Special Appearance by Howard Shore and Doug Adams in New York!

Come see Howard Shore and Doug Adams discuss music from The Lord of the Rings -- Don't miss a special appearance by Howard Shore and Doug Adams as they discuss music from The Lord of the Rings. Howard Shore will sign Lord of the Rings CDs, as well as copies of his new CD, Collector's Edition Vol. 1. No other memorabilia please.

Priority seating with CD purchase.

Saturday, October 3rd, 6PM @

Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Triangle

1972 Broadway

New York, NY 10023

212-595-6859

http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2628

For more information, please visit howardshore.com

Win Astro Boy (Soundtrack) by John Ottman!

Our contest for True Blood (Nathan Barr) has wrapped up and we'll be announcing the winner soon, but our latest caption contest is already underway! Enter up to three captions anytime during the month of October and you could win Varese Sarabande's release of ASTRO BOY by JOHN OTTMAN. We've already gotten a few good entrants...so put your clever-cap on and get busy.

Enter the contest here

The SoundCast: Episode #9 - The Best and Worst of Summer 2009

SoundCast Episode 9

The Best and Worst from the Summer of 2009

Recorded September 23, 2009
Published September 27, 2009

Episode Highlights

00:11 - Opening - What we did on our Summer Vacation.
04:00 - The Difficulties of a Mediocre Summer
07:25 - The Biggest Surprise
13:40 - The Biggest Disappointment
19:14 - The Worst
25:32 - The Best
31:45 - Reactions
36:50 - Final thoughts on the Summer of 2009



Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

07:58 Code Blue - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (John Powell)
08:54 District 9 - District 9 (Clinton Shorter)
10:00 The House of Adam - Year One (Theodore Shapiro)
11:07 It's A Girl - The Time Traveler's Wife (Mychael Danna)
14:13 Star Trek - Star Trek (Michael Giacchino)
15:00 Election by Adoration - Angels and Demons (Hans Zimmer)
15:51 Einstein's Wrong - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Steve Jablonsky)
16:58 Logan Through Time - X-Men Origins: Wolvernie (Harry Gregson Williams)
17:54 Nest - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Steve Jablonsky)
20:02 Manhattan Bridge - The Taking of Pelhamm 123 (Harry Gregson Williams)
23:15 Deathmatch - Gamer (Robert Williamson and Geoff Zanelli)
24:02 Sleestak Attack - Land of the Lost (Michael Giacchino)
24:45 Heed Our Warning - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Steve Jablonsky)
26:28 In Noctem - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Nicholas Hooper)
27:11 The Cliff - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (John Powell)
28:92 End Credits - Mutant Chronicles (Richard Wells)
29:12 Enterprising Young Men - Star Trek (Michael Giacchino)
30:05 Dinosaur Vista - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur (John Powell)
30:23 Scrat Finds Love - Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur (John Powell)
36:53 Married Life - Up (Michael Giacchino)

Download this episode

3 Minutes of Avatar: The Game - Not Very Horner-like

You've probably seen the recent in-game footage released for the highly anticipated video game tie-in for James Cameron's AVATAR. Seeing this footage, I'm reminded of LOST PLANET 2 (a game I can hardly wait to play). Not only that, but the in-game music sounds more like the work of JAMIE CHRISTOPHERSON, composer for Lost Planet and Lost Planet 2, than it does anything James Horner would ever do. Now, I'm not saying it's bad at all. The music seems to fit into the mold of the first or third person shooter well enough...just nothing extraordinary.

Given Cameron's desire to "connect" the game with the film, I'd expect that to roll over to the music as well. So what to make of this 3 minutes, then? Perhaps it's not the finished game score? I bet that it is. Perhaps, then, it actually is something along the lines that Horner has done for the film? I'd be fraggerghasted, if that's the case.

So I'm betting this is the actual in-game music. All that is left is to find out who the composer (or composers) are. Ubisoft, we're waiting.

