Utopia

"Utopia will follow a group of people who find themselves in possession of a manuscript of a cult graphic novel. The tome is rumoured to have predicted the worst disasters of the last century and the group soon find themselves targeted by a shadowy organisation known only as The Network." (from IMDB)

This has to be one of the weirdest tv series I've seen in a while and brilliant because of it. The music creates a big part of the creepy, strange and hunted feeling you get while watching it. I never heard of Cristobal Tapia de Veer,  but I will definately check his backlog of music and keep an ear out for this guy.

The theme (extended I think):



This is a playlist he linked on his website with all kinds of versions, snippets and
tracks from the soundtrack worth checking out:

James Bond - Skyfall

Instead of looking at the whole soundtrack, I'll just post 3 versions of Skyfall that I really like, of course including Adele's version. Not in any particular order except for the order in which I heard them.

Adele - Skyfall


Josie Charlwood - Skyfall
Brilliant singer from England, check out her facebookpage for more of her music!


Marjoram - Skyfall
Local (Groningen, The Netherlands) talent!

Spotify playlists for tv-series 2

I think I'm going to make this into a series since there are so many out there. I don't know if these are the most complete soundtrack playlists out there, but they are extensive and I know how much effort it takes to create them.

Glee by Tinkerbell101
Glee

Sopranos by Vef
Sopranos

Boardwalk Empire by Albert Mill
Boardwalk Empire

Romanzo Criminale by Albert Mill fairly unknown tv-series, very worthwile!
Romanzo Criminale

True Blood S1 by Matt Lowden
(also check out his other soundtrack playlists for True Blood and various games)
True Blood Season 1

If you have a spotify playlist I should know about (yours or someone else's) just let me know in the comments. In other short news...if you can point me to tracklists for season 7 and 8 for Weeds I'd be very thankful!

Spotify playlists for tv-series

I've come across some pretty long spotify playlists for different tv-series.
I've put the usernames in brackets to give credit where it's due. But if you find yourself here and don't want your name (or your playlist) linked, just let me know in the comments and I'll remove either one.

Music from Treme (user: Serieall.fr)
I'm currently watching Treme and it's opening a whole new world of music to me.

Lost OST (user: Serieall.fr)
Going to re-watch Lost soon, eerie creepy music a plenty.

Skins Series 1-6 (user: Anna Belsey)
Never watched Skins, but you've got to admire the work that has been put in to get 576 (currently) tracks together. I found the 200 for The Wire already quite a task.

Breaking Bad (my own, but I copied several playlists from others into one)
Awesome tv series with some real gems of music (for instance Bang data - Bang data).

Sons of Anarchy (user: Michael Gegerfelt)
Awesome tv-series.

If you've got a tv-series playlist that I should check (and or share) just let me know!

Snowwhite and the Huntsman OST

Saw this last week. If you don't look at the obvious holes in the plot (one day Snowwhite can barely defend herself, the next she basicaly leads an army and runs up the stairs of a stone tower in full body armour a sword and a shield fighting like the best of them) which you should (!) it is a pretty cool movie with an awesome soundtrack.

James Newton Howard has been a busy man this year, having also created the soundtrack for Hunger games, but I haven't seen the movie (nor listened to that soundtrack) yet. I could write up an long story about how much I like each track, but it's a good variation of eerie, creepy, tension etc :) Just give it a listen.
I'd have liked it if they would've added/recorded more of the songs from the movie on the soundtrack (the dwarf songs for instance).
The tracklisting with youtube links is below, but here's a Spotify list too: Snow White & The Huntsman

Tracklisting
1 James Newton Howard - Snow White

2. James Newton Howard - I'll Take Your Throne

3. James Newton Howard - Tower Prayers

4. James Newton Howard - Something For What Ails You

5. James Newton Howard - Escape From The Tower

6. James Newton Howard - You Failed Me, Finn

7. James Newton Howard - White Horse

8. James Newton Howard - Journey To Fenland

9. James Newton Howard - Fenland In Flames

10. James Newton Howard - Sanctuary

11. James Newton Howard - White Hart

12. Ionna Gika - Gone
Cool how they let if flow over from the movie scene into the song itself. She's got a great voice too.

