Enough with the analysis. On with the music!
From the department of “soundtracks that are far better than the film they represent”, we have this gem. In 1997, Todd McFarland’s mediocre comic book, Spawn was made into a live action film that actually made the comic look like great literature by comparison. This movie was BAD with a capital SUCK. (Oddly, the late-night HBO animated series based on the comic *was* kinda cool) The soundtrack, though, was a nice concept: A collection of collaborations between hard rock and electronica acts. This was the lead-off, a collaboration between Filter and The Crystal Method. It’s good until halfway through, when it changes tempo, suddenly gets REALLY GOOD, and makes you want to move and break stuff. Filter & The Crystal Method: “Trip Like I Do.”
Like pretty much everyone else, I discovered this song through it’s appearance in the film Donnie Darko. I had been a fan of the original version of the song, which appeared on the Tears For Fears album, The Hurting, back before they hit big with Songs From The Big Chair. This cover, though, is almost as if somebody said “Let’s See — Is there any way we can make this song even more dark and depressing?” Michael Andrews – “Mad World.”
Something much more cheerful: The Epoxies are a neo new wave act out of Portland, OR, who really have it down. They sound like a mix of Devo and “Masquerade”-era Berlin. The Epoxies – “No Interest.”
It’s not a new song, and even at the time of release it sounded hopelessly retro. But it’s one of my favorite songs by Billy Joel, and was used in one of the best dream sequences to appear on “Moonlighting:” Billy Joel – “Big Man On Mulberry Street.”
Regular readers of the Friday Music series will know that when I find a DJ who is really, really skilled at mash-ups, I often can’t stop myself at posting just a single track. That is the case here, as I found this guy who produces under the name Roy Batty (which, as geeks will recognize, was the name of the replicant played by Rutger Hauer in Bladerunner.). I have decided to share three of his better Mash-ups with you:
- “More Info Than Info” – A bit of the Beatles, plus Rob Zombie’s “More Human Than Human”, plus Information Society’s “What’s On Your Mind.”
- “Too Sexy For Sex” – Rod Stewart’s “If Ya Think I’m Sexy”, plus Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”, with bits of Right Said Fred’s “Too Sexy” and Kelis’ “Milkshake” added in as seasoning.
- “Pray for Pop” – Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer”, plus “When Doves Cry” from Prince, plus “Like a Prayer” from Madonna, plus bits of MC Hammer’s “Pray.”
Here’s a track I’m posting simply because I know that the group name will piss off : Roman. Actually, the track is quite good. Electronic smooth funk. Roman – “Saving Juno.”
In 2002, former Duran Duran back-up singer Lamya came out with her first solo album, which sounded a bit like Bjork, if Bjork had grown up in Oman and Egypt, instead of Iceland. This is my favorite track from the album, and I’m posting it because I know there are some of you out there who will greatly appreciate a song that features a woman regally intoning “Bring me MEN” throughout the lyrics: Lamya – “Empires.”
The last song is my current favorite from Rob Zombie’s new album, Educated Horses. Sure, it’s not “wiccan correct”, but he’s all about the Monster-movie vibe, and I can dig that. Rob Zombie – “American Witch.”
There you go — a bunch this week. Enjoy.
