thus spake drake: eels

Showing posts with label eels. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Now Downloading: New Releases 06.02.09

Another week, another batch of new releases to listen to while we bide our time until the Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca is released (next week). This week includes the latest from Eels, Patrick Wolf, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, Blind Pilot, Girl In A Coma, Diane Birch and remix album from Franz Ferdinand.

Playlist: New Releases 06.02.09

Eels - Hombre Lobo
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

After the nearly baroque extravagance of the confessional Blinking Lights, the scaled back Hombre Lobo harkens back a bit to the off-the-cuff-rock of Souljacker. Like that misfire, Mark Everett writes a character study, this time embodying the desire of a werewolf, and it works much better. I don't know if the folks at True Blood have been made aware of this album or not, but between the howl of the bluesy opener "Prizefighter" and the spooky fun of "Fresh Blood" (also marked by howls,) the album is tailor made for the upcoming second season of the vampire (and yes, werewolves) series on HBO. The album kind of loses steam sometime after that, but for awhile there, the listener was running with the wolves.

Free AOL Album Stream

Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

When Patrick Wolf prematurely announced his retirement a couple years back, most assumed he'd be back, but who knew that it would be with a Celtic Folk Glam Rock sound. The album follows the usual Wolf template of interjecting classical music into rock songwriting, but this time around, with a little bit of Stonehenge to go with it. Call it David Bowie meets Dungeons & Dragons, only a bit more flamboyant. Exchange your chain-mail for sequins, but keep that 12-sided die rolling.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Summer Sandwich (Soundtracking Monday Night)

Monday nights, for me, have become all about Chuck. Last year it was Heroes, before that 24, but now that honor belongs to the freshman comedy, and it continues to deliver, even as the series teeters on life support and endures the loss of C.S. Lee, who plays Chuck and Morgan's nemesis at work, Harry Tang. You can add him to the list of Dexter's victims, as Lee took on a full-time role (as Masuka) for the Showtime drama. Harry Tang, we barely knew ya. But as we lose Tang (and sweet, sweet Lady Tang) we gain sandwich queen Lou, played by The O.C.'s Rachel Bilson, as a new love interest for Chuck. Her comic delivery ("our vast height difference intrigues me") reminds us that Yvonne Strahovski has some comedic limitations. Meanwhile, the sandwich she names "The Chuck" is a reference to a sandwich at LA's Canter's Deli that's named after Chuck producer Matt Miller ("Matt's Special"). Apparently, both Bilson and Adam Brody are big fans of the turkey, muenster and egg bread sandwich.

But on to the music, 'cause that's why I'm here, right? With the use of Britney Spears' "Toxic" (during the chase for a poison's antidote) it was nice to remember when Brit was more pop artist then tabloid fodder. Of course, the song's appeal is less about Britney then about the songwriting/production team The Matrix, and really the only song of hers I can see ever being used in the series -- the rest of Spears' music would feel at home on Schwartz's other series Gossip Girl. The only other song used here is the requisite final stretch ballad use of Eels' "Fresh Feeling," which doesn't feel so fresh considering its multiple uses on Scrubs in the past.

Speaking of multiple use, Three Dog Night's "Shambala" made an appearance on Journeyman, a song you'll remember was prominently used in a Lost episode from this past March. Journeyman only seems to use songs for setting, though, so we don't care to talk about the show beyond that.

Finally, Heroes featured the debut of a special cover of Monochrome Set's "He's Frank" that will later appear in a Heroes Soundtrack to be released in early 2008. Word has it that it's a collaboration between artists, but that's all that's been revealed. Sounded to me like Iggy Pop fronting The Killers, but that's a wild guess (although, I might be willing to put money on the Iggy part).

