Scott Pilgrim: before hipster tweens make me hate it

Settle in, reader. This is going to be a two-part post and something verging on a feature (well, a feature in the realm of blogs.) Hopefully it doesn't turn into something deserving of tl;dr.

I'm into graphic novels. I'm into trendy and quirky music. I'm into pretty much every form of media. Which is why I find myself attracted to the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series. And before you get too anxious about CineMUSic implementing books, the series is being turned into a film starring the loathsome Michael Cera (aside from when he's George-Michael Bluth). However, this post is going to focus on the stuff that you find on pages.

Music is a big part of the world of Scott Pilgrim. He's the bass player for a band called Sex Bob-omb, he dates a girl named Knives Chau -- but falls in love with Ramona who has dyed hair and is way more sexually experienced than he is. I'll stop beating around the bush -- Scott Pilgrim is a hipster. And for every volume (the sixth is due out July 20, 2010!) chronicling the trials and tribulations of Scott Pilgrim there is a playlist.

So, is it good music or is it bad music? Well, we've got Beulah, Neko Case (excuse me while I hyperventilate), Spoon, The New Pornographers, The Go! Team, David Bowie, Sloan and Fleetwood Mac (among a few dozen others). It's like my musical wet dream. At the end of Volume 3, the author/illustrator Bryan Lee O'Malley writes "for each book, I tend to make one mix CD of song that capture the right mood." He then goes on to list about 10 songs with a note about why they're important in the world of Scott Pilgrim.

For once, I'm getting a little bit serious at CineMUSic. The point of this blog is not just for me to act like a pompous jerk and express how great I think bands are and if they'll be popular. It's also a chance for people to see how integral music is to all forms of art and entertainment. Music serves as an incredible inspiration. I mean, the song "Scott Pilgrim" by a band called Plumtree is what inspired the entire series. Music isn't just something to add interest to a scene or to take away awkward silent moments, it's there because it's powerful.

My point with this little post (well, actually, it's quite large compared to my other posts) is to shed light on books and music working together to create a new experience. Music and almost every other form of art go together like peanut butter and jelly, Ashton and Demi, Romeo and Juliet (okay, so that one ended badly but you get the point).

I'll be back soon with a post about the movie's soundtrack. Here's a taste: there will be Beck.