Music from the TV Show "Malcolm in the Middle"
From the defiant tones of its opening track -- They Might Be Giants' theme song, "Boss of Me" -- this album is a gem for fans of the upbeat alternative pop and rock featured each week on Fox's clever comedy Malcolm in the Middle. The series follows the various mishaps of a typical, dysfunctional, and chaotic household, at the center of which is Malcolm, the reckless but inherently sweet genius who narrates the action. Like the program, the tracks on the accompanying soundtrack are quirky but fun, from the Latin-flavored reggae-funk of Baha Men's "You All Dat" to the Getaway People's funky, G. Love-ish "Good Life" to the Barenaked Ladies' catchy, frenetic "Falling for the First Time" to the pleasing pop of Travis's gentle "We Are Monkeys." Also included in the album's eclectic mix are Hanson, OPM, Eagle-Eye Cherry, and Citizen King. In addition to the theme tune, They Might Be Giants contribute the whimsical "Older," leaving the Dust Brothers to close the album with "I Just Don't Care," in which a defiant sound bite from Malcolm himself and great bits of dialogue repeat against a pulsating electronic beat. It's rare that a TV soundtrack so completely evokes a show's mood, but Malcolm in the Middle is that welcome exception.
Music from the TV Show "Frasier"
"Hey baby I hear the blues a-calling..." Now in its eighth brilliant season, the Emmy-winning, critically acclaimed Frasier has endeared itself to a wide audience with this now-familiar refrain. The show's long-awaited soundtrack album opens with Kelsey Grammer's playful full-length version of "Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs," the jazzy, doo-wop favorite heard as the show's ending credits roll. Fans will eat up the extended bits of sharp dialogue from Frasier, Niles, Martin, Roz, and Daphne, along with classic moments from the show, such as Frasier's elaborate, slightly overblown radio jingle. In addition to the dialogue, the album features jazz standards heard on the show, including Etta James's sultry "Miss Pitiful," Nat King Cole's smooth-as-silk classic "Mona Lisa," the legendary Ella Fitzgerald's take on "Isn't It Romantic?" and the inimitable Louis Armstrong's "Moon River." If all that isn't enough to tickle your fancy, the disc also includes extensive liner notes, the highlight being songwriter Bruce Miller's disclosure of the hidden meaning behind the catchy theme song's curious lyrics. Long overdue, Frasier's companion disc will excite and entertain, just as the TV show has for so many years.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Traffic"
Steven Soderbergh's highly acclaimed thriller about the war on drugs features not only top-notch performances from its stars, but also a gripping, ambient musical score. Onetime Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez (who has composed music for eight other Soderbergh films) delivers a seductive, compelling score that includes contributions from Chili Peppers bassist Flea, guitarist Michael Brooks, and jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock. Notably, Martinez is able to easily shift gears alongside the film's action, providing an ominous backdrop to the many tense moments and lending a delicate, ethereal quality to the more surreal and moving scenes. Tracks such as the bass- and percussion-heavy "You Two Don't Like Me," "Helicopter," and "Loading the Plane" heighten the tension in the film's grittier sequences, leaving calmer moments to looming tracks such as "What's Your Daughter On?" Rounding out the album are pop and electronica gems from Morcheeba (the trippy, guitar-heavy "On the Rhodes Again"), Fatboy Slim (the pulsing "Give the Po' Man a Break"), Rockers Hi-Fi (the ambient, shadowy "Going Under Love and Insanity Dub"), and electronic music pioneer Brian Eno, who closes this transfixing album with the dreamy, otherworldly "An Ending (Ascent)."
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Crazy/Beautiful"
In the star-crossed teen love story Crazy/Beautiful, a congressman's rebellious daughter falls for an underprivileged Latino classmate. What sets this flick apart from other adolescent angst films, however, is its soundtrack. Among the standouts here are the Latin-flavored rock and hip-hop tracks, including the gentle, Spanish guitar-laced "Ten La Fe," from Latino rapper Mellow Man Ace; Serralde's beautiful power ballad "La Reina del Lugar"; and "Boulevard Star," a catchy, bilingual rap from Delinquent Habits. Elsewhere, La Ley, who sound like a cross between U2 and Tears for Fears, contribute the dreamy "Every Time," which reappears in Spanish, as "Siempre," at the end of the disc. The album's English-sung tracks are spicy as well: the Getaway People lean on the trippy sound of G. Love and Beck on "She Gave Me Love," while alt-rock kings the Dandy Warhols are at their finest on the otherworldly "Sleep." While the film Crazy/Beautiful epitomizes mediocre teen fare, its eclectic soundtrack offers plenty for the adult listener.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Billy Elliot"
The life of 11-year-old Billy Elliot, a coal miner's son in Northern England, changes forever the day he stumbles into a ballet class and realizes his dream is to dance. Set during the turbulent miners' strike of 1984, the critically acclaimed film features a soundtrack loaded with gems of the era, mostly from British and Irish artists -- the only non-Brit in the bunch is singer-songwriter Eagle-Eye Cherry, who contributes the catchy rocker "Burning Up." The album treats us to no fewer than five songs from '70s glam-rock giants T-Rex, including the hits "Get It On" and "Children of the Revolution" and the very fitting "Cosmic Dancer." Amid bits of dialogue from the film are such Brit punk perennials as the Jam (with the exuberant "A Town Called Malice") and the Clash (the angry, anthemic "London Calling"). Interestingly, the Jam's lead singer Paul Weller makes another appearance with his subsequent band, the more R&B, jazz, and soul-oriented Style Council, who offer up two songs, "Shout to the Top" and the U.K. Top 10 hit "Walls Come Tumbling Down." Here's a soundtrack that nails down the film's setting and makes for an inspiring listen to boot.
