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Five Rock Star Film Scores Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock Can Learn From

Posted 6/29/11 9:00 am EST by in modest mouse, soundtrack


Isaac Brock

By Zachary Swickey

Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock has been busy in the studio working on his group’s latest album – with Outkast’s Big Boi producing some tracks – but the enigmatic singer has just tacked another project on to his to-do list: scoring a film.

Brock has signed on to provide the audio accompaniment to a western comedy film (don’t see those very often) called Queens of Country. The movie is to be directed by Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke – the same fellas who brought us Blood Into Wine, a wine documentary starring Tool’s Maynard James Keenan. Rather appropriate since the singer is set to appear in the film as the antagonist – a bigger role than the cameos he’s used to.

Meanwhile, the lead actors are Ron Livingston, Sex and the City’s Jack Berger and star of the cult classic Office Space, and Lizzy Caplan of my favorite canceled show, Party Down (which was produced by Paul Rudd). The movie focuses on Caplan’s character, Jolene, who finds a lost iPod that she believes belongs to her soulmate. With Maynard playing the bad guy and Ron Livingston (assumingly) as the inevitable love interest, it sounds like the film has potential, and is a perfect match for the quirky Brock.

Bands or music artists providing the score for films is nothing new. Take, for example, Queen’s emotional “Who Wants to Live Forever” specifically being written for Highlander – a film about a sword-wielding warrior who’s lived since the 1500s. Here are five recent collabs that caught our attention and show the trend has no sign of slowing down. Read More...

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Albums We Hope To Hear In 2011

Posted 6/23/11 10:30 am EST by in listicle


Lil Wayne

By Zachary Swickey

Talking with Zane Low on BBC Radio 1, The Killers revealed they have begun work on their fourth album. Asked if they had started writing the follow-up to ‘08’s Day & Age, frontman Brandon Flowers responded, “We have about four or five [songs]. We’ve put them up on a board and they’re sounding good. We think they’re strong.”

The Killers’ last album was ambitious and took the group’s core sound to the next level. We look forward to hearing what the guys have up their sleeve, but it got us thinking about all of the other new albums that we hope to hear before our final year on earth (2012, from what I hear). These albums are “supposed” to come out in 2011, but we’re just going to have to wait and see.

Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne

A joint album from the two biggest names in hip-hop is bound to get even the most casual fans excited. The effort was first envisioned as an EP to be released by the end of 2010. Then it graduated to a full-length album with a hopeful release date sometime in March, but as of today, it’s still “TBD.” The single that has seen the light of day, “H.A.M.”, is a solid jam from the two, but it’s not as good as the sum of their parts should be. Perhaps they realized this, and are taking their time making an album that is worthy of their talents.

Blink-182, Untitled Sixth Album

I recall Blink-182 being listed as presenters at the ‘09 Grammys and thinking, “Oh, well they’re getting back together,” which is exactly what they announced at the awards. A reunion tour soon followed that summer and the band mentioned writing a new song that they would play on the road (which they never played). Throughout the second half of 2010, Blink provided updates with hopeful release windows that have all come and gone. They canceled their European tour for this summer, because the album is still incomplete. The group has until July 31 to hand their work over to Geffen Records, and since they’re headlining the Honda Civic Tour with My Chemical Romance later this summer, it better be ready.

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter IV

It hasn’t been all that long since we’ve heard from Lil Wayne – it never is, considering he guest appears on every other rapper’s song (I’m counting 13 so far in ’11). He released two albums in 2010, neither of which were particularly well-received (compared to his past work), but neither of those were bearing the banner Tha Carter either. Weezy’s The Carta IV is sure to wow us and be the best thing we’ve heard in rap since Kanye’s Dark Twisted Fantasy. It will likely feature some other huge names in hip-hop, like Drake, Rick Ross and Yeezy himself. After 3-4 delays, the current “hopeful” release date is August 29. Fingers crossed!

Read on for more. Read More...

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Lady Gaga's 'Judas' The Latest Pop Song To Take On Religion

Posted 3/31/11 3:30 pm EST by in Music


This week, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" was finally knocked off the top of the Billboard Hot 100, but the next single from Born This Way seems ready to appear and take its place in the pantheon of her great singles. The lyrics to the song leaked this morning (Thursday, March 31), and as the title suggests, the track uses a lot of religious imagery to get the point across.

And while this isn't the first time Gaga has indulged in lyrics that reference religion (in fact, "Born This Way" has plenty of allusions to a higher power), but it is one of the sharpest. It might even ruffle some feathers (especially the line "Your Bible won't save you"), which would associate "Judas" with some of the most faith-baiting tracks in recent rock history.

Kanye West, "Jesus Walks"
West has managed to antagonize just about everybody under the sun. However, he actually managed to bring people together with "Jesus Walks," as it helped welcome religion back into contemporary hip-hop. That all happened even though the lyrics could be taken as West comparing his journey through the rap world as not unlike the second coming of Christ himself.

