Summer Brings Killer Summer Blockbuster Soundtracks. Or, Superman Is So Emo

I remember a day when movie soundtracks made me feel edgy. That's right. The moment I received the Home Alone 2: Lost in New York soundtrack as a gift, I knew I was in for some tasty musical treats that I wouldn't otherwise have heard on the local pop radio station. (Check it -- a new single by Nine Inch Nails on the Lost Highway soundtrack that my parents totally won't be able to see cuz they just look at the album cover and make sure there aren't any naked body parts or parental advisory stickers on it! Y'all parents got PUNK'D!) In honor of the newest superhero phenomenon (SUPERMAN, duh!), The Blogulator would like to take you through a guided tour of the best in edgy soundtracks that totally got you into music you wouldn't have otherwise heard.

LAST ACTION HERO
The cover pretty much says it all. A guy named "Buckethead?" Yeah, that's right, and the 'rents TOTALLY don't know about the whole listening to MEGADETH and ALICE IN CHAINS and especially CYPRESS HILL because they're too busy looking at that triumphant picture of Arnie savin' some kid who's probably also listening to that edgy music. Oh yeah, and did I mention that the soundtrack features TWO Alice in Chains songs? Including one with the word "HELL" in the title?! Keep this one on the down low, cuz it's too edgy for mass comsumption. Oh, and did I mention I have this one filed next to The Bodyguard soundtrack? Yeah, sometimes you've gotta listen to the ballads, so what???

THE CABLE GUY
Oh MAN a-NOTHER Cypress Hill track! It's too bad they don't have that song about killin' a man on it, or that song where they're talking about goin' insane and stuff, cuz I'd totally listen to that one after listening to Green Day just to mix things up a bit. Did I mention yet that this soundtrack also features an edgy-yet-brooding-yet-contemplative solo track from Alice in Chains mastermind Jerry Cantrell? Yeah, everybody thinks Layne Staley is the main guy, but now that I have the soundtrack, I knows who the real master is. And some band named Porno for Pyros? OOOOH SNAP! Plus, I'm totally into Silverchair and I gotta hear all their stuff, even if it's b-side material. And Toadies totally blew my mind with that song about vampires and dying and stuff and they've probably been busy recording their new masterpiece but made time for this one. Oh, and can you BEAT a HILARIOUS Jim Carrey singing "Somebody to Love" juxtaposed next to the hit single by that kinda different electronic-kinda band Primative Radio Gods? Man, that song title is LONG! And that makes it cool.

BATMAN FOREVER
Think it's a coincidence that Jim Carrey shows up here twice? Cuz it's NOT! His humor is totally different from what you see from those boring Full House people, and the music on his movie soundtracks follows suit. Like that PJ Harvey person -- I heard she was really cool and TOTALLY underground from my brother's copy of Rolling Stone. And U2's cool too -- music videos that are cartoons are always cool. Plus, sometimes you just gotta chill to some good ballads -- and Seal's "Kiss By a Rose" is a GOOD BALLAD! Man, that band Sunny Day Real Estate seems alright, but it kinda takes a while for that song to take off. Good thing THE OFFSPRING shows up to SMASH IT UP! Oh yeah, and The Flaming Lips, they did that song about jelly, that's neat.

SPIDER-MAN 2
Man, it's totally hard to be a superhero. Luckily, we have Dashboard Confessional to tell us how hard it is. And this, oh yes, this is the first big soundtrack to not only feature music FROM, but music INSPIRED BY the motion picture. Being a superhero is hard, though, dudes. Good thing hope dangles on a string and what have you. Plus, there's a song by Train, that's cool But, music inspired by? That kinda makes you think...you know what would be a good idea? A PRE-soundtrack! You know, to get you ready for the real soundtrack, and pull out some songs inspired by the movie that hasn't been released yet.

SOUND OF SUPERMAN
Product Description:
The indefatigable Superman legend and brand returns to the big screen this year with the highly anticipated film Superman Returns, starring Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel. In celebration of this latest chapter in an incredible super-hero legacy, 14 hot new bands step out of the phone booth and into the spotlight to deliver a spiritied, Superman-inspired song. Ranging from reinventions of super-powered classics ("My Hero", "Superman") to all-new songs dedicated to Clark Kent's alter-ego (The Spill Canvas, Motion City Soundtrack, Jack's Mannequin, American Hi-Fi), Rhino's unique disc salutes a legend and sends young WMG-affiliated bands souring to new heights. Do I even NEED to mention that this sweet-as-kryptonite pre-soundtrack features crappy emo band covers of "Waitin' for a Superman" by The Flaming Lips? Yeah, THOSE Flaming Lips from the Batman Forever soundtrack. Bravo.

This entry was posted by Unknown, on Monday, May 22, 2006. You can leave your response.