Shock Mountain

If I had to choose my favorite children’s book, it would be a tie between Where The Wild Things Are and The Giving Tree. When I first heard that Spike Jonze would be directing a live action film, my interest was piqued. When I saw the trailer for the first time, I got goosebumps all over my arm. A few weeks later, I read on Pitchfork that Spike Jonze had enlisted Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs to compose music for the film and that she had used her extensive connections in the underground music community to enlist a rag-tag group of musicians, which includes members of Deerhunter, Liars, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and an untrained children’s choir, among others. The resulting 14 tracks compose what is likely to be the slow-burner of the year. The unexpected or half forgotten album that drops early 4th quarter and snags best of lists across the blogosphere at the end of the year. I say this not because of the reputable artists behind the project, but because it’s one of the few albums of the year that has a clear and organic flow. If you weren’t already dying to see this movie on October 16th, you are now.

This album is scheduled to be released on September 29, 2009.

Myspace

Buy/Pre-Order

- James

Last night on the way to Sunn O))) (which was the greatest concert to ever happen, by the way) my new friend Nick was telling me about this album, how he found it in the 99 cent bin at some record store. I knew this would appeal to me when I heard it was Star Wars music as well as disco/funk, both of which I consider myself a fan of. Released in 1977, this album contains 4 tracks, including one 15-minute medley which transforms John Williams’ score into a funky disco nerd party. If you’re sitting around playing video games with some friends and find yourself wishing it was a dance party, this is for you. Or if you just like Star Wars, funk or disco.

Buy

-Max

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Disc 4

Like most 10-14 year old boys at the time of the release of Final Fantasy X, I played the game almost religiously. The story was incredibly intricate and it pulled you in like the endearing smile of a friend you haven’t seen in years. I feel kind of immature typing this, but I had a sincerely deep emotional connection to that game after logging so many hours of gameplay. Of course, this was all amplified by the compositions of Nobuo Uematsu (植松伸夫 for you japanfags). The man has been composing music for video games since the 80’s and is arguably the most notable figure in the field. He writes music almost exclusively through Square-Enix and they really lucked out by snagging him early and letting their company grow concurrently with his musical ability. If you expect this to be some generic 8-bit stuff, you couldn’t be further from the truth. The man’s compositions have as broad a range as music itself. Whether it be beautifully subtle melodies on piano, flamenco guitars effortlessly swirling through the sunset, hard rock break-downs that sign the apocalypse, choral performances that are eerily familiar, or ambient shoegaze tracks that rival that of anyone else in the game at the moment, there truly is something for everyone. This is the biggest post this blog has made as of yet with 91 songs that come in at just under 4 1/2 hours. Put on some headphones, close your eyes, and let these sounds take you to another world. It may not be Spira, but it’s damn close.

- James

J.G. Thirlwell is a man with many names. He is probably best known under his moniker Foetus, but there are many variations on the name. Anyway, this is the official soundtrack to the popular show The Venture Bros., which is a satire on classic cartoons, mainly Johnny Quest. The music itself is very lush and contains too many instruments to list (even if I did know what they were). I encourage you to download this even if you aren’t a fan of the show.

- James

Myspace

Buy

I’m sure you have all heard of Danny Boyle’s latest movie, Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly encourage you to either download it or go to a theater.  The music on this album is as awe-inspiring as the cinematic shots and actor’s performances. With three tracks by Sri Lanka born artist M.I.A. and the rest filled by composer A.R. Rahman, this soundtrack holds it down. Tribal beats and Indian music make this bollywood release burst with excitement and life. With a wide range of feelings on every track, there is something for everyone.