The Royal Tenenbaums OST

First of all: check this link to Amazon for 30secs of each track, that is, some tracks don't even last that long.

2nd: watched the movie in Italian (yay for Dutch subtitling), it somehow sounded natural, but I might have missed a joke or two. Now and then I'll refer to scenes in the movie, of course you can listen to the music without seeing the movie, but it ís a soundtrack which just gives it a bit extra meaning now and then.

Tracks (artist first then tracktitle)

1. Mark Mothersbaugh - 111 Arthur Avenue
111 Arthur Avenue: the address of the Tenenbaums.
It starts with a magical fairy tale intro and changes into a kind of an happy interlude between scenes.

2. Nico - These days
She sings that she doesn't talk much these days because she's busy reminiscing about the past and missed opportunities, things he could or should have done. They play the track when Richie returns home and meets Margot again, maybe symbolizing the time that they could have spent seeing eachother. The track has a slow melodic sound to it, the scene is a bit in slowmotion.
Strange thing is, the track could also (if not better) fit the character of Royal because the movie is about how he's making up for the times he wasn't there for the family (well..in his own way).

3. Ysaye Quartet - String quartet in F Major (2nd movement) (Ravel)
It sounds like mice tripling over string instruments. Happy tripling music.

4. Paul Simon - Me and Julio down by the schoolyard
It's a song about how a boy get's caught doing things with Julio which are 'against the lahaaaw', but sounds like a memory of good times. In the movie it's used when Royal and his 2 grandsons are in town doing all sorts of mischief.

5. The Mutato Muzika Orchestra - Sonata for cello & piano in F Minor (Enescu) This piece speaks: somethings happening! It sounds like a classical jamsession, which is quite cool because now and then it is like a switch is pulled changing it entirely. But 7.16 minutes is just a bit too long for me.

6. Bob Dylan - Wigwam
Lyrics like 'ladida' always make for good tracks, without being sarcastic this track sounds just funny and makes me happy. For the ones who've seen the movie (of will see it) they play it during a conversation between Etheline and Henry, damn funny.

7. Mark Mothersbaugh - Look at that old grizzly bear
The old grizzly bear must be Royal Tenenbaum. A short and happy piece of music.

8. John Lennon - Look at me
An emotional guitar song about love and doubt. In the movie it might symbolize the love of Chas for his 2 sons (funnies thing is that they constantly wear the same training suites).

9. Emitt Rhodes - Lullabye
The link is not actually Emitt Rhodes, but the guy in the vid does a fairly good job.
Not much to say about this track then that it's a short but good lullaby, if you've got a crybaby..this should definitely work, not meaning that it's a boring track.

10. Mark Mothersbaugh - Mothersbaugh's canon
A peaceful background tune.

11. The Clash - Police And Thieves
Just like the track by the Ramones (see below) a punk song, but much more peaceful. It has a nice kind of reggae twist in it.

12. Mark Mothersbaugh - Scrapping & Yelling
A home video, but well it uses 'scrapping and yelling' as background music. A peaceful happy piece of music.

13. The Ramones - Judy Is A Punk
In the movie you see short scenes of Margot's life, kissing men on practically every corner of the planet. Really living a wild life. 'Judy is a punk' sounds like it was written for her. A very cool punk track! If you don't know the Ramones, this is a good first encounter (it was for me!).

14. Mark Mothersbaugh - Pagoda's Theme
Strangely this just sounds like it was not finished, 21 seconds is just very very short, if not too short.

15. Elliott Smith - Needle In The Hay
'He's acting dumb, that's what you've come..to expect'. Without spoiling the movie, Richie does something very stupid. The track is about how you sometimes do stupid things which no one understands even though they think they do.

16. Nick Drake - Fly
An emotional request for a second chance sung with an almost hoarse voice. Very beautiful.

17. Mark Mothersbaugh - I Always Wanted To Be A Tenenbaum
Ali Cash, always wanted to be a Tenenbaum, but he was just the kid next door. A kinda sad story with a somewhat sad tune.

18. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here
Again..not a link to the actual track, but well next best thing (or go to the amazon link).
First reaction: it's not christmas yet!!, always hate those things out-of-season. But it's a very nice edition of this christmas song. You can almost see kids singing it outside a door with snow (and a piano hehe) in the background.

19. The Velvet Underground - Stephanie Says
This song sóunds like it's about freedom, questioning why other people want to hold you down. Good lyrics and a melodical sound.

