Music: Top Ten Film Score's

I’m totally a soundtrack guy. I'm the guy who puts on a score in the car, or on my iPod and relives the film in all its audio glory. It might be the classical music fan in me (I grew up with a classically trained violinist for a father) that enjoys the score’s for films so much, or something else, I don’t know. The point is that I have been well known to walk out a film I’ve just seen and having enjoyed the score will pop into the store or onto iTunes and buy the soundtrack right away.

A film without a score would be ludicrous. Since it’s Friday today and I don’t have a review to put up, I thought we’d do a top ten of my favourite film scores.

Without further ado then:

10. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL – Klaus Badelt

This one is kind of a no-brainer. Soaring crescendos and full of pomp, triumph and glory this is a soundtrack that you can’t NOT like. What’s even funnier is I recall sitting in the theatre and thinking, “Wow, this sounds like it has strains of Hans Zimmer’s GLADIATOR score in it” and it turns out that Badelt is a student of Zimmer’s and Zimmer himself helped out along with other composers.

9. SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE – John Williams

Iconic and powerful brass instruments are key to John Williams stuff normally, and this one is no exception. It’s funny but I don’t think you could make a Superman film (or TV show) without at least touching on Williams score now. It will forever be intrinsically tied to the character. Still, when this one comes on my iPod I always feel like I can fly ( < ---see what I did there?)

8. GLORY – James Horner

An incredibly MOVING piece of cinematic history, and a score to match it. Of all the Ed Zwick period films that came out in the 80’s and 90’s, only nothing stands higher than GLORY, and I think Horner’s score is partly responsible. It is equally triumphant and moving. I challenge anyone to watch the last 30 minutes of this film and not FEEL the score resonate in you.

7. RUN LOLA RUN (LOLA RENNT) – (The PALE 3) AKA Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil

A totally kintetic, time-based, repetition based film and an equally done score. The techno-nature of the soundtrack not only fits perfectly with the narrative and the cinematography…but makes for heady awesome listening on the best of days. An absolutely modern soundtrack executed with full attention to the film itself. I’m tempted to have put the score to DER KRIEGER UND DUE KAISERIN (THE PRINCESS & THE WARRIOR) instead as it is a superior film, but RLR just has the better soundtrack.

6.  FIGHT CLUB – The Dust Brothers

Never has a soundtrack been the icing on the cake quite like this. At least not for me.  Full of bass lines and snare drum riffs reorganized into synths and melodies, this soundtrack is exactly as bare bones type of simplistic, but chaotic soundtrack that could only go with this film. Every beat of this film is cadenced in the Dust Brothers work and Fincher ought to be very pleased he chose these guys to do this one. A stunning composite of everything the movie stands for.

5.  THE DARK KNIGHT – Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard

Amazing suite’s like WHY SO SERIOUS, AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION and THE DARK KNIGHT show why Zimmer is at the top of his game and why adding Howard to the mix just ups the ante. One of the most impressive, immersive, and thundering scores in film history this one goes above and beyond and transports the listener directly into the movie itself. For a film that is near perfect, the score joins those accolades and partly makes it what it is.

4. GLADIATOR – Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard

Let’s face facts. Ridley’s GLADIATOR is an incredible piece of work (historical inaccuracies aside), and the score is no slouch either. But one thing makes it what it is. Vocalist Lisa Gerrard. Without her the score would NOT be what it is. She makes it. Her lilting, waling vocals add emotion to every scene they are used in, and I can’t picture the films iconic imagery now without hearing her voice in my head. That’s an achievement few scores can claim.

3.  BLADE RUNNER – Vangelis

This is one of those that I can’t forget. The Vangelis score adds so much to BLADE RUNNER, as it actually feels like this haunting, futuristic version of music. Even all these years later it doesn’t feel dated and this early electronic score was likely my first taste of the electronic music fetish I ended up harboring later in life. A true classic.

2. LORD OF THE RINGS (trilogy) – Howard Shore

Middle Earth was never the same once Shore showed up and composed CONCERNING HOBBITS. The first film starts out with those shots of Hobbiton set to that iconic suite. The rest of the films scores fall into place behind it. Big and bold, quiet and reserved, clashing and soaring, the overall score to these films is everything you require and having all 3 on my iPod makes me happy as it’s hours of listening to one of the best assembled soundtracks of music in a film ever.

1.     INCEPTION – Hans Zimmer

An odd choice for number one? Not really. Once you realize that the score is composed of stuff like the Edith Piaf music that the characters use as a signal to bring them up out of a layer of sleep slowed down to its grinding foghorn like pieces to make up the main musical theme then it takes on a whole other level. Seriously that iconic two-note piece plays over the logo before the movie even starts, signifying that we as the audience are already down a layer as the Piaf music is slowed down by those consecutive layers. A brilliant idea and an incredible execution make up the most consistent and wonderful scores I own.

Music: Amanda Palmer - Map of Tasmania Remix Project

Hi everyone,

What Scott said.

I'm just popping on to make you are all aware that over on her bandcamp page Amanda Palmer has just released two albums of remixes of Map of Tasmania f rom her AMANDA PALMER GOES DOWN UNDER disc.

(I guess putting out four albums in 12 months wasn't enough for AFP.)

The remixes are technically free, but you're encouraged to donate an amount you feel would be appropriate. Why not give them a listen and tell me what you think.