13. James Newton Howard - I Remember That Trick

14. James Newton Howard - Death Favors No Man

15. James Newton Howard - Warriors On The Beach

16. James Newton Howard - You Can Not Defeat Me

17. You Can't Have My Heart

18. Coronation

19 Florence and the machine - Breath of life
Embedded this one because it has such an awesome video with clips from the movie.
They make it sound really epic, maybe even a bit more epic than the movie itself.

Tv serie tunes

Some great tunes of tv series I watch (or have watched this year)

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Straight Up And Down
Just sounds like someone's breaking the law and having fun doing it.
Some found it a strange choice for theme song of BE, I don't.


The tune on the end of Boardwalk Empire s01e12 (I think)
Life's a funny proposition
Check the vid on youtube for lyrics if you want. Really gives a feel for the time, but it does sound a bit...weird.


Game of thrones intro
Just epic.


The Walking Dead tune by Bear McCreary
It just whispers this eerie atmosphere. It creeps me out

Weeds Spotify lists

*updated playlists on the 22nd of September 2012
The list is far from complete since a lot of tracks can't be found in Spotify (yet). But I feel they're still worth sharing:

Weeds Season 1 tracks

Weeds Season 2 tracks

Weeds Season 3 tracks

Weeds Season 4 tracks

Weeds Season 5 tracks

Weeds Season 6 tracks

Weeds Season 7 tracks  (Updated 22nd of September 2012) help me add more tracks.

Weeds Season 8 tracks  (Created 22nd of September 2012)

I've also compiled them all in one list so you can choose:
Weeds all tracks  

Also check out the spotify playlist for The Wire (check The Wire post link in the sidebar).
Showtime itself has an oversight and a lot of playable music  http://www.universityofandy.com/site/weeds/music.sho Some music they've got playable isn't on my lists, but there are also tracks on the spotify lists that aren't playable on the Showtime site.

Spotify & Youtube

I've only used youtube links so far and aside from copyright stuff that prevents people from wachting it from their country it works quite well. A bigger problem is the broken-link problem. Therefore I will, in future releases, also try to include a spotify playlist link. I realize that Spotify is not available in all countries yet and I've also noticed it sometimes has strange 'not available in your country' issues but I think it is usefull enough.

What will this mean? I will try for instance to create a complete as possible playlist for the tracks from The Wire and some other posts and add this as a link to the posts. I hope Spotify will keep improving so even less well known music gets included.

I'll also try and update that particular post. Thanks for everyone who's still been commenting on that post. I dó read every comment and try to give an answer. If you've got info I miss, please add it in the comments.

Sucker Punch OST

It's been way too long. I've finally decided to reanimate this ánd take some good time digging up info on tracks from The Wire since it's by far the most popular and asked for content.

Sucker Punch OST (all links go to youtube)
1 Emily Browning - Sweet dreams (are made of this)
2 Björk ft Skunk Anansie - Army of me (sucker punch remix)
3 Emiliana Torrini - White rabbit
4 Queen ft Armageddon (aka Geddy) - I want it all/We will rock you mash-up
5 Skunk Anansie - Search and destroy
6 Carla Azar & Alison Mossheart - Tomorrow never knows
7 Yoav ft Emily Browning - Where's my mind
8 Emily Browning - Asleep
9 Carla Cugino & Oscar Isaac - Love is the drug

As a short note on the movie: I liked it. I can enjoy the layered storyline although they could've done a better job at it. The steampunk action scenes were just over the top nazi-zombie raids and attacks on dragons and orcs lead by Spock Prime which is basicly food for 'Awesome!' motivational posters.

Song-by-song:
Sweet dreams gives the soundtrack a dark and gloomy start.

Army of me
Björk's voice really fits the absurd world they've created and Skunk Anansi gives it a finishing action touch reminding me a bit of of the triphop tracks featured in the Blade Soundtracks (espec. #3).

White rabbit: Some classics shouldn't be touched is something you hear people say often enough, and I sometimes tend to agree, but if you hear Torrini's take on this one, these people are proven wrong.

