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.

Build a Soundtrack: The Time Traveler's Wife

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:30:20 -0700

I know many of you enjoyed reading Audrey Niffenegger's novel The Time Traveler's Wife and are probably as anxious as I am to see the movie this August (and at least see a trailer one of these days, sheesh!). I hope the movie is as riveting, romantic and poignant as the book was, and I really hope the soundtrack is great. This is one movie for which I'd love to help choose the music.

If you could choose songs to go in this movie, what would you pick? What sounds would go well with the tone of this story? I'd include Wilco's "Far, Far Away" for both its tone of sweet longing as well as the lyrics (like this bit about Chicago, where The Time Traveler's Wife often takes place: "I long to hold you in my arms and sway/ Kiss and ride on the CTA"). I also like the idea of using a "time" song, like the Rolling Stones' "Time Is on My Side." And the Death Cab for Cutie song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" has about the same "emotional destruction" factor as this book itself does (in a good way, of course).

OK, your turn: How would you build this soundtrack?

Source and Source

OMFG! A Gossip Girl Soundtrack: Duh

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:30:45 -0700

My question is: What took them so long? I kid, but honestly, you knew a Gossip Girl soundtrack had to be coming because a) that's what good teen dramas do, and b) the show is as good at music as it is at one-liners.

So, the first Gossip Girl soundtrack has been compiled by The O.C.'s former music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas (you know how I feel about her). OMFGG - Original Music Featured on Gossip Girl No. 1's 13 tracks will hit record store shelves near you on Oct. 28, and the album's also available online right now. It's generally a pretty good overview of the show's music, though it doesn't have the memorable "U.R.A. Fever," the song that's playing when Serena admits to murder.

The good folks of GG are also launching an entire site devoted to music on the show. I'm pretty excited for that site myself, because I rarely watch an episode without doing some searching for lyrics I heard.

Are you on your way to download the soundtrack? Are you excited for the new music site? I've got the track list after the jump - and super bonus Buzz respect and admiration goes to anyone who can figure out which song was played in which OMG moment last season. To check it out, just read more.

The Kills – “Sour Cherry”
The Kooks – "Do You Wanna"
Phantom Planet – “Do the Panic”
The Teenagers – “Feeling Better”
The Virgins – “One Week of Danger (Demo Version)”
Nadia Oh – “Got Your Number”
Crystal Castles – “Crimewave”
The Republic Tigers – “Fight Song”
Junkie XL – “Cities in Dust”
The Ting Tings – “We Started Nothing”
Oppenheimer – “Breakfast in NYC”
The Pierces – “Three Wishes”
Albert Hammond Jr. – “Hard to Live in the City”

Photo courtesy of The CW

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

The Wire Gets a Hip-Hop Heavy Soundtrack

BuzzSugar — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:00:04 -0800

The Wire, the gritty HBO series that returns for its fifth and final season in January, has been renowned for its unflinching portrayal of Baltimore. Now, that faithfulness to its setting is expanding to a soundtrack stuffed with music from the show's five years - including several tracks from underground Baltimore hip hop and club artists.

The soundtrack, ...And All the Pieces Matter, will be released Jan. 8, two days after the show's season premiere. So far, it sounds like a great selection of songs, with the Baltimore tracks joining "The Body of an American" by the Pogues, "I Feel Alright" by Steve Earle, and "Fast Train" by Solomon Burke. The album will include a booklet of essays by hip-hop journalists and author (and Wire writer) George Pelecanos.

I might be most excited about getting to hear all the versions of the show's theme song ("Way Down in the Hole" by Tom Waits) together. Each season has had a different rendition of the song, including a group of Baltimore teens who recorded the theme for the education-focused fourth season. In fact, their take on the song might be my favorite; you can check it out over here.

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Album Stream: The Super-Indie Spider-Man 3 Soundtrack

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:14:49 -0700

Lately, I've been almost as excited about the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack as I am about the accompanying summer blockbuster. The movie, of course, comes out out on Friday, but the soundtrack hits stores tomorrow, and you can listen to the entire album online now at AOL Music.

It really is a pretty daring soundtrack for a big summer movie. The contributions from bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Jet are edgy but also fit nicely into the superhero-movie mold. My favorite tracks are probably the Walkmen song, "Red River," and Black Mountain's "Stay Free" - both of which are pretty interesting departures from each band's sound. However, Snow Patrol's "Signal Fire" is a bit maudlin and movie-soundtracky for my taste. Anyway, give the CD a listen and let me know what you think.

The New Moon Soundtrack - Revealed!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:30:45 -0700

Finally! For weeks, there's been gossip about which artists would land a coveted spot on the New Moon soundtrack, and now we have the final list. We knew that Death Cab for Cutie's "Meet Me on the Equinox" was going to make it on there, and Thom Yorke, Muse, and The Killers were rumored as well.

Still, I'm psyched to see a few unexpected names on the roster (like Bon Iver and Lykke Li), as well as some relatively unknowns. Alexandra Patsavas put it all together - she's also the music supervisor for Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl - and her eye for artists is always spot-on, so I can't wait to download the whole thing. The soundtrack hits stores October 20th, but until then, check out the full playlist and tell me what you think!

To see the full list, read more.

