Podcast #16, You're Next

The 2011 home invasion thriller, You’re Next, was directed by Adam Wingard from a script written by Wingard and Simon Barrett. It was probably my favorite movie of 2013, when it officially saw wide release. It’s a taut series of violent encounters that manages to take elements of the slasher genre’s final girl trope and cross them with both home invasion films, as well as the “dinner party from hell” genre that seems to be slowly becoming a thing. It’s fantastic, with lead Sharni Vinson being particularly amazing, to say nothing of the return of genre icon Barbara Crampton.

As Films on Wax editor Charlie Brigden says on the obi strip for the vinyl release, “the score gets under your skin with ambient eerie textures causing maximum discomfort with minimum effort.” The score isn’t particularly ornate, but yes -- it does a great job of creepy you right the hell out. Of course, the most notable piece of music in the film is the Dwight Twilley Band’s “Looking for the Magic,” from their 1977 sophomore LP, Twilley Don’t Mind.

I spoke with him in 2015 about a split single he’d released with the Josh Berwanger Band on Goodland Records, and we spoke about the newly-iconic status of the song.

Track listing:

Adam Wingard, "Commando Mode" (You're Next OST)
The Dwight Twilley Band, "Looking for the Magic" (Twilley Don't Mind)
Lou Reed, "Perfect Day" (Transformer)

Podcast #15, Record Store Day Soundtrack Releases

The third Saturday of every April since 2007 has been devoted to hitting up record stores the world over and supporting independently-owned businesses. It's known as Record Store Day, and, granted, it's become a little more commercial as its progressed -- up to and including a Black Friday event -- but there's still a chance to get out and grab some interesting releases with a slew of like-minded individuals. On this episode of the podcast, we break down the various soundtrack-related releases and let you know what's what.

Tracklisting:

The Bouncing Souls, "That Song" (How I Spent My Summer Vacation)
Clint Mansell & Kronos Quartet, "Lux Aeterna" (Requiem For A Dream OST)
Bob Cobert, "Shadows Of The Night (Quentin's Theme)" (Dark Shadows OST)
Delia Derbyshire, "Dr. Who" (Doctor Who: The Music)
Ethan Hawke, "My Funny Valentine" (Born to Be Blue OST)
Silly Symphony, "The Skeleton Dance" (Disney's 75 Years of Music & Memories)
Bee Gees, "To Love Somebody" (Joy OST)
Le Castle Vania, "LED Spirals" (John Wick OST)
De La Soul & Teenage Fanclub, "Fallin'" (Judgment Night OST)
Clan of Xymox, "A Day" (The Guest OST)
Dolly Parton, "Jolene (slowdown)" (Blacklist OST)
Tito & Tarantula, "After Dark" (From Dusk Til Dawn OST)
Stelvio Cipriani, "Deviation" (Deviation)
Goblin, "La Via Della Droga" (La Via Della Droga)
Pearl Jam, "Spin the Black Circle" (Vitalogy)

Podcast #14, The Dead Next Door with JR Bookwalter

1990 zombie action film The Dead Next Door was shot over a period of four years in Akron, Ohio. In addition to being surprsingly excellent for such a small budget independent movie, the film acts a time capsule for several area bands from that era, whose music complements writer/director/producer/composer JR Bookwalter's minimal synth score.

We spoke with Bookwalter about The Dead Next Door, which was recently released as an Ultimate Edition Blu-ray, DVD, and soundtrack combo via Tempe Video. The interview was recorded over Skype, so you can hear some odd background noises, including the microwave in the kitchen

Tracklisting:

JR Bookwalter, "The Dead Next Door Main Titles"
Argus, "The Dead Next Door"
Wilbur & The Hoodlum Patrol, "Death & Violence"
Joy Circuit, "The Answer" (Instrumental)
JR Bookwalter, "Left For Dead" (Instrumental Version)

Podcast #13, Eric Craig of Lakeshore Entertainment

On this episode, we speak with Eric Craig, Director of A&R and Music Supervision at Lakeshore Entertainment. We spoke with Mr Craig back in November, so a few references may seem a bit out of date, but his insights into the world of acquiring and licensing music for films is evergreen. Among the films we discuss in particular are Drive and Napoleon Dynamite.