I want it all/we will rock you
I didn't know the rapper Armageddon but he really manages to make a possibly strange illfitting mix into an awesome raw track. The fact that I didn't cringe when he raps/talks over We will rock you surprised me positively since it's not strange to come across horrible tracks that try make an easy hit by using we will rock you sample.

Search and destroy: Another classic touched in an awesome way. Skin has the voice to make it raw and the band gives it exactly enough agression.

Tomorrow never knows
Never heard of Carla Azar before, but I really like this dreamy sound. Somehow it conjures up an image of a dance in an opium filled room of a harem (I know...crazy).

Where is my mind? I could play this on repeat all day, gloomy rock that sticks.

Asleep: I'm leaving on a jetplane (nót a cover - just reminds me of it), but different. I could fall asleep to this, in a good way.

Love is the drug
Isaac's introduction gives a Moulin Rouge feeling to this track and you've got to love that eastern European accent that Cugino uses in this song. Great trumpets!

This is the best soundtrack I've heard this year. A sign of a good soundtrack is that it fits the movie like a glove and at the same time is able to hold its own, and that's exactly what it does. It contains covers and mixes of some great classic songs and these bands manage not only to nót screw these classics over, but to pull it off! I don't know if there were any songs especially made with this movie in mind, but the selection is gold.

Worldcup soundtracks

I know it's been a while, but I'm starting it up again, even though I'm gone for England in the first 2 weeks of July.

On topic. I came across my old post about the European Championship 2008 and thought that the worldcup 2010 deserved a soundtrack post too.
It's just crazy how a worldcup for a single sport creates such a long list in songs seeing the tournament only lasts a month!

. Starting off with this campy Dutch track

Twice yellow is red (but yellow and red is orange). The Germans are of course the subject of suffering.


We are scientists - Goal! England (already posted this one over at Dutchnid)


The official Fifa theme


Shakira - Waka waka (this time for Africa)


Some other songs:

Germany's worldcup song Jogi's Löwen

FuBball Deutschland

Akon ft Keri Hilson - Oh Africa

What is yóur favourite World Cup song? Did I miss any really good or especially bad ones? I know there are tons more.

I'm still alive

I like this blog far too much to let it die so I'll get some life in here again.
I'm cycling to work for 30 minutes there and 30minutes back again which should allow me to check out some soundtracks and say something semi-usefull about it.

If anyone has a soundtrack they want to know more about, is it good, is it worth clicking play or should I just play the 'leaked' new MJ track.

Ikea

Ha! It's called Soundtracks of whatever overhere so I'm allowed to post this as being the un-official soundtrack for Ikea (next to that I'm allowed to post anything..cause it's my blog).

Jonathan Coultron - Ikea


Like I said it's unofficial, but who cares. It describes every stereotypical concept anyone can have about Ikea in a damn funny way without being too mean about it. It's got a very very catchy rocktune to it so it will stick with you for a while. I'll be going to Ikea again soon (omg they're gonna make the one in my home town the 2nd biggest in Europe!).

I never heard of this guy, but checking out his site I found many many more brilliant songs (e.g. 'Re your brains' and 'Todd the T1000'.) Check them out and when you find a lost $ download them or donate a bit when you rip some of his music. He's even got the lyric and guitar tab info.

The IT-Crowd theme

I've been following this tv-series for quite some time now (their already half-way season 3) but I stepped in at the end of S2.

For info about the tv-serie check the imdb link. But it's basically about the IT department in a big company which sells...well no one knows. After a while they get reinforced by Jen who's hired to manage them. It has a bunch of nerd-stereotypes but in a funny way (no revenge of the nerds humour(somebody tell me which is the English/US spelling!).

Neil Hannon - The It-crowd theme


It's a very simple tune in a good way. It sounds like it has to do with technology and fits the vid perfectly. It's hard to compare with anything but the way they repeat parts of the tune during an episode is almost alike to how they use the shot of the stargate base (SG1) on earth again and again as a moment of coming back to the main story. Brilliantly simple. Adding to this the recognizable error sounds..(and images) makes it one of the best instrumental tunes tv tunes of this moment.

