mixtapes and musings
Go see The Dark Knight. This week’s mix has two different faces. (Yeah, I know that was pretty bad.)
Foo Fighters - My Hero
Bonnie Tyler - I Need A Hero
David Bowie - Heroes
Daft Punk - Superheroes
Ratatat - Black Heroes
The Steve Miller Band - The Joker
Neutral Milk Hotel - Two-Headed Boy, Pt. 2
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
Radiohead - Lucky
Massive Attack - Protection
Spoon - Chicago at Night
Explosions in the Sky - Greet Death
Another week, another cover songs mixtape. Some quite good, some of rather dubious quality. You be the judge!
Of Montreal - Final Countdown (Europe)
The Polyphonic Spree - Lithium (Nirvana)
Nickel Creek - Just (Radiohead)
Petra Haden - Thriller (Michael Jackson)
The Watson Twins - I Summon You (Spoon)
Death Cab For Cutie - All Is Full Of Love (Björk)
Muse - Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
Death Cab For Cutie - This Charming Man (The Smiths)
The Watson Twins - Just Like Heaven (The Cure)
We Are Scientists - Hoppípolla (Sigur Rós)
M. Ward - Let’s Dance (David Bowie)
Of Montreal - Raspberry Beret (Prince)
And here’s another week of me pretending to be Zach Braff or Cameron Crowe. Although this week’s influence is clearly more Cameron Crowe with me borrowing his choice of the opening scene from Vanilla Sky.
the opening scene - with the protagonist in his perfect world
the strip club scene - where he meets his partner in crime
the planning scene - done in a montage…montage!
the bank heist scene - with band in cameo as customers
the car chase scene - with peugeots, renaults, and vauxhalls
the happy, drugged out scene - swimming in a vault of gold coins
the casino scene - playing pot limit omaha shorthanded
the losing it all scene - with the robbers being robbed
the aftermath scene - anger and going separate ways
the downward spiral scene - depression and lots of drinking
the redemption scene - with an improbably complicated plan that goes off without a hitch leaving everything nicely tied up and everyone happy
the end credits - with the tease of something cool at the end
The movie is a combination of Oceans 11, Ronin, Heat, and Leaving Las Vegas…but happier! 
Here’s the listing of the actual track names.
Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place
Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
Devotchka - Vengo! Vengo!
Spoon - Don’t Make Me A Target
Bloc Party - Banquet Phones Disco Edit
Fiery Furnaces - Straight Street
Wolf Parade - This Heart’s On Fire
My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow
DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect World
Elliott Smith - Between the Bars
Explosions in the Sky - First Breath After Coma
Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun
It’s a very modest title, I think.
the opening scene - artsy shot, panning over snow covered mountains
Stars - What The Snowman Learned about Love: I felt that the beautiful instrumental intro really conveyed a lot about what this fake movie was about.
the protagonist introduction scene - lots of strobe lights
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch: one of my favorite tracks off of Witching Hour, our protagonist is your typical rebel without a cause, with no cares in the world until…
the masquerade ball scene - with the actual band performing as a cameo
Beirut - Elephant Gun: watch the music video, that’s what the scene looks like in my head
the courtship scene - with their steps syncing with the song
Spoon - I Turn My Camera On: the mixture of Britt Daniel’s voice with the constant bass in the song just exudes cool, which is coincidentally what the protagonist wants to do
the sexy scene - but not showing too much because it’s a serious film
Air - Playground Love: an amazing song that says a lot in a very understated way
the happy scene - lots of smiles and bunnies
The Polyphonic Spree - Light & Day/Reach for the Sun: the spree are a bit TOO happy, but it works as our unnamed protagonist and his love interest frolic through the flowery fields
the break up scene - who didn’t see this one coming?
Muse - Time is Running Out: I almost selected the song I chose for the post break up, I felt that a more angry song was suitable and Matt Bellamy’s wailing does the trick
the post break up scene - undescribable; it’s really sad, okay
Beck - Lost Cause: Beck made Sea Change after a breakup, and honestly I could have picked any track from the album and stuck it in here, oh god it’s so sad
the driving scene - through the desert, while contemplating
M83 - Moonchild: M83’s majestic soundscapes really give the feeling of the openness of the scene, and how empty the protagonist was feeling
the oh my god, i’m about to die scene - cue the flashback
Metric - Live it Out: our protagonist dies by driving off a canyon or ravine or something high up, and during his slow motion fall, he flashes back with this song
the funeral scene - with very light snowfall
Moby - When It’s Cold, I’d Like to Die: an incredibly beautiful, depressing song, there would really be no dialogue, just the song providing all that’s needed to evoke emotion
the ending scene - fading into credits
Radiohead - How To Disappear Completely: on a similar vein to the previous song, I could have switched their positions and been happy with the result
I think I may have thought too much about this.
Upcoming Shows