#reviewoftheweek / "Wish I Was Here" soundtrack

Zach Braff hasn't directed a ton of movies, but the ones that he has directed have contained killer soundtracks. Case in point: "Garden State," which helped to launch the career of Cary Brothers and bring The Shins into the spotlight in a huge way. The same is to be said for Braff's latest "Wish I Was Here," which is both a drastically different movie and it's soundtrack is a different sounding compilation. This movie and music is very different from Braff's first, imparting a very introspective and somber quality. The soundtrack features two great new tunes by Bon Iver and The Shins as well as a terrific collaboration between Coldplay and indie songstress Cat Power. In addition to the new tunes, Braff digs deep into the archives for classics from Paul Simon, Gary Jules, and Badly Drawn Boy, and even includes Bon Iver's hit "Holocene" as well. Newcomers, Hozier and The Head And The Heart also contribute to the album, with The Head And The Heart's song closing out the album and summing up the compilation in the best way. The only (albeit minor) miss of the compliation is the lack of the inclusion of "Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan, which appears in the film, but not on the album. Zach Braff knows how to curate music and this album is proof that not only is he a great actor, writer, and director, but has a great ear for music and how it contributes to a film, driving it forward and developing emotion and connection to the visuals on screen.

New Music Tuesday

New music out today worth checking out:

• Various Artists - The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Soundtrack

CD REVIEW: Daft Punk "Tron: Legacy"

Daft Punk are probably one of the top five electronic artists in history. They epitomize what it means to push the envelope. Now, in combining their forces with the folks at Disney, Daft Punk has scored their first film, "Tron: Legacy." Since their music, their image, and their futurism is built from (amongst other things) the original 1982 film "Tron" it only made sense that Daft Punk put together the score. Mixing orchestral pieces with their signature robotic and electronic dance sounds, Daft Punk create a piece of musical artwork that transports you right into the world of Tron, with or without having seen the film. The band also makes a cameo appearance as DJs at a club in the film, with two tracks that they spun during their onscreen time being the most amped up of the set, "Derezzed" and "End Of Line." Daft Punk are the definition of what it means to be a musical pioneer, and this new venture into the scoring of films that they have become is sure to be just the first in a long line of films which they will put their musical signature on. Both the movie and the soundtrack are amongst the best of the year in their respective categories.

New Release Tuesday

New music out today worth checking out:

• Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy Soundtrack
• The White Buffalo - Prepare For Black & Blue

CD REVIEW: "180° South" Soundtrack

Brushfire Records definitely knows how to do soundtracks. They aren't the traditional "music from and inspired by" type mixes, but rather they are mood setting and image conjuring compilations. This latest, not for a surf film, is a collection of tunes consisting mostly of new Ugly Casanova songs. Ugly Casanova is a side project of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock with a little help from James Mercer, lead singer of The Shins and Broken Bells. Mercer also lends two tracks to the soundtrack, one is a cover of a Neil Young song. The other, an original instrumental, is the best instrumental inclusion on the album. Far and away, the best song on the album is Mason Jennings' new tune "Machines." It combines his incredible lyricism with his new found love for the electric guitar, and should have been included on his most recent album. Jack Johnson's cover of "Spring Wind" is excellent, as he finally decided to get into the studio and put it down to tape for the first time ever. Ugly Casanova impresses with "Here's To Now," "Wave Goodbye," and "Lay Me Down." Although the variety of styles on the album is limited, it's an outstanding soundtrack, with a heavy emphasis on indie rock and folk. Considering that the film is one of the year's best documentaries, the music keeps the film's adventure right at our fingertips.

CD REVIEW: Various Artists "Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey" Soundtrack

Kids movies are always fun. But what makes them outstanding is the music. When the music included in the movies is just as good as anything that parents would listen to on a regular basis that just makes enjoying the movie with your kids that much better. Jack Johnson took over musical duties in the original Curious George movie, but this time Carbon Leaf has taken the reins and delivered a successful collection of new and reinterpreted songs from their catalogue. The new songs "The Friendship Song" and "Walking In The Sun" are fun loving songs that are kid friendly and have all of the great elements of Carbon Leaf's signature Celtic rock style. Their revisitation of the songs "Life Less Ordinary" and "Let Your Troubles Roll By" mesh well with the vibe of the rest of the soundtrack and breathe new life into some of Carbon Leaf's best old songs. Beach Boy Brian Wilson also contributes a track and the album contains some non-Carbon Leaf instrumental compositions used throughout the movie. Kids music should always be fun, but it's best when the parents love it to. The Curious George franchise has managed to yet again provided us with another excellent compilation of tunes for kids and parents alike.

New Release Tuesday

New music out today worth checking out:

• Griffin House - The Learner
• Marah - Life Is A Problem
• Robert Randolph & The Family Band - We Walk This Road
• The Roots - How I Got Over
• Sia - We Are Born
• Stars - The Five Ghosts
• Various Artists - 180° South Soundtrack

CD REVIEW: "The Present" Soundtrack

Surf film sountracks have become a staple in the Brushfire Records catalogue. Jack Johnson's label started by putting out the soundtracks for his films, and began to compile soundtrack albums for many of the films released by Woodshed Films, also owned by Johnson. This latest for Thomas Campbell's film "The Present" is very different from all the other soundtracks on the label so far. Many of the other compilations were heavily weighted in jazz and acoustic rock. This time around there is a comfortable mix between jazz and indie rock music, with a little prog rock thrown in as well. Galaxia Platform (Thomas Campbell's label) artists The Mattson 2 and Tommy Guerrero grace the soundtrack adding their west coast jazz style to the mix, while indie rockers Vetiver, Japanese Motors, and Cass McCombs are also featured with some of their best recordings. Bonnie "Prince" Billy also lends a previously unreleased track to the album and African music gets into the mix with two songs by the Ndabva Kure Band. The album goes from instrumental track to lyrical track and back again, taking you on a journey of sound that is a mirror image of the film it is derived from. The film is a unique and new look at surfing, yet still shot in the old school style that Thomas Campbell is known for. Much like the film, the album is also unique, well constructed, and intriguing and a welcome addition to the Woodshed/Brushfire mix.