Music: Saviors of the Music Industry - a Rant-ish

For me, the last few years of mainstream music has been either a serious saturation glut of some decent (but mostly bad) pop, R&B and sad bastard emo crap, nuvo-punk (that original punk rockers would rail against) and even metal has been suffering under a yoke of boredom and sameness. My iPod has been filled with music that I like, but the additions to it for the last few years have been few and far between. That’s simply because I’ve been so annoyed and frustrated with music recently. The only good stuff I was hearing was electronic (Above & Beyond, Morgan Page, Tiesto ect.), but everything else was descending into this vile pit of commercially produced pabulum being spoon-fed to the masses one remixed 80’s riff at a time. Now, this isn’t to say that there weren’t songs (and singles) I enjoyed and picked up on iTunes. Lady Gaga, Lonely Island, K’naan, Martin Solveig ect. The problem was where are the whole albums to enjoy? Where were the artists who were pushing to bring us something new and save the music industry from stagnating? I make it a point every time I see my teenage niece to mention songs and music that I think are unique and off the beaten path in the hopes that her (and hopefully her friends) iPods won’t be filled with over-produced crap. 

This is just my personal preference, but I feel that quite a lot of the music that has come out and been popular so far this century is rehashed, formulaic and ultimately boring in the long run. Ask yourself why we all cling to old stuff like The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones ect.. We have even started to cling to stuff we heard in the 90’s (music was still trying to be fairly original and defined back then, though to a much lesser extent I admit). It’s because there are very few bands or singers that are coming out and are memorable. I’m not talking about: you remember them and their songs nostalgically. I am talking about you remember them, love them, and would step over anyone to get a ticket to their show.

Think about the bands or artists you currently like. Now think about how many of them came out in 2000-2010 as fresh faces and have stayed around. What’s the ratio between that and something older you like still? I’d wager it’s not a close race in most cases. So what the hell right? Why does the music industry keep churning out catchy-yet-ultimately forgettable pop into the mainstream? Singles have become much bigger money-wise since the dawn of the digital age of music and albums sell less as a whole methinks. People like a single, and they buy it. It’s only if they like two or three singles that they will drop the funds on a whole album. What does a single need to be? Catchy. What doesn’t fit into that quick-cash for the recording company pockets paradigm? Something new or unique doesn’t qualify.

So here we are…the proper start of a new decade. What do I start to see, either discovery of bands that are relatively new and unique and awesome dropping into the forefront, barging their way into the spotlight come hell of high water or older bands/artists doing something new and unique and interesting. I’m kind of astonished recently at how quickly the industry is starting to change and embrace new things. Yeah, the radio countdowns and video countdowns are still dominated by the overproduced crap…but there is light…and this new infusion of fresh music into the scene is slowly, but like a juggernaut pushing it’s way forward. One song at a time, one new album with 5 star reviews at a time. The masses have started to say enough is enough and are fighting back and saying we won’t be spoon-fed this crap any longer. Where are OUR bands to remember?

So, this post would be annoying if I didn’t write up some of these artists that have started to turn the tide for me and reinvigorated my iPod with new music. Here are some suggestions, some of which you have probably heard of, some maybe not. All are worth looking into.

-The Streets – Mike Skinner has released his 5^th and final album and while he has been around a while this last album is arguably his best work. Unique hooks and vocals, melodies and lyrics with purpose this band is going to be one to remember.

-Florence & The Machine – Now this one most of you will have heard of as she has a few songs that have busted into the charts and been rather successful. I stumbled across her quite by accident in 2009 and have loved her ever since.

-Meaghan Smith – From the East Coast of Canada originally, Meaghan brings us 20’s inspired pop that is flavored with sweet vocals, interesting instruments and ultimately unforgettable harmonies.

-Mumford & Sons – I am totally new to the Mumford & Sons bandwagon, but the second I heard these guys I knew I was listening to something utterly unique and special. I’ve also seen the reinfusion of the banjo into mainstream music. Can’t stop listening.

-Ellie Goulding – Young, and fresh is how I would describe Ellie. Bringing a Florence & The Machine/Imogen Heap vibe to her music doesn’t hurt her at all and in fact makes for a very listenable first album. She’s been bigger in the UK until recently, but her first show in Canada sold out so fast and there was such a clamoring for tix that they switched venues to a bigger one to accommodate the influx of requests.

Radiohead – Here’s a 90’s band that was part of the original alternative brit pop scene, then they got annoyed and went way off the beaten path with Kid A and Amnesiac and while I never really got into those CD’s, the newest CD by them titled King Of Limbs is probably one of their best efforts since The Bends.

Lissie – From Illinois, folksy, raspy Lissie brings a fresh aspect to the folk genre by infusing it with subtle beats, some crunching guitars and even synths to produce something wholly unique and very listenable.

KT Tunstall – Yeah, I know what you’re going to say. That Scottish lass who did “Black Horse & Cherry Tree” and the overplayed “Suddenly I See” right? Wrong. That first album doesn’t even get into the same category as her newest effort Tiger Suit. The songs on it are clever, thoughtful and interesting. The guitar work is just this side of incredible, and her live show is probably one of the best I’ve been to ever. Not to be missed.

Elbow – these guys opened for Coldplay when I saw them and as I stood in line (skipping the opening act as I am wont to do) for drinks for the main event I heard them playing. I heard a gruff, Manchester-accented lead singer; I heard cool guitars…and violins. Well, the violins sold me. Here is a rather quieter band, but one that is nonetheless doing something different and again I am impressed.

There are a lot of other bands that fit this category. I think The Arcade Fire, Metric, The Stars and their ilk were the bands that carried this torch of freshness through the last decade amongst the crap and should be applauded for always sticking to their guns and giving us something new to listen to. I would also like to say that country music has also held that torch for a time and there are indeed fresh artists coming out of that scene as well, so I don't want to leave them out.

Give these bands/artists a listen. If you, like me, were getting annoyed by the current status of music, perhaps these choices might help you see that there is light on the horizon.