One for the Money (Soundtrack) by Deborah Lurie - Review

One for the Paycheck
Review by Edmund Meinerts

Based on a best-selling novel of the same name, ONE FOR THE MONEY stars Katherine Heigl in an action-comedy about an out-of-work woman who finds herself chasing after a murder suspect in hopes of collecting the bounty. Unsurprisingly, that suspect happens to be a former flame of hers, and wacky hijinks, no doubt, ensue. Reviews have been unanimously scathing, with a staggering 2% at Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Up-and-coming composer DEBORAH LURIE was well-positioned to handle this assignment; the DANNY ELFMAN orchestrator also has considerable experience arranging for various pop and rock artists over the last decade, spilling over into the scores for a number of recent “chick flicks” such as DEAR JOHN. No doubt a similar perky, contemporary flavor was requested of LURIE for ONE FOR THE MONEY, and that sound is precisely what she delivers.

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SoundCast Interview: Richard Jacques (Little Big Planet 2: The Muppets)

Interview:  Richard Jacques

Marius Masalar speaks with composer Richard Jacques about some of his most recent projects including LITTLE BIG PLANET 2: THE MUPPETS. He talks about the enduring legacy of The Muppets and the challenges such a legacy places on the music for a composer.


Episode Highlights

00:25 Introduction
00:50 Blood Stone Aftermath
01:15 Forza Motorsport 4, Music for Racing Games
03:50 Working on LittleBigPlanet 2
05:30 The Musical Creative Process for LBP, Style Blending
07:52 Licensed Music vs. Original Score in LBP
09:35 Collaborating with the Other Composers
10:03 The Muppets DLC; The Appeal of the Muppets
11:25 The Musical Identity of The Muppets
13:50 Recording a Live Ensemble for Interactive Music
18:10 What's the most Authentically Richard Jacques Sound?
20:08 LittleBigPlanet on Playstation Vita; Working on the Vita
22:35 The PS Vita in the Mobile Gaming Landscape
25:15 Why Are There No LBP Music Releases?! Learning to Monetize Game Audio
28:04 What's on the Horizon for 2012? Personal Album

Music Selections

00:00 Big Boss Bossa Nova
13:09 Pigs in Space
30:13 Big Boss Bossa Nova

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Celebrate the Music: 84th Academy Awards by Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams

And Then There Were 84
Review by Christopher Coleman

My best guess says I've watched about 25 of the 84 Academy Award ceremonies over the course of my life. I maintain that I continue to find the shows enjoyable simply due to the fact that the Oscars are not as much about Hollywood patting itself on the back as it is a simple celebration of the movies themselves. I’m obliged to one Tom Cruise for repeating a very similar statement just before announcing the winner for Best Picture. (I had no idea that he followed us on twitter!) All and all, I’d have to concede that this year’s Oscar ceremonies wer just about par for the course. There were some good moments, bad moments, and moments of “memefication.” Eh, Ms. Jolie?

Aside from Cirque Du Soleil’s short, but mesmerizing performance, another remarkable facet to this year’s show was the fact that composer HANS ZIMMER and PHARRELL WILLIAMS were in charge of the night’s music - giving the ceremonies a decidedly different musical vibe from previous years. To my pleasant surprise, a short digial release of Zimmer and company’s music debuted on iTunes the day after.

Right from the onset of the show and this release, HANS ZIMMER and company make it clear that this is not going to be your Papa’s Oscar music. Infusing a sense of expectancy and anticipation with subtle grandeur, well deserving of an Oscar setting, is Zimmer’s title theme, “Celebrate the Oscars” (1). The theme provides the backbone for this 8 track release. While a couple of tracks deviate from the course that this piece sets, by the time you finish listening through the 28 minutes of music, the musical motifs established in this opening track are what will remember most.


READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Cast Your Vote in the 2011 Cue Awards and Enter to Win!

The Cue Awards are back and once again YOU can take part. When you vote for this year's winners, you are automatically entered in THE CUE AWARDS E-GIFT-BAG contest! Once again, ONE lucky entrant will win a special E-Gift bag! While other Award Shows shower the attendees with great gift bags, here at the Cue Awards, YOU are the star and so You should get the gifts!

This year our E-Gift-Bag features:
$10 E-Gift Card to iTunes AND $10 E-Gift Card to Amazon.com!

Entering is easy! Just rate each nominee (be sure to read the instructions on how to do this below), submit your name and email address and you'll be automatically entered into the random drawing! Ratings/contest entries will close at MIDNIGHT, MARCH 2! Winners will be notified by email on or around March 4, 2012.

