So, if you happen to live with a fifteen year old girl, or in my case, a late 20’s year old woman, you have probably heard of Twilight. It’s the vampire romance novel that’s not so much about vampires as it is about “I have to go” “I don’t want you to go” “I love you” “No, I love you more” dialogue. Most likely it has gripped your daughter or ahem, wife, and you only see her when she’s on her way to get the next book in the series. Now, there’s a movie adaption of the book and it’s all the rage right now.
Now, you would think that a book and movie primarily aimed at teenage girls would have a soundtrack aimed at teenage girls with lots of bubble-gum pop music. Strangely … it’s not. I borrowed the CD from Adriene a couple of months ago, and it’s actually a surprising collection of enjoyable music.
I guess Paramore could be considered teenage music, but they have some indie credibility and they’ve toured with some favorite indie bands of mine, so I guess they skate through. The two tracks are pretty indicative of their work. There’s a Linkin Park track, too, but it actually doesn’t have much in common with their earlier work aimed at teenagers. The Muse song, Supermassive Black Hole, isn’t new, but it’s one of the Muse songs I actually like. Then there’s one of my favorites, a new track by Mute Math. It’s not my favorite track by them, but I love the handclaps and I’m always happy to hear new Mute Math. There’s even an “oldie” track from one of my favorite Collective Soul albums, Dosage. Rob Pattison contributes his own song, but it’s not as bad as say, Patrick Swayze on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. The Iron & Wine song is total audible candy. I love it.
The collection is moody and a just a little turbulent, but not overly so, much like the movie, I guess, but I thought the collection was decently thought out. I don’t know if I will ever see the movie (who am I kidding, when it comes out on DVD Adriene will chain me to the couch and make me watch it), but the soundtrack is one of the pleasant surprises of 2008.
i like it okay. didn’t know the Muse and Collective Soul were older songs. the Linkin Park song stinks. i really like ‘Decode’, a lot more than the other Paramore song. the Mute Math song is decent, but i guess i was expecting more. the more i listen to it though the more i like it.
I read a CNN article about the books and the movie and its *ahem* older fans, and it really made them sound like a bunch of weirdos. Like, weirdos that make the people that dress up like Stormtroopers seem totally well adjusted. It really wasn’t a favorable presentation of middle-aged women lusting over teenage vampires, or whatever.
Regarding the soundtrack, I was suprised to see that Collective Soul song (one of my favorites by them) show up – kind of out of left field. I, too, was a little underwhelmed by the Mute Math song. It’s not bad, but I was expecting a little more, but like Scott, it’s growing on me the more I hear it. I like Paramore pretty well – their songs are fun to play in Rock Band. So the soundtrack is pretty decent, but I’ll likely never see the movie.
Jerry, I will not tolerate you calling me a “wierdo.” 😉 I’ll admit, some fans of the series are a bit… obsessed, but I manage to function quite well, thankyouverymuch.
As for making Jeff watch the movie when it comes out on DVD, I’m torn between chaining him to the couch and making him watch it, or forbidding him from watching it at all, because he’ll probably make snide comments all through the movie. There’s a reason why I take his sister with me instead of him when I go see it in the theater.
Adriene, that last sentence makes “going to see it in the theater” sound like an ongoing process. You’re not one of those crazy women that had already seen it like 5 times in the first weekend, are you?
Um… no.
(I only saw it twice opening weekend.)
You ARE one of them!!1!
(Don’t ask what she’s doing Saturday night.)
HAH!
I hate you both.
Because we’re not teenaged vampires?
I’m Team Jacob, thank you.
Which means I like… teenaged werewolves.
:facepalm:
What, like Michael J. Fox?
Teenaged shapeshifters would probably be more accurate. (They turn into actual wolves. Not some sort of weird human/wolf hybrid thingy.)
You should read the books! It’ll explain things better than I do.
This has got to be the most comments ever on any post on my blog. Clearly I need to write more about Twilight.
It worked for Kari!