Tag Archives: movie soundtrack

Peter Jackson enlists former Hobbit Billy Boyd to perform franchise swan song

I’ve got the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach; there’s pure excitement and there’s undeniable sadness lingering as we approach the release of Peter Jackson’s final film in the Hobbit trilogy. Not only will The Battle of the Five Armies close the book on The Hobbit movies, but it also serves as the last chapter in Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tale of Middle-earth. So how does one properly say goodbye to characters and settings you’ve grown to know and cherish across 13 years and 6 movies? The director enlisted actor and musician Billy Boyd–who played Hobbit Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy–to perform the Five Armies swan song. “The Last Goodbye,” written by Boyd, Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, will play when the credits roll at the end of the last Hobbit movie and will surely leave fans with a feeling of closure. “We came all this way, and now comes the day, we bid you farewell,” sings Boyd on the soft, charming tune.

“We had to get the song just right, to send the audience out of the movie theater in the most perfect way we could,” Boyd tells Entertainment Weekly. “I think we discovered very quickly this wasn’t just a song to end The Battle of the Five Armies—it was a song to say goodbye to Middle-earth.” He added, “…being asked to go back to that, to work in that wonderful fantasy world again and to be singing the song that says goodbye to Middle-earth for everyone involved and the fans who took this beautiful journey with us is truly a great, great honor.”

Though “The Last Goodbye” doesn’t carry the same oomph as Ed Sheeran’s closing song used in The Desolation of Smaug, it serves its purpose with flying colors as it aims to peacefully put the stories of Middle-earth to rest. Watch Pippin Boyd perform his song in the video embedded above; it’s set against scenes across Hobbit and LOTR films, so embrace yourself for pangs of nostalgia and bring the hankies.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies releases December 17. Download “The Last Goodbye” at iTunes.

Kanye West puts his stamp on Lorde’s ‘Hunger Games’ track “Yellow Flicker Beat”

New Zealand singer songwriter Lorde was given the keys to curate the official soundtrack for the latest Hunger Games film, that is, Mockingjay Part 1. She got to handpick the artists featured on the album and she collaborated with them to set a particular mood and tone for the 14-song soundtrack. Two of those tracks were imagined by Lorde herself, and one of them caught the eye of Kanye West. The rapper puts his signature twist on Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat,” turning the rather upbeat tune into a darker and frankly more haunting symphony. Listen to the remix above; click here to watch Lorde dance around to the original version. Mockingjay Part 1 hits theatres November 21, and Lorde’s curated soundtrack is out now on iTunes.

Live out your Star-Lord dreams with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ mixtape coming to cassette tape

GOTG fans, listen up! “Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” you know, the truly awesome mixtape carried around by hero Peter Quill in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy filled with the greatest hits of the 70s and 80s curated by the little Star-Lord’s mother… it’s being released on cassette tape so now you can pop it into a Walkman and dance around and fend off baddies like no one’s watching. The limited release lands on shelves Friday, Nov. 28 at participating record stores; it will remain an exclusive to that community of independent retailers associated with Record Store Day through Dec. 31, according to Billboard. The cassettes will also come with digital downloads of the album so you can easily transfer the tracks to your portable music player of choice.

Just another fun distraction as we await the inevitable “Awesome Mix Vol. 2.”

[Via Marvel; Billboard]

Music video round-up: Bob Dylan & Pharrell Williams create fun, interactive clips; Kanye West gets parodied [Update: Eminem is a “Rap God”]

Forty-eight years after Bob Dylan released his 1965 hit “Like A Rolling Stone” the track gets its very own music video and a uniquely impressive one at that. Israeli director Vania Heymann partnered with interactive videomaker Interlude to imagine a music video experience that allows the viewer to flip through TV channel stations and inside each one TV personalities are lip-syncing Dylan’s song. There are 16 stations to flip through using your arrow key or mouse press; from Pawn Stars to The Price is Right to Marc Maron’s podcast, Dylan permeates through them all without missing a beat. Mash play in the TV box embedded above and see it to believe it.