Tracklisting:

Kavinsky & Lovefoxx, "Nightcall" (Drive)
College feat. Electric Youth, "A Real Hero" (Drive)
Jamiroquai, "Canned Heat" (Napoleon Dynamite)
The Chromatics, "Tick of the Clock" (Drive)
David Bowie feat. Maynard James Keenan & John Frusciante, "Bring Me the Disco King" (Danny Lohner Mix) (Underworld)

Podcast #12, Electronic Composition with Kip Haaheim

Every year, the Lawrence Public Library chooses a book for Read Across Lawrence, a month-long celebration of that title and its themes. This year, the library chose Andy Weir’s The Martian, a smart and funny novel which was turned into a blockbuster, Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning film starring Matt Damon.

For part of this, the Electronic Composition class at the University of Kansas will re-score and redub The Evil Brain from Outer Space, a Japanese grade-z flick cobbled together from portions of the Starman short film series. We spoke with the class's instructor, Kip Haaheim, Associate Professor of Music Theory & Music Composition, about the process of scoring and composition.

The screening of The Evil Brain From Outer Space takes place at the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, Kansas on Thursday, February 18 at 7:00pm. More information can  be found here.

Tracklisting:
Bernard Herrmann, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" (The Day the Earth Stood Still)
Louis & Bebe Barron, "Forbidden Planet Main Titles" (Forbidden Planet)
John Williams, "Rey's Theme (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Nick Spacek, "Theremin #1" (Make your own music here)
Ennio Morricone, "The Thing Main Theme" (The Thing)

Podcast #11, Cannibal! The Musical

On this episode, we speak with  Robert Lee of Banana Stand Records about the label’s vinyl release of the soundtrack to the 1993 comedy horror film, Cannibal! The Musical. This is a film which could’ve easily been another straight-to-video distributed release from Troma, but for the fact that the director, songwriter, and star Trey Parker and co-star Matt Stone would go on to fame as the creators of the smash Comedy Central animated series, South Park.

You can pick up Cannibal! The Musical on limited-edition blood red vinyl from Banana Stand's store.

Track listing:
"It's A Shpadoinkle Day!" (Cannibal! The Musical)
"The Trapper Song" (Cannibal! The Musical)
"Blame Canada" (South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut)
"That's All I'm Asking For" (Cannibal! The Musical)
"Let's Build A Snowman" (Cannibal! The Musical)
"Hello!" (The Book of Mormon)
"Hang the Bastard" (Cannibal! The Musical)
"Let's Build A Snowman (Reprise)" (Cannibal! The Musical)

Podcast #10, Pulp Fiction

1994's Pulp Fiction was an absolute smash for director Quentin Tarantino. In addition to winning the Palm d’Or at Cannes that year, it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, with Tarantino and co-writer Roger Avary winning for Best Original Screenplay.

The film, like so many of Tarantino’s movies, plays with genre film conventions and temporal organization -- which is to say that it doesn’t take place in a linear fashion, instead jumping about in various points within the timeline. It’s difficult to really put one’s finger on exactly why it’s so good, but Pulp Fiction is just one of those films that manages to survive the test of time and still amazes and impresses over 20 years later.

On this episode, we speak with Eddie Roeser of the band Urge Overkill about the band's cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon." Their cover of the 1967 single was originally recorded for the band’s 1993 Stull EP, and the video for the song released in conjunction with the film helped the soundtrack reach all the way up to 21 on the Billboard charts, as well as reaching double-platinum sales. We spoke with Roeser around the re-release of the Stull EP on Touch and Go Records last year.

Tarantino's latest film, The Hateful Eight, is in theaters now.

