Trouble Every Day..Original Soundtrack...Music by Tindersticks

The soundtrack to the 2001 French movie, Trouble Every Day, does its job in setting the brooding, melancholy mood of a brooding, haunting and disturbing film.

For those who aren't familiar with the Tindersticks, imagine a synthesis of Angelo Badalamenti with John Cage, and early Leonard Cohen - performed inside a chapel. No comparisons are fair, since the sound is truly greater than the some of it's possible influences.

"Trouble Every Day" is more of a composed work than something that might have spontaneously come from a rock band. Many of the bass-lines are played (beautifully) by a double bass, and a full orchestra is used to great effect. Eastern sounding hand-percussion, acoustic guitar, and brass section all contribute to a mood that somehow feels both rich and austere.

click here for more information

21 Grams...original soundtrack...music by Gustavo Santaolalla

It's said all humans mysteriously lose 21 grams upon their death, a notion that inspires much hard-boiled philosophizing in Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's structurally ambitious follow-up to Amores Perros. As in that film, several characters’ lives become intertwined via a tragic accident, but here told via a chronologically disjointed structure that's a masterfully wrought puzzle of editing and plot construction. 

                                                                       


Given that unusual structure, the musical soundtrack by Gustavo Santolalla by necessity carries much of the film's mood and emotional undercurrents in its spare, brooding cues and occasional songs. The composer's primary instruments here are a heavy-vibrato electric guitar (its tone reminiscent of the great Ry Cooder) and an equally altered accordion, set against a ambient wash of electronics and percussion that's so murky as to often seem impenetrable. The Kronos Quartet admirably matches the mood with their closing rendition of the haunting "When Our Wings Are Cut, Can We Still Fly." The hip-hop swing of Ozomati's "Cut Chemist Suite" and R&B of Ann Sexton help anchor it in a more familiar frame of reference, while Benicio del Toro's spooky, spoken-word take on "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (a performance recorded in Memphis' legendary Sun Studios, no less) effectively channels Tom Waits by way of David Lynch. Another fine example of the evocative, genre-free possibilities of modern film music. --Jerry McCulley (Amazon)

click here for more information

Visit my other music blogs here:
Soundtrack Heaven
The Aussie Music Blog
The Vintage Music Blog
The Jazz Music Blog
This Jukebox Rocks
The Blues and Roots Music Blog
Martin's Music Machine
Twitter @islandmanrocks

He Died With A Felafel In His Hand (Music From The Feature Film) ... various artists

2001 soundtrack release from the Australian movie starring Noah Taylor. An eclectic mix of tracks featuring Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Moby, Deborah Conway, The Stranglers, Spiderbait, Passengers, Nino Rota and The Mamas and The Papas plus choral music from the Melbourne University Choral Society. Also includes dialogue from the movie.

click here for more information

                                     

Lilies.. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack...music by Mychael Danna

This soundtrack to the 1996 Canadian art house film should be cross-listed in the classical section. Mychael Danna has composed very convincingly within medieval modalities, ranging from chant to polyphony. The Hilliard Ensemble recorded the music, as most of the music is a cappella, but solo cello and trumpet are also used to good effect. Highlights are the ebullient Gloria, the warm and gentle Sanctus II, and especially the layered Agnus Dei which compares favorably to the 16th century setting of your choice. The combo of pure male voices and heartbreaking cello is stirring and will send chills through you.

Mychael Danna is a very versatile composer and has numerous soundtracks to his credit. Most are very different from this one but they all stand alone as CDs that you can throw on and enjoy from beginning to end. He has also released New Age compositions.

click here for more information 

                                    

                

Mystery Train..original music by John Lurie plus tracks from various artists

Another one of my favourite movies AND soundtracks. This Jim Jarmusch production has become a cult classic and the soundtrack features early Elvis and Memphis artists

Mystery Train