sonic slang

Arcade Fire to Score Next Richard Kelly Flick

Even after the debacle that was Southland Tales, we're still curious to see what Richard Kelly does with The Box.  Check out IMDB's summary: "A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who open it and become instantly wealthy. Little do they realize that opening the box also kills someone they do not know."

The script is inspired by a Twilight Zone episode from the 80s, and though for some reason Kelly cast Cameron freakin' Diaz in the lead (maybe it was the less than $1 million gross for Southland), we now have at least one really good reason to check it out - even if the director turns out to be a one-hit-wonder.  Arcade Fire has signed on to score the soundtrack.

The band hasn't confirmed yet, but if it's true, Kelly just bought himself a few cool points from the blogosphere.  Now just keep Stifler and The Rock out of this one, and you might be onto something...

Yo La Tengo Set to Score New Film from Superbad Director

A quick lesson in generating mad blogger buzz for a movie that sounds like a bad Patrick Dempsey movie from the 1980s: (1)Hire a hip director who's most recent effort way waaay funnier than it had any business being.  Check. (2)Cast a male lead that's currently dating Scarlett Johansson.  Check. (3)Tap a legendary indie band to write the soundtrack.  Check.  (4)Leak to Internet, then sit back and watch the inbound links soar. 

Well done, Adventureland.  Well done.

Winehouse Reps Deny Bond Rumors

Reps for Amy Winehouse are shooting down rumors that the Grammy-winning singer is currently writing the theme for the next Bond installment - Quantum of Solace.  Recent speculation even led to an endorsement from Paul McCartney, calling her the "best artist for the job" (he's right, by the way - crack problems aside).

Winehouse is currently in the studio recording her third LP with producer Mark Ronson, targeting an early 2009 release. 

Jonathan Rice - "You're My Baby"

We don't usually spring for double-disc "special edition" DVDs at SS, but this awesome deleted scene (check the link below) from Walk the Line featuring Jonathan Rice, who played Roy Orbison in the film, might inspire us to loosen the purse strings.

Next Monday Rice kicks off a month-long residency at Spaceland in Los Angeles, in support of the excellent Further North, now available on Reprise.

Jonathan Rice - "You're My Baby" (WMV)

My Blueberry Nights Soundtrack

You know, there's really nothing to dislike about Norah Jones.  Her pleasant, after-hours Starbucks jazz is, if nothing else, easy on the ears, and she seems like a nice chick.  But dammit, we've held a grudge ever since she beat out The Boss for album of the year back in 2003 (the first of two recent snubs for Bruce).  So...are we gonna see My Blueberry Nights?  Actually, maybe.

The first-ever English film by the internationally acclaimed director, My Blueberry Nights is a romantic drama set as an American road movie starring Norah Jones in her acting debut, along with a stellar cast featuring, along with Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz and Natalie Portman. The Weinstein Company will release My Blueberry Nights in U.S. theaters on April 4, 2008.

Hmm, road movie + Rachel Weisz.  Yeah, we're curious.  Plus the soundtrack is a pretty kick-ass cross-section of American music, both new and old, featuring contributions from the likes of Cat Power, Otis Redding, Ruth Brown and others.  Stream Norah Jones' contribution below, and read the full tracklist after the jump.

Norah Jones - "The Story"

New Wilco on Heroes Official Soundtrack

As a TV show, Heroes might have turned into a steaming pile this season - But unlike that other blogger favorite LOST (thought they did get "Scentless Apprentice" in there last year), they scored some major cred with the indie kids on the new soundtrack:

"The NBC Universal Television, DVD, Music & Consumer Products Group has set a March 18 release for the album, which will feature exclusive new singles from artists including Wilco ("Glad It's Over"), Panic At The Disco ("Nine in the Afternoon"), Imogen Heap ("Not Now But Soon") and Brighton Port Authority featuring Iggy Pop ("He's Frank"), as well as classic tracks from Bob Dylan ("Man in the Long Black Coat") and David Bowie ("Heroes," as one might have guessed)." (via Billboard)

You might remember when Heroes dropped a snippet of Nada Surf's new disc in a previous episode, so the writers already have some indie cred, but exclusive new Wilco??  Seems like a waste for a show unlikely to make it through its 3rd season. 

Meh, check out the full tracklist after the jump.

 

21 Official Soundtrack

We're still hedging our bets on whether that Kevin Spacey/Kate Boseworth card-counting thriller 21 is gonna be a winner (that other recent gambling-focused crapfest Lucky You might have jaded us), but they're doing a great job courting the blogger vote with what looks like a kick-ass soundtrack.

LCD Soundsystem, Pete Bjorn and John, MGMT and a remix of the Stone's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" are among the highlights, and Stereogum premiered the LCD track yesterday.  We've never been as enamored with James Murphy's post-electro tunes, but hey, clearly we're in the minority on that one.  So enjoy, and check out the full tracklist after the jump

Eddie Vedder Says "No More" to War in Iraq

Despite getting snubbed by the Oscar committee for his excellent Into the Wild contributions, Eddie Vedder is back in the soundtrack game.  Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran, coming this March, will serve as a double-disc companion to the film of the same name.

A documentary that follows the story of paralyzed twenty-six-year-old veteran Tomas Young, Body of War charts his subsequent crusade to question the war and will feature Vedder's “No More,” a track he wrote specifically for the film and premiered with Ben Harper’s accompaniment at last year’s Lollapalooza.

Check out a live performance of "No More" from last May at Hullabaloo after the jump.

Badly Drawn Boy on Definitely, Maybe Soundtrack

Will putting Badly Drawn Boy on the soundtrack to the Ryan Reynolds v-day flick, Definitely, Maybe, put asses in the seats?  Probably not.  But if you're prone to dozing off during romantic comedy schlock, watch the clip close for plot points in case the GF quizzes you after date night.

Juno Soundtrack Geta Moldy

Juno has been getting off the hook reviews and a quick glance at the tracklist for the accompanying soundtrack makes us think that before Michael Cera goes punk, he also might help make Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches) a household name.

In addition to the Peaches tracks, Juno boasts cuts from Belle and Sebastian, Cat Power, The Velvet Underground, The Kinks and others.  The film is already being called this year's Little Miss Sunshine - Perhaps we'll call the soundtrack this year's Garden State?