BuzzSugar

Karen O Tells Us "All Is Love" in Where the Wild Things Are

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:30:55 -0700

Unsurprisingly, the first song off the soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are, which already looks adorable and cool, is totally cute. Featuring the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' frontwoman Karen O and a collection of adults and children simply called "the Kids," the track is sweet and whimsical, with all the Kids' voices combining with Os high-pitched chirruping. In "All Is Love," the whole group repeats those three words over and over until you can't really do anything but smile and start to believe it.

The single will be available to download tomorrow, and for now you can hear it on the MySpace page for Where the Wild Things Are. Take a listen, and tell me what you think.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Soundtrack Review: (500) Days of Summer

BellaSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:30:23 -0700

Note from Buzz: My buddy Bella is going to contribute some of her thoughtful musings about music here from time to time. Her inaugural post is an album review of the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack. Take it away, Bella!

A movie soundtrack has more or less the same goal as a great mix tape: it needs to put a scene in the listener's mind, produce an emotional response, and introduce an amazing new song or two. Considering how integral music is to the plot of (500) Days of Summer, a lot is riding on the film's soundtrack. The film isn't shy about revealing its hip-kid leanings - after all, our lovebirds initially bond over their love of the Smiths, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt sports Clash and Joy Division tees - but the soundtrack is an ambrosia salad of sweet but all-over-the-place tunes. For more of my take on it all, read more.

These songs are an easy fit for romantic late nights, and about half of the CD will make you wish you were in love. Carla Bruni (yes, the first lady of France) spreads her velvet voice over the dreamy acoustic guitar-and-violin "Quelqu'un M'a Dit," and The Temper Trap's shimmering "Sweet Disposition" has a U2-meets-Bloc Party feel that could make this band. Regina Spektor's two tracks have her crooning as lovely as ever, and the Black Lips contribute a fun, jangly countrified treat with "Bad Kids."

And yet. For all of the good music on this soundtrack - and don't get me wrong, it's there - we've heard much of it before. Feist's "Mushaboom" is five years old now, and as much as I love Moz and Marr, I wish there were something fresher than two Smiths songs. Hall and Oates? Play 'em off, Keyboard Cat. (No, really. Please do.) Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward (She & Him) succeed with a wistful cover of "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," but Meaghan Smith's cloyingly precious version of the Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" is a miss.

For casual listeners, this soundtrack should bring some good times. But for anyone who's already into indie-ish music - which is pretty much this movie's target demographic - this "mix tape" might seem lacking in variety and freshness.

She & Him Cover the Smiths on (500) Days of Summer Soundtrack

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:30:14 -0700

The soundtrack for Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's upcoming romantic film (500) Days of Summer (opening in limited release July 17) looks like an awesome lineup, and we've already checked out one of the songs, the Temper Trap's "Sweet Disposition," featured in the movie's trailer. Also included on the soundtrack is the Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," along with a cover of the song sung by Zooey Deschanel herself. Deschanel and M. Ward, as musical duo She & Him, give the tune an old-fashioned '50s feel, with Deschanel's plaintive voice telling us once more that if she gets what she wants, "Lord knows, it would be the first time."

I'm looking forward to hearing the entire soundtrack when it's released July 14, but for now it's fun to get a taste with She & Him. To check out the cover, read more.

Five Notable '09 Soundtracks So Far

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:40:59 -0700

In this age of downloading a single song here and there, the fun of a good soundtrack is getting a little bit lost. Sure, they might just be glorified playlists, but I still get a kick out of them. Whether they invoke memories of a movie I really enjoyed or introduce me to new artists, I'm a sucker for a good soundtrack. The following is a list of some quality soundtracks from the past few months - and some of them may surprise you!

View Slideshow ›

Buzz In: What Are Your Favorite Movie Songs?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:30:00 -0700

Tonight, the American Idol top seven will take on their favorite songs from the movies (with special guest Quentin Tarantino). We've talked a lot around here about movie soundtracks and Oscar-winning songs, so naturally I'm excited to see what the Idol contestants pull out of the songbook tonight. I've been thinking all day about some of my favorite movie songs - this may or may not boil down to playing "Falling Slowly" and "Jai Ho" a whole bunch - and I thought I'd see if you had them on the brain, too. Tell me: What are your all-time favorite songs from the cinema?