Track listing:
Dick Dale, “Miserlou”
The Revels, “Comanche”
Chuck Berry, “You Never Can Tell”
Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”
Neil Diamond, “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”
Urge Overkill, “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”
Ricky Nelson, “Lonesome Town”
The Lively Ones, “Surf Rider”

Podcast #9, Only Lovers Left Alive

The performance by New York City psych-rockers White Hills comes right at a turning point in Jim Jarmusch's 2013 film, Only Lovers Left Alive. It begins a part where an already-mad film begins to get psychedelic. It’s interesting to see a band get to play so prominently in the midst of a narrative. We spoke with White Hills' Dave W. a while back regarding the band's appearance in the film, and how it came to be.

Tracklisting:

Squrl ft. Madeline Follin, "Funnel of Love"
Yasmine Hamdan, "Hal"
White Hills, "Under Skin Or By Name"
Squrl, "Spooky Action at a Distance"
Charlie Feathers, "Can't Hardly Stand It"

Hot Blood's Disco Dracula can be had from the Internet Archive.

Podcast #8.5, Cocktails For Two mix

The weather is getting chilly, verging on cold, the holidays are lending a sense of impending doom, and in general, stress is ramping up as the year draws to a close. What better way to relax than to mix a drink and kick back with a few louche tunes?

Tracklisting:

Nicki Mathis, "Forgetting You" (Manos: The Hands of Fate)
Duke Ellington, "Happy Anatomy" (Anatomy of a Murder)
Noel Harrison, "Windmills of Your Mind" (The Thomas Crown Affair)
Miklos Rozsa, "Spellbound Concerto" (Spellbound)
Riz Ortolani, "The Damned Island" (Mondo Cane)
Peraino/Kupersmith/Bruno, "Deeper and Deeper" (Deep Throat Part II)

Podcast #8, Rob Zombie films with Jesse Dayton

Lately, Jesse Dayton's been a busy man. The Texas singer and guitarist just got off tour with legendary L.A. punk band X, where he'd been filling in for Billy Zoom on guitar, and is currently on the road opening for Jonny Two Bags and Scott H. Biram as part of the Blood and Thrash Tour.

Despite his rigorous touring schedule, Dayon's best known for the music he created for the bands which appeared in two of director Rob Zombie's films: Banjo & Sullivan in The Devil's Rejects, and Captain Clegg & The Nightcreatures in Halloween II. We spoke with him by phone from Atlanta, where he and his band were taking a break from practice for their current tour.

Tracklisting:

Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, "Macon County Morgue" (Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures)
Jesse Dayton, "Tall Walkin' Texas Trash" (Country Soul Brother)
Banjo & Sullivan, "I’m At Home Gettin’ Hammered (While She’s Out Gettin’ Nailed)" (Banjo & Sullivan: The Ultimate Collection)
Captain Clegg And The Night Creatures, "Honky Tonk Halloween" (Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures)
Jesse Dayton, "Time to Go" (Raisin' Cain)
Banjo & Sullivan, "Free Bird" (Banjo & Sullivan: The Ultimate Collection)

Podcast #7.5, Eerie Voices Mix

Halloween may be over, but really, here at From & Inspired By, we're never too far from the spooky and creepy. Thus, this installment of our mixtape series is entitled "Eerie Voices" and features just what the title implies. It's short, but sweet.

Tracklisting:

Carl Orff, "O Fortuna" (Carmina Burana)
Jerry Goldsmith, "Ave Satani" (The Omen)
Ramin Djawadi, "Son of the Harpy" (Game of Thrones Season 5)
Philip Glass, "Helen's Theme" (Candyman)
Goblin, "School at Night (Music Box Version" (Profundo Rosso)
Krzysztof Komeda, "Main Title" (Rosemary's Baby)
John Williams, "Duel of the Fates" (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)

Podcast #7, Mallrats with Wax's Joe Sib

Kevin Smith's 1995 comedy, Mallrats, was the follow-up to his shoestring-budgeted debut, Clerks. While it did poorly at the box office, it found a successful second life on video, and is a bonafied cult hit. The soundtrack ranks right up there with Angus as far as compiling a diverse array of the era's top alt-rock chartmakers and underground successes.