Depeche Mode, "Blasphemous Rumours"
Even though the members of Depeche Mode have regularly stated that the lyrics to "Blasphemous Rumours" weren't meant to be anti-religion, it still got banned from quite a few radio stations for the chorus, "I don't want to start any blasphemous rumours/ But I think that God's got a sick sense of humor/ And when I die I expect to find Him laughing."

Joan Osborne, "One of Us"
Osborne's big breakout hit (written by Eric Bazilian of the Hooters) raised some eyebrows in 1995 because the chorus attempted to humanize God ("What if God was one of us?/ Just a slob like one of us?"). Though it seemed relatively safe, that didn't stop the head of the Catholic League from publicly condemning the song and accusing Osborne of "Catholic baiting."
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Trent Reznor Scores An Oscar For 'The Social Network'

Posted 2/28/11 7:35 am EST by in Music


Though it wasn't all that surprising (even in a night that was completely free of twists), the Oscar victory for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Best Original Score on Sunday night (February 27) was no less satisfying to the rock community. Reznor has been a part of the conversation since he founded Nine Inch Nails more than two decades ago, and he (along with longtime collaborator Ross) has come a long way since his early days.

(Click here for photos of the winners at the 83rd Academy Awards, including Natalie Portman, Colin Firth and Christian Bale!)

And what early days those were. Reznor's acceptance speech on Sunday night was low-key and humble (he sounded genuinely honored to be on the stage and thanked the Academy and his wife), but his public demeanor was not always so measured. In the early days of Nine Inch Nails, Reznor was notorious for lashing out at his own bandmates, his audience and especially his equipment (his philosophy was that if a piece of machinery failed, it deserved to be punished). In fact, MTV News was on the ground during the Phoenix stop of Lollapalooza 1991, where Nine Inch Nails played the second stage. In the midst of a performance of "Sin" (from Reznor's debut album Pretty Hate Machine), the summer heat melted some key components in the band's complicated stage set-up and caused regular power outages. After a few false starts, Reznor finally packed it in.

That Reznor looks like a completely different person than the one who accepted an Academy Award on Sunday night, doesn't it? Still, though he may be evolving as an artist (he and Ross will next tackle the score for David Fincher's adaptation of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"), for a certain segment of the population (like the people who crammed into small spaces to see Nine Inch Nails' farewell tour in 2009), Reznor will always be the guy who gained millions of followers by singing "I want to f--- you like an animal."

What did you think of Trent Reznor's acceptance speech at the Oscars? Let us know in the comments!

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Radiohead Dropping The King Of Limbs, Following In Footsteps Of Nine Inch Nails And Themselves

Posted 2/14/11 2:00 pm EST by in Music


Considering that indie icons Arcade Fire walked away with the Album of the Year prize at Sunday night's (February 13) 53rd Grammy Awards, perhaps the biggest news in the indie rock universe came from the United Kingdom. In the wee hours of Monday morning (February 14), Radiohead announced that not only was their new album completely done and would be called The King of Limbs, but it would also be available for a download this Saturday, February 19. The sudden announcement echoes the way Radiohead's In Rainbows first got introduced to the universe back in 2007, when the band made the announcement that they were done with the album and then released it on the very same day (though this time around you'll actually have to pay full price for the album, rather than pay what you want).

Radiohead's latest album represents a continuing trend in the music world. In an age when early leaks can cost artists and labels a hefty sum, getting the music out there (and establishing the cost of it) as early as possible has been a boon to a number of bands over the past few years. Here are a few of the greatest (and most successful) experiments from the past few years.

Radiohead, In Rainbows
Back in the fall of 2007, rumors had circulated that Radiohead were in the studio and working on an album, though nobody knew when it would be finished or released. The Internet got its answer one morning when the band not only announced that In Rainbows was done but that it was also available immediately. Fans could pay whatever they felt like for a digital download of the album, with the option to order a deluxe edition for significantly more.

Nine Inch Nails, Ghosts I-IV
Once Trent Reznor liberated himself from his record label, he went on a crazy jag of creative output. First up was Ghosts I-IV, a series of instrumentals that he described as "soundtracks to daydreams." A mysterious post went up on the Nine Inch Nails website that said "2 weeks!" and two weeks later Ghosts I-IV appeared as a free download (in an interesting twist, Reznor even made a free torrent available). Like Radiohead, more deluxe editions of the album were made available at greater price points, including a "Ultra-Deluxe Limited Edition" that sold for $300 and moved all 2,500 copies made.

