Entertainment Vine » Music

OST: “The Limits of Control” (Lakeshore Records)

MichaelSullivan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:59:31 +0000

Real quirky soundtrack to a little seen film by acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch. On the liner notes,Jarmusch writes the score hides clues to the movie itself. That said,part of a good mystery is actually letting the reader/viewer/watcher SEE the clue provided.
As for this soundtrack,its mix of tribal,Latin and worldbeat wants to be dark and mysterious but ends up droning and shallow. The music itself,especially by Boris and Bad Rabbit,isn’t bad,but its not a soundtrack that will make you rush to hit replay or tell a friend.
Like the movie,this album,while ambitious,will seldom be heard or bought.

Not recommended.

Bear McCreary “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (La La Land Records)

MichaelSullivan — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:20:11 +0000

Not too many television series with only 31 episodes aired get a album of score music released. And while you may be unlucky to find your show on the least supportive network on the air today (hello,Fox! You have killed more good shows then Dan Ackroyd has movies),to have a composer like Bear McCreary to the show’s music is a major plus.
   McCreary,who created the dark,somber and somewhat primal score for the “Battlestar Galactica”remake,strikes gold again here.
   The score for TSCC is industrial,dark and while it stands alone as its own creature,Bear also acknowledge the past films with snippets of the original’s score.
   The pace of the music is very fast,no let up here. The use of traditional instruments along with modern MIDI and synths combined leaves a unique sound in your ears,a strange earthy and alien mix that really keeps your ear listening to what is being created,the conflict between now and the future that John Connor faces.

A nice bonus is former Garbage singer Shirley Manson (who also starrred in the series) chips in a song,”Samson and Delilah” that works much better then the other song contributed by Bear’s brother,Brendan.

This is a must have for fans of the Terminator series and well worth checking out even if you are not.

Recommended.

Tey “On My Way To Me” (Teymusic)

MichaelSullivan — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:28:16 +0000

Went to my mailbox the other day and was surprised to see a press kit from one of my favorite “finds”.
    A few years back I had stumbled across a lovely singer named Tey Punsalan who blew me away with her great voice and jaw dropping beauty. I became a fan right away and was convinced this was a star just ready to blossom.
    But the American music industry is extremely fickle. Think of how many stars were just a bit of ahead of thier time. While we can embrace white and black artists,other equally talented artists who don’t quite fit in or linger just outside of the mainstream simply don’t get the chance to shine.
    Let me be quite plain here….I have been in the music business for 20 years,12 as a talent buyer,8 as a music journalist. I have seen acts come and go,flashes in the pan,one hit wonders,cookie cutters deluxe.
   Tey Punsalan should be a major star. Its a real damn shame she is not,while we get crap like American Idol and other cookie cutter crap,a real talent who can do it all…..pop,dance,ballads and write her own songs struggles to be heard. She is one of the hardest working artists I have met.
    Now Tey has a new CD out called “On MyWay To Me”. Starting with the amazing and ironic cover of Tey standing to power lines,one this album,Tey decides to strip her sound to sparse acoustics. The goal is to showcase both Tey’s vocals and songwriting. Add in some tasty covers and you have a beautifully sounding effort.
   The title track,a young woman’s brave choice to live her life her way is a strong way to start the album.
   On “I Wonder” a ballad about commitment features some nice quirky guitar changes by Tey. The hook is very gentle and alluring.
   “Sex on the Beach” might have worked a bit better as a dance number but still works as a slow jam. The vocals are clean and sexy in an adult way. You don’t hear this very often in today’s music no matter what the genre is.
   The other six songs includes a sultry cover of George Michael’s “Faith”.
Tey wrote or co-wrote 6 of the 10 songs on this CD,showcasing her feel for songwriting.
   You really should yourself a favor and order this CD and take a chance on one hell of a talented young lady.

One of the best albums of the year.

www.Teymusic.com

OST: “Scott Walker-30 Century Man” (Lakeshore Records)

MichaelSullivan — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:25:13 +0000

Scott Walker. Maybe not a name people know much today but when he first started out in the 60’s as a member of the The Walker Brothers in the UK,they rivaled the mighty Beatles in terms of pure popularity.

Born Noel Scott Engel in Ohio in 1943,he first came to the attention of famed crooner Eddie Fisher in the late 1950s. Walker became one of the musicians to master the electric bass guitar and became in-demand session/studio player.
While the band The Walker Brothers was formed in 1964 in Los Angeles,it was only when they moved to the UK that the band really took off with a bang.
The band had many major hits in UK and the US and produced 3 very well recieved albums before breaking up in 1967.