20. Mark Mothersbaugh - Rachel Evans Tenenbaum (1965-2000)
Rachel is the late-wife of Chas and mother of Ari & Uzi. Sounds a bit like a funeral tune, not strange, because Rachel is dead and the Tenenbaums regulary visit her grave. But it also has a happy ring to it (good memories probably).

21. Mark Mothersbaugh - Sparkplug Minuet
The 'oohoohooohooo' in the background really makes me think of 'christmas taaaaaaiiime' which turns on the 'it's not christmas time alarm again' but next to that it's peaceful background music.

22. Nico - The Fairest Of The Seasons
The second song from Nico, with the same soft voice singing 'do I stay or should I go' it sounds like she's really thinking it trough by the slow and soft way of the song.

23. The Mutato Muzika Orchestra - Hey Jude
I knew the 'Hey Jude' version of the beatles (also the one linked) and liked it from the first time I had to sing it (middle school..being about 12 yrs old) but found the lyrics (take a sad song..to make it better) a real WTF, still do. The MM Orchestra do a very cool orchestral version of it.


Summary:
As you've probably noticed, some songs got more words than others. I've had almost no musical education whatsoever when it comes to (classical) music. Can't read notes more than the most basic stuff and have only a very very basic idea of things like 'minor - major' let alone 'F major' etc. This means I can't say much about this, which is maybe a bit sad, but can't help it for the time being. Next to that I never was a big classical music fan, but slowly I begin to appreciate some stuff.

The music in The Royal Tenenbaums creates a melodramatic atmosphere with happy and sad moments. Tracks/pieces of music which light up the happy moments and music which point out to the sad/dramatic things or 'could have beens'. A very good soundtrack which fits the movie like a glove!
Mark Mothersbaugh who 'created' the instrumental pieces did a good job!

Final statement:
*fuck me..for losing half the review messing with my browser..had to do it again..from scratch..there I was, thinking blogger saves everything..NOT*

Casshern OST (cd 1 )

Searching on amazon.com seems to tell me I might not have 'the original soundtrack' or 'the complete soundtrack' as they call it.. But the cd's I've got definitely belong to the Casshern movie. The review is about the 1st cd. Maybe I'll do the 2nd (instrumental cd) another time.
I've put links down so you can listen to the tracks. Most are youtubes, some are from a Japanese(?) version of myspace. On the latter, after a while a 'you have to login to listen to this' message appears..just ignore it :)

1 Shiina Ringo - Kuki
Listen here
This song has a J-pop(py) sound to it. The typical Japanese-English lyrics exchanging eachother. But where some of the J-pop music sounds too childish for my ears and maybe even 'cheap'this track has more to it. After listening to it a couple of times you'll be whistling along.


2 Mondo Grosso - Like no one's looking
Needs Imeem login
In a couple of words: funky, techno, robotic, industrial track. Don't listen to it while driving...it will make you break the speed limit.


3 Hyde - Masquerade
starts at 37secs
This track has a good rock sound to it, starting of like a track where you know there's soon gonna be a point where it loudens. With 'loudens' I mean the point where you get the feeling it has that aggressive strike point where you want start jumping.
As far as the English part goes, this track is about that nothing is what it seems, it's all a masquerade.


4 Towa Tei - Original Human
Needs Imeem login
I didn't réally like this song. The violin's almost sound false, but on purpose. It does have a funny way of substituting for lyrics by using loose sentences which sound like they are plucked from a phone call or conversation, but only from one guy.
Listen and you'll see what I mean.

5 Acid Man - Suisha
Link is DEAD
It almost has a easy listening jazzy sound to it, but then with a rocky twist.
I don't know what he's singing about, but it sounds dramatic.


6 Shiro Sagisu & Satoshi Tomiie - Pluriel
Ignore the warhammer talk and listen to the track ;)
Strange thing is that I've listened to this soundtrack lots and lots of times but only really found out this track is actually an instrumental.
This track can be divided into bits. An peaceful intro, switching to a kind of Mission Impossible sound (theme), action packed. After a while it switches again to the peaceful part, and back to the MI theme style. The track ends a bit abrubtly.


7 Onitsuka Chihiro - Borderline
Onitsuka Chihiro -Borderline (live)
This is in my opinion one of thé best tracks. Onitsuka has a voice that gives me goosebumps. Like more tracks on this cd, it's part English, part Japanese. The English has quite an accent to it and the pronounciation is not always right. But somehow this is nót a negative part of the song. It just strenghtens the drama this track brings.

