ROULETTE 15

It's been a while since I've properly showcased the wonderful art of instrumental music, hasn't it? In the meantime, I've listened more to old favourites, and picked up a couple new ones as well. Let's get to it!

Scores

1. Bear McCreary - Passacaglia (from Battlestar Galactica)

An epic beginning that always stops me in my tracks when I hear it; absolutely gorgeous. Rolling, beautiful and classy.

2. Christophe Beck - Accused (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

From season 2's "Ted" episode. (I can't say I remember the song being used in that particular episode, because A - it was years ago, and B - "Ted" was, while not bad, a rather forgettable episode. This bit of score's quite nice, though, with the sad piano beginning leading into some rather foreboding creepy stuff.

3. John Powell - The Bedroom (from Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

A beautiful, strings-based tribute to the title characters intimately titled "The Bedroom", I believe this played over either their first morning together after meeting, or their reconciliation after their massive confrontation in the kitchen. It's short, but it always gives me a smile and maks me a bit nostalgic for the movie.

4. Daniel Licht - End Credit (from Dexter)
5. Daniel Licht - Wink (from Dexter)

My two favourites from Daniel Licht's fantastic soundtrack for Dexter season one, both quite short but enough to make a great impression. "Wink", with its piano and choral sighing, is very nice, and it can be recognised from many background scenes. Meanwhile, "End Credits" is a haunting, creepy little piece that slides down your spine. Sounds like ghosts attempting to sing.

6. Streams of Europe - From the Top of the Mountain to the Bottom of the Sea

Created by an independent video game developer for a game, this piece of instrumental beauty stands extremely well, as do the rest of Streams of Europe's scored pieces. This beautiful, dreamy song was found on thesixtyone. An amazing song to fall asleep to - fills up my head like anaesthetic, knocks me out instantly.

ALBUM

7. Rockabye Baby! - In My Place (Coldplay cover)

I've mentioned Rockabye Baby! before, those of the lullaby-style covers. I'd have to say that "In My Place" works best of those I've heard, being a gentle lullaby that recalls, but does not wholly depend on, the original. A sweet, chimey cover, even if not particularly enthralling.

8. Need More Sources - Sun

An extremely pretty piece from Need More Sources' weather-themed debut album Shed, which trickles through things like sun, "Breeze", "Storm" and the like. This is a nice warm piece, filled with gentle echoes and faraway sounds. Very pretty, and builds nicely as it goes.

Search for more at The Hype Machine. Purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

NEW IMOGEN! NEW DEATH CAB! 'HEROES' SEASON ONE SOUNDTRACK!

"Yatta!"


Just got my hands on the new Heroes Season One soundtrack, and while I haven't given it an intense listen over, I am very happy about one thing: A new Imogen Heap tune! As well as a new Death Cab For Cutie one. Plus, for anyone who hasn't grabbed the new Panic at the Disco album (or read my post below where I dropped this same mp3), their new single "Nine in the Afternoon" is included as well.

Imogen's tune, "Not Now But Soon", follows the pattern of her compilation work being better than her album work, and I'm happy to hear it. It's got heavy synth work, and is very electronic a little Frou Frou-y, in fact. It doesn't compare to the best of her work, like Narnia's magnificent "Can't Take It In" or Plague Songs' "Glittering Clouds", but its a worthy addition to her discography, and I suspect it will grow on me s many others have.

In addition to this, the album includes Death Cab For Cutie's "Jealousy Rides With Me", The New Pornographers' "All For Swinging You Around", David Bowie's iconic "Heroes" (of course), and some surprisingly fantastic work from the series score creators Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, better known as Wendy and Lisa. The music of Heroes is sometimes noticeable while watching, but usually it slips under your skin and enhances the scenes. We don't get a huge taste of it here, as three of the four that bear their name - the series' theme, "Natural Selection", and "Homecoming" - are painfully short, leaving their only lengthy contribution here a collaboration with vocals by Shankar (an Indian vocalist and violinist who also goes by Shenkar), entitled "Fire and Regeneration". What I believe is choral work run through synths has a great effect on "Fire and Regeneration", though, building beautifully through the song and making it very deserving of its spot on this album. I hope we get to hear more of this score in future releases. Also, Sheila Chandra's inclusion, "ABoneCroneDrone 3 ", is also exceptional.

Imogen Heap - Not Now But Soon
Wendy and Lisa ft. Shankar - Fire and Regeneration

BUY: Haven't found a good online source for this, sadly enough, but look around hard enough and you'll get your hands on it. It should show up at NBC's web store sometime soon, though.