Death Cab For Cutie - "Meet Me on the Equinox"
Band of Skulls - "Friends"
Thom Yorke - "Hering Damage"
Lykke Li - "Possibility"
The Killers - "A White Demon Song"
Anya Marina - "Satellite Heart"
Muse - "I Belong to You (New Moon)"
Bon Iver and St. Vincent - "Rosyln"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Done All Wrong"
Hurricane Bells - "Monsters"
Sea Wolf - "The Violet Hour"
Ok Go - "Shooting The Moon"
Grizzly Bear - "Slow Life"
Editors - "No Sound But the Wind"
Alexandre Desplat - "New Moon (The Meadow)"

To meet more Twilight Fans, join the Twilight Group on the BuzzSugar Community!

New Moon Soundtrack Out Today! What to Sink Your Teeth Into

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:44:25 -0700

The film version of this Fall's sequel to Twilight isn't all fans have been rabidly anticipating - the New Moon soundtrack picked up enough steam to be released today instead of next Tuesday. It's no wonder it was rushed out; Death Cab for Cutie's video for "Meet Me on the Equinox", premiered to much fanfare, as did the tracklist, revealed barely a month ago.

The wait is over, and you can go buy the disc, download it, or stream the soundtrack on MySpace for free today. I've been listening for the past couple of days, and like my feelings for Robert Pattinson, I'm crushing pretty hard on it. Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas did a great job compiling songs - all originals for the soundtrack - that evoke the teenage heartbreak vibe of New Moon while featuring a roster of talented bands.

Find out what's worth the iPod space when you read more.

I'm a pretty big Death Cab fan, but "Meet Me on the Equinox" doesn't do much for me - instead, The Killer's "White Demon Love Song" is the better rocking, evocative love song.

It was interesting to me when people were perplexed about Thom Yorke's appearance on this soundtrack, when there was an awesomely-placed Radiohead song over Twilight's end credits. Yorke's solo effort, "Hearing Damage" has the same edgy feeling as "15 Step," and I'm definitely trying to figure out when it will play in the movie (it sounds ideal to break down to).

It's fun to play the where-does-this-song-go game; "Monsters" by Hurricane Bells has to be played when things are good between Bella and Jacob, while "The Violet Hour" by Sea Wolf is another one of the few upbeat songs on the album. I'd bet the relieved-sounding ballad "Shooting the Moon" by OK Go ends up being one of the movie's last songs.

Considering the movie's plot, there are the expected mournful tunes, such as the remarkable "Possibility" by Lykke Li, who came into my consciousness last year and is about to hit everyone else's this year. Grizzly Bear's Slow Life also beautifully illustrates Bella's sad sack mood (total break up song).

Stephenie Meyer's favorite band Muse of course appears with "I Belong To You" - and it's a lively, bittersweet track (I'm betting it's wrapping up the credits).

Have you gotten a chance to listen to the New Moon soundtrack? Tell me what songs have caught your ear below, and to talk more album reviews, join the Music Review Group or the Movies of Twilight group in the community!

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:30:59 -0700

It's Tuesday! I've already given you some picks to beef up your Netflix queue, but now it's time for your iPod. Check out today's new music releases for what you should download.

The birth of new sound: The latest from The Flaming Lips, Embryonic, is the musical equivalent of an acid trip. The band reportedly improvised a lot in the studio, so the entire album feels raw and pretty much all over the place. MGMT joins in on the track Worm Mountain, Karen O lends silly animal noises (yes, really) to I Can Be a Frog, and a mathematician spouts out equation, x=y type stuff on Gemini Syringes. Weird? You bet. Every track is experimental, which means you'll either embrace it for its free-spirited creativity, or write it off as too strange. Either way, it's worth checking out.

Pop culture candy: Hell has frozen over - Jack White is on the 90210 soundtrack. Hey, I'm not knocking TV music - I've already professed my love for it - but I was surprised to see The Raconteurs associated with a CW show. The band lends a wicked guitar riff to the first track Many Shades of Black (featuring soulful singer Adele) to start the album off. The rest of the playlist includes a mix of new offerings from indie artists and more mainstream pop, but my favorites are the sleepy Valium by MuteMath and the Postal Service-ish Sunburn by Owl City.

See one more release when you read more.

Bah-hum-blah: I was pumped when I heard that Bob Dylan was making a holiday album. It may be Halloween time now, but I always love a good carol, and Christmas in the Heart includes 15 of my favorites. But that's where my excitement ended. Dylan's voice will always be uniquely his, but the throaty quality seems out of place here, singing famous ditties like Here Comes Santa Claus. It's almost like your uncle had too many spiked ciders and started caroling. Even so, I'll probably still download I'll Be Home For Christmas or Winter Wonderland just so I'm not a total Scrooge - the proceeds go to the charity Feeding America.

Death Cab For Cutie's "Meet Me on the Equinox" Video From New Moon - Love It or Leave It?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:35:40 -0700

Fans everywhere have been anxiously waiting for the video from the New Moon soundtrack, Death Cab For Cutie's "Meet Me on the Equinox." It's the first song off the album, and the video features the band playing between clips from the movie. While it's not among my favorite Death Cab songs, it does seem to fit the bill for New Moon's big breakup between Edward and Bella. Check it out below and tell me what you think - love it or leave it?