If you haven't listened to our nominee announcement show, check it out here!


CAST YOUR VOTE AND ENTER THE CONTEST 

SoundCast Ep. 42 - 2011 Cue Award Nomination Show

Episode 42 - 2011 Cue Award Nomination Show


New Tracksounds reviewer, Edmund Meinerts joins Christopher, Marius, Helen, Tom and Richard to proudly announce the official Cue Award Nominees for 2011.  Every nominee from all fourteen award categories are revealed.  Not only that, but you also get immediate reaction and discussion to each category.  What other award show does that?


Episode Highlights

00:00 — Opening Montage and Welcome to Edmund Meinerts
03:45 — Cue Award Categories
05:10 — Suprise of the Year
10:30 — Breakout Composer of the Year
15:16 — Best Cue as Heard on Soundtrack
18:27 — Best Cue as Heard on Film/Media
23:12 — Best Score for Television
28:44 — Best Score for Animated Film
34:03 — Best Score for Video Game
44:03 — Best Score for Action Film
51:31 — Best Score for Dramatic Film
56:05 — Most Memorable Themes
61:13 — Record Label of the Year
66:39 — Best Score as Heard on Soundtrack
74:14 — Best Score as Heard in Film/Media
79:23 — Composer of the Year
87:12 — What happens next?  How you can vote in the Cue Awards.

Music Selections

00:00 — "The Artist Ouverture" (The Artist) by LUdovic Bource
06:11 — "Valkyrie Run" (Warhammer 40k: Space Marine) by Cris Velasco/ Sascha Dikiciyian
07:01 — "Opening Titles" (La Sombra Prohibida II) by Arnau Bataller
08:01 — "Main Title" (Straw Dogs) by Larry Groupe
09:49 — "Qin Huai Legend I (Falling in Love)" (The Flowers of War) by Chen Qigang
11:50 — "Container Park" (Hanna) by The Chemical Brothers
12:58 — "Happy Pills" (Limitless) by Paul Leonard-Morgan
16:00 — "X-Training" (X-Men: First Class) by Henry Jackman
16:50 — "Cthulhu" (La Sombra Prohibida II) by Arnau Bataller
19:33 — "Main Titles" (Source Code) by Chris Bacon
20:23 — "Ancient China- Story of Shen" (Kung Fu Panda 2) by Zimmer/Powell
21:44 — "To Jotunheim" (Thor) by Patrick Doyle
24:03 — "A Galaxy Divided" (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) by Kevin Kiner
26:50 — "Main Titles" (Camelot) by Mychael and Jeff Danna
29:45 — "Main Titles" (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) by Christopher Drake
31:28 — "Entering the Cathedral" (El Gran Milagro) by Mark McKenzie
31:52 — "Mars Observers" (Mars Needs Moms) by John Powell
35:14 — "Incident Occurence" (Ni No Kuni) by Joe Hisaishi
36:21 — "Opening Credits" (Deus Ex: Human REvolution) by Michael McCann
38:30 — "Main Menu - And Ever We Fight On" (Killzone 3) by Joris de Man
39:39 — "Sinister Breed" (Crysis 2) by Borislav Slavov and Tilman Sillescu
42:34 — "A Hero's Legacy" (Warhammer 40k: Space Marine) by Cris Velasco/ Sascha
45:06 — "Romanian Wind" (Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows) by Hans Zimmer
48:18 — "The Beginning" (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) by Patrick Doyle
50:27 — "Priest" (Priest) by Christopher Young
52:00 — "Homecoming" (Soul Surfer) by Marco Beltrami
55:13 — "Dartmoor, 1912" (War Horse) by John Williams
57:04 — "George Valentin" (The Artist) by LUdovic Bource
57:44 — "Icarus" (Deus Ex: Human Revolution) by Michael McCann
71:50 — "Dragon Flight" (Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt 2) by Alexandre Desplat
76:54 — "Wandering Jane" (Jane Eyre) by Dario Marianelli
87:34 — "Pretty Peppy" (The Artist) by LUdovic Bource
91:14 — "The Artist Ouverture" (The Artist) by LUdovic Bource

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Woman in Black (Soundtrack) by Marco Beltrami - Review