8 Back Horn - Requiem
the vid is for batman, but it's the song that counts
A very impressive requiem to Casshern. Right from the start it shakes out of the trance left by 'Borderline' . It's a requiem to battle. Oh and I had this for a ringtone, which startled people.

9 Glay - Mugen no deja vu kara
Needs Imeem loginOne of the first words I wrote down about this track is 'peaceful' after finding the link above I found out I'm not alone. A peaceful almost happy sounding song.


10 Utada Hikaru - Dakera no negai ga kanau koro
Youtube video
Lyrics
It sounds like it's about loss and pain. And after checking the lyrics, that's almost exactly what it's about. Missing someone, longing for that someone but not being able to see eachother ever again.
----

I feel bad that my Japanese is not more than being able to count to 100, and the occasional greeting or martial arts term (and curse I learned through Anime). That means a part of the meaning of songs get lost to me, but the English parts and the music itself make up for that. I saw the movie a couple of years ago and ran around torrent sites long enough to find it eventually. If able, I might use the 'listen link' idea more often.

The movie is a strange mix of anime and reality in a fictious world. The soundtrack fits very well with a mix of sometimes dramatic, sometimes action packed and sometimes just plain 'strange' tracks. I guess most of the music on this cd has to be kinda up your alley, but then again I didn't know the music before seeing the movie and instantly got hooked. Seeing the movie gives you an extra feel to the music. So go rent/download/buy it!

Final statement:
Not enough people know this cd, but I know it visits my cd player often.

Updating this week..Cashern OST's

YES really. Fryday at latest *giving myself a deadline here..*
I finally started again. This post will be removed once I get at least 1 cd of the Casshern OST done.
As a first I'll review the 'music' soundtrack and after that the full instrumental soundtrack.

I might include links to Amazone music preview plays so you can actually hear a short part of a song, if they are around, cause I had a hard time even finding this one myself.

Tracklist of the 'music OST'
1 Shiina Ringo - Kuki
2 Mondo Grosso - Like no one's looking
3 Hyde - Masquerade
4 Towa Tei - Original Human
5 Acid Man - Suisha
6 Shiro Sagisu & Satoshi Tomiie - Pluriel
7 Onitsuka Chihiro - Borderline
8 The Back Horn - Requiem
9 Glay - Mugen no deja vu kara
10 Utada Hikaru - Dakera no negai ga kanau koro

Tracklist of the instrumental OST
1 Scene #3
2 Scene #12
3 Scene #14
4 Scene #22
5 Scene #48
6 Scene #51
7 Scene #65
8 Scene #72
9 Scene #81
10 Scene #117
11 Scene #138
12 Scene #149
13 Scene #153
14 The Last Day

After Casshern the next one's gonna be the OST's to the tv series Supernatural.

What's the hold up..

going off to the Roskilde Festival.
I'll be back somewhere on the 10th of july. I got a pc again, by then I hope to get a decent soundcard again *listening to only the left speaker + subwoofer atm*
So thén I can really start doing stuff for this blog again.

It won't die.

PC = KAPUT/broken/stuk/out of order!!

That's half a valid reason for not making any decent post since the end of may.
I hope to have a new & better pc soon!

The motherboard has been fried somehow.

That's nót a good excuse for not making any posts since the end of february..
Expect updates soon!

Casshern OST cd 1

For those who do not know the movie (which isn't strange at all) here's a brief summary written by Claudio Carvalho (some Brazillian dude who wrote it on the imdb site).
------>
In the future, in a polluted post-apocalyptic society called Eurasia after a war against Europe, the planet is devastated by the effect of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. The geneticist Dr. Azuma (Akira Terao) develops a technique called "neo-cell", capable of regenerating the body of human beings, sponsored by an evil corporation. His son Tetsuya Azuma (Yusuke Iseya) dies in the war, but after an accident in the laboratory of Dr. Azuma, Tetsuya revives as the powerful warrior Casshern, while a new breed of mutants called "neo-humans" is generated in the plant. The neo-humans decide to annihilate the humans and raise a new world.
<--------

It's an Japanese movie in a sort of anime-reality mix. Either you like it or you hate it. I thought the movie was very cool, although some dramatic parts were a bit long. But I'm not here to write a movie review, so on to the music!

The OST excists out of 2 cd's. The first cd consists of 'normal' tracks and the other is an 100% instrumental soundtrack.


WIP...I wanted to post it last week, but the cd's were at my parents' house...So coming soon (probably this week).

Veronica Guerin OST (finally!)

It took a damn while ..guess real life tries to take too much time sometimes. I’ll try and update more regularly. Most nrs on this cd can’t really be called songs, cause there’s no singing, just music so they’ll be called tracks.

