Recently in Soundtracks Category

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hedwig_and_the_angry_inch.jpg If you're already a fan, chances are the novelty of Hedwig -- a transsexual rock star from East Germany who ended up with an "angry inch" and a mean string of broken hearts after a botched sex-change operation -- has worn off. (If you've yet to see it, my God! Get thee to a Netflix queue, posthaste!) But even if, like us, you've seen the movie more times than you've seen your mother, the soundtrack still stands the test of time: rock-star cynicism meets high camp, glam metaphors and gut-twisting pathos to the tune of tremendous, blistering rock. A true classic. —Rachel Devitt

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broken_flowers_450x450.jpg Bill Murray's aging Don Juan character in Broken Flowers favors stylish, melancholy music. His best friend, an amateur sleuth, makes him CDs full of mysterious, propulsive world music. Director Jim Jarmusch favors retro garage rock. Put their choices together and you get 2005's finest soundtrack, and one of the best mix tapes you'll ever get. — Nick Dedina

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Following in the Converse-imprinted footsteps of Garden State, this is 2009's geeky indie film that could. Its soundtrack is just as notable, but instead of the Shins changing lives, it's the Smiths. Thanks to the first track's synopsis, we learn that this is "not a love story," and the lack of gushy songs to follow proves just that. The collection reflects much of what you'd expect from a film with Zooey Deschanel: sweet and quirky (Regina Spektor, Feist), melancholy and hopeful (Doves, the Temper Trap), authentic nostalgia (Hall & Oates) and '80s-inspired (Meaghan Smith, She & Him). — Stephanie Benson

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prideandprejudice.jpg The lovely score to this adaptation is among Jean-Yves Thibaudet's greatest works for the screen, both for the solo performances and the historically keen chamber compositions. Segmented into easily digestible bites, it features songs such as "Dawn" and "Your Hands Are Cold" (unfortunate titles derived from the film's adjoining scenes) that represent the breadth and depth of Thibaudet's compositions. — Nate Cavalieri

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Everybody's favorite sleuthing medical misanthrope gets an above average soundtrack. Massive Attack's "Teardrop" actually sounds like a TV theme, Elvis Costello's witty English wordplay fits Hugh Laurie's humor snuggly and Josh Rouse's "God, Please Let Me Go Back" mirrors House's tortured soul. You also get "Feelin' Alright," Joe Cocker's timeless Traffic cover. "Feelin' Alright" is featured in every movie and TV show that is not playing Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life." — Nick Dedina

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Oscar Party Platter


It's Oscar time again and Rhapsody is here with all the Academy Award-nominated scores and songs to keep you ahead of the game at any Hollywood-crazed viewing party. Along with the nominees, we dig into some of the highlights from years past with a retrospective of the great music from James Bond films as well as a radio station that captures all of the best movie music and score from years’ past. So, bust out the popcorn and enjoy!



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The songs that were nominated this year, as well as the ones
that should have been.
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20 greatest Oscar winning songs


Listen to the 20 greatest Oscar winning songs of
all time.
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Get a run-down of all this years' nominees.
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Check out the
history of James Bond theme
songs.
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Cinema radio


Listen to non-stop movie scores on our Cinema radio station.
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Rediscover your favorite movie
music on Soundtracks
Radio
.
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Written by Roald Dahl, You Only Live Twice may just be the single greatest Bond film of all time (it's also famous for the scene where a bevy of Japanese agents are mesmerized by Sean Connery's manly chest-mane. Yes, a hot tub is involved). John Barry's work is superlative as always, including the Nancy Sinatra-sung theme song. Barry and other Bond composers would reuse the instrumental motif to this number every time James Bond came across an island oasis or female-strewn beach scene. — Nick Dedina

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More a comedy/bromance than an action/mystery flick, Sherlock Holmes sported two stellar lead performances and Zimmer's gloriously eccentric score, which often builds on Holmes' plucked violin. A real talent, Zimmer proves that not all blockbuster scores have to sound alike. This is how the Oscars are supposed to work: just because Holmes wasn't Best Picture material doesn't mean that Zimmer should be ignored for his work in it. Now give Jude Law a Supporting Actor nod and just hand Robert Downey, Jr., a statue for every performance he's ever done. No matter if any movie he's in is good or bad — Downey is always fun to watch. — Nick Dedina