The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
Jack White had always protected his music while with the White Stripes (journalists used to have to jump through hoops to hear new albums, especially when Icky Thump came out), and he transferred that same philosophy over to his band the Raconteurs. When the time came to put out their second album, rumors swirled around the Internet for a day or two before the band officially announced that Consolers of the Lonely existed and that it would be ready to buy at iTunes in a week (though iTunes did end up selling it early).

Nine Inch Nails, The Slip
Following the success of Ghosts I-IV, Reznor dropped a proper Nine Inch Nails album a few months later. Called The Slip, it appeared on the Nine Inch Nails website with the simple message, "This one's on me." Once again, a physical edition was made available some time later.

What's your favorite last-minute album? Let us know in the comments!

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Mark Zuckerberg Launches 'The Facebook': Wake-Up Video

Posted 2/4/11 9:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


It has to be sort of weird to wake up in the morning and be Mark Zuckerberg, doesn't it? Being worth billions of dollars and having your professional life story (or at least a version of it) plastered on movie screens around the world has to mess with your head just a little bit. No matter what is true about "The Social Network" and what is a flourish of fiction, one thing has to be certain: Zuckerberg could not have known exactly how huge Facebook would get when he launched the site on this day in 2004.

The story of the rise of Facebook (at least as told in "The Social Network") is, in many ways, the definitive success story of the 21st century. Zuckerberg began his first dalliance with social networking while he was a sophomore at Harvard and hacked into the school's network to create Facesmash, a kind of "Hot or Not" site. Though the site was a huge success, Facesmash ran afoul not only of many of the students represented on the site (whose photos were obviously used without permission) but also of the school's administration (who did not appreciate Zuckerberg the security breach, which essentially crippled their network for a while).

Undaunted, Zuckerberg continued, eventually developing Facebook (which at launch was called "TheFacebook"). Along the way, he ran into massive success, tremendous influence and, of course, a series of lawsuits. But considering nearly half of the United States has a Facebook account (a remarkable statistic), Zuckerberg has easily become the most influential man on the Internet. Not bad for a guy who is only 26 years old.

One of the joys of "The Social Network" is its score, crafted by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The moody soundscapes have almost no relationship to Reznor's early work in Nine Inch Nails, but that doesn't stop "Down In It" (from Reznor's debut album Pretty Hate Machine) from being pretty great.


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How Oscar Nominee Trent Reznor Could Score His EGOT

Posted 1/26/11 2:30 pm EST by in Music


It's probably too early to call any of the Oscar races, and we won't know who the winners will be until they are read aloud when the show airs live on Sunday, February 27, but it's probably safe for Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor to clear off some space on his mantle for his Academy Award. Reznor is nominated for Best Original Score for his subtle, haunting contributions to "The Social Network" (which was directed by friend and collaborator David Fincher). He is going up against some stiff competition, including previous winners A.R. Rahman ("127 Hours") and Hans Zimmer ("Inception"), as well as four-time nominee Alexandre Desplat ("The King's Speech") and fellow first-timer John Powell ("How to Train Your Dragon"), so it won't necessarily be a walk in the park for Reznor (and partner Atticus Ross).

But considering the pair behind the score to "The Social Network" has already taken home the Golden Globe, Reznor and Ross definitely have a leg up. That would make it especially interesting for Reznor, who already has a Grammy (he scored one for Best Metal Performance for a live version of "Happiness in Slavery," which appeared on the Woodstock '94 album, which means that he'd be half way to an EGOT. The EGOT, of course, is the rare accomplishment wherein one performer wins an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony over the course of one career. Most of the winners are composers (music is versatile like that), so Reznor would fit right in.

So if he takes care of his Grammy and Oscar, how would Reznor go about scoring an Emmy and a Tony? The Emmy might be next, as Reznor is somewhere in the process of developing his "Year Zero" mini-series for HBO. The project is based on the 2007 Nine Inch Nails album of the same name and promises to be a dynamic, ambitious and thrilling bit of television that could easily make for killer awards bait when the time comes.

And while Reznor will probably be distracted by "Year Zero" and his work scoring "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (also directed by Fincher), he may be able to cram a stage show in there somewhere. But what should Reznor do? Is he a one man show kind of guy, or should one of his concept albums get adapted into a stage show a la "American Idiot"? In reality, probably neither of those ideas are good, and Reznor has never cared all that much about awards. Still, the possibilities are there, and no matter what his next move is, there's no doubt that it will be envelope-pushing.

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Trent Reznor Wins Big At Golden Globes For 'The Social Network'

Posted 1/16/11 10:15 pm EST by in Music


In a night full of memorable moments and unusual victories at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards, perhaps the most surreal came when Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor walked on stage (accompanied by working partner Atticus Ross) to accept the award for Best Original Score - Motion Picture. Even Reznor himself was sort of shocked — shortly after accepting the award, he tweeted, "Holy s---!"