ROULETTE 9

(Note: Some readers may have had trouble downloading these, due to bandwidth restrictions. The former links have been replaced with reliable YouSendIt links, so feel free to give it another shot.)

Going to go for a bit of theme with this one, as it's been really intriguing me these past few days: instrumental music! I know it seems off to put it all in together, but it really is a different creature entirely from music with conventional vocals, with its own unique worlds of sound as well. For me, it's practically a new universe to explore.

So, here goes, scratching the surface of the instrumental side of things...

(Please excuse any mistakes I make in describing the instrumentation. I can easily analyse vocals because I, like everyone else, speak on a daily basis - Instruments are something new and different to me.)

SCORES

1. Christophe Beck - Sacrifice (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

The heartbreaking final moments of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's fifth season, wherein Buffy sacrifices her own life to save both her sister's life and the world, was one of my favourite TV moments ever. A good amount of that resonance should be rightly credited to this beautiful piece of work, which accompanied what was planned to be the series' final moments.

2. Bear McCreary - Two Funerals (from Battlestar Galactica)

From before I watched the series, I knew and loved this song. I had acquired the OST, and the mournful, dark horns with the sad-but-hopeful resonating strings underneath drew me in completely. The drums that follow add that 'military funeral' feeling to everything, and it smoothly folds into a beautiful ending.

3. Daniel Licht - Party (from Dexter)

The strumming, rather Spanish sound of this song reminds me of Miami, where the series is set, and feels like sedately sexy and happy. The song drifts into a sadder place as it goes, and even when you feel like there's a real party going on and the music begins to reach up, that sadness remains with the leading strings. Wonderful piece of feeling music.

4. John Williams - Confluence (from Memoirs of a Geisha)

I admit to being fascinated, in an outsider-looking-in kind of way, with Japanese culture: their history, their culture, their art and music. This may be why I found "Memoirs" so intriguing, both the novel and the adaptation that followed. I uncovered the OST recently, and this was the first song to really grab me. It's very sparse until it really kicks in about halway, where it fills with layers of beauty.

5. Michael Giacchino - Win One for the Reaper (from Lost)

Initially, I was planning on skipping this song for this post, merely because I didn't want it to run too long. However, I began relistening to it, and remembering why Giacchino's work on Lost has been utterly genius. This song, a tribute to the fallen Boone, I believe, is a beautiful funereal piece that shines among Giacchino's work on the show.

ALBUMS

1. Explosions in the Sky - Remember Me as a Time of Day (from How Strange, Innocence)

Long-time tBoS-ers will recognise this song from my debut post. I wondered whether I should include it, but realised I couldn't have this post mean anything and not include it. This was my gateway song into instrumental, into feeling a song beyond words. For a long time while I didn't listen to pretty much anything instrumental, this was in my top ten played songs. It's just a beautiful song.

2. Kaki King - Open Mouth (from Dreaming of Revenge)

I first heard Kaki King on an REM cover by Sara Quinn (of Tegan and Sara), and her guitar work was quite nice, so I remembered her name when I saw Dreaming of Revenge and decided to grab it. This song, creeping up my spine and drifting like gas through me, freezing my insides and filling my head with bits of light, is what I found. I've since criminally ignored this album, and in constructing this post I have remembered this and sworn to rectify that.

Seven is enough for now, I think. Enjoy, and maybe I will post some more. I am looking into more scores, from movies and TV alike. Any suggestions?

ONE WEEK!

Looks like tboS has been around for a whole week, as of today! To commemorate that, I'd like to say a few words about this blog. Though I haven't had it long, having this blog has brightened up my days. I get excited when a new day comes along and I feel like writing a new post, introducing the two of you out there reading (maybe three) to the music I love. This week has been a blast. Now, as I don't wanna make too big a deal of it, I'll end this right here and give you good folks some mp3s. Which ones? Who knows, whatever I feel like.

Here goes! Seven songs, one for every day of the first week:

The New Pornographers - Sing Me Spanish Techno (Sendspace link)
The Lascivious Biddies - Ask (The Smiths cover) (Sendspace link)
Cloetta Paris - Broken Heart Tango (Sendspace link) [Bringer of Song favourite]
Bear McCreary - Destiny (Battlestar Galactica OST) (Sendspace link)
Imogen Heap - Can't Take It In (The Chronicles of Narnia OST) (Sendspace link) [Bringer of Song favourite]
Andrew Bird - Opposite Day (Sendspace link) [Bringer of Song favourite]
Eisley - Many Funerals (Sendspace link)

If you like the artists, check them out elsewhere.