Playlist: NBC's Monday Night Soundtrack
1. "Toxic" - Britney Spears - Chuck Ep1.08
2. "Fresh Feeling" - Eels - Chuck Ep1.08
3. "He's Frank" - The Monochrome Set (original - covered by unknown) - Heroes Ep2.08
4. "Shambala" - Three Dog Night - Journeyman Ep1.08

More: Having Marshall from Alias (Kevin Weisman) is more then a nod to debt Chuck has to that J.J. Abrams spy drama. As I mentioned in my critique of the pilot, the fish-out-of-water scenes with geek Marshall in the field had to have given at least some inspiration to the creation of Chuck.

Previously: Of Sandworms and Silicon (Ep 1.06)

Thursday, May 17, 2007

It ain't so hard being green anymore

Unlike that other recent box office busting trilogy, the Shrek series has always made the music a more vital part of the storytelling. The subversion of the faerie tale is the theme, and the corresponding soundtracks find ways to do this trick as well. I personally found a lot of joy in hearing my then 5-year old neice hum along to Tom Waits, Nick Cave and singing her little heart out to The Buzzcock's "Ever Fallen In Love" (even if it was a watered-down Pete Yorn version,) from Shrek 2. That's some quality subversion.

This time, though, much like the movie, they play it safe. The only blips on the radar here are really The Ramones, and I guess the two songs from Eels, who, along with Eddie Murphy (as Donkey,) are the only artists who appear on all three soundtracks. Shrek, apparently, is at that phase in his life where he's settled down (he's about to be father, for goodness sakes,) and feels more comfortable tuning his radio to the classic rock station. So we get Snow White (SNL's Amy Poehler) singing Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and when Fiona tries girl power on for size, it's set to Heart's "Barracuda," only covered by Fergie in a style one could only call 'Karoake.' It worked in Charlies Angels, so why shouldn't it work for Shrek's Angels?

Classic rock makes another odd appearance when Paul McCartney & Wings' "Live and Let Die" is played to back a funeral. Sure, death is in the title, but the song's strong association with James Bond makes for a confusing reference. Just prior, though, when the John Cleese-voiced Frog King croaks (insert chuckle here,) it's to composer Saint-Saens "Danse Macabre," which is the 'dance of death.' I'm tempted to call it's use subtle, but in the context of this film that's like saying "you look thin" to someone at a fat camp. Keeping with that metaphor, when Donkey (Murphy) sings Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" to Shrek (playing the reluctant father,) it's overtness is equal to the green ogre's girth.

Even the contemporary choices throwbacks to the classic artists here. Wolfmother's "Joker and the Thief" is very Led Zeppelin-y, while you could say that the songs from Trevor Horn and Damien Rice owe a lot to Harry Chapin, only perhaps more somber. Rice's "9 Crimes" is used in the film as the prerequisite third act ballad, letting us know that there's sadness - and a very special lesson of self-acceptance. I like who I am... just not so sure I like the soundtrack. Here's the tracks reassembled (approximately) as they appeared in the film.

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Shrek the Third
1. "Royal Pain" - Eels
2. "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?" - The Ramones
3. "Danse Macabre" - Camille Saint-Saens
4. "Live And Let Die" - Paul McCartney & Wings (video)
5. "I've Never Been to Me" - Charlene
6. "Charming's Plan" - Score
7. "Best Days" - Matt White
8. "Joker And The Thief" - Wolfmother
9. "Other Ways" - Trevor Hall
10. "Cat's In The Cradle" - Harry Chapin
11. "Losing Streak" - Eels
12. "9 Crimes" - Damien Rice
13. "Barracuda" - Fergie
14. "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin (video)
15. "What I Gotta Do" - Macy Gray
16. "Final Showdown" - Maya Rudolph (Rapunzel) and Rupert Everett (Prince Charming)
17. "Thank You (Falletin' Me Be Mice Elf Again)" - Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Antonio Banderas (Puss n' Boots)

tags: film, shrek the third, music, soundtrack, eels, the ramones, paul mccartney, movies, wolfmother, rhapsody