Jump after the break to watch new music vids from Pharrell and Kanye West. Continue reading Music video round-up: Bob Dylan & Pharrell Williams create fun, interactive clips; Kanye West gets parodied [Update: Eminem is a “Rap God”]

Anna Kendrick’s “Cup Song” from ‘Pitch Perfect’ gets remixed for your listening pleasure

If you’ve seen the movie Pitch Perfect then you’ve already fallen in love with actress Anna Kendrick and her unexpected and infectious Bellas audition song featuring only her voice and a yellow cup. The simple song is currently the most popular track available for download on iTunes off the movie’s soundtrack. It even managed to climb Billboard’s Hot 100 list. The song is so hot that an extended, more produced version of the track has been made and soon it will find its way to radio stations this month. Though the remixed version strips away the track’s inherit a capella nature, it still manages to delight. The radio version is called “When I’m Gone” and you can preview it in its entirety in the box embedded above. And if you still haven’t seen Pitch Perfect, what are you waiting for?!

Kanye West drops “White Dress” for RZA’s “Iron Fists” soundtrack

Wu Tang Clan leader RZA is about to make his directorial debut with The Man with the Iron Fists, a martial arts film that promises a bloody good time. The cast is led by Russell Crowe, Lucy Lui, and RZA, and the pedigree behind it is high with Eli Roth writing (with RZA) and producing and Quentin Tarantino is credited as “presenting” the movie.

With RZA’s background in mind, it should come as no surprise that the soundtrack for Iron Fists features a lineup of great rappers. They include Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Raekwon, Pusha T, and Kanye West. The track headlined by Kanye West and produced by West, RZA, Tapez, and Boogz is called “White Dress” and it sits above for your listening pleasure. If anything it will take you back to Ye’s College years as you’ll instantly recognize the classic sound.

After the break you’ll find the full soundtrack tracklist plus a trailer for the movie. The music releases October 23, and the The Man with the Iron Fists hits theatres November 2.

Update: The entire soundtrack is now available to stream for free here.

01 The Black Keys and RZA: “The Baddest Man Alive”
02 Ghostface Killah, M.O.P, and Pharoahe Monch: “Black Out”
03 Kanye West: “White Dress”
04 The Revelations: “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” [ft. Tre Williams]
05 Talib Kweli and RES: “Get Your Way (Sex as a Weapon)”
06 Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Kool G. Rap: “Rivers of Blood”
07 Method Man, Freddie Gibbs, and StreetLife: “Built for This”
08 24 Carat Black: “Poverty’s Paradise”
09 Killa Sin: “The Archer”
10 RZA and Flatbush Zombies: “Just Blowin’ in the Wind”
12 Corrine Bailey Rae: “Chains”
13 Pusha T and Raekwon: “Tick Tock”
14 Frances Yip: “Green is the Mountain”
15 The Wu-Tang Clan: “Six Directions of Boxing”
16 Mabel John: “Your Good Thing Is About to End”

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ 13-minute featurette

In just over a week the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy hits theatres. To catch up on Bruce Wayne’s story thus far and get a glimpse into where the upcoming movie will take the character, watch this 13-minute featurette featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and plot and character insight from the stars, producers, and special department heads. You’ll hear from director Chris Nolan, stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Michael Cane, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, producers, Emma Thomas, Jordan Goldberg, Kevin De La Noy, screenwriter Jonathan Nolan, production designer Nathan Crowley, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, director of photography Wally Pfister, stunt coordinator Tom Struthers, and visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin.

“What we’re constructing here is a very, very elemental conflict between good and evil,” Nolan says of his final venture into the world of Gotham City. “Every great story deserves a great ending, and we’re really trying to be true to that.”

All in all this flashy clip doesn’t include any major spoilers, so it’s safe to watch before seeing the movie. Unless of course you want to go into this thing having watched none of the previously released trailers and casting scoops.

