Posted by Avanhizzle in Hand Me Down tuesdaY | 0 Comments
Hand me down tuesdaY: What’s That Song?
MP3: The Killing Moon- Echo and the Bunnymen
MP3: The Killing Moon- Pavement
MP3: Rebel, Rebel- David Bowie
Have you ever watched a movie and liked the music featured it in more than the film itself? I mean, it’s sort of rarity isn’t it? I guess I always assume that most good music that is featured in films is chosen by good directors or influenced by actors that are respectable for their taste in music as well as their directing or acting prowess. Think Wes Anderson or Drew Barrymore. Anyhow, I’m sure it happens. Isn’t there a Vampire flick or two out there that houses a dinosaur sized soundtrack?
But more important to this week’s hand me down are those amazing times when a film introduces a song or artist to you that makes you pay more attention to the sounds than the visuals. Sometimes you’ll hear from a foreign artist that you never would’ve heard of otherwise (Seau Jorge) and other times you’re simply catching up on music that you didn’t think was as cool as the MC Hammer, Def Leppard or that single version of LL Cool J’s “I Need Love,” that dominated your boombox’s cassette player.
There are plenty of instances where this happened to me but today I’ll just get out the songs that really stick out in my mind. For instance, the opening scene of Richard Kelly’s terrific and twisted take on adolescence in a demented town, Donnie Darko. Prior to this opening sequence I had heard OF Liverpool’s post-punk juggernauts Echo and the Bunnymen but had never actually HEARD them (shame). But upon hearing “The Killing Moon” for the first time actually made me get out of my seat and look up the soundtrack to see who it was. While I was surprised to find that it wasn’t some hip new New York quintet that was best friends with Interpol, it was great to dig up their roots and be able to uncover their incredible influence.
Covering this track is one of my favorite bands of all time and another band with an incredible amount of influence potential, Pavement. Dig on their perfect recreation that is rich with all of the slack and laze expected from Malkmus and Co. I love it!
And leave it to Wes Anderson to hip me to the aforementioned Seu Jorge. Prior to The Life Aquatic I had only known the Brazillian singer/actor as “Knockout Ned” from City of God. Throughout Anderson’s fourth film, on the soundtrack, and on another album of sessions from The Life Aquatic, Seu’s amazing renditions of David Bowie classics sung in Portuguese are pure beauty. Trust me, Bowie’s are too I have come to find that Portuguese takes a bit of the edge out of a tune. Extracts the all of the bread crumbs out of the butter. I highly recommend, if you haven’t already, finding everything he’s recorded.
Talk Back: I’d love to hear about a film and the music that it introduced you to. Drop a comment and fill me in! Happy tuesdaY!
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