1 Sinead O’Connor: One more day
She uses her strong voice as always in a way so that you can almost see, feel and touch Ireland. The song tells that there will always be one more day. It gives hope.

2 Dublin 1996: the year when the whole thing happened. The track has a bit of a sinister sound to it, something’s gonna happen and it isn’t a good thing.

3 Driving
This one could have been a song of an Irish folklore dancing group. It really has a happy spark to it making you want to dance around like a folk dancer. It ends as quick as it begins, just like the happy moments in the movie.

4: Preparations
It starts off with dark almost industrial sounds which swell louder and louder until a quick beat comes in and with it the track fades.

5: The killing
A sad sounding track. It’s hard to describe but you just feel it’s about someone’s death. A lingering sad sound (sounds like a violin and a flute ..but I guess I’ve missed out on music classes in my younger years :S ) which in the end slowly fades.
Reference to the movie: Veronica get’s killed.

6 Research
A busy track. It sounds a bit like ‘Driving’ but with more sounds in it. And very very short.

7 Traynor lies
Really emotional sounds with quite an up tempo beat to it which tells there is something that has happened or is going to happen and like most things in the movie, those things aren’t good.

8 The beating
The music makes it sound like a terrible thing has happened..(the tinkling) but it ended alright, she survived.
Reference to the movie: Guess who gets it.

9 Conversations
Drama. That’s the best word for the beginning of this track. Suddenly it opens up into a bit of folk/ Clannad style music fastening the pace.
Like more of the tracks on this cd, it ends very suddenly.

Reference to the movie: In the movie Veronica had difficult conversations with her husband about her dangerous work especially after the attacks on her.

10 First warning
Damn..the first sound of this track made me jump off my chair, that’s a warning!
A short track with sinister sounds.

Reference to the movie: Veronica get’s a ‘warning’ that she shouldn’t stick her nose where it doesn’t belong (according to the criminals of course).

11 Brian O’Donnel: Bad news
A young boy sings this one. And not to suck up to myself, but my English is quite good but I had a hard time following what he sung half of the time. The first part is sung acapella very very beautiful. The music gets stronger and stronger but without sounding so loud that you can’t hear the kid singing. After 3 minutes the singing stops and emotional sounds take over.

12 Second warning
A bit of the same start off as the first warning but I guess I was more prepared. A drama which also ends well even though Veronica survives barely (for now).

13 Deceit
Dark industrial sounds which creep up your skin. Like walking alone in a dark place where danger’s lurking and happening without you knowing.. yet.

14 Never show your fear.
It opens with almost happy twinkling sounds. I think the composer of the OST looked for a track which could describe the braveness of Veronica which ends sad.

Reference to the movie: Veronica’s scared as hell but she never shows it to her enemies and continues the fight even though she’s been threatened and beaten.

15 Sinead O’Connor : The funeral
This is how it ends. The criminal mastermind is behind bars, but Veronica gets killed for it nonetheless. A simple hit and run. It gives the end an almost ‘acquiescent’ sound, it would have ended this way anyhow.


Oversight: The soundtrack gives a good sound to the movie. There are a lot of dark moments in the movie with only short bursts of happiness (Driving, Research). There are only a couple of tracks in which song takes a place. Both Sinead O’Connor tracks and the Brian O’Donnel’s ‘Bad news’ . The music makes you feel like you were there, right in Ireland following the story step by step until the sad ending.

Other music you might like if you liked this OST:
- some Nelly Furtado (yes some of her songs on Whoa Nelly and Folklore have a like sound).
- Sinead O’Connor (what’s there not to like!!)
- Riverdance
- Irish folk music
- Clannad (and alike).

Update?

yes I'm really working on an update.
I've already been a bit busy writing about Veronica Guerin, almost finished.
But I've been so busy that my backside doesn't know my frontside lives ..or the other way around :S

Gah...

Christmas holidays are coming in just over a week, so expect even more updates in those holidays and afterwards.

Veronica Mars ost

Yes..I'm addicted to tv series..sue me.

So Veronica Mars is yet another great tv series that is not on tv overseas (not in The Netherlands at least).
They've just started the 3rd season and it's still going strong.
I'll be reviewing the soundtrack per song..and then add a comment on the whole.
By reviewing, I will not just look at the music itself..but maybe even more if it really FITS into the movie/series. Because I think that is one of the most important things for a soundtrack.

