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The soundtrack to "New Moon" is set to put indie artists in the limelight
By Caitlin Dewey
Posted: 10/19/09, 11:45 PM EST Section: Decibel
"Twilight: New Moon" OST
80 Decibels
The worlds of pre-teen pseudo-romanticism and indie music snobbery rarely intersect. But as details of the "Twilight: New Moon" soundtrack began to emerge, the world's indie elite found themselves confronting a disconcerting reality: the trendiest artists in indie rock were soundtracking the latest vampire drivel from Warner Bros. Studios, and 10 million hysterical 12-year-old girls were about to add Thom Yorke, Bon Iver