"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” Soundtrack is Seriously Awesome

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is one of the most anticipated sci-fi action and adventure movies of the season. In the sequel to the first film in the series, protagonist Katniss Everdeen and her comrade Peeta Mellark become targets after their victory in the 74^th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in their fictional dystopian world, describes IMDB. It doesn’t hit theaters until November 22^nd, but its soundtrack is already creating a buzz.

When Coldplay recently debuted their single “Atlas” for the film, fans of the series began to speculate what other kinds of bands would be on the soundtrack. Entertainment Weekly says, “Artists both indie and mainstream are now clamoring for spots attached to the new cool [young adult] franchise,” speculating that with a “way more badass” female lead, more people in the entertainment industry want to get involved. Katniss Everdeen is definitely a strong character, and with Academy Award-winning it-girl Jennifer Lawrence stepping into her shoes again, it’s no wonder that her peers would be drawn to the film.

Who can you expect to hear on the soundtrack? The seriously stacked lineup of musicians includes The National, Sia, Santigold, Patti Smith, and even Christina Aguilera, to name a few. The Catching Fire soundtrack will be available a few days before the movie hits theaters, so you’ll have to wait a little bit longer to hear more songs than just “Atlas.” 

Here’s the full list: 

01 Coldplay: "Atlas"

02 Of Monsters and Men: "Silhouettes"
03 Sia: "Elastic Heart" [ft. the Weeknd and Diplo]
04 The National: "Lean"
05 Christina Aguilera: "We Remain"
06 The Weeknd: "Devil May Cry"
07 Imagine Dragons: "Who We Are"
08 Lorde: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
09 The Lumineers: "Gale Song"
10 Ellie Goulding: "Mirror"
11 Patti Smith: "Capital Letter"
12 Santigold: "Shooting Arrows at the Sky"
13 Mikky Ekko: "Place for Us"
14 Phantogram: "Lights"
15 Antony and the Johnsons: "Angel on Fire"

What do you think about the film’s soundtrack?

Image: Matthew Allard via Flickr CC

TLC Gets Back Into the Groove with Greatest Hits Album and Upcoming Biopic

 

Fans of the iconic girl group TLC will be happy to know that Rozanda “Chili” Thomas and Tione “T-Boz” Watkins have a lot of exciting plans for next month. October marks the release of their new greatest-hits compilation record, as well as the airing of “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story,” a biopic set to premier on VH1.

TLC is a group that has experienced tremendous highs and lows throughout its existence. The original three members experienced great success after the release of their first few albums in the early to mid-1990s. Their incredible vocals and choreography helped the band excel in the music industry, and their repertoire spanned R&B, hip hop, soul, and funk, with just enough pop to transcend industry labels and appeal to a diverse and vast fan base.

Despite early success, the band experienced devastating tragedy when Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes died suddenly in a car accident in 2002. Lopes’ untimely death left fans and her band mates heartbroken, but TLC continued to make music over the next few years. The band was never the same without Lopes as its third member, but original songs like “No Scrubs” and “Waterfalls” are still beloved and indicative of the band’s influence during their prime.

Next month, TLC will release “20,” a fourteen-track album that showcases the group’s most popular songs. TLC has released a couple of greatest hits records in the past, but “20” is set to have more focus and to better highlight the group’s growth and strengths throughout their career. Thirteen of the album’s songs will be class TLC hits like “Red Light Special,” “Baby, Baby, Baby,” and “Creep,” but the last track will be brand new. “Meant To Be” was written by Ne-Yo, and will play a part in the band’s upcoming VH1 biopic, according to the Huffington Post. 

“20” is meant to illustrate TLC’s journey, and how the group has changed and grown over time. Ending the record with “Meant To Be” shows that the group has a bright future ahead, and that Chili and T-Boz will continue to create music as TLC. 

Image: sonymusicglobal via Instagram

What is “Post-Rock,” Anyway?

 

Stoner rock, folktronica, psychobilly, slowcore, anti-folk, post-classical screamcore death-pop. Okay, that last one I made up. But there are so many obscure contemporary music genres that sometimes it’s hard to keep them straight!

One genre that has been garnering more attention in recent years due to artists that have earned both mainstream credibility and an independent music fan base is “post-rock.” So, it’s not quite rock and roll, but it incorporates the same instruments? It’s the genre that spawned from rock? What is post-rock anyway?

According to All Music, “Post-rock was the dominant form of experimental rock during the ‘90s, a loose movement that drew from greatly varied influences and nearly always combined standard rock instrumentation with electronics.” From this genre, other subsets such as progressive rock and ambient music emerged, both which have excelled in the mainstream market over the last decade.

