existence.

It's huge news when you think that there's no one alive today who's seen the full version before, and considering it's long lasting impact on cinema, even some 80 years later, you have to consider it the biggest film discovery of all time. The film was way ahead of it's time, with many of the scenes cut thought to be too brutal at the time, so now it has a chance to be reborn with a fresh set of eyes.

The news of course had me instantly thinking of a previous rebirth the film got back in 1984, when a lot of us were introduced to Lang's labyrinth through the work of disco producer Giorgio Moroder ("Love to Love You") who edited together a version that tried to restore the original's storyline (the US edited version changed the text greatly) while updating it with flashes of color and his own soundtrack. The soundtrack featured artists from the era like Queen's Freddie Mercury, Loverboy, Billy Squier, Pat Benatar and Bonnie Tyler. Yes, it's as frightening as it sounds and the songs don't age particularly well, but Moroder's Vangelis-like instrumental work actually worked well with Lang's vision (just listen to "The Legend Of Babel"). Film purists everywhere sh*t their pants at what he did, but it introduced the work to a lot of young minds, and inspired more musical interpretations following. Now known as the 'Moroder version,' it's been blocked by purists from getting the DVD treatment, even though it has a pretty good cult following, the kind that the DVD industry can easily make some green off of.

So I put it to the Friedrich-Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, who has the rights to Metropolis, along with any distributor tied to the eventual DVD release, to at least think about adding Moroder's version to any big box set release that might come out of this. I know a lot of folks want to forget it even happened, but we should consider it the 1980's Yang to the original's Yin. Here's a 1984 preview trailer for Moroder's version that captures a bit of the kitsch to which I refer:

Iraq and Roll Refugee: Heavy Metal in Baghdad on DVD

While it's true that most rock bands face all kinds of obstacles (venues that don't pay, bad management, the rising cost of hair product,) how many can say that their practice space was destroyed by a scud missile? Acrassicauda, Iraq's only heavy metal band can sadly make that claim, along with plenty of other grievances associated with their new democracy, which has forced them and millions others out of their homeland and into an uncertain future as refugees.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad, by Vice's Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti, started out as the story of a heavy metal band, but in the end is truly about the human cost of the war, and the growing and much ignored Iraqi refugee crisis. By lookng at the war through the eyes of these four very Westernized musicians (they learned their English watching American movies and listening to Metallica, dude) the film is able to resonate in a different way than the slew of other documentaries concerning the war.

You got the troops and you got the terrorists outside, and we are stuck in the middle... That's the democracy that we got now... so I'm like, f*ck this democracy.
- Marwan, drummer

They took Ali Baba and left the forty thieves.
- Firas, bass player

We're given only a brief look at how life was under Saddam, which was marked by the annoyance of having to sing a song for the regime. But at least Acrassicauda (latin for 'black widow,' ) could play gigs, unlike after the fall, where there's no electricity, a curfew of 7PM... and oh yeah... the likelihood of getting shot by insurgents. Vice pulls some strings to set up a gig for them in 2005 at hotel in the green zone, which turns out to be the last time they play in their homeland (and the last action that hotel sees as it's blown up by a car bomb some months later). But through it all, the band somehow manages to hold on to their dream.

"If you really want to know what is the attraction, look around... we are living in a heavy metal world.
- Faisal, lead singer/rhythm guitarist

By the next year, the landscape is like an album cover from one of their favorite bands (Iron Maiden's Death on the Road,) and their practice space is in buried in rubble. Alvi and Moretti, treat us to a game of chicken with their dangerous surroundings. Even then, you can't go anywhere without plenty of guns, bullet-proof vests and a large security detail (which at the time runs you about $1500 a day). With all the rampant violence, the band soon follows millions of others and finds their way to Syria, to join a growing refugee crisis. Here, even if they're not allowed to work and are treated as unwanted guests by their hosts, they at least are able to book a show. All they have is each other, and often that is not enough. The frustration boils over in the final scene, as Marwan has an angry message for those watching, and sitting on their hands, and it stings like a punch in the gut from a new friend.