Joe Sib, Wax frontman and founder of influential indie label SideOne Dummy, was cool enough to speak with us by phone about how Wax came to have the titular song on the Mallrats soundtrack, as well as the band's experiences with Bio-Dome and the music industry as a whole.

Track listing:
Squirtgun, "Social"
Sublime, "Smoke Two Joints"
Bush, "Bubbles"
The Goops, "Build Me Up Buttercup"
Wax, "Happy Happy Joy Joy"
Wax, "He's A Whore"
Wax, "Mallrats"
Wax, "California"
Wax, "Who Is Next"
Wax, "In Spite of Me"
Weezer, "Suzanne"

Podcast #6.5, Creeping Funk

In between regular podcasts, we like to bring you themed mixes. This go-round features new music of a creepy / funky nature.

Track listing:

Calibro 35, "Bandits on Mars" (S.P.A.C.E.) buy it
Zombi, "Interstellar Package" (Shape Shift) buy it
Ferde Grofe, "Approaching Mars" (Rocketship X-M)
Joe Paesano, "Cranks!" (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials) buy it
Sospetto, "Fattaccio" (Quattro Specchi Opachi) buy it
Nightcrawler, "Calvary (ft. Vicenzo Salvia)" (Strange Shadows)
Kreng, "The Playground" (Cooties) buy it

Podcast #6, Joe 'Bean' Esposito

Joe 'Bean' Esposito got his start singing disco with a trio called Brooklyn Dreams, a band best known for the track they recorded with Donna Summer, "Heaven Knows." Working in that disco vein brought Esposito to the attention of producer Giorgio Moroder, which in turn led to work on the Flashdance soundtrack in 1983.

On this episode, we speak with Esposito about his career and, in particular, two classic movie songs -- Flashdance's "Lady Lady Lady" and the enduring Karate Kid montage staple, "You're the Best."

Track listing:

Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams, "Heaven Knows"
Joe 'Bean' Esposito, "Lady Lady Lady"
Joe 'Bean' Esposito, "You're the Best"
Laura Branigan & Joe Esposito, "Come Into My Life"
Brooklyn Bridge, "Worst That Could Happen"
Joe 'Bean' Esposito, "The Love I Lost"
Brooklyn Dreams, "Music, Harmony, & Rhythm"

Podcast #5.5, Halloween Horror Metal Mix

In between regular podcasts, we like to bring you a themed mix. Given that we're now officially into October, we thought we'd make it a Rocktober Halloween with this collection of the finest in horror movie heavy metal.

Tracklisting:

Alice Cooper, "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" (Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives)
Black Roses, "Dance on Fire" (Black Roses)
The Undead, "Somebody Super Like You" (Phantom of the Paradise)
Fastway, "Trick or Treat" (Trick or Treat)
Thor, "We Live to Rock" (Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare)
Scott Casey, "Toxic Avenger" (The Toxic Avenger II)
Dokken, "Dream Warriors" (A Nightmare on Elm Street Part III: Dream Warriors)
The Clowns, "Let It Rain" (Terror On Tour)
Sorcery, "I'm Back" (Rocktober Blood)

Podcast #5, Night Birds' Mutiny at Muscle Beach

New Jersey's surf-punk quartet Night Birds release Mutiny at Muscle Beach this Friday, October 2. It's their third LP, and first for Fat Wreck Chords after a series of single releases on various labels and two prevois full-lengths on Grave Mistake Records. While a punk band's new album might not seem a likely bit of coverage for a podcast about soundtracks, trust me -- this is a band after our very own obsessive little hearts. From very early on, Night Birds have been putting out music that's inspired by and references quite a few cult films.

Mutiny at Muscle Beach doesn't see Night Birds referencing pop culture so explicitly as in the past, but it's still a must-own for fans of the band and those who love punk rock. It's the band's strongest release yet, and a surprising change of pace from their previous LP, Born to Die in Suburbia. We spoke by phone with the band's singer, Brian Gorsegner, about Night Birds' pop culture influences and songwriting processes, as well as a look at his favorite movie soundtrack.