All Music also explains how, “post-rock was something of a reaction against rock, particularly the mainstream’s co-opting of alternative rock; much post-rock was united by a sense that rock & roll had lost its capacity for real rebellion.” The sound that comes from this departure from rock and roll music is heavily focused on pure sound, melodic hooks, and heavy instrumentation with minimal and sometimes no vocals. Some of the most prominent post-rock bands include Sigur Ros, Stereolab, and Grizzly Bear. Explosions In The Sky is another leader of the genre, one that Pitchfork considers “the last true exponent of turn-of-the-century post-rock -- they never wandered away from drifting instrumentals constructed around loud-soft dynamics and the contrast between soft guitar tones and pounding drums,” something that makes the band a leading example of post-rock.

Do you ever listen to post-rock music? What are your favorite post-rock bands?

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Fela Kuti’s Legacy Renewed in New Biopic

During his life, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, most known as Fela Kuti, or Fela, was a visionary within the music industry. A fascinating public figure, the musician and political activist has continued to captivate people even since his 1997 death. There have been biographies written about Fela Kuti, films made, and even a Broadway musical honoring his message and the legacy he left behind. Now, a new biopic about the iconic performer and human rights activist is in the works.

Fela Kuti was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, who is most known for his creation of the Afrobeat genre, something he gave name to and infused with political messages throughout his career. Afrobeat is a complex fusion of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional West African chants and beats – Fela’s version of the genre resulted in energetic, instrumentally complex songs with repeated, groovy riffs, strong percussion, and a focus on vocals. Fela’s songs were primarily sung in Nigerian pidgin English, and he rotated between playing the saxophone, keyboards, trumpet, electric guitar, and drums.

One of the reason’s that Fela Kuti has remained such a significant and fascinating figure is because of the weight that both his art, and his activism carried, especially when intersecting. His music was his best political weapon; it allowed him to successfully transmit messages to his audience about freedom, equality, and social justice. Fela was also famously nonconforming to music industry standards. Biographical author Carlos Moore explains, “Fela refused to bow to the music industry’s preference for 3-minute tracks, nor did he buckle under entreaties to moderate his overwhelmingly political lyrics. He went down in 1997 still railing against the consumerist gimmicks that taint pop music, with the aim, he felt, of promoting and imposing homogeneous aesthetic standards worldwide, thereby inducing passivity.”

With such a tenacious and passionate spirit, it’s no wonder that this incredible figure has garnered so much attention throughout, and even after his life. The newest Fela Kuti film will be a biopic based off of Michael Veal’s 2000 book, “Fela: The Life and Times of An African Musical Icon,” which Nigerian poet Chris Abani is helping to draft into a motion picture screenplay.

Stay posted for more news about the film’s production progress!

Image: Marta Medel via Flickr CC

Unlikely Brilliance or Bizarre Mash-up: Elvis Costello and Questlove Collaborate on "Wise Up Ghost"

 

Over the last few decades, there have been many cross-genre collaborations between musicians that have ranged from genuinely fantastic to downright strange. One of the most anticipated September album releases is also a collaborative effort between rock and roll legend Elvis Costello and hip-hop heavyweight Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, the drummer and leader of the Roots.

The two performers are incredibly famous within their own musical genres, and neither of them are strangers to collaborations on records. Their own sounds have evolved and developed into deeply meaningful, technically remarkable records over the years, so perhaps their joining forces is simply the stuff of destiny. Costello and Questlove reportedly started collaborating on their album Wise Up Ghost after meeting on the set of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, where the Roots perform. The record was completed after a year’s worth of experimental sessions, and now we must wait in anticipation for the album’s release on the 17^th. 

What do the critics have to say? Ann Powers for NPR says “the album sounds like the best of Costello's stuff and like nothing he's done before. Working with musicians who've figured out how to apply hip-hop principles to a band dynamic, Costello locates himself within that framework to produce some of the most focused and visionary work of his later career.” The New York Times says that the album “underlines some of Mr. Costello’s bleakest imagery with stark, ominous funk,” and calls both Costello and Questlove “inveterate collaborators and musical encyclopedias.” One thing that critics can certainly agree on is that this album is technically remarkable, and that heavy, sinister themes are carried along by the sensual funk that Questlove employs. 

Costello and Thompson are now among the hordes of other seemingly unlikely musical collaborators like Coldplay and Rihanna, or Lou Reed and Metallica, just to name a few. When two seriously talented musicians join forces, the result has to be phenomenal, right? We’ll soon find out when Wise Up Ghost is released later this month.  

Image: milo43 via Instagram
Image: questlove via Instagram 

Sigur Rós Joins Ranks of Indie Bands Featured on ‘Game of Thrones’

 

When bands are featured on popular television shows, it’s not always just their music that makes it into a scene. Joining the growing number of musicians to make cameo appearances on the incredibly popular HBO series Game of Thrones is Icelandic band, Sigur Rós.