Just to rub some salt in our guilt-ridden wounds, an epilogue tells us the band later had to sell their instruments to pay the rent. It's a downer of an ending, but their story obviously doesn't end there. The film's website made it possible to help the band out with money, and as a result, the band was able to make it to a slightly better situation in Turkey, as documented in the DVD release's bonus feature, Heavy Metal in Istanbul, a 45-minute update that takes us all the way to January 2008. It's both a continuation of the band's story, as well as a deeper look at the continued refugee crisis at hand.

Also included in the DVD release are plenty of additional and deleted scenes along with some videos of the band performing live.

Now Downloading: New Releases 05.27.08

The day after a national holiday is never kind to new releases, so I'm going to keep it short and keep it in my wheelhouse, with the soundtrack to Son of Rambow. Straight up admission: I'm killing two birds with this one stone, hitting both the new release slot and a submission for Film.com. Elsewhere, Aimee Mann's latest is in Rhapsody a week early... first impressions after the big doubly dead bird.

Playlist: New Releases 05.27.08

---

Album: Son of Rambow (Music From the Motion Picture)

If the film Son of Rambow is a love letter to one's childhood (see review), then the soundtrack is the mixtape lying next to it in Garth Jennings' beautiful brown manila envelope. The quirky miniaturized world that Jennings (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Hammer & Tongs) creates here has garnered comparisons to Wes Anderson's Rushmore, so it's no surprise that the soundtrack is a key to the film. Use of "Egyptian Reggae" from Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers is just the sort of musical choice that you'd expect from a Wes Anderson project, as is the more obscure (on our shores, anyway) version of "Our Lips Are Sealed" by Fun Boy Three, the splintered offshoot of The Specials (lead singer Terry Hall co-wrote the song with Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's).

But the similarities in soundtrack styles ends there, as with Jennings, the music isn't afraid to go big. Take for instance the choice of Duran Duran's bombastic "Wild Boys" or even the frenetic "Peek-A-Boo" from Siouxsie and the Banshees. Anderson (and music supervisor Randall Post) would never choose music that so blatantly screamed a specific decade, like with The Cure's "Close to Me" and Blondie's "Rapture." Because the music choices dance around the time period (1982) it's almost as if the music merely represents a dream of the time, mishmashing songs from 1988 with Gary Numan's "Cars," which peaked a full eight years prior.

The soundtrack is split into two halves, the first featuring the aforementioned "I Love the 80's" mix, and the second half with Joby Talbot's whimsical score. Listening to the score by itself, I like it a lot better than I did originally hearing it in the film, as it often jumped in front of the film, trying to lead instead of accompany the film's gentle humor. But here, coupled with the chosen songs, it serves as a fun reminder of the innocent fun of Rambow.

---

Album: Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers

Gone are the darker tones of the past two releases (Lost in Space, The Forgotten Arm) as well as electric guitar (not a one to be found!). Instead we find a more optimistic sounding Aimee, writing some of her brightest pop songs since Bachelor No. 2, the last time she flew at all above the radar. "Freeway" just might vault her back into the limelight she briefly (humbly) basked in following her contribution to Magnolia. It won't be mistaken for anyone but Aimee, but with all the keyboards and not an electric guitar anywhere, it might take some getting used to.