Other things you can do to help carry the time: the official movie website has been updated with a new synopsis and additional cast and crew information; and you can stream the entire 15-track soundtrack from trilogy composer Hans Zimmer at Empire. Also, after the break you’ll find a brief recorded interview with Nolan courtesy of Nightline and a very funny parody clip from Above Average featuring Batman, Bane, and 60’s Robin.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theatres July 20. Continue reading ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ 13-minute featurette

Kid Cudi releases new track “The Ruler and the Killer” for ‘Hunger Games’ soundtrack

Coming off his recent WZRD release, now alt-rocker Kid Cudi has put out a new track that’s featured on the soundtrack for the movie The Hunger Games. Collaborating on a movie soundtrack isn’t new for Cudi; over the summer he teamed with director Craig Gillespie to produce a song for the Colin Ferrel vampire flick Fright Night. The new track is called “The Ruler and the Killer” and it gives off an eerie vibe and features guitar riffs that are in line with his WZRD effort. Listen to the track below, then download it at iTunes. And if you’re interested in learning more about how the track came about, click here to read an interview with the soundtrack’s producer Greg Wells.

[audio: Kid Cudi – The Ruler and the Killer.mp3]

OK Go & The Muppets star in the “Muppet Show Theme Song”

Are you ready to watch the most sensational, celebrational, inspirational video you’ll seen all day? Well this is it.

Viral video sensation and alt rock band OK Go have teamed with The Muppets to make a music video for the classic opening theme song from The Muppet Show. When something goes terribly awry with their musical time machine, OK Go is sent back to revisit some of their classic music videos. Bunsen and Beaker crash the set of “Here It Goes Again,” Kermit, Monster, Gonzo, and Fozzie make their way into the band’s newest clip “All Is Not Lost,” and Gonzo and Camilla try to recreate the Rube Goldberg-inspired “This Too Shall Pass.” Later on the video pokes fun at the canine-infested “White Knuckles.” In addition to all this music video time travel, the clip also includes the Muppets doing what they do best: wreaking havoc and having a good time. And when Crazy Harry makes everything go boom, a laugh-out-loud dream sequence closes out the video. Mash play and enjoy this colorful rendition of the classic kid’s tune.

The Green Albuma collection of covers of Muppets songs by artists like The Fray, Weezer, and My Morning Jacket–is out now, and the Muppet movie starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams hits theatres November 23.

Music video: Kid Cudi – “No One Believes Me”

Cudder fans, here’s a nice treat.

On June 1 Kid Cudi dropped the debut single from his Dot Da Genius-assisted rock band 2 Be Continuum, “Perfect Is The Word.” Since then, Cudder’s been spending his summer on the Cud Life Tour and shooting episodes for the HBO series How To Make It In America. Somewhere in between all this he was able to finalize the track “No One Believes Me,” a song featured on the soundtrack for the upcoming vampire flick Fright Night. Instead of just releasing the song to fans, Cud went the extra mile and teamed with Fright Night helmer Craig Gillespie to make a spook-tacular music video that perfectly embodies the ominous track. Witness a paranoiac and fanged Kid Cudi haunt a quaint suburban town in the clip embedded above; I bet you won’t see the surprise ending coming.

Fright Night, starring Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, hits theatres August 19; “No One Believes Me” will play during the end credits. The soundtrack releases days before on August 16.

Update: Kid Cudi talks to MTV about his inspiration behind the video after the break.

Update 2: The song is now available on iTunes.

Continue reading Music video: Kid Cudi — “No One Believes Me”

‘The Social Network’ soundtrack is available now

If you’ve seen The Social Network you know that one of the most standout redeeming qualities of the movie (besides the stellar writing and acting) is the dark, ominous, electric music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  The 19 track soundtrack is available to purchase today for $7.99; that’s a steal.  Download it at iTunes or order a physical copy from Amazon.

Daft Punk infused Tron soundtrack drops November 22 [Update: delayed until December 7]

The post title says it all, really.  On November 22, the Tron: Legacy motion picture soundtrack will release in physical and digital formats.  The physical in-store copy will come bundled with a Tron poster, so you’re going to want to opt for that one.  Nab the soundtrack in November and keep it POUNDING on repeat until the film’s debut on December 17.

Update: What the post title says.

[Via Gizmodo; TronSoundtrack]