#----Tracktitle------------artist(s)
1. We Used to Be Friends - The dandy warhols
This is the tv series theme. The series is about a girl (Veronica)who's dad is the town's sherrif but get's sacked after everybody thinks he fuckes up at a murdercase (blaming the richest man in town). After getting sacked, they off course lose a lot of friends who turn their backs on them.
So the entire song makes sense.
Next to that it is a very relaxt song with a bit of a spunk to it. Just like Veronica. She's a very nice girl..with spunk.

2. I Hear the Bells - Mike Doughty
A typical feel-good song. He sings about hearing bells ringing joyfull and about early

3. I Know I Know I Know - Tegan & Sarah
A sweet song about everlasting love, untill the relation ends because the lovers drift apart. But they will always love eachother anyway.
It has a sweetish sound to it..but it's not going so far as to sound irritating (like when I hear 'kiss me' by sixpence none the richer to often)

4. I Turn My Camera On - Spoon
After her dad get's sacked as the sherrif he starts up a private detective office.
He's darn good at it and because he can't do everything alone, Veronica does her part taking 'money-shots' with her camera whenever there is something that needs to be found out.
It has a bit of a white stripes sound to it. An easy drum that sticks in your ear.

5. No Sleep Tonight - The Faders
Try figuring out the meaning of this one ;)
A bit of a girlpunk song about someone who won't get any sleep tonight because the person in the song is madly in love and wants to get it on. Veronica falls in love with someone quite bad. (won't spoile it if you haven't watched the series yet..WHY NOT!!)

6. Dakota - Stereophonics
Right from the start it sounds like a Stereophonics song. Can't explain it..it just does. And that's a good thing. A bit more speed in this song than in the previous songs (on the OST). I'll still have to find out why it's called 'Dakota' but it is about your girlfriend making you feel like you're the one for her. Maybe a bit of a sweet subject. But the stereophonics make it 'rocky'.

7. Sway - The Perishers
'I don't want to hurt you, I don't want to make you sway' That's the main line in this song.
A broken love..staying true friends.

8. Long Time Coming - Delays
Like a lot of bands..I didn't knew Delays. But they make a darn good song on this soundtrack. They easily deserve to tour with Stereophonics. If they would bring out some more songs overhere and go to Amsterdam's Paradiso..I'd visit!
I don't réally like to compare bands..but they could be named alongside Stereophonics..but they still have their own sound.

9. On Your Porch - The Format
A boy sings a song about loving a girl and some problems with his dad being very sick which was a very hard time.
The song has a bit of melodrama to it. It leaves a strange mix of sadness and resignation (when you know there's nothing more you can do..it's good enough, you've tried hard). Not exactly really fitting in with the series by subject of the song..but it does represent the feelings.

10. Ocean City Girl - Ivy
A bit of a lounge track. Put it in a placelist with Air. It's just a little bit louder but you could almost picture the things in the song.
It's about that nothing can hurt the girl that got killed anymore. It's all good now.
Or at least that's what I feel listening to the song.

11. Momentary Thing - Something happens
Nothing lasts forever. 'It' was just a momentary thing but it was great while it lasted. Easy going song..untill the refrain kicks in! You may even jump a bit to this song! 'but after all..isn't this just a momentary thing!'

12. Way You Are - 46bliss
Put yourself..put yourself in my place. Trying to describe the feelings of different persons towards eachother. Try to see things how somebody else sees them for once.
And about staying yourself. A bit more noise than would be expected from this theme.

13. Lost & Found - Adrienne Pierce
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw love finding & losing it.
Nothing more to say about this one.

14. Lily Dreams On - Cotton Mather
Lily is the person (girl) that was killed. She was the best friend of Veronica.
She 'talks' to Veronica in her dreams. Lily herself always was a dreamer. So the song 'Lily dreams on' fits perfectly. This guy has a strange nice sounding accent. A bit of a slow 'gitar-plucking' song.
---

After writing the 'per-song' thing it sounds like the soundtrack is filled with songs about sweet romantic songs. But it just has a bit more rock to it. The songs emulate the emotions of love and confusion that Veronica has during the episodes.
Confusion about not knowing who murdered her best friend and about not fitting in in her old group of friends any more. And love for.....go find out!

The songs are mainly feel-good or feel-sad rock songs. But most of the time they just that bit extra to the songs to not make them corny. With a couple of big(ger) artists on the soundtrack I was surprised not to hear any of the songs on radio.
The Dandy warhols or Stereophonics could have made a big hit out of their attribution.