---

More on the radar this week:
Spiritualized - Songs in A&E / Free album stream from AOL
Health - Disco / Free album stream from AOL / “Triceratops” (CFCF Remix) [mp3]
John Hiatt - Same Old Man
Julie Ocean - Long Gone and Nearly There / Free album stream / "Number 1 Song" [mp3]
Al Green - Lay It Down / "Abandon" [mp3]
I Love Math - Getting To The Point Is Beside It / "Josephine Street" [mp3]
Jenny Scheinman - Jenny Scheinman / "Seasick" [mp3]
Booka Shade - The Sun & The Neon Light / "The Sun and the Neon Light" [mp3]
James Pants - Welcome / Free album stream from AOL / "We're Through" [mp3]
Walter Meego - Voyager
Steinski - What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospectivet / Free album stream from AOL
Reissue
Mogwai - Young Team

tags: music, album review, son of rambow, aimee mann, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

John Williams and the Crystal Skull Persuasion

I'll freely admit that even to this day, it only takes a few bars of John Williams' iconic "Raiders March" to make me want to eat PB&J sandwiches and put playing cards in my bicycle spokes. As such, it's hard for me to judge my appreciation for John Williams latest Jones score beyond the draw of nostalgia, which, appropriately enough, is practically the only attraction to the the film it accompanies.

Album: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (score)

Like the film, the soundtrack serves as a sort of reunion of old friends from the past. Besides the ever present "March," Williams also briefly revisits "Marion's Theme" from the original Indiana Jones film, in coordination with Karen Allen's welcome return to the role of Jones' female foil (featured in the middle of "Finale"). Similarly, Williams also weaves in "The Map Room" into the song "The Spell of the Skull," taking the haunting original into an other-worldly realm.

Speaking of other-worldly, the song "Call of the Crystal" is the new song that I remembered the most from the film, and it's haunting melody instantly had me thinking of several things that it reminded me of. From Williams own back catalogue, it brings to mind both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and "The Fortress of Solitude" from Superman, which makes sense, and all these instances deal with the dissonant juxtaposition of real and 'other-worldly.' Of course in my search, it didn't stop there, instead leading me to the under-appreciated work of Alexander Courage, who's score for "The Cage" episode of Star Trek feels so present here (hear "Vena's Punishment" or "End Title"). Williams cut his teeth as a 12-year old piano player in Courage's orchestra back in '57 with Funny Face and they worked together on projects all the way through Jurassic Park. Williams was even called upon to host this fascinating tribute to Courage (that you have to see,) so familiarity of Courage's work is undeniable.

Besides all the great orchestrated mashup going on, we're also treated to some of the cultural sounds of the locales, with the latin of "The Journey To Akotar," and even some Russian folk for our antagonists, with music from the band Balalaika Ensemble Wolga (note: BEW's songs don't appear in the released soundtrack).

Whether it's mostly nostalgia or just my nerdy recollection, the music of this soundtrack work's some magic on this fan's ears.

Was part of the Indiana Jones Blog-a-thon at Cerebral Mastication

Top Soundtracks of 2007

Who says they don't make soundtracks like they used to? Since anyone with a Rhapsody account or an iPod can make playlist, our lives have been flooded with soundtracks: music for a commute, songs for a deadline, my sweet, sweet lovemaking mix -- you get the idea. As a result, since the '90s boom, sales for soundtracks to movies have fallen, even more than the record industry's current downward trend in general. Thankfully, soundtracks have moved into more of a niche market -- yes, even High School Musical is niche -- making for a better product. So while there may never be another Saturday Night Fever (or -- gulp -- The Bodyguard) album storming the charts, great soundtracks continue to get produced, and 2007 had plenty to back up this claim.

10. American Gangster
No, not the Jay-Z album (inspired by the film,) although that one wasn't too bad either. No, this is music from the film, including original tracks from Public Enemy's Hank Shocklee, who also produced the Anthony Hamilton track "Do You Feel Me" (penned by soundtrack legend Dianne Warren). Mixing Public Enemy with classics from John Lee Hooker, Bobby Womack and the like made the film tantalizingly stray from being a 'period piece.'

9. Control (Rssmbld Sndtrck Playlist)
A film about Joy Division's Ian Curtis, is almost guaranteed to have a great soundtrack. Not only does it have Joy Division and new songs from New Order at director Anton Corbijn's disposal, but there's also Curtis' influences Bowie, Iggy, and Roxy Music. Even the unfortunate choice of having The Killers cover Joy Division wasn't enough to derail this great soundtrack and film.