Porno Soundtracks vol. 1

This one should result in interesting google search findings. But that's just what it's called and that's what it is.
Porno Soundtracks by The Forbidden ensemble (link to the cover might not be 100% safe for work, although there's no real nudity)

Over at pornosoundtracks.com they explain it very briefly:
They let three musicians, The forbidden ensemble, watch 70s porn (oh sorry, adult movies) and turn of the sound and see what music they come up with.

Scrolling through the tons of soundtracks I had lying around, this one of course sprang in sight and I really didn't know what to expect (not having seen the website). So I just played everything. First off, there's no moaning or sighing mixed through, so listening ís safe for work, although it might get your hormones pumping.

This 'cd' could be divided into three sets of music: slow sensual tracks, medium tempo tracks and fast tempo 'action' tracks.

The slow sensual tracks like This way please and This is it really set a mood, especially the organ music part of This way please almost gives off a sensual steam. In a track like We have to take some measurements first you almost hear sweat dripping (..I should write soft porn novels or something..).

The medium tempo tracks almost sound like a lead to the action. A track like Of course, this way madam. I want to show you the bathroom first makes you imagine someone coming in to buy a house and you know things will end up differently.

Finally the fast tempo tracks like Please come in, I want to have the master bedroom decorated first and My assistent will take notes sound like the action packed part of the whole set. I divided the music in 3 sets just to make reviewing it a bit more simple, there's no 'slow-medium-fast' order in the tracks though!

The music's pure instrumental but it would make perfect sense as background music for soft porn. I'm not a musician myself but I think the Forbidden ensemble has done a great job making this of this piece of porn for the ears.

Last but not least the titles sound like they are all (I'm pretty damn sure) actual spoken lines from (70s) porn. Which reminded me of a short kind of interlude in Xzibit's Hit & Run II

Tracklisting:
1 Sonny darling, I'm taking a shower
2 Goodmorning ma'am
3 Please come in
4 This way please
5 I want to have the master bedroom decorated first
6 This is it
7 Oh certainly madam, of course
8 We have to take some measurements first
9 My assistent will take notes
10 Of course, this way madam
11 I prefer a female opinion on the new color

Now tell me in all honesty that you can't imagine 70s porn while reading this tracklist *no?..you're lying!*. You can listen & download it for free at the site linked earlier! It's actually prett good music to work or study by so what are you waiting for.

Merlin (2008) theme

I started watching this after I saw the title pop-up at the CAT tv download calender and I've been pleasantly surprised.

I thought, let's give it a chance and it turned out to be quite a cool tv-series. A friend of mine told me the only thing that's a bit strange is the 'token' black girl Guin(evere) and her dad. I like her (and her dad) as actors in Merlin, but I agree that they are a bit out of place in this story.

About the theme itself: from the first sound on it speaks of lore and epic adventures. A time of knights, romance, wizards and dragons. Without exagurating too much, it's a great theme for Merlin giving your ears a sneakpeak of the series.

True Blood {main theme}

Jace Everett - Bad things


When I first came across the True blood website I didn't really know it was a viral site for the tv-serie True Blood (cause I didn't hear about that one yet).
I've seen the first two episodes now and I think I'm hooked. That put aside, this is a soundtrack/score review site :)
They couldn't have picked a better song for True Blood. The town where it's set is put on screen as a (no offence!) hillbilly town and you meet Sookie who can read peoples' thoughts, and that isn't always a good thing. She can hear everybody's true 'feelings' and so 'hears' when people want to do 'bad things' to her ;) This song fits the town and the things that Sookie experiences. But when a vampire comes into town, she finds out she can't read him..we'll have to see if that's a bad thing. All in all a good tune.

Over There theme

Chris Gerolmo - Over there


There's much more music than only this theme song, but I don't have time for it atm. In the TV-series they let one of the guys act if he just wrote the song and he sings the first couple of lines. Very nice.
I really like this song, because somehow watching the tv series..it doesn't come across as too corny or overdone. A great emotional track with the right message.

Iron Man OST: guestpost with Lee

I have really strong memories of watching the 60s cartoon version of Iron Man, as I got older I started reading the comic book series and so when it finally came time for it to be on the big screen I was really excited. Fortunately the movie was awesome or I think my little fanboy heart would have broken.
As you all know part of what makes a great movie is a great soundtrack.
Thankfully Iron Man manages to deliver on this also, granted with one glaring omission. No Black Sabbath: Iron Man!? It’s featured in the trailer, the game and the closing credits of the movie but does not make an appearance on the CD.