You can listen samples on Amazone or alike sites. And go go go watch that series. It's brilliant! Maybe the first 5 minutes make you think you're watching another high-school series. But that changes very very fast into a witty tv series that keeps surprising you. It will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to find clues for each major case that is a red line for each season (so they are busy with nr 3..but case 1 still lingers on).
The witty comments made by Veronica or others are funny..DAMN FUNNY! Not corny..they will make you laugh aloud. Ask my parents..they've asked again and again why me and my brother were laughing so loudly.

- damn long this one..- I get stuck trying to describe the tv series as well as the soundtracks :D

UPDATE~! LFJ (looking for job ;)

coming soon. Real life interference sucks ;)
More on the Wire! HBO put up tracklistings for every episode so I don't have to scour (sp) through their boards. Will always check up Nora Lee's great site!!! Nora..great site lot's of good insight into The Wire, giving it the respect it deserves!! It's mainly an underground hit overhere. A shame!

More soundtrack reviews. I got a couple of soundtracks lying around. If people got ideas...I'm open to them. But being poor..I can't buy everything..(hmm maybe I should see if I can get this blog to be bigger so I get send soundtracks for free and review them. Getting free cd's , not having to download them, maaaaaaaaaaaaybe even getting paid for a hobby!!! It's always been a bit of a dream to get a (part-time) job that is really really a hobby. I'm not a music student or something, but I listen to a very broad range of music, so knowledge through experience I guess.
I can be a critic, but won't hack and slash music, 99% of the bands don't deserve that!! So anybody who can hook me up with anything--> APPRECIATED!!!

The Wire tracks update 11-11-07

UPDATE 11-11-2007
Added youtube links to a lot of stuff. Just comment in the latest post if a link failes or is removed from youtube, I'll search again :)

I'll also add the season and episode info in brackets (eg: S1e01 etc).
Tracklisting:

S1 Theme: Blind boys of Alabama – Way down in the hole
S2 Theme: Tom Waits – Way down in the hole (original version)
S3 Theme: The Neville Brothers – Way down in the hole
S4 Theme: DoMaJe– Way down in the hole

New info (a lot of stuff from the site below):

Masta Ace ft Strick - Unfriendly game
The Fleshtones (mentioned on the site below..but without tracktitles).
Blake Leyh - The Fall (Closing theme, there are 3 slightly different versions!)

SEASON 1
Jay-Z's - IZZO (H.O.V.A.) (s1e01)
Mickey & Silvia - Love is strange (s1e02
Guess Who - American woman (s1e02)
Lucinda Williams - 2 kool 2 be 4 gotten (s1e03)
Ja Rule - Down ass bitch (s1e03)(the link is the censored version)
Nina Simone's - Sugar in My Bowl (s1e04)
Duke Ellington - Fleurette Africaine -> Album: Money Jungle (s1e06)
Cytoplastik - Wax Music Box (s1e06)
The Tokens - The lion sleeps tonight (s1e08)
Michael Franti and Spearhead - Rock the Nation -->Album: Stay Human (s1e09)
Paul Anka - Put Your Head on my Shoulder (s1e13)
Jesse Winchester - Step by Step -->Album: Let the Rough Side Drag (s1e13)

SEASON 2
Looking Glass - Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) (s2)
The Nighthawks - Sixteen Tons (s2e01)
The Stooges & Iggy Pop- search and destroy --> album: Raw power (s2e01)
Meryl Streep & Lily Tomlin - A Prairie Home Companion (s2e01) - not sure if this is the right version
Aretha Franklin - The House That Jack Built (s2e02)
Lyle Lovett - Goodbye to Carolina -->album:I Love Everybody (s2e02)
Velvelettes - He Was Really Saying Something (s2e04)
Frankie Lymon - I Promise To Remember (s2e04)
Irma Thomas - Ruler Of My Heart (s2e04)
Gram Parsons - Streets of Baltimore (s2e04)
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride (s2e04)
Tammy Wynette - Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad (s2e04)
Akrobatik – The hand that rocks the cradle --> album: Balance(undertow (s2e05)
Maria Muldaur - Midnight at the Oasis (s2e05)
Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Child (s2e07)
Pogues - Transmetropolitan --> Album: Red roses for me (s2e08)
Mary Wells - You Beat Me To the Punch (s2e09)
Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line (s2e10)
Joan Jett - Roadrunner (s2e10)
Stelios Kazantzidis - To Psomi tis Xanthias (Bread in a Foreign Land) (s2e11)
Stelios Kazantzidis - Efige Efige--> album possibly: Palia Laika (s2e11)
Stelios Kazantzidis - Efige Efige
Steve Earle - I Feel Alright (s2e12)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Have You Ever Seen the Rain -->album: The Hit List (s2e13)

