Music on film: The Office

Have you ever noticed how a song can sound even better in a film or on television? For example, in Slumdog Millionaire, M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" came on, and though I'm sick of that song (along with everyone in the world, probably) I didn't mind hearing it too much as a part of the soundtrack. It just seemed to fit.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant understand this phenomenon. In the holiday special for The Office, the final scenes take place in the office during the Christmas party. Naturally, as there is a DJ, there is always background music. Not only do the writers move the story along, but they also give us a sort-of crash course in really popular 80s-90s British music. In the most heart-wrenching scene, The Spice Girls and Take That provide the soundtrack with inexplicable success. I'm not a fan of the Spice Girls, sure, and I hadn't heard "Back for Good" in many years, but while watching this scene, I kind of dug it. Man, I like the Take That song. And the lyrics comment on the onscreen drama. Very nicely done, blokes.



Don't watch it if you haven't seen the series and still intend to. It kind of blows everything.

Gervais and Merchant continue to work their magic on Extras. Hint: England's biggest 80s and 90s melodramatic and possibly celibate singer makes a soundtrack appearance.

I might just like the BBC Office better than its American counterpart. I wish they would have made more. Cheers.

This year in songs: part 5 - Fucked Up

This song has Fucked Up doing what they do best as well as changing the game a little. The pretty chorus comes outta nowhere. I can't write about music, ok. Enjoy the song.

This year in songs: part 4 - Panic at the Disco

I doubt their sophomore effort, Pretty. Odd., did nearly as well as their debut, but Panic at the Disco took some chances and released a gutsy records by their standards. This is the first single and best song from that record. When I think about pop records, I like to pick out lines (usually vocal lines) that are purely pop and that I could never write. At about :52, Brandon (I think that's the singer's name) sings, "and I know that you feel it too" like an R & B song, and his inflection alone keeps me coming back. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to 9 in the Afternoon up to that point and shut it off.

This year in songs: part 3 - Blacklisted

Blacklisted really impressed me in '08. After teasing listeners with, "I Am Weighing Me Down," they dropped my favorite album of the year and became the most relevant band in hardcore save for Fucked Up. This song is an all-out rager, and I hope you like it.

This year in songs: part 2 - The Dodos

The Dodos came out of nowhere, captivated me until early summer, dropped out of memory, came back hard at Pitchfork, and just recently got back into my playlist with their new album, Visiter.

"Red and Purple" is my favorite song from the record, a song I jammed over and over again this spring. It has a nice toy-piano-esque intro followed by rough acoustic guitars and syncopated drums. Come and join us in the trenches.

This year in songs: part 1 - Vivian Girls

I am not going to list or rank my favorite songs of 2008. Instead, I'll post youtube videos of them for your viewing enjoyment and talk about why I like them so much.

The first song comes to you from Vivian Girls, a New York girl-group with surf, punk, and shoegaze influences (if you haven't heard of them by now, you're under-a-rock-lifestyle has got to change). The LP has grown on me, and it's one of my favorites from the year. My favorite song from the record is still the first one I heard, "Tell the World." It starts with some jangly guitars, and then jumps into something you'd expect from a blender mixing The Rivieras with the Crystals and even Fucked Up.

Vinyl news #4 - American Football

Remember how excited I was to get my hands on the American Football LP? Now, Polyvinyl is pressing the EP on a one-sided 12', the Owen EP on one-side 12', and also a 7' from some band called the One Up Downstairs. Apparently, they preceded American Football, sounded like American Football, but never really released their songs formally. I'm excited to hear it no doubt. Here are links for those.

American Football
Owen
The One Up Downstairs

Also, head on over to Nightmare of You's myspace and find the link to buy their up-to-date discography vinyl. Love their first LP, and the Bang EP is solid, too.
Check it!

Finally, I'd like to point you all in the direction of a band from Scotland known as the Sexy Kids. Their song "Sisters are Forever" is in pretty constant rotation. For fans of peppy indie rock.
Sexy Kids