Dedication
Film Soundtrack
Commotion/KOCH
In the last 20 years film soundtracks – unless pieced together for Cameron Crowe flicks – have generally not been known for being outstanding works of art. There have been exceptions, surely. Off the top of my head: Singles, Dazed & Confused, Pulp Fiction,The Crow. Sadly, the days of artists being hired to create the music specifically for the film seem to have passed as the ’70s came to a close.
Every once in a while a modern soundtrack comes along that captures my attention even if I’ve yet to see the film it’s based upon.
Dedication is a romantic comedy starring Billy Crudup and Mandy Moore, and – most interestingly – was made by actor-turned-director Justin Theroux. Ya know, the Irish gangster bad guy with the ridiculously cut abs in Charlie’s Angels II? Well, that’s Justin. Even more intriguing is the fact that this dude used to roadie for Fugazi! I can only assume that his musical background meant that he had a hand in the choosing for this eclectic soundtrack.
The bulk of the disc is headed up by the wonderfully weird Deerhoof. Not my favorite band, and certainly wouldn’t have been my choice to carry the whole disc, but the songs they’ve chosen to stick on here are well placed and keep the album aloft in an air of surreality.
Also on here you’ll find a bit of The Strokes (“Ask Me Anything” off of First Impressions of Earth), a little Cat Power, a killer blues oldie by Buddy Moss, and a beautiful closing piece of wonderment in the form of Au Revoir Simone.
It made me want to see the film, so I guess it did its job, right? 🙂
Koch Records: http://www.kochrecords.com