Following that,Walker recorded many solo albums but never recaptured the original buzz the band had going.
Finally in 1975,the band reunited and released 3 more albums. But the magic was gone and with lukewarm sales,they broke up again 1978.
After that Walker continued to make music but quietly went from the public’s eye. But his music helped influenced many of our greatest singers including David Bowie,Marc Almond and Radiohead.

   In 2006,filmaker Stephen Kijak released a documentary about Scott Walker and his 30 years of music. The film was very well reviewed and the soundtrack features a slew of very interesting singers covering some of Scott’s songs.
    In listening to this ballad driven album,its easy to see why Walker is so well respected. His songs are warm,dramatic and full of the story.
Standout cuts include Bee and Flower covering “The Bridge” and the very cool Laurie Anderson singing ”The Electrican” one of Scott’s most well known songs.
     Releasing only 3 albums since 1980 caused Walker’s gift to fade with time with only baby boomer remembering The Walker Brothers’s heyday.
   But now a new generation of artists have turned the spotlight back on a truly gifted songwriter. Take the time to re-discover Scott Walker,this soundtrack is a excellent jumping off point.

highly recommended.

OST: “The Stepfather” (Lakeshore Records)

MichaelSullivan — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:57:39 +0000

While Hollywood continues to search for new original horror material,it also continues to remake many of the horror from late 70s and the 80s.

The Stepfather was made in 1987 and featured a fine performance by Terry O’Quinn (which the younger Gen may know from “Lost” as Locke) as a man looking and killing to get the “perfect”family. While a small film,it was limited released and didn’t do that well at the box-office. But once it hit VHS and cable,it developed a cult following.

So thats why here in 2009,it has been remade for a new group of horror fans. Seeing Dylan Baker (Nip/Tuck) as the evil Stepfather didn’t exactly strike fear into me but thats not the point here,right? We want to know how the music to the movie is.
And once again,for a soundtrack,”The Stepfather” isn’t bad. Featuring a whole slew of mid-tempo rock songs by groups like Filter,Seether and Mutemath,the selection doesn’t beat you up and crush your windpipe with heavy metal. Nothing really sticks with you as far as “I gotta get this!” but its a fine introduction to some bands you may not know(C’mon) and a refresher to some you do,like Filter.

Worth asking for a Christmas present.

OST: “College” (Lakeshore Records)

MichaelSullivan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:53:02 +0000

I never thought a record label could ever beat TVT Records in terms on putting out fun quirky scores/soundtracks but I have to admit,Lakeshore Records is doing a damn fine job at changing my mind.

While I generally do not like soundtracks because of the same boring ass songs or because they feature a star who contributes a throwaway song that didn’t make the cut on a regular album,the soundtrack to “College” rises above both traps and features some fun cuts.

The album starts out with “Penny on a Train Track” by ex-Radish frontman Ben Kweller and the very funny “Jailbait” by Supagroup.
But my favorite cut was by long time House music master Zach Corbell who released “All Good” under the name Zeroleen.
The rest of this CD features songs by stalwarts Mustard Plug and new blood Champion and Oklahomos.
So remember,the movie may suck but sometimes it can produce some fun music to listen to.

You can pick this up at any major chain store or Best Buy.

Christopher Young “Drag Me To Hell” (Lakeshore Records)

MichaelSullivan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:00:11 +0000

What a terrible premise,you get handed a curse that says in 3 days,you get a one way ticket to Hell. What would you do or how far would you go to break that curse?

Sam Raimi,the mastermind behind the “Evil Dead” films,returns to his old stomping grounds after helming the three huge “Spider-Man”films.
While he had written and had wanted to film “Drag Me”,the schedule wouldn’t allow him to as Spidey 3 was just gearing up.
But now he has brought a very disturbing story to life as a young woman gets placed in a very tight space w/only those 3 days to escape.

Christopher Young’s score is excellent,very taut and suspenseful. His use of horns and strings in the title track set the tone right away and never let up. You are scared in the first minute of the film and thats a wonderful treat any director wants. To have his audience unsettled before the credits roll.
Young,no stranger to horror and the devil,decided to base his score around the one instrument associated with the Devil,the violin solo. It makes for some fright-filled moments to say the least!
Despite being a “smaller”film,Young’s score is huge,with gothic vocals,a little homage to “Halloween” thrown in there as well (Mexican Devil Disaster). The theme for Christine is soft and bittersweet,you find yourself wanting to battle on her behalf because she is a good person in a bad way. A horror score with an emotional soul. And one with plenty of frights as well!

highly recommended!