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One of the joys of 30 Rock is its light-as-air musical score, which blends elements of Eisenhower-era EZ listening with hints of jazz, classical and Americana. Composer Jeff Richmond (aka Mr. Tina Fey) handles everything with rare grace and skill, making this one of the few -- perhaps only -- TV comedy scores you will actually want to listen to once the show is over. As a plus, you get comedy songs from the show: "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah," "Muffin Top" and "What Do You Say to Cleveland" top the list. — Nick Dedina

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20101206-electronic-goes-movies-560x225.jpg Aside from some characteristically superlative-drenched praise from NME ("If Tron: Legacy is among the most anticipated sequels in all of history, this score blasts away all previous frontiers of excitement for what a movie soundtrack can be"), early reviews of Daft Punk's music for the film have been polite at best. The Chicago Tribune laments that the French electronic superstars "sound less like innovators and more like film-score novices, which they are"; The Guardian sighs, "It's hard not to feel a bit disappointed. As is so often the case with sci-fi, the future hasn't turned out quite as you might have hoped."

It's true: Daft Punk's soundtrack to Tron: Legacy, Disney's sequel to the iconic 1982 computer thriller, will leave most fans wanting. Working with an 85-piece orchestra, the duo has turned out a serviceably dramatic score, but also a surprisingly generic one. The strings don't seem to have evolved beyond John Williams' stolid '80s scores, and the tracks with a more electronic foundation aren't much more distinctive. Daft Punk are clearly inspired by the '70s soundtracks of bands like Vangelis (Blade Runner) and Tangerine Dream (Sorcerer), but you can find far more compelling updates of Krautrock's kosmische tradition in the work of artists like Oneohtrix Point Never and Emeralds' Mark McGuire.

If Tron: Legacy feels like a missed opportunity, it's because electronic music has such a long, proud history in film soundtracks. Way back in 1956, at a time when Stockhausen was unknown to all but a small circle of avant-garde academics, Louis and Bebe Barron's electronic score to Forbidden Planet introduced similar sounds to mainstream moviegoers; the theremin was in use even earlier, in 1945's Spellbound and Lost Weekend and 1956's The Day the Earth Stood Still.

20101130-classic-xmas-TV-specials-560x225.jpg A treasured few really enjoy the holidays every December. They go skiing with supermodels one year and then go snorkeling with ultra-supermodels the next.

The rest of us seem to enjoy a sense of tradition. We get together with the same family and friends on the same date to eat the exact same thing as we usually eat.

Thankfully, there is TV to save us and offer up traditions that really matter. The same Americans that shun old black-and-white movies embrace It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle On 34th Street every December. Beer-pounding truck drivers scoff at musicals 11 months out of the year but make sure they watch The Sound of Music every year with their kids.

And, then of course, there are the great TV specials — like A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — that can be enjoyed in entirely new ways as you get older. The music continues to work a strange magic on generations of listeners. Vince Guaraldi's piano jazz score matches both the eternal coolness of A Charlie Brown Christmas and the seasonal melancholy at the cartoon's heart. The decidedly strange Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer not only has Burl Ives crooning "Silver & Gold" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," it also has an elf singing about how he really wants to be a dentist. Meanwhile, Elf turns kids of all ages onto the timeless music of Louis Prima and Ella Fitzgerald.

These treasured soundtracks sail up the Rhapsody charts every December around the same time that Nat King Cole busts Eminem in the chops.

Not every seasonal delight offers musical delights, but we've pulled together the greatest soundtracks and scores from a number of holiday specials and movies. So, enjoy ... singing along to these is a whole lot funner than being forced to sit next to your golf-obsessed Uncle Ned every year while you pretend to enjoy a plate of dry turkey. Check these soundtracks out. They may save your Christmas and let you realize once again that TV saves lives.