According to Time Magazine, “Sigur Rós will appear on the HBO series’ fourth season, which is scheduled to return in early 2014. Band members Jónsi, Georg Hólm, and Orri Páll Dýrason are on the set of the show, currently shooting in Croatia.” The band members will reportedly make a cameo appearance on Game of Thrones, but it is unclear what roles they will play, or how significant they will be. Many speculate that the parts will be minor, and that they may involve some sort of musical element, which might seem like an obvious choice.

One reason Sigur Rós may have forged a connection with Game of Thrones is due to the otherworldly-sounding music they create. The show’s creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss are reportedly huge fans, so including them in the fourth season might not be as random as it appears. Sigur Rós has been active since the early 1990s, but their more recent albums have garnered the group newfound fame for being one of the most popular acts within the independent music scene. Some consider them “post-rock,” and their sound can be described as ethereal in its exploration of classical and minimalist implementations.

Time reports, “Sigur Rós aren’t the first musicians to be conscripted into the show’s ranks. Coldplay’s drummer, Will Champion, made a cameo appearance (as what else?, a drummer) on the fantasy show’s third season, in which Snow Patrol’s lead singer Gary Lightbody also had a small role.” It seems like the show’s producers enjoy contrasting independent, modern musicians with the ancient fantasy world of the Seven Kingdoms. What band do you think will make the next cameo appearance? 

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Ron Perelman’s Annual Apollo Benefit Raises $3M

For the fourth year in a row, Ron Perelman threw a benefit to raise money for the Apollo Theater, a world-famous historical landmark in Harlem that is rich in history and significance. It is widely considered a centerpiece of African-American culture and achievement, and events like Perelman’s benefit are a large part of what has kept it alive throughout the years.

More than a hundred more people showed up to this year’s party compared to last year, and funds raised soared to an impressive $3 million. No doubt the guest list had something to do with that; it included well-known business tycoons, celebrities, musicians, and even politicians—Marie-Josee and Henry Kravis, Katie Holmes, Ellen DeGeneres, Jamie Foxx, Mary Kate Olsen, Lenny Kravitz, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Calvin Klein, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Ciara, Jon Bon Jovi, and Mary J. Blige to name a few.

In what was possibly the biggest party of the year, guests both enjoyed and participated in a variety of musical performances. Katie Holmes, Jamie Foxx, Ellen DeGeneres, Lenny Kravitz, and Pharrell Williams reportedly put on a performance of Williams’ and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Even Colin Powell got onstage to sing backup for Foxx and Williams on “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk and Williams.  

Dinner was served earlier in the evening, with guests enjoying a variety of food, from fried chicken to salmon to tomato salad to miniature strawberries. The party didn’t wind down until the wee hours of the morning, after all performances had been had and all desserts had been eaten.

Until next year, Mr. Perelman.

Image: Begoña V. via Flickr CC

Image: David Sherret via Flickr CC 

Janelle Monáe’s ‘Electric Lady’ is One of September’s Most Anticipated New Releases

 

Janelle Monáe Robinson has gained an immense following over the last few years after releasing a series of EPs and a full-length, science fiction-inspired album that garnered her critical acclaim and bumped her up on the Billboard Charts. Her futuristic, unique take on American R&B has set her apart from other emerging musicians, and her fabulous, androgynous style, skillful dancing, and incredible voice have secured her a title as one of music’s genuine talents.

On September 10^th, her newest full-length record “The Electric Lady” will be released, and it’s one of the most highly anticipated albums of the season. The record was produced by her labels Bad Boy Records and Wondaland Arts Society, the latter of which she helped found. “The Electric Lady” will be a blend of pop, funk, soul, and Monáe’s unique take on R&B, and is sure to get fans dancing. 

According to Pitchfork’s Evan Minsker, “On ‘The Electric Lady,’ she’s still dealing in science fiction, like on her end-of-days pop song “Dance Apocalyptic”. But at the end of the Paisley Park-hued funk single “Q.U.E.E.N.” (with Erykah Badu), she seems to step away from allegory and rap about real world problems. Album concept aside, it’s guaranteed to be a soulful affair,” of Monáe’s newest record. The musician’s complex album concepts, combined with a pinch of important social commentary, lots of energy, and incredible musical talent are what make “The Electric Lady” such a greatly anticipated release. 

Alongside Janelle Monáe will be a whole set of music industry heavyweights featured on many of the album’s tracks. Of course Erykah Badu performs on “Q.U.E.E.N.” but you can also expect to hear from Miguel, Prince, Big Boi, Cee-Lo Green, Solange, and Esperanza Spalding, Pitchfork reports. Make sure to get your hands on “The Electric Lady” this month to experience one of the most influential, musically inventive and dance-worthy albums of the year. 
Images: Janelle Monáe via Instagram