Robbed.

There is at least enough to keep most orchestral soundtrack fans happy:
1. Driving With The Top Down (3:10)
2. Iron Man (2008 version)( 1:05)
3. Merchant of Death (2:15)
4. Trinkets To Kill a Prince (3:08)
5. Mark I (3:54)
6. Fireman (2:09)
7. Vacation's Over (3:35)
8. Golden Egg (4:13)
9. Damn Kid (1:13)
10. Mark II (2:49)
11. Extra Dry, Extra Olives (1:44)
12. Iron Man (3:33)
13. Gulmira (4:06)
14. Are Those Bullet Holes? (2:00)
15. Section 16 (2:34)
16. Iron Monger (4:45)
17. Arc Reaktor (3:56)
18. Institutionalized (3:49)
19. Iron Man (0:21)

Composer Ramin Djawadi has a relatively small resume but is certainly not a stranger to the super hero movie genre as an assistant composer on Batman Begins and the composer for Blade:Trinity. A lot of this music is very much supplemental material to the film with the Iron Man fanfare sprinkled throughout the music.
I personally think that most movie scores tend to have three or four really strong tracks that epitomise the film’s music and then a bunch of, I don’t want to use the term filler, maybe supporting tracks is best. For those playing at home I recommend Driving With The Top Down, Merchant of Death, Vacation’s Over, Iron Man and Arc Reaktor.

One of the coolest moments for Iron Man fans and what I consider to be a very clever way of tipping one’s hat to the history of the character is the music that is played by the big band in the scene when Stark is to receive an award (and doesn’t show) is a wonderful big band version of the theme from the 60s cartoon. This also showed up later on the movie as another character’s mobile phone ring tone for Stark. I’m reminded of the use of the original Battlestar Galactica theme in the new series as the Colonial anthem.
There are a couple of other tracks on this CD, most notably Institutionalized by Suicidal Tendencies, which is catchy and was featured in Guitar Hero 2. A track by DJ Boborobo that would be just as home on any of the Chill Out albums and finally as a bonus the original cartoon series theme in all its glory (it is also my ringtone).

You can read up on Lee's life of watching movies, tv series, drawing cartoons etc on 'Quit your day job' I visited and never left. Guestposts, extra information or questions? just let me know, I want it all.

Crank OST

Lee provided me with tons of soundtrack and score goodyness but somehow I found a way to postpone reviewing any of those gazillion cd's (incl SG1 & SGA sweet!), some wíll certainly be done :)
But first.. Crank!


Info about the movie: check here, and click here for a bunch of lyrics.

Tracklist
1 A warrior's death (Dialog clip)
2 Quiet Riot - Metal Health
3 Nasal spray (Dialog Clip)
4 The Crowd - Trix are for kids
5 You stop, you die (Dialog clip)
6 Control Machete - Bandera
7 Small children (Dialog clip)
8 Refused - New noise
9 Chinese shit (Dialog clip)
10 Paul Haslinger - China town
11 Hardcore shit (Dialog clip)
12 Nofx - Kill all the white man
13 Dipsy doodle (Dialog clip)
14 Harry Nilson - Everybody's talkin'
15 Adrenaline junkie (Dialog clip)
16 Loverboy - Turn me loose
17 Paul Haslinger - Haitian cab ride
18 Jarret & Long - Achy breaky heart
19 Check List (Dialog clip) (listen from 1.10 at Trix are for kids)
20 David Rolas ft 10 West & Jim Barrz - Adrenalina
21 I kill people (Dialog clip)
22 Rockets from the cript - Bring us bullets
23 Eve's machine (Dialog clip)
24 Gerald Levert - Let's get it on
25 Paul Haslinger - Does she know?
26 The sleeping - Stayin' Alive
27 How much? (Dialog clip)
28 Roberto Tucson ft Erica Garcia - Meva Juan
29 Juice me (Dialog clip)
30 Tego Calderon - Guasa guasa
31 It's a miracle (Dialog clip)
32 Jefferson starship - Miracles

Most of the tracks can globally be divided in the categories of classics, punk, grimey rap, romantic tracks and the dialogs, and there's the 'other' category.

