I normally don’t post on Christmas Day, but I wanted to express my deep thankfulness to all my readers in a unique way that could only be expressed in song…..by a Wookie. Thank you so much to the folks at How It Should Have Ended for creating this masterpiece that reminds of Christmas, family, Star Wars, and how profoundly empty our lives would be without the Internet to share these things. God bless us all, every one, and Merry Christmas to you all!
There is no other franchise in film where the music is as integral as the Star Wars franchise. John Williams seven scores have been as much a character in the saga as any onscreen presence, and there’s scarcely a person in Western Civilization who doesn’t know a few pieces from Star Wars scores (even if they don’t realize it). Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in addition to being the first non-episodic Star Wars film, is also the first film to not be scored by John Williams. Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat (who took over for Williams on the Harry Potter series) was slated to score the film, but today The Hollywood Reporter announced that due to a scheduling conflict the new composer of the film will be Michael Giacchino. Continue reading Rogue One Gets a New Composer! Michael Giacchino Replaces Alexandre Desplat!!!
In the modern age of the TV drama (or dramadey in the case of one entry) it’s become common practice to punctuate dramatic moments with songs. The song takes over and there’s very little dialogue because the song is saying all there needs to be said. This technique gets overused, but, when used properly, the music, the acting and the moment create something magical.
No show has, in my opinion, ever done this better than the medical comedy, Scrubs. Most of the powerful moments in the show were punctuated by music. The same could be said of Grey’s Anatomy, but it’s almost become it’s own radio network. There are usually no less that six songs per episode, and it’s rarely intrusive and works with the show, which I honestly still watch at this point to find new bands. You’d never expect a biker drama to make this list, but Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy used it’s personal band, White Buffalo, and the vocal talents of the cast to create some heartbreaking finales including SPOILER WARNING, the very last bit of the show. Aaron Sorkin employs songs more sparingly in his shows, but when he does…man, do they pack a punch. I can’t listen to Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms” without picturing Bartlett walking through the rain toward that press conference. Then from it’s “gangstagrass” theme song to poignant ballads like “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”, the just finished Justified knew how to sparingly pack a punch with a tune.
I’m going to include some of my favorite musical moments from each show and just let them stand on their own. What shows did I leave off? Can you remember a moment where a song met a show and the two forever connected in your memory? Continue reading Top 5: TV Shows With Good Taste in Music
It’s a sad but true fact that I have the great desire to learn how to play a musical instrument, but the ability of a crash test dummy to do so. It is for this, and sundry other reasons, that I embraced the music game phase like it was cherry-flavored crack and have owned an embarrassing amount of plastic guitars. Rock Band 4 is bring back the revolution, and I would be lying to you if I wasn’t prepared to bring more carpal tunnel damage to my wrists when it hits stores on October 6, 2015. For a full list of cheevos below courtesy of xboxachievements.com, keep on reading. For life-affirming awesomeness….keep on rocking. Peace out. (sound of mic hitting floor). Continue reading Complete Achievement/Trophy List for Rock Band 4 (XBOX, Playstation – 2015)
Multiple media sources are now confirming the movie composer James Horner, missing since his small plane went down Monday morning in California, has died at the age of 61. The small plane that Horner was a passenger in crashed near Santa Barbara, but the composer’s fate was unknown for most of a day. It looks like our worst fears have been confirmed. For the initial report on the crash click here.
Horner’s career spanned over 150 films, and his music underscored many of the best films of the last 35 years. I remember first hearing Horner’s scores as a child in The Land Before Time and An American Tail (still, two of his best). He and John Williams were the composers that introduced me to the music behind the movies. He won two Academy Awards for Titanic in 1998, and those are-unfortunately-the only of his prolific career. He leaves behind an indelible legacy of beautiful music. Coming Soon’s obituary is pasted below with a more in-depth account of Horner’s career. He will be deeply missed by everyone who was touched by his work. Continue reading R.I.P. James Horner (1953 – 2015) *Music and Movies Mourn*