His victory was curious and thrilling for a number of reasons. First, the original music he contributed to "The Social Network" — the almost-true story of the founding of Facebook, adapted by fellow Golden Globe winner Aaron Sorkin and directed masterfully by David Fincher — is not your typical film score. Comprised mostly of moody interludes and no real themes, it doesn't so much propel the film as compliment the on-screen action with splashes of moody undertones and mysterious noises.

But it was even more surprising to see Reznor accept the award because of his crazy musical legacy. Though he has obviously evolved quite a bit since the release of his first album Pretty Hate Machine more than two decades ago, Reznor's roots are firmly planted in the raging, computer-assisted aggression of his early industrial rock sound. Pretty Hate Machine, which just got a very fancy deluxe reissue treatment, taps into the darker echelons of Reznor's soul and the jagged darkness that creeps into his worldview. Of course, his work has evolved quite a bit, becoming even deeper, more complicated and — yes — more cinematic over time.

So we congratulate Reznor on his victory (an Oscar cannot be far behind), and we pay tribute to how he got his start: 1989's "Down In It," his first single from back in the day. You've come a long way, sir. Keep evolving.


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Golden Globe Nominations: Christina Aguilera, Trent Reznor Score Nods

Posted 12/14/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


The nominees for the 68th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on Tuesday morning (December 14), with prestige pictures like "The King's Speech," "The Fighter," "Black Swan" and "The Social Network" leading quite an eclectic field of nominees. (A bunch of television stuff was included too, but besides "The Client List," it's a less headline-grabbing group.) In fact, some of the most interesting named called during this morning's announcement came from the pop music universe and could spell gold for both.

Despite middling reviews and tepid box office receipts, "Burlesque" scored a handful of nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, including a nod for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. Two of its soundtrack songs got nods for Best Original Song - Motion Picture, including "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" (written by Diane Warren and performed by Cher) and "Bound to You" (performed and co-written by Christina Aguilera). The rest of that category includes nods for Carrie Underwood (for "There's a Place for Us," from "Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader") and the writers of "Coming Home" (from the Gwyneth Paltrow-lead country music flick "Country Strong"). Will the "Burlesque" songs split votes, or will one of those compositions prove stronger than the competition?

Meanwhile, as predicted, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were nominated for Best Original Score - Motion Picture for their work in "The Social Network." The former Nine Inch Nails collaborators and current How to Destroy Angels members will be competing against former Oingo Boingo member Danny Elfman ("Alice in Wonderland"), A. R. Rahman ("127 Hours"), Hans Zimmer ("Inception") and Alexandre Desplat ("The King's Speech"). Of those, Ross and Reznor's work on "The Social Network" was impressive, but they'll have to fight off Zimmer's score for "Inception" (and its trademark foghorn cue) for the gold.

Do you think Christina Aguilera, Cher or Trent Reznor will win Golden Globe awards? Let us know in the comments!

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Trent Reznor Of Nine Inch Nails Could Totally Get His 'EGOT'

Posted 12/13/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


The movie awards season is already underway, as the various critics' associations of several cities have already handed out their awards (Los Angeles, New York, Boston and the National Board of Review have already weighed in), and "The Social Network" is by far the golden child, having taken prizes for Best Picture from all of those organizations. In addition to winning the top prizes, "The Social Network" has also walked away with a bunch of awards for director David Fincher. The film is expected to get a bunch of attention when the Golden Globes are announced on Tuesday morning (December 14), which will undoubtedly lead to a load of recognition at the Oscars in February.

So far, there hasn't been a whole lot of adoration bestowed upon Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the musicians responsible for the score for "The Social Network." Though few people wrote about it, the score by the former Nine Inch Nails collaborators and current members of How to Destroy Angels is a moody, complicated construction that is remarkably great and exceptionally dark, and it absolutely adds to the film's distinct tone. They'll probably have to contend with the likes of Clint Mansell ("Black Swan") and Michael Brook ("Country Strong") for the Best Musical Score Oscar when the time comes.

With that in mind, it's not impossible to think that Reznor could be halfway to an EGOT by the time the Oscar ceremony is over. The EGOT, popularized by Tracy Morgan's character on "30 Rock," stands for "Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony," the four major awards for performers in television, music, film and theater respectively. Reznor already has a Grammy (he has two, actually, both for Best Metal Performance for "Wish" in 1992 and "Happiness In Slavery" in 1995), and his Oscar could potentially be coming soon. That leaves an Emmy (somebody should really draft him to write the theme song for a sci-fi series — the fact that he doesn't write music for "Fringe" is sort of criminal) and a Tony (maybe he'll do a one man show or get involved in a musical, U2-style) left on the table. The Tony would probably be the most unlikely (Broadway is awfully low-fi for a forward-thinking guy like Reznor) and Reznor has never seemed that interested in winning awards in the first place, but it would be an accomplishment that would drive home Reznor's wide range of talents and his knack for excelling in just about everything he does.

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