8. Margot at the Wedding (Rssmbld Sndtrack Playlist)
While not as much a revelation as Noah Baumbach's previous film soundtrack (Squid and the Whale,) Margot still serves as a nice bit of nostalgia. At it's heart is a late 70's AM soft rock sound, with Steven Forbert, Fleetwood Mac, Stephen Bishop and even the softer side of Alice Cooper ("You and Me.") Songs from Blondie, X and The dB's keep it from being just an 8-Track compilation, but ultimately it's the tragic Karen Dalton's powerful "Something On Your Mind" that has this in my top 10.

7. Songs from The Big Top
This film hasn't even got a release date yet (sometime in 2008,) but the stellar soundtrack has gotten an early digital release due to it's incredible buzz. Writer/Director Devon Reed wrote all the songs and then decided to approach artists like Matthew Sweet, Lisa Germano, Howie Gelb and Built to Spill's Doug Martsch about recording them for inclusion in the film. Highlight is "Your Song" by The Clientele, but really, there's not a bad one in the bunch.

6. The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson's quirky tale of three brothers traveling through India relies heavily on Sayjit Ray's beatiful score work from his and Merchan-Ivory produced films, succinctly setting the mood. But it's Peter Sarstedt's "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" that's the real find here, appearing in the prequel short Hotel Chevalier (yes, the one with Natalie Portman's nude backside).

5. I'm Not There
The film may have six people playing -- but not named -- Bob Dylan, the soundtrack collects no less than 26 different artists covering 34 different Bob Dylan songs. Sonic Youth, Willie Nelson, Stephen Malkmus, Yo La Tengo, Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power, The Hold Steady, Tom Verlaine (Television) and the soundtrack super duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova head up the list of stars lined up to step in Bob's shoes. Director Todd Haynes, with music supervisor Randall Poster, have work their magic again (previously teamed up on Velvet Goldmine).

4. Death Proof
It's nearly a given that a Quentin Tarrantino soundtrack is going to be at or near the top of the list, and this one is no exception. The homaganist references his favorite grindhouse (and similar fringe genres) by co-opting music from previous soundtracks. If they all weren't so delicious, it would be a crime. Worth the price of admission alone for Smith's "Baby It's You" and "Chick Habit" from April March.
See: The Music of Grindhouse

3. There Will Be Blood
Both director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) and composer Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) are working out far out of their popular idioms with TWBB, and they pull off what just might their finest work, respectively. TWBB itself is an epic saga of oil in the old west, complete with Kubrick-style terror, and it contains very little dialogue -- especially for a PTA film. As such Greenwood's unsettling score is pushed to the forefront, and pushes the film to dizzying heights and frightening lows. It's a score that should even give Scott Walker goosebumps.

2. Juno
An underdog movie featuring an underdog soundtrack, revolving around the music of Kimya Dawson (The Moldy Peaches). Screenwriter Diablo Cody's singular voice is echoed throughout the characters, and likewise, all the songs seem to come from the same smart-yet-innocent voice that Kimya Dawson does so well. Even though most of the contributions from artists such as Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power, The Kinks and The Velvet Underground predate Dawson's work, they still sound as if they could be covering her. Even Sonic Youth (covering The Carpenters) reflect this singular voice. Like the movie itself, the soundtrack can start to feel like it's just one note, but that note is so... like... cool, you know?
See: The Music of Juno: So Nice, So Smart

1. Once
Hard to beat a film this good, especially when the film's stars -- Glen Hansard (The Frames) and Marketa Irglova -- are also the musical artists. The film's just 85 minutes, with very little plot or dialogue, and we never even find out the main characters' names. The characters communicate, in a realistic manner, through songs, and the music speaks magnitudes of what's going on. It's the best way these struggling musicians know how to say what they're feeling, and it's hard not to fall head over heels into their enchanting language. The realism struck Hansard and Irglova as well, as during the filming and shortly after, the two found themselves falling in love, despite their nearly twenty year difference in age. It's truly hard not to fall for this film.
See: Hansard and Irglova on Talk Shows This Week (July 30, 2007)

