Sunday, February 14, 2010

V/A - FANTASTIC MR. FOX - Original Soundtrack


I'm not usually a big fan of movie soundtracks but I always enjoy the ones to Wes Anderson movies, probably because the songs work together to create an overall theme. The soundtrack to his latest movie, Fantastic Mr. Fox, is an enjoyable romp through whimsical sounds and it may also drill the chants of "Boggis, Bunce, Bean" into your head, never to escape from them.

The bulk of the soundtrack consists of compositions by Alexandre Desplat, who has also written scores for movies such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Luzhin Defence, The Queen, and many, many more (including a certain vampire movie installment). Desplat does a terrific job with these songs as they conjure up images of an idyllic everyday life that is filled with heroes and villains. At the same time, the music is playful and exudes a childish charm (after all, Fantastic Mr. Fox is based off of a children's book by Roald Dahl). Further research reveals that Desplat has received an Academy Award nomination for best original score for his work here.

The rest of the soundtrack includes a few cuts by The Beach Boys (always a good time), Burl Ives (they work perfectly with this kind of movie, plus I love the line "Saw a bear, comb his hair" in the song "Fooba Wooba John"), and George Delerue. The Wellingtons' "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", which I have only heard before in snippet version in the film Back To The Future, makes an appearance here as well, along with The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man". We are also given tracks by The Bobby Fuller Four, Nancy Adams, Art Tatum, and Jarvis Cocker. Cocker's track is probably the only song in my iTunes library that has a jaw harp on it. I have no idea what he is singing, but I like it.

I know some people panned the movie but I adored it (The DVD comes out on March 23 - mark your calendars or make an appointment in your Blackberry). The soundtrack is an important part of the movie and it works well on its own as well. Boggis, Bunce, and Bean.

www.alexandredesplat.net
www.fantasticmrfoxmovie.com

Saturday, February 13, 2010

CHRIS JOSS - Monomaniacs Vol. 1


Monomaniacs Vol. 1 is the sixth album from Chris Joss, who is originally from France. It's another highly entertaining instrumental affair from Joss. No lyrics here, just 12 awesome, funk-influenced, 70's-vibed cuts. There's enough sounds mixed in to keep anyone occupied for a while trying to pick through all the layers. There's even some Indian sitar thrown in on the track "Kali Flowers". Highly recommended for anyone who's got a soul and likes to groove.

Just take a look at the album cover, you'll know if this is the kind of music for you or not. And if you still don't know after looking, try it out anyway.

www.myspace.com/chrisjoss
chrisjoss.free.fr

Sunday, February 7, 2010

ERNEST GONZALES - Been Meaning To Tell You



When I first heard of this album, it was described as "electronic." I haven't been listening to a lot of "electronic" music lately but the cover art was too amazing for me to pass this up without a listen. The artwork was made by having a number of artists each illustrate what they saw after listening to one track off of the album and the end result for the cover combined all of the images. Very cool stuff.

Now that I've talked about the cover, how to describe the music? It is electronic, but there are also guitars on this record. I'm sure this music could be played live by a band of talented musicians. The music doesn't feel overprocessed like so many electronic records I sat through last year. Instead, it feels lush and warm: a jungle of melodic sounds. For over a year I have been searching for music in the same realm as B. Fleischmann's The Humbucking Coil: great beats, great melodies, no lyrics. This album illustrates what I've been looking for.

There's a number of great songs on this album so it's hard to pick a favorite one. I love how "Falling Asleep To The Glow Of The Television" makes me feel like I'm playing a classic Nintendo video game. "We Can Live In The Forest" is upbeat and would be suitable to play for a whirlwind romance with the couple falling in love. The album was made with Ernest's wife in mind and this track probably has something to do with their love. "When You Are Lost I Will Find You" is the epitome of the B. Fleischmann chilled-out vibe I've been searching for. I could go on and on about each of these tracks and the way they make me feel and think but instead I'll just recommend that you have a listen to the album and see what you feel. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Been Meaning To Tell You is scheduled to be released on February 9, on Exponential Records. Exponential Records was founded in 2002 by Gonzales and DJ Jester the Filipino Fist (I'm not making that name up). This is Gonzales's second or third full-length album, I can't figure out which, and he has also released music under the moniker Theory Of Everything. Now go get this album, why are you even still reading this post?!

www.myspace.com/theoryofeverything
www.beenmeaningtotellyou.com
www.antipop.net/expblog/(Exponential Records site)