The Informant (Soundtrack) by Marvin Hamlisch - Reviewed

And All That Jazz
Review by Christopher Coleman

Ever wonder what Jason Bourne would be like in Bizzaro-world? Well, if you have, then let me introduce you to Mark Whitacre, Matt Damon's latest character creation and central figure of Steven Soderbergh's THE INFORMANT. Dr. Whitacre is a pudgy, pasty, Ivy-league-educated, corporate man turned whistleblower; a man with ever escalating delusions of climbing to the top of Archers Daniel Midland by bringing the peak of the company down under his feet. Mark Whitacre appears to be everything Jason Bourne is not - although one might argue that there is an comically odd parallel in the identity issues both characters face. This time, instead going on a strict exercise regiment and diet, Damon does the opposite in making his own physique match his persona. The on-screen result is just as mesmerizing, but in an inverted way. Regardless, Damon's portrayal of the character is worthy of Oscar thoughts. Director Steven Soderbergh bases his film on the book by Kurt Eichenwald, which tells the real-life tale of Whitacre. This telling goes far beyond the investigative and legal points that newspapers and television covered back in the Nineties. Eichenwald's book and Soderbergh's movie dives much deeper into the story-twists and the fractured psyche of the seemingly cooperative and good-natured Whitacre. This film is all about deception: corporate deception, government deception, and self-deception. Even the trailer is a bit deceptive; making THE INFORMANT look singularly like corporate-comic-caper. Just like Whitacre, there is another side to this film that isn't apparent in the trailers. THE INFORMANT, while containing a high-rise full of humorous moments, is also a thought provoking exploration into price-fixing, FBI operations, and the mind. In addition to the unforeseen plot-twists and Damon's exceptional performance, one of most intriguing aspects of this film is composer MARVIN HAMLISCH's original score.

What is immediately intriguing about THE INFORMANT's score is that it reflects musical sensibilities far older than the film's Nineties setting. Of course, if you are familiar with previous works of MARVIN HAMLISCH, then this jazz-founded score will not be such a surprise. For those not so familiar, Hamlisch is one of only two composers to ever win an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy. In fact, he has won three Oscars, four Emmy's, four Grammy's. He has also won three Golden Globes and Pulitzer Prize. Some of his most recognizable works include THE STING, THE WAY WE WERE, and A CHORUS LINE - all famous works from the Seventies, which could be considered Hamlisch's golden era. It is that era's music in which he is allowed to indulge himself once again. Without a doubt, hiring Hamlisch was a surprising and fiendishly bold move of Soderbergh and the net result is worth examining beyond the cursory listen.

Read the full review here

A Perfect Getaway (Soundtrack) by Boris Elkis - Reviewed

Oh. Think Twice.

Review by Christopher Coleman

A honeymoon in Kaui? That would likely fit the bill for many of us as something we might call "a perfect getaway." What's not to like? The unfathomable blue of the ocean, lush, tropical flora and fawna, cool sea breezes, your new spouse all aglow with honeymoonness; wandering, shape-shifting, psychopathic killers. Ok. That last one might ruin things just a little bit. Well this is the basic plot of director David Twohy's latest project so aptly titled, A PERFECT GETAWAY. Twohy is perhaps best known for two projects: PITCH BLACK and its sequel, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. While the one became a cult hit, the latter tripped over itself in it's desire to flesh out the larger world introduced in the first film. In both cases, composer GRAEME REVELL was selected by David Twohy to deliver his usual blend of the orchestral and the electronic. Of late, it seems that Revell has opted for television-scoring gigs with series like ELEVENTH HOUR and DARK BLUE. Perhaps Revell's busy schedule opened the door for long-time assistant composer/programmer, BORIS ELKIS to take on the full composing reigns for A PERFECT GETAWAY instead.

David Twohy's late-Summer entry tried ever-so-hard to stir things up at the cineplex, by delivering a thriller that jostled the brain as much as the stomach. You see. There have been some mysterious deaths on this beautiful island and we are taken on a journey of finding out not only who the culprits are, but what has lead them down this dark and disturbing path. A PERFECT GETAWAY is essentially a whodunit, or better, a "who'sdoinit?" that makes an effort to "big-twist" unsuspecting audiences. Ah. Nothing is ever as it seems...even in a place as beautiful as Hawaii. Perhaps Mr. Rourke and Tatoo retired there after their Fantasy Island days, but just couldn't help themselves to a little nostalgic-fantasy-twisting. The sad thing is that Twohy attempts to subtly lay down clues as to the twist that is to come, the film's title itself being among them, but even the most general of audiences pick up on such hints and, by the time the twist actually makes it to the screen, are sitting there, like a catcher waiting on the break of a curve ball. We, the audience, have fully anticipated the whole thing from very early on. While beginning as a beautiful, postcard, A PERFECT GETAWAY devolves into the battle-royal version of Survivor by it's conclusion. Of course this progression of story is closely followed by the film's score, thus giving composer BORIS ELKIS a good opportunity to provide music that equally evolves...or devolves.

Read the full review here

Order of War (Game Soundtrack) by Jeremy Soule - Review

New Order. Old World.

Review by Christopher Coleman

ORDER OF WAR is a real-time strategy game set in the latter stages of the European theatre of World War II. Some gamers say that the World War II foundation has been over mined as a game premise and environment and while I might tend to agree, I certainly remain open to something new and fresh that a developer can bring to the genre. In the case of developer's, Wargaming.net, and publisher's, Square Enix, ORDER OF WAR might just be that "something fresh.". No ORDER OF WAR is not another FPS (first person shooter) set somewhere in Europe, but a real-time strategy (RTS) game that takes a step beyond even in terms of that sub-genre. Interestingly, in ORDER OF WAR, the player is allowed to participate in the final thrusts of the European theatre on both fronts; controlling the Allied Advance or Germany's defense against the Russian counter-offensive in the East. Here we get much more than a few squads or divisions to control, but entire armies! ORDER OF WAR also allows the player to control just how these epic battles are viewed; allowing the game to become much more "cinematic" in experience than any other WWII strategy game. Given the scope and breadth of this game, the developers made an epic choice in bringing on veteran game score composer, JEREMY SOULE.