Original Motion Picture Score, "Requiem for a Dream"
Requiem for a Dream, the second film from indie director Darren Aronofsky, is the rather bleak story of a heroin addict and his depressed mother, a woman obsessed with television and diet pills. British composer/musician Clint Mansell (formerly of Pop Will Eat Itself) provides a dark, stirring, mostly-electronic score, which underscores the emotional ups and downs of the film's characters. The album's 33 tracks -- played by the ever-innovative Kronos Quartet -- are ambient, brooding pieces, some throbbing and insistent ("High on Life" and "Supermarket Sweep"), some terse (the 19-second "Winter Overture"), some amusing ("Bialy & Lox Conga," a nod to the film's Coney Island setting), and some simply lovely ("Summer Overture" and "Hope Overture"). While certain song titles and themes ("Dreams," "Party," "Ghosts") are repeated, the score's overall tone is at once mysterious, beautiful, moody, sinister -- an engrossing musical companion to an unsettling film.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Charlie's Angels"
The TV-show-to-feature-film trend continues unabated with the film version of Charlie's Angels, the wildly popular '70s series about three female private investigators with great moves and an unseen boss named Charlie. The movie's soundtrack assembles a cluster of lightweight pop, soul, and R&B songs from three decades. Included are Leo Sayer's high-pitched "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," Spandau Ballet's early-'80s gem "True," Sir Mix-a-Lot's amusing "Baby Got Back," and Deee-Lite's deee-lightful "Groove Is in the Heart." Comedian Tom Green even lends a droll intro to "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)." For those who prefer to rock a bit harder, the album throws in Heart's angry "Barracuda," Aerosmith's "Angel's Eye," and Fatboy Slim's "Ya Mama." R&B vocal quartet Destiny's Child opens the album with their soulful, self-assured "Independent Women, Part I," which is a more appropriate theme for this trio of willful women than the piercing "Charlie's Angels 2000," Apollo Four Forty's attempt at updating the stylish TV show theme. With its keen balance of styles and smart song selection, Charlie's Angels is a clever accompaniment for a tale of three clever gals.
Although Kurt Swinghammer has contributed songwriting and guitar work to recordings by artists such as Ani DiFranco and Alanis Morissette, it's this rich tapestry of sound that the multimedia composer is likely to be remembered for. Vostok 6 -- which arrives on DiFranco's Righteous Babe label -- is Swinghammer's hauntingly beautiful, sometimes comical, deeply personal celebration of Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who in 1963 made history as the first woman in space (the album's title comes from the name of her capsule). Within the space of 60 minutes, Swinghammer pieces together an eclectic array of diverse musical elements, including lilting acoustic and wailing electric guitars, space-age rhythms, ambient synthesizers, spoken-word vignettes, and, in Swinghammer's words, "a slice of cheesy listening, prog-rock time signatures, and spy movie chord changes." The Toronto-based Swinghammer plays most of the instruments on the album (which he calls his most challenging work) and also lends soothing vocals to gorgeous, poignant tracks such as "Blue," "Falling Star," "The First," and "Dark." This unusual, richly textured album allows us terrestrials to explore the beauty and desolation of space through a truly unique listening experience.
Jello Biafra: Become the Media
Former Dead Kennedys vocalist and founder of the punk record label Alternative Tentacles, Jello Biafra has also made a name for himself as a captivating and opinionated speaker. He's devoted several spoken-word releases to his sharp observations on American culture and politics, becoming a champion of free speech in the process. On this three-disc set -- recorded during a nationwide tour in 2000 and subtitled "Field recordings from the year of screaming dangerously" -- Biafra speaks out about everything from the Green Party and education reform to his opposition to conformity, censorship, and the war on drugs. With his searing wit and congenial tone, he also conveys his bitterness toward the media, corporate America, "Hellburbia," and the "Clintonoids." With this collection, Biafra shows us why he remains one of his generation's most captivating speakers.