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Not only is this one of the greatest Xmas albums ever, it's one of the few holiday releases that you can enjoy throughout the year (and it doesn't even matter if you've seen the beloved Peanuts TV special or not!). Guaraldi's original tunes "Linus & Lucy," "Skating" and the oddly melancholy "Christmastime Is Here" have all become a part of our culture. This remastered version actually improves on perfection, with superior sound and alternate takes. — Nick Dedina

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Only a few of Connick's versions of these numbers were actually heard in the movie, but the crooner rightly became a star with this Sinatra-style exploration of the Great American Songbook. So many romantic comedies since have ripped off the feel and music of this delightful film that you may have forgotten just how good it is. — Nick Dedina

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Like the movie itself, the Blade Runner soundtrack has been the subject of numerous legal battles and packaging controversies. Vangelis' actual score wasn't even released in the States until 1994, and that was an abridged version. Technically speaking, this 25th anniversary edition isn't the complete soundtrack either, but it's awfully close. Vangelis employs a mix of synthesizers and live instrumentation to weave an ambient soundscape that is brooding, sad, meditative and, most of all, futuristic. — Justin Farrar

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Laurent Korcia, Cinema

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This brilliant violinist has the ability to do crossover albums without slumming or selling himself short. On Cinema, Laurent Korcia plays famous themes that have been featured in films (some were originally written for the stage or TV before ending up on the silver screen). He plays beautifully while handling each piece differently, going for classical melancholy, flowing romance, Gypsy jazz, American blues or even sparkling humor (his reading of Lalo Schifrin's "Mission: Impossible" theme). Korcia may have near-peerless technique, but he also plays with real passion, verve and heart. — Nick Dedina

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We can't think of a better way to introduce kids to the genius of Louis Armstrong than his 10-song tour of Disney tunes. "Zip A Dee Doo Dah" is still derided in ethnic studies classes, but really, people — the way Louis phrases those nonsense words is magical. "The Ballad of Davey Crockett" is another keeper, and Pinocchio's "When You Wish Upon a Star" becomes even deeper in Armstrong's loving hands. — Nick Dedina

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Mark Isham, Afterglow

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Afterglow, an uneven Alan Rudolph movie, is highlighted by superb performances from Nick Nolte and Julie Christie and this excellent post bop score from Mark Isham. The jazz trumpet player/composer brings together an all-star cast (Billy Higgins, Geri Allen, Gary Burton and Charles Lloyd) that vividly illustrates the lasting love between a troubled couple. — Nick Dedina

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Who knew vampires and indie rock could go so well together? Following in the footsteps of Twilight, the hit CW show Vampire Diaries has racked up a solid batch of tunes for its first soundtrack, which includes exclusive tracks from Smashing Pumpkins (yep, Billy's still truckin' along), Gorillaz (a remix of Plastic Beach's "On Melancholy Hill"), Goldfrapp, Silversun Pickups, A Fine Frenzy and more. Also included is a remix of Bat For Lashes' "Sleep Alone" and Placebo's haunting cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." — Stephanie Benson

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Lost-Highway-Soundtrack.jpg Confused by the movie Lost Highway? Try this soundtrack album, which clues you into the fact that maybe the metaphyiscal horror film is all about mood. Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor produced the new songs, Angelo Badalamenti composed the dark score, and David Lynch picked tracks such as Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Insensatez." Reznor and Badalamenti merge this freaky hodgepodge together into a very satisfying whole. It's an aural voyage of the damned -- even for Goths or those who still dress like extras from Blade. — Nick Dedina

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Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard collaborate on this grand, unusually moody score to Christopher Nolan's second masterful revision of the Batman franchise. Whether Zimmer and Howard worked together or on separate pieces, this truly is a unified whole (orchestral helicopter noises flit in and out of many pieces), and the nine-minute opener, "Why So Serious?," is a real stunner. The "Dark Knight" theme is almost as strong and "Watch the World Burn" is an embered beauty -- gee, haven't popcorn pictures gotten cheery lately? — Nick Dedina

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