Also worth mentioning:
Strange Weirdos: Music from and Inspired by the Film 'Knocked Up' - Loudon Wainwright - Good album that had less to do with the film than even the title suggests
Hot Fuzz - Broken down here
Superbad (Rssmbld Playlist) - Great funk collection, and of course Van Halen's "Panama."
Good Luck Chuck - great lineup (Art Brut, Shout Out Louds, Flaming Lips) but terrible movie

So Nice, So Smart

With all it's critical buzz and an opening weekend per screen average that was through the roof, Juno is already this year's little movie that could -- ala Little Miss Sunshine. One of the reasons that it's such an easy movie to root for is the underdog soundtrack that backs it, revolving around the music of Kimya Dawson, and we have actress Ellen Page to thank for that connection:

(Director) Jason Reitman and I were meeting...and he simply said, "Well, what do you think Juno would listen to?" ...I hopped on his computer and I played the Moldy Peaches for him. The next thing I knew he'd fallen in love.... and was in contact with Kimya Dawson, who is the female in the band, and he added the song ("Anyone Else But You") at the end of the film, which is a Moldy Peaches song. That song's been in my life for years, actually; there's a lot of sentimental value there. And the next thing we know Kimya Dawson is doing the music for the film. It was really incredible how that all worked out because it just feels perfect.
--Ellen Page, interview Pitchfork, 11-21-07

Dawson's quick and clever delivery in her songs are the perfect match for the Juno character, as the songs also evoke a strong feeling of innocence. While screenwriter Diablo Cody has such a strong presence in the film that the characters around Juno start to sound like her, the same could be said of Kimya Dawson and the rest of the music in the movie. As a result, we get "All I Want is You" by children's singer/songwriter Barry Louis Polisar, The Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking with You," a Cat Power cover of "Sea of Love" and even Buddy Holly's "Dearest" -- all sounding like extensions of Dawson's music in the context of their surroundings.

Even Sonic Youth gets pulled into this precious sphere with their smart Carpenters cover of "Superstar," taken from the tribute album If I Were A Carpenter. Mark (Jason Bateman,) the prospective adoptive father, tries to use this song to connect with Juno -- the point where he turns from cool to slightly creepy. It's an interesting parallel having Mark identified with Sonic Youth, and Juno with The Moldy Peaches, as both bands were leaders of NY art-based reactionary movements some 20 years apart -- No Wave and Anti-Folk respectfully.

Besides the artists already mentioned there's The Kinks, Belle & Sebastian and Mott the Hoople to please the ears, but it's what's missing that is surprising. Juno, when asked to name her favorite band, says "a three-way tie between The Stooges, Patti Smith and The Runaways" and none of these appear in the soundtrack -- they're instead accompanied by a flash of black & white photos. It's just as well, because it's a construct of her character that seems too fantastical to believe, even buried under the spitfire of Cody's witty dialogue.

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Juno
1. "Tire Swing" - Kimya Dawson
2. "My Rollercoaster (Juno Film Version)" - Kimya Dawson
3. "Once I Loved" - Astrud Gilberto
4. "All I Want Is You" - Barry Louis Polisar
5. "So Nice So Smart" - Kimya Dawson
6. "Besame Mucho" - Trio Los Panchos
7. "I Like Giants" - Kimya Dawson [mp3 - kimyadawson.com]
8. "A Well Respected Man" - The Kinks
9. "Doll Parts" - Hole
10. "I'm Sticking With You" - The Velvet Underground
11. "Dearest" - Buddy Holly
12. "Reminders Of Then" - Kimya Dawson
13. "Why Bother" - The Drop
14. "Sleep (Instrumental)" - Kimya Dawson
15. "Superstar" - Sonic Youth
16. "Up The Spout" - Mateo Messina
17. "12/26" - Kimya Dawson [mp3 - kimyadawson.com]
18. "Piazza, New York Catcher" - Belle and Sebastian
19. "Tree Hugger" - Kimya Dawson
20. "Expectations" - Belle and Sebastian
21. "Loose Lips" - Kimya Dawson [mp3 - kimyadawson.com]
22. "All The Young Dudes" - Mott the Hoople
23. "Anyone Else But You" - The Moldy Peaches [mp3]
24. "Sea Of Love" - Cat Power
25. "Vampire" - Antsy Pants
26. "Anyone Else But You" - Ellen Page, Michael Cera

