Harry Potter? No! Grace Potter!

I neglected to talk about the Almost Alice soundtrack because 13 out of 16 tracks are just awful. But I've recently happened upon the brilliance that is Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I could just kick myself for ignoring them for the past few years. I offer my apologies in raving about them here.

They're not exactly my usual taste, but the lead singer - Grace Potter - has so much stage presence and an unbelievable voice. The band is a perfect mixture of blues, rock, and soul. And, even better news, they're coming out with a new album in June!

The song in question on the Almost Alice soundtrack is the band's cover of Jefferson Airplane's song "White Rabbit." It doesn't deviate much from the original, but it sounds a bit more ethereal, especially considering the fact that Potter's voice isn't quite as insane as Grace Slick's. Basically, their cover doesn't make me feel like I should have just dropped acid. I suppose that could be a good or bad thing depending on who you are.

For those of you who like the musical comparisons, the band is a little bit Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis, a touch of Neko Case, and a hint of The Black Keys. "Medicine," a track from their new album, is catchy as hell. "Ah Mary" is a great track as well.

Also, they're going on tour and will be in the Ohio/Pennsylvania area mid-June. Be sure to check them out if you're in the area!

Something new but still the same

Hi guys! I've come to talk about something before Zach Braff comes along and ruins it.

Broken Bells is a collaboration between Danger Mouse and James Mercer, The Shins lead singer. I've always enjoyed The Shins, though not to the extent that many people do. And I feel the same toward Broken Bells. Which makes me question myself: "Why are you writing about Broken Bells if you don't think it's totally super amazing?"

The answer is that I always recommend things that I love and that I think deserve a blog post, which is not to say that Broken Bells doesn't deserve one! I'm just trying to help out the masses here. And the masses enjoy The Shins.

Broken Bells is like a slightly electronic version of The Shins' album Wincing the Night Away. It's a little bit ambient (I suppose that's where Danger Mouse comes into play) with James Mercer's unmistakable vocals. To be honest, when I first heard that it was Danger Mouse and Mercer, I was expecting some crazy stuff but it's not a huge deviation from what one would expect.

So, the other night when I heard the song "The High Road," I thought that there are probably a lot of people that are jonesing for some new Shins material, which is not what you'll get, but it's not that far off.

Sorry guys. This isn't exactly a glowing recommendation, but seriously, check it out. It's nice and mellow, perfect for finals week which is, unfortunately, quickly approaching.

These are a few of my favorite things

Well, faithful readers/spammers, the school year is beginning to draw to a close. And as I've stated before, shows are ending and soundtracks haven't been all that interesting. Because of this, I'll be posting some of my favorite music/television/film moments. How does a few per post sound? It doesn't really matter - I'm doing it anyway!

1. "You Got Me All Wrong" by Dios Malos from "The O.C.", Season 2, Episode 1

"The O.C." was, is and will always be my favorite TV series ever. I credit the series with introducing me to a majority of my most loved bands. "You Got Me All Wrong" is a go-to, kind of depressing, a little bit groovy, lovely song. Plus, Ryan Atwood.

2. "New Day" by Kate Havnevik from "Grey's Anatomy", Season 3, Episode 9

Ah, back in the days of Doctor Burke... The song is intense. Kate Havnevik has such a unique voice and this song blends strings and electronica together so beautifully. As I watch this clip again, I long for the good old GA days. Everyone was much less annoying and not as preachy. And scenes like this existed. And as always, a beautiful performance from Sandra Oh.

3. "Hong Kong Garden" by Siouxsie and the Banshees from Marie Antoinette

Okay, okay. So, it isn't a new band by any means, but it is an awesome band to get into. To date, this is one of my favorite films - aurally and visually. The combination of 18th century garb and new wave music is amazing. The idea of haughty aristocrats dancing to stuff like New Order and Siouxsie Sioux just tickles me.

Recommendations? What recommendations?

As I predicted, season finales have been crazy. What's even crazier? Lack of really great music. A majority of these shows have been relying on artists that are acoustically-driven and who use soft vocals. With the exception of a few artists (Damien Rice, Iron and Wine, Rachael Yamagata, etc), I really don't find those to be all that appealing.

So, instead of recommending something that I don't think is entirely worth your time, I'm going to give you a guys a quick preview of a soundtrack that I think will have you shaking and crying.