Season 3
An updated Shaft Theme (s3e01)
Ludacris - Stand Up (s3e02)
George Clinton - Atomic Dog (s3e02)
The Pogues - Body of an American (s3e03)
Shane McGowan - Sally MacLennane (s3e03) (Might be it..
DJ Technics - In My Life (s3e03)
Biggie Smalls - My Downfall -->Album: Life After Death (s3e04)
Ludacris - Splash waterfalls (s3e04)
War- Me and Baby Brother (s3e05)
Sheryl Crow - Are You Strong Enough to Be My Man? (s3e07)
LL Cool J - Head Sprung (s3e07)
Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldiers (s3e08)
Hank Williams - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (not sure) (s3e08)
J-Kwon - Everybody in the Club Gettin Tipsy? (s3e08)
some Outkast according to a poster on the HBO BB (s3e08)
Dem Franchise Boyz - In my White Tees (s3e10)
Music Explosion - Little Bit of Soul (s3e10)
Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It's Hot (s3e12)
Solomon Burke – Fast train --> album: Don't give up on me(s3e12)



Also check out this website with:
http://www.geocities.com/hmshultz/wire#s1
Major thanks goes out to a fan called Jeremiah (giving credit where credit is due ;).

This site has got a lot of track info for every episode of all 3 seasons that exist at the moment.

Updated everything from the site (also linked it in the sidebar) incl updates to the stuff I already had. I'll check the HBO forums and will update any and all info given to me (usefull info of course ;) )

Favourites

'Normal music'
It's VERY hard for me to take a #1 so I'll make a list of cd's I like without things having to be in a particular order.

Nas - Illmatic (good oldskool rap)

Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (hard music :D)

Manau - Panique Celtique (French band: most people only know La tribu de dana. but I like all their songs).

Nirvana - Nevermind (probably will still be listening when I'm 80)

Eminem - Slim Shady LP (funny and still raw)

Spinvis - Smalfilm (you'd probably have to know Dutch to find it attactive..very very weird lyrics in a poetic way on a sound of whatever sound the guy could find).

Dr Dre - The Chronic 2001 (still Dre. Great tracks, funny and sometimes disturbing skits..don't turn up the volume right before Pauze 4 Porn or your mother/gf or other people will give you a strange look ;) )

Live - The distance to here (Have seen Live, Live and they ROCK!)

Silverchair - Frogstomp (emo-rock..sue me! But also a bit harder now and then)

Evanescence - Fallen (hard gothic-ish rock..I like it.

Just 2 other bands that I just MUST mention: Corvus Corax, Within Temptation.

So that would be my 10 normal favourites although I could spam on.
Oldies that I like: Dire Straits (can't remember their cd title), Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marly, Kate Bush, Simon & Garfunkel, The Dubliners (sue me again) etc.

Updated and upcoming

I decided to review the soundtracks which I posted about. So check the posts again (there aren't that many: weeds, lost, the wire).

Upcoming: Veronica Mars, Casshern (Japanese flick) and Godzilla and one of the Matrix OST's. But that might take a couple of days, because I don't want to flood my blog with too many posts. It's just that I've listened to these lately or that I have them in my possesion.

The Wire

This series doesn't have an own soundtrack but there is plenty of music in all the episodes.

Here's what I've found so far (that is..found the info on the HBO The Wire forums).
If I've got the info..I will even post which episode features the song.

Tracklisting:

Akrobatik – The hand that rocks the cradle (undertow" (s2 e5)
Stelios Kazantzidis - Ena Sidero Anameno (I think one of the last episodes of S2..the Greek song)

S1 Theme: Blind boys of Alabama – Way down in the hole
S2 Theme: Tom Waits – Way down in the hole (original version)
S3 Theme: The Neville Brothers – Way down in the hole

Other stuff:
The Pogues - Body of an American
Ludacris - Splash waterfalls
Aretha Franklin - The House That Jack Built
Michael Franti & Spearhead - Rock the Nation
Steve Earle - Feel alright.
Solomon Burke – Fast train

And as a small bonus
TOM WAITS lyrics - "Way Down In The Hole"