More: Topless at The Mall - Juno and Iggy Pop

Soundtracking Anderson: The Royal Tenenbaums

If Rushmore bent time and space with music from the British Invasion, Wes Anderson's third film pushes the method to the extreme of near timelessness using music, costume and prop design to create a sort of cartoon version of Manhattan. For The Royal Tenenbaums, Anderson moved on to baroque rock from the early seventies, helping to create a feeling of melancholy throughout the film, and cementing the label of 'melancomic' to Anderson's work (like it's meaning, this made-up label is both tragic and a bit humorous).

The first song that Anderson had in his head before sitting down to write was a Jackson Browne cover of "These Days" by Warhol Superstar Nico and he wrote his first scene with that in mind: Margo (Gwyneth Paltrow) getting off the Green Line Bus in slow motion (video). Nico's sad and beautiful voice helps color in Margo as much as the raccoon eyeliner that they share.

The opening montage that introduces the characters (expertly voiced by Alec Baldwin) is done to the tune of "Hey Jude" (see video,) which was recorded at the last minute by score scribe Mark Mothersbaugh and his offshoot Mutato Muzika Orchestra. Anderson originally meant to have The Beatles original version open the film (and close it with "I'm Looking Through You,") but circumstances forced their hand to record another version (EW, 12/04). Elliott Smith was approached initially, but he wasn't in any shape to do so at the time, as he was already on a downward spiral that would eventually end with him taking his own life just two years later. Eerily, the song he did provide, "Needle in the Hay," was used prophetically as the backdrop for Richie's attempted suicide (video). That co-writer Owen Wilson had a hand in writing the scene makes it doubly eerie. Continuing on the musical suicide tour of RT, when Richie (Luke Wilson) gets out of the hospital and takes the bus home, it's to Nick Drake's "Fly". Drake's upbeat song is meant to signify a sort of rebirth, but it's hard to ignore the fact that this singer took his own life as well.

This scene is then followed by back-to-back tracks from The Rolling Stones, backing the drama between Richie and Margo. They confess their love to one another to "She Smiled Sweetly," and then Margo says it has to be a secret love and leaves as "Ruby Tuesday" raises in volume on the "goodbye" chorus. This, and a few other RT scenes, I believe mark the first time Anderson uses diegetic music of any significance. The songs play on a turntable, and exist in the characters' world, whereas nearly all the music in his prior work was non-diegetic in nature. This diegetic use of music is much harder to do (see the The Sopranos,) and shows Anderson's growth working with Randall Poster on these films (and on his next film, he would take it to another extreme). Another use of this is The Clash's "Rock the Casbah," playing on a stereo for an Eli (Owen Wilson) drug deal (video). The Clash appeared earlier with Eli as well, as when he buys some drugs while out with Margo you hear "Police and Thieves." Anderson seems to associate punk rock with illicit behavior, as he also uses The Ramones' "Judy is a Punk" as a backdrop to the montage of Margo's secret past. Contrasted with the baroque sounds of the rest of the soundtrack, it's meant to be a little jarring.