Episode music:

Night Birds, "Hope For the Best (Expect the Worst)"
Night Birds, "Mutiny at Muscle Beach"
Night Birds, "Son of Dad"
Night Birds, "In the Red/In the Black"
Night Birds, "Maimed for the Masses"
The Muffs, "Funny Face"
Night Birds, "Mistakonic Stomp"

Podcast #4.5, The Chase Mix

Once a month or so, in between proper episodes, we're going to attempt to bring you a different-themed mix. For the first installment, we're going with "The Chase." All of these cuts will get your blood pumping, and probably lead you to exceeding the speed limit.

Tracklisting:

Fred Mollin, "Friday the 13th The Series Theme" (Friday the 13th The Series)
Andrew Thomas Wilson, "Car Chase" (The Chain Reaction) buy it
Robert Tomaro, "Main Title" (Slime City)
John McCallum, "Main Titles" (Surf Nazis Must Die)
Brad Fiedel, "Sarah on the Run" (Terminator 2) buy it
Brian May, "Hot & Ready" (Turkey Shoot) buy it
College, "Something Wrong Tonight" (Secret Diary) buy it
Detto Mariano, "Barbarians Theme" (Exterminators of the Year 3000)
Cybotron, "Suite 16/9th Floor" (Implosion) buy it
Espectrostatic, "Escape From Witchtropolis" (Escape From Witchtropolis) buy it
Giorgio Moroder, "The Chase (single edit)" (Midnight Express)
John Carpenter & Alan Howarth, "Adbuction at Airport" (Big Trouble In Little China)
VHS Dreams, "Cheerbleeder" (High School Holocaust) buy it
Karate King, "Hooker's Demise (Hung Her By the Tits)" (Mondo Brutale)
Riz Ortolani, "The Massacre of the Troupe" (Cannibal Holocaust) buy it

Podcast #4, Major League with Exene Cervenka

A sports comedy that's still hilarious over 25 years since its debut, Major League can rightly be called a classic. The soundtrack has an interesting collection of mostly-forgettable blues rock, along with one incandescent cover by Los Angeles punk band, X.

We speak by phone with X's frontwoman Exene Cervenka about the band's work on the soundtrack, as well as their other cinematic work for X-Files: Fight the Future and The Decline of Western Civilization.

Episode music:

Randy Newman, "Burn On"
The Snakes, "Walkaway"
X, "Wild Thing"
X, "We're Desperate" (live)
X, "The Crystal Ship"
James Newton Howard, "Pennant Fever"

Podcast #3, The Music of Counterculture Cinema with Mat Bartkowiak

Mathew J. Bartkowiak and Yuya Kiuchi's recent book from McFarland, The Music of Counterculture Cinema: A Critical Study of 1960s and 1970s Soundtracks, is an excellent read which does a thorough job of looking at myriad films from the era. While the authors examine cultural touchstones like the concert films Monterey Pop or Woodstock, the two also take looks at some less obvious choices like Roger Corman’s Gas-s-s-s or Barbarella.

We spoke by phone with one of the authors, Mat Bartkowiak, about the process of writing The Music of Counterculture Cinema, as well as his thoughts on the state of film soundtracks today.

Episode music:

Monkees, "Porpoise Song"
Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Killing Floor" (live)
Country Joe & the Fish, "Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" (live)
The Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night"
Harry McClintock, "Big Rock Candy Mountain"
Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter"

Guesting on The Nerds of Nostalgia podcast

If you'd like to hear me ramble with other people, rather than on my own, I'm on the new Nerds of Nostalgia Podcast, talking early John Carpenter movies. Thanks to Greg Dedrick and Jenius McGee for having me on.

The next episode of From & Inspired By will be up Monday morning, featuring author Mat Bartkowiak, co-author of The Music of Counterculture Cinema: A Critical Study of 1960s and 1970s Soundtracks.

You can listen to the episode right here.