Source

Listen Up: Zooey Deschanel's "Yes Man"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:30:48 -0800

Any excuse to listen to Zooey Deschanel's sweet, dreamy voice sounds good to me, so I'm psyched to hear the soundtrack songs for Jim Carrey's (and Zooey's!) next comedy Yes Man that feature Deschanel and some seriously awesome synthesizing (incidentally, much of the rest of the soundtrack is by another great artist: Eels). The lyrics are a little ridiculous but the song is so much fun I don't really care. It actually makes me want to jog, and trust me - that is no small feat.

The soundtrack will be released tomorrow, Dec. 16. To take a listen to "Yes Man" and tell me what you think, read more.

Yes Man - Munchaussen By Proxy (Featuring Zooey Deschanel & Von Iva)

Source and source

Buzz Mix: The Best Soundtrack Songs of 2007

BuzzSugar — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 08:30:24 -0800

I recently shared with you my 2007 mix of general songs that I loved, a kind of soundtrack to my year. Now I've rounded up some actual soundtrack songs from TV shows and movies that stood out enough for me to track them down after turning off the TV or leaving the movie theater. Thus, if my entertainment-related experiences had a soundtrack this year, this mix is basically what it would look like.

Some are oldies I already knew but loved in a whole new way, like "Knock On Wood" from Talk to Me. Others I hadn't heard and they compelled me to seek out more music by the artist, as happened with The Pierces' song "Three Wishes," used in Gossip Girl.

To check out my favorite soundtrack tunes and tell me about your favorite soundtrack songs of the year, read more.

"80s Celebration," The Reduction Agents, Eagle vs Shark
"I Love the Unknown," Eef Barzelay, Rocket Science
"Anyone Else But You," performed by Michael Cera and Ellen Page, Juno
"Business Time," Flight of the Conchords
"Devil Town," Bright Eyes, Friday Night Lights
"Keep Breathing," Ingrid Michaelson, Grey's Anatomy
"No One's Gonna Love You," Band of Horses, Chuck
"Three Wishes," The Pierces, Gossip Girl
"Falling Slowly," Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard, Once
"Knock On Wood," Eddie Floyd, Talk to Me
"Daughter," Loudon Wainwright, Knocked Up
"Werewolf Bar Mitzvah," Tracy Jordan, 30 Rock

Vanity Fair's Top Ten Movie Soundtracks

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:30:00 -0700

As with so many top whatever lists, this one, put together by the editors at Vanity Fair, has some that I completely agree with and others that leave me scratching my head. The Big Chill is a good one, as is Trainspotting and Pulp Fiction. But I'm surprised Magnolia's not on here, and I would think Forrest Gump might get a spot, too.

I know many of you participated in my Buzzworthy challenge to bookmark your favorite movie soundtracks a while ago, but tell me again (or for the first time): Which soundtracks do you think should be on a "top ten" list?

Vanity Fair's Top Ten Film Soundtracks:

10. The Big Chill
9. American Graffiti
8. Saturday Night Fever
7. Trainspotting
6. Superfly
5. The Graduate
4. Pulp Fiction
3. The Harder They Come
2. A Hard Day's Night
1. Purple Rain

Music Video: Sondre Lerche, "To Be Surprised" from Dan in Real Life

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:31:32 -0700

As I mentioned earlier today, one of the few standout things about Dan in Real Life, which plods into theaters today, is the soundtrack, provided entirely by Sondre Lerche (well, except for one cover of "Let My Love Open the Door"). I've been a huge fan of Lerche's loungey style and smooth voice for years now. I've even seen the slight, adorable Norwegian with the foppish hairstyle perform live, and he's a real class act.

His music in Dan in Real Life manages to enhance scenes that would otherwise lie flat; indeed, his music often comes as a relief, indicating that we can relax, enjoy the visuals and the relaxing tunes without being subjected to some more uninteresting dialogue.

Recently Lerche went on Letterman to perform his song "To Be Surprised" which is featured prominently in the film. You can take or leave Dan in Real Life but definitely take a listen to Lerche's music. This song is happy, and yet leaves me feeling slightly melancholic as well. To can check out the video of Lerche performing on Letterman, read more

Source

How Many Movie Soundtracks Do You Own?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:03:15 -0700

The soundtrack to Spider-Man 3 looks to be surprisingly awesome, and thanks to Stereogum you can already listen to the new Flaming Lips song that will be featured in the movie. The soundtrack might end up with the other excellent soundtracks in my collection, like the ones from Magnolia and Garden State. From my movie soundtrack Buzzworthy challenge I know you enjoy them, too, but tell me just how much.