If Eli Cash is The Clash (why am I just now noticing Cash=Clash?) then I guess Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) is Bob Dylan. Dylan's "Wigwam" sets the mood for when he meets his grandkids for the first time ("no we didn't" - see video,) and Dylan's theme score Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid helps escort Royal out the door after his ruse has been discovered. And I haven't even brought up the scene of joyful rebellion where Royal and his grandkids raise some hell to Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" (video). There's really no scene that isn't carefully scored, so that each moment is somehow more precious then the next, which initially is the best thing about the film. But together, much like this post I'm writing, it all feels a bit claustrophobic, and that really is the major flaw in this otherwise beautiful, sad, funny film.

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - The Royal Tenenbaums
1. "Hey Jude" - The Mutato Muzika Orchestra (video)
2. "String Quartet In F Major (2nd Movement) (Ravel)" - Ysaye Quartet
3. "Sonata For Cello and Piano In F Minor (Enescu)" - The Mutato Muzika Orchestra
4. "Look At Me" - John Lennon - Chas gets his children ready for bed on his first night back home
5. "Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)" - Vince Guaraldi - Margot is leaving home / Royal tries to reconcile with Margot in the ice cream shop
6. "These Days" - Nico - Richie is picked up by Margot, by way of the green line bus (video)
7. "Police & Thieves" - The Clash - Eli and Margot visit a drug dealer and discuss Richie
8. "Wigwam" - Bob Dylan - Ethyl and Henry discuss their relationship / Royal meets his grandsons (video)
9. "Gymnopedie No. 1" - Erik Satie
10. "Lullabye" - Emitt Rhodes - Chas confronts Richie in his tent (video)
11. "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" - Paul Simon - Royal takes his grandsons out to raise hell (video)
12. "Main Title Theme (Billy)" - Bob Dylan - Royal leaves the house
13. "Judy Is A Punk" - The Ramones - The Margot private investigator montage
14. "Needle In The Hay" - Elliott Smith - Richie attempts to commit suicide (video)
15. "Fly" - Nick Drake - Richie escapes from the hospital, sneaks back into house (video)
16. "She Smiled Sweetly" - The Rolling Stones - Margot and Richie talk in the tent (video)
17. "Ruby Tuesday" - The Rolling Stones - Margo leaves
18. "Stephanie Says" - The Velvet Underground - Richie is visited by Mordecai* on the roof of the hotel
19. "Rock The Casbah" - The Clash - Royal and Richie try to get Eli some help (video)
20. "Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)" - Vince Guaraldi
21. "The Fairest Of The Seasons" - Nico - prologue, announcement of Royal's death
22. "Everyone" - Van Morrison - Royal funeral, credits
Score by Mark Mothersbaugh

More: Aside from Mothersbaugh and his score, the other artist who ties the musical theme together goes mostly uncredited, and that's John Cale. He played in Velvet Underground ("Stephanie Says") and played on both Nico tracks as well as "Fly" by Nick Drake.

*The original hawk used to play Mordecai was captured during shooting and held for ransom - production could not wait for him to be returned which is the reason that the bird that appears later in the movie has “more white feathers” - it’s a different bird

Previously: Bottle Rocket, Rushmore

tags: music, film, soundtrack, wes anderson, mark mothersbaugh, rolling stones, the clash, royal tenenbaums, elliott smith, nico, playlist

Soundtracking Anderson: Rushmore

One of the big misconceptions in use of soundtrack in film, is that the music should be a cue as to the time period the film takes place. If anything, Wes Anderson (like Scorsese, Tarrantino, et al.) uses music from a certain era to instead transcend time, or bridge today with what reminds of of a more innocent time (even though, it's often less so.) Anderson's first film, Bottle Rocket, did this to some extent, but it was his second film Rushmore, where he found the perfect context to break down time and space.