Composer JEREMY SOULE is no stranger to scoring video game titles requiring both dramatic depth and fast-faced action music; his best known works to date being from game franchises such as GUILD WARS, ELDER SCROLLS, WARHAMMER and HARRY POTTER. Soule has clearly proven his hand at capturing the sci-fi/fantasy sub-genre, but what about the more realistic realm of World War II? ORDER OF WAR is, in fact, not his first foray into these battlefields. With his 2006 work for the well received title, COMPANY OF HEROES, Soule proved that he could equally handle a real time strategy game set in the European theatre. Since it's release, Soule's original score for the game has been praised as highly as the game itself. And it is this score that ORDER OF WAR most closely compares to. While there have been recent attempts at putting a new musical spin on World War II shooters, JEREMY SOULE keeps to the more familiar palette used for this historic subject matter whether it be for a game, television documentary, or feature film. In ORDER OF WAR, we are treated to a powerful entrée of epic, orchestral engagements that occasionally bring to mind some of Hollywood's best-ever composers. No. ORDER OF WAR doesn't necessarily offer anything "new," but it does manage to return to that idealized sound associated with this world war. And somehow, while sticking to conventions, JEREMY SOULE is able to keep his score fresh and avoids becoming a second-rate, knock-off of some of the better known WWII games of recent years.

Read the full review here

Gamer (Soundtrack) by Robert Williamson and Geoff Zanelli - Review

Shamer!

Review by Christopher Coleman

If the CRANK films were visually exhausting, then GAMER is a clear case of visual abuse and ROBERT WILLIAMSON and GEOFF ZANELLI's score is just as guilty, but against our ears instead. In GAMER, we are once again taken down the path of an incarcerated man being able to obtain his freedom by winning some outlandish game or sport. In their respective eras, both DEATH RACE and THE RUNNING MAN asked the audience the same question, "Could this be where we are headed for our entertainment?" Hmmm. Yes. It could very well be where we are headed. Certainly nothing new about the question or it's answer. It has been asked since the age of the Roman Gladiator came to an end and the answer remains unchanged. Since we are now in the "age of the video game," perhaps the writer/directors felt it was time to re-wrap and present this question for a new generation. Or perhaps Neveldine and Taylor just needed some sort of premise to hang another couple hours of visual nonsense on. Whichever the case, in GAMER, the central is figure, Kable (Gerard Butler), a prisoner who get's to work off his sentence in a game called, Slayer. Now, this game is of the life and death sort. He also has a wife and daughter to find, who have been taken from him, but how does he win the game and save his family at the same time? It's such a pickle. In comparison, old Arnold had it easy when he won THE RUNNING MAN, since he at least had control of... himself. Poor Kable does not have this luxury, since he is merely the in-game-avatar of a teenaged-master-gamer, Simon. So off we go into this gritty, grungy, shaky, fleeting world of GAMER and to assist us into full migrane-inducing-immersion is the original score by ROBERT WILLIAMSON and GEOFF ZANELLI.

Read the full review of Gamer here

Gametime 2009 - Interview with Jason Graves (Section 8)

Gametime 2009 - Jason Graves

Interview: Jason Graves (Section 8)

Recorded September 2, 2009

Published September 5, 2009

Episode Highlights

00:16 - Opening - Jason Graves introduction

01:49 - The Dead Space effect

05:00 - Unique Gameplay of Section 8

09:08 - The variety and balance of music in Section 8

13:37 - Aliens and Starship Troopers

16:15 - The Crowded FPS Space

20:52 - Alpha Protocol

25:38 - Dead Space: Extraction for the Wii

27:47 - Silent Hunter 5

33:10 - Section 8 Soundtrack release?

34:25 - Closing

Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:04 Clavius System, New Madrid - Section 8 (Jason Graves)

02:25 Severed Limbs Are Hazardous Waste - Dead Space (Jason Graves)

08:18 8th Armorded Infantry, 1st Recon - Section 8 (Jason Graves)

11:52 The A.R.M. of Orion - Section 8 (Jason Graves)

19:55 Your Weapon is Choice - Alpha Protocol (Jason Graves)

24:29 Can't We Discuss This Like Gentlemen - Alpha Protocol (Jason Graves)

28:00 Main Theme - Silent Hunter 4 (Jason Graves)

33:07 Welcome Aboard The U.S.I.S. Texas - Section 8 (Jason Graves)

Download the interview here

Check out the full HIGH SCORE! feature here