I've been trying to wrangle up some serious information on the Scott Pilgrim movie soundtrack. So far, this is what I have for you:

1. Beck is composing a ton of the soundtrack's music

2. An old Metric B-Side called "Black Sheep" is being used

3. There's going to be so much music, it might have to be a two-disc volume

4. 6 songs from the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series' playlist will be used

5. Broken Social scene might be contributing some stuff to the soundtrack as well

With two-disc potential and Beck apparently being heavily involved, this soundtrack will probably be amazeballs.

Taking a trip back to yesteryear

I recently started thinking about "Gossip Girl" and how, while it isn't what one might call a "critically acclaimed" series to begin with, it certainly has gotten a bit ridiculous over three seasons. So, I decided I ought to go back to when it didn't make me groan/roll my eyes for 42 minutes straight and start watching the first season all over again.

And what did I discover but a delicious little song hiding in the background of the pilot (skip ahead to 3:37 if you feel like watching the scene.) It was a song called "Space for Rent" by the Denmark-based band WhoMadeWho. They're pop-rock-indie-dance music-- I can't even decide which genre to put them under.

The bad news is: they've been a bit lacking in music updates and there isn't much info about them. They released their second album, The Plot, in March 2009. But their debut, self-titled album is a gem. It's like three guys who know exactly what music makes people feel good got together and just started riffing and jamming.

If you can find any of their stuff, I highly recommend it. It's a bit difficult to find. If you're going the legal, iTunes route, it's simple enough to acquire some of their stuff. If you're going the...not so legal route, happy hunting, my friends.

Who needs lyrics?

I'm going to take a bit of a different route with this post - hope you guys don't mind. I think you might enjoy it.

Clint Mansell. Soundtrack buffs might be nodding their heads and saying, "Yeah," but some of you might be thinking, "Come again?" Don't worry; I'll elaborate.

Clint Mansell is the man behind tons and tons of gorgeous music in soundtracks and movie trailers alike. "Lux Aeterna" is easily the most well-known - it started off as the main theme for Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film Requiem for a Dream before being used in practically everything ever. It was even re-recorded for the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers trailer and released as "Requiem for a Tower."

He is also the mastermind behind soundtracks for The Fountain, Smokin' Aces, The Wrestler, 11:14 and Pi (among others). But what brought up this post is actually Iron Man 2. I know, I know: "How did she get from Iron Man 2 to Clint Mansell when he had nothing to do with the movie's music at all?" I'll tell you how.

Iron Man 2 stars the amazing, attractive, talented and hilarious Sam Rockwell. Sam Rockwell starred in the 2009 independent film Moon. And who is responsible for the score? You're damn right! It's Clint Mansell! The score for Moon is creepy and claustrophobic and makes me feel anxious. That might sound terrible, but i

t's actually kind of wonderful. The main title is called "Welcome to Lunar Industries." If you're into that, dive right in and try out...everything!

Here's another fun fact with only makes him cooler: he provided back up vocals for Nine Inch Nails' 1999 album The Fragile.

Mansell's music is haunting, using everything from strings to electronic beats to piano. It's the kind of music that gets under your skin. And while it is instrumental, it's the kind of music that someone who scoffs at lyric-less music can seriously get behind. His music speaks volumes on its own. Get ready for goosebumps, my friends.

Season finales rocking my world

Season finales are happening left and right which is just an excuse to play some incredible music. Here is someone I've been wanting to talk about but I haven't had anything super up-to-date to use as a reason to talk about her. Now, that reason is her song "You've Changed"'s being used in the holy-shit-what-just-happened season finale of "The Vampire Diaries."

So who is it? It's Sia! Just to give you a few references, her song "Breathe Me" was used during the final scene of "Six Feet Under" - only one of the most epic television series and chill-inducing finales of all time ever. "The Bully" was used on "The O.C.," "I Go To Sleep" on "Dollhouse" and a handful of her songs have been used throughout six seasons of "Grey's Anatomy."

She is also a contributor to the ambient/trip-hop group Zero 7. And, let me tell you, girl can make some beautiful and sexy music. Please see "Destiny" and "Distractions" for reference/proof.

Her voice is a bit of an odd one. It sounds almost pained and sleepy, but it's a nice change from girls who sing in those soft voices that don't make me feel anything but bored. Her albums have a nice array of piano-driven pieces, some electronic-sounding stuff (think Massive Attack) and acoustic tracks.

If you're skipping a night out with your friends in favor of staying in to have an introspective night, acquire one of her albums in whatever way you see fit. I'll recommend Colour The Small One to get started with. Don't be surprised if some of the tracks move you to tears or almost tears.