While writing the screenplay, Anderson was researching and listening to British Invasion music, and even briefly toyed with the idea of an all Kinks soundtrack. Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is like a misfit school boy character from a Ray Davies or Pete Townshend song, transported across the Atlantic and three decades of time, and in Anderson's hands, it's nearly impossible to separate the music from the character. In many cases, he had a song in mind for a scene before he even fully conceived it*. So Anderson had British Invasion songs in mindgreat from The Kinks and The Who, along the more obscure The Creation. Their song "Making Time" backs one of the greatest opening montages of a movie (showing Max' extracurricular activities at Rushmore,) and nearly works by itself as a music video (and contains a reference to photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue's famous Zissou's bobsled photo, with the still of Max in a go-cart for the Yankee Racers club.)
The next praiseworthy music scene comes to the backing of "Nothing In This World Can Stop Me From Worryin' Bout That Girl" from the Kinks, when we're introduced to the anguish of Herman (Bill Murray,) and he cannonballs into the pool. The ending shot of him underwater is reference to The Graduate, and underscoring that is the remarkable similarity between The Kinks' song and the opening lick to Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" (they share the same rhythmic first five notes on an acoustic guitar).

The musical highlight, though, might just have to be the revenge sequence, utilizing the final section "You Are Forgiven," from The Who's 9-minute mini-opera "A Quick One While He's Away" (see video). Interestingly enough Anderson/Post actually use a live version of the song in the film, from the live album Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus, but since that's on the Rolling Stones' stingy ABKO label, they instead use a version from Live at Leeds on the released soundtrack. Speaking of the Stones, there's always a song from them, and for Rushmore it's "I Am Waiting," another song which Anderson had picked before even coming up with the scene. It's a beautiful scene where Herman and Max call a truce, and in the end, all are left feeling miserable.

The music of Rushmore follows it through the seasons, starting with the fall and slipping into a winter of discontent, marked by these last few songs. The next scene with song in the film uses Donovan's "The Wind" while Max flies a kite (video). It starts chilly, but ends with some with some warmth as Max decides to put on a play, and now we're slipping into spring. Cue John Lennon's bouncy "Oh Yoko!" as Max and Herman devise a plan to build the aquarium for Miss Cross. Like the season, it's the start of something new. The film ends with Max's new play ("best play ever,") and the wrap party features "Ooh La La" from the Faces, a song providing a nostalgaic look back with the line "I wish I knew then what I know now, when I was younger". And with Anderson's bending of time, you sort of can.

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Rushmore
1. "Making Time" - The Creation - Montage introducing of all of Max's extracurricular activities
2. "Take Ten" - Paul Desmond - Max gets a haircut from his dad (video)
3. "Concrete And Clay" - Unit 4 + 2
4. "Nothing In This World Can Stop Me From Worryin' Bout That Girl" - The Kinks - A depressed Herman cannonballs into the pool (video)
5. "A Summer Song" - Chad and Jeremy (video)
6. "Blinuet" - Zoot Sims - Dinner after play, Miss Cross brings a guest (video)
7. "Here Comes My Baby" - Cat Stevens - Max makes a go of it at public school
8. "Jersey Thursday" - Donovan
9. "A Quick One, While He's Away" - The Who - Montage of war between Max and Herman (video)
10. "I Am Waiting" - The Rolling Stones - Max and Herman call a truce and everyone is miserable
11. "The Wind" - Cat Stevens - Max flies a kite and decides to put on another play (video)
12. "Rue St. Vincent" - Yves Montand
13. "Oh Yoko!" - John Lennon - Max and Herman devise a way to build the aquarium for Miss Cross (video)
14. "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" - Vince Guaraldi
15. "Manoir Des Mes Reves" - Django Reinhardt - Wrap party after the premiere of Max’s play (video)
16. "Ooh La La" - Faces - Wrap party after the premiere of Max’s play (video)
Score by Mark Mothersbaugh

*For this film, and all that followed, Anderson and music supervisor Randall Poster began trying to secure the rights to the music before shooting, so the actors had a better feel for how the scene a going to be played.

Previously: The Music of Bottle Rocket
Jansch, Poster, The Squid and the Whale

tags: music, film, soundtrack, wes anderson, mark mothersbaugh, rolling stones, the kinks, rushmore, the who, randall poster, playlist