Classics
Quiet Riot's Metal health starts the movie giving off, a sneakpeak of the action rollercoaster that's about to follow. Nothing to say about this track than that it's a downright rock classic.

Turn me loose is an 80's action packed classic, which would also fit the GTA videogame series.

Achy breaky heart, who doesn't know this..personal feelings aside.., it deserves it's place in this movie with the strange relation of Chev and Eve. A pub classic.

Stayin' alive from The sleeping is a cool rock version where the guitar gives it just a bit more energy than the Beegee's track. Staying alive is exactly what Chev is trying to do.

Punk
The crowd's trix are for kids somehow reminds me of Judy is a punk on crack it's harder and louder but somehow sounds a bit alike.

Bring us bullets also has this energetic punk sound. These tracks fits the energy rush Chev needs to go through.

Kill all the white man is a mix of a relaxed reggae track with a spark of punk half-way through. It's a bit strange though..white guys singing this track ;)

Grimey rap
Bandera: if you could (you probably can) separate the moaning from the track it wouldn't misstand in a porn flick. Next to that it's a grimey latino gangstertrack just like Adrenalina (which looks like it's writen for this movie) and Guasa guasa which fit the latino gang enemies of Chev.

Instrumentals
China town and Does she know? are the instrumental tracks by Paul Haslinger. China town has a weird party sound to it. Does she know? on the other hand has the dark and somber tone that you could also find in the Dexter OST.

Romantic songs
There are some strange semi-romantic scenes in Crank where the next couple of tracks fit like a glove.

'Let's get it on' is actually from a Marvin Gaye tribute cd. It's not Marvin Gaye, but Gerald Levert still gives it that smooth love making touch. That's gotta end up in a certain playlist.

Miracles: a nice romantic background song that will set the mood.
Everybody's talkin' is almost a slowdance song with a tropical teint to it, the only downpoint is that the base sets in a tad to loud.

Meva Juan is a Mexican steaming dance tune which ends as abrubtly as it starts.

Other
Haitian cab ride is an instrumental but could als fit in the grime, it sounds like the cab ride Chev is taking in the movie, dark and grimey and my subwoofer loves it.

New noise: yeah! Hard rock/triphop!!! My neighbours are probably banging on all sides of the appartment now (I'm on the 6th floor). This track gives as much energy as Chev needs in the movie.

Finally there are a whole buch of dialog clips.
I really like how they picked the funny and strange short dialogs from the movie and put them in between the songs. I wouldn't be surprised if some dialogs were inspired by Tarantino. Especially 'Nasal spray'(Nasal spray..wha? Nasal spray, it's got epinephrine in it, it'll get you tweaked man) and 'Hardcore shit' (You take this Haitian shit *...* here This shit right here is some hardcore shit, it's made from plant shit) I've played 'Hardcore shit' around 50 times..this week I guess and it keeps cracking me up.

All in all this soundtrack uses the switching between the dialogs and the songs in a great way to tell the story of Crank.

European Championship 'soundtrack'

Overhere they used Sina's 'Wänn nit jetzt wänn dä' as a kind of soundtrack to the European football analysis' after the games at the program 'Studio sportzomer'.


It took a while (till after the Dutch got kicked out of the tourney) to find out how this track was called and by whom it was sung.
I like it very much, cause it has this sensual summer feeling to it. It sounds a líttle bit sad, but still it lightens my spirit. Does anyone know which language it is in? Cause it lóoks like German, it sounds almost Frysian (language cq dialect from overhere) but I guess it's a Swiss or German dialect..or...Reto-Romanic..don't know anything about that language..

The official track for the EC 2008 was this one though:
One night only - Just for tonight


Has a real emotional 'this is the big important match' feeling to it. I like it.
As for the whole feeling for this championship Switzerland and Austria did a great job. I liked the mascottes, the music and the enormous amount of football crazed emotional people.

I just feel a bit sad that we're not in the tourney anymore...