When you walk through the garden
you gotta watch your back
well I beg your pardon
walk the straight and narrow track
if you walk with Jesus
he's gonna save your soul
you gotta keep the devil
way down in the hole
he's got the fire and the fury
at his command
well you don't have to worry
if you hold on to Jesus hand
we'll all be safe from Satan
when the thunder rolls
just gotta help me keep the devil
way down in the hole
All the angels sing about Jesus' mighty sword
and they'll shield you with their wings
and keep you close to the lord
don't pay heed to temptation
for his hands are so cold
you gotta help me keep the devil
way down in the hole
--------
Comment:
I'm VERY sad that there isn't an official soundtrack to be found. Now people have to scavenge music from all over the place and even find out the artist & track names, which is a lot of work.
Every season has it's own version of 'Way down in the hole'. I liked the version of the Alabama blind boys best, because it gives it the raw souly sound to the series which describes the crime and the drama.
For the rest I haven't heard much of the music seperate from the series except the Greek song, which is a very funny song to listen to. I don't understand a single word, but it creates good music to the scene it was played in and it's a happy song (at least it sounds that way).

Overall the music was very diverse. Hardcore rap, soul, pop, rock and other stuff. It gave a grimey, dramatic and sometimes funny effect to the series. Very nice.
Let's give it a 7,5. Just because there is no real soundtrack and I haven't heard all that much when I didn't watch the series.

-----------

If anyone knows more songs featured in the series..please post them as comments or contact me in any other way. I will try to update this post (that is make a new round-up post).

Weeds

1. Malvina Reynolds - Little Boxes
2. Nellie McKay - David
3. Peggy Lee - A Doodlin' Song
4. Sufjan Stevens - All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands
5. Michael Franti & Spearhead - Ganja Babe"
6. All Too Much - More Than A Friend
7. Sons & Daughters - Blood
8. The New Pornographers - The Laws Have Changed"
9. Joey Santiago - Fake Purse"
10. NRBQ - Wacky Tobacky
11. Marion Black - Who Knows
12. Martin Creed - I Can't Move
13. The Mountain Goats - Cotton
14. Joey Santiago - Birthday Video
15. Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive
16. The Be Good Tanyas - The Littlest Birds
17. Hill Of Beans - Satan Lend Me A Dollar

At the moment there's only one season with 10 episodes of 30 minutes. But it's darn worth it. And a 2nd season is coming up this summer. If you don't live in the USA (like me) the Torrent the series! GO GO GO ;)

How to describe this soundtrack? Plain funny! It's the perfect music for a tv series in suburbia. Especially 'little boxes' which describes the people who live in Agrestic (the town where the tv series is set). There are only a couple of artists which I knew before this OST. Michael Franti & Spearhead and Flogging Molly. You can listen these songs seperately or as a whole. It doesn't matter it's at least an 8!

Lost

Track Listing:
1. Main Title - Composed by J.J. Abrams
2. The Eyeland
3. World’s Worst Beach Party
4. Credit Where Credit Is Due
5. Run Like, Um... Hell?
6. Hollywood and Vines
7. Just Die Already
8. Me And My Big Mouth
9. Crocodile Locke
10. Win One for the Reaper
11. Departing Sun
12. Charlie Hangs Around
13. Navel Gazing
14. Proper Motivation
15. Run Away! Run Away!
16. We’re Friends
17. Getting Ethan
18. Thinking Clairely
19. Locke’d Out Again
20. Life and Death
21. Booneral
22. Shannonigans
23. Kate’s Motel
24. I’ve Got A Plane To Catch
25. Monsters Are Such Innnteresting People
26. Parting Words
27. Oceanic 815

So what can be said about this soundtrack? I think it is a REAL soundtrack. This means that the music really supports the series directly. It creates spheres of creepyness, haste, horror, secrecy, happyness, relieve. If you'd listen to this soundtrack at night, lights out, all alone..any normal person would get at least a bit uncomfortable. The titles aren't random funny titles (although the DID made me laugh), but they are all very well thought of because they support different scenes.

I think this soundtrack deserves an 8 or even a 9. It is, which is something I like, music that you wouldn't normally listen on the radio or would come in contact with.

Soundtracks of whatever

After spitting through dozens of posts on a HBO The Wire forum I grew tired.
Nobody took the time to make a post to make a tracklisting of everything that was mentioned in the endless posts about music in The Wire.

The Wire doesn't have an official soundtrack (as far as I can find..and I did search).
As I've been a kind of a Tv series addict and I've been downloading (sorry..but I don't got enough money on me to buy every soundtrack I like for 22 euro's a piece!).
So I've been trying to round up tracklistings of soundtrack music to whatever series I like (that is..which I have seen!)

This is a welcoming post. I will make some other posts with tracklistings of different tv series. For The Wire there will be updates when I come across new info.