What Did They Hear?
Review by Edmund Meinerts


THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a ghost story of the old school. Taking place during the Edwardian era in England, it features the ominously-named Eel Marsh House, creepy visions that only certain people can see, mysteriously locked doors, things that go bump in the night…in short, the works. Originally a horror novel by Susan Hill written in 1983, the bone-chilling tale rose to fame thanks to Stephen Mallatratt’s popular stage adaptation, which opened in London in 1989 and continues to run to this day. Inevitably, a Hollywood film adaptation followed, produced by the revived Hammer Film Productions company. It stars Daniel Radcliffe in his first notable non-Potter role as the young solicitor Arthur Kipps, who must stay at Eel Marsh House for a few days in order to sort out the paperwork of its recently-deceased owner. Of course, it isn’t long before he starts seeing visions of a mysterious woman in black…

Hardly a stranger to the horror genre is MARCO BELTRAMI, for whom THE WOMAN IN BLACK represents a routine assignment. BELTRAMI’s track record in the genre is somewhat hit-and-miss, ranging from grandiose, lyrical triumphs such as MIMIC or DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK to purely functional, borderline-unlistenable efforts such as JOY RIDE, MY SOUL TO TAKE or SCRE4M. THE WOMAN IN BLACK resides somewhere between the two, featuring lengthy stretches of dissonant underscore and tired horror techniques offset by an understated, but lyrical thematic base.

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The Privilege of Listening - What Andrea Bocelli Reminded Me About Music

by Christopher Coleman

We may not be able to replicate a live performance perfectly, but we can certainly change our mindset from "music as a commodity to be horded" to "music as an art form to be experienced."

I live in Orlando, Florida - land of rides, resorts, and restaurants.  At any given moment there seem to be more people visiting the city than actual residents.  But for all of the attractions, I wouldn't say there is a lot of "high culture" going on in the City Beautiful.

So when an opportunity to catch an artist like Andrea Bocelli comes your way, you take it...if you can afford it.  Now, if it also happens to be your mother's 75th birthday AND she just happens to be visiting from 3000 miles away on that very day...AND she happens to love Bocelli, you find a way to afford it.

While I looked forward to the first live concert that I've attended in years, I was unprepared for a huge lesson I would learn in the process of being washed over by Bocelli, Guitierrez, and Headley's voices...not to mention the thunderous choir and orchestra.

As I sat next to a woman, who started off as refined as could be, but ended up standing, fist-pumping and "Woohooing" with the best of them (No.  Not my mother.  She was on the other side of me, but she let out a few diminutive "Woos!" of her own), I began to remember that there is something about a masterful, live performance that simply cannot be duplicated any other way.

Let's face it.  As a lover of film and game music there aren't too many opportunities to experience our beloved genre in a live setting.  Sure.  There is the Hollywood Bowl.  There is Ghent.  There is Tenerife. There is Tanglewood.  All of these are fantastic venues to hear unforgettable performances of some of the greatest pieces from the genre, but I remind you.  I live in Orlando, Florida, and save for the Star Wars Live concert, a couple of years ago, there just aren't any opportunities to hear the music I love in a live setting.

This great lack of opportunity has slowly, subconsciously, I've discovered, affected my appreciation of the art of music.  Additionally, I am lucky enough to get so much music passed my way from labels and PR agencies for review, but if there isn't something I don't get sent, it only takes two seconds to purchase it online these days.   And if that isn't sufficient enough, to find the music you're looking for, there's Youtube, Spotify, Grooveshark, Rdio,and countless others that will be able to stream us satisfied.  Recorded music is never more than a couple of clicks away.

Even a genre as obscure as "soundtrack"  is readily available...perhaps "too" available.  Somehow amidst our quad-cores, terabytes, and broadband, music has become something of a common commodity.   It's everywhere and we have to come the point where we feel listening to music is our right and not the wonderful privilege of observing art, that it really is.

Well, that whole notion was blown out of the back doors of the Amway Arena on Saturday night as Andrea Bocelli and company reminded us...reminded me...that what we heard and felt emanating from the stage and speakers was what the privilege of music is all about.  The fact is you can't download THAT experience. You can't pirate it.  You can't borrow it or loan it.  You can only experience it firsthand.

That is what are listening to music should be.  We may not be able to replicate a live performance perfectly, but we can certainly change our mindset from "music as a commodity to be horded" to "music as an art form to be experienced." There may not be 20,000 others listening, standing, clapping and "Woohooing" around you as you listen to Zimmer's "Time" or Williams' "Escape/ Chase, Saying Goodbye" or even The Chemical Brothers "Sun Collapse,"  but if we will make it a point to be there, in the moment, with our music, then we will find that not only is our experience with music one of the greatest human privileges, but also that every track, no matter how short, or how poorly mixed or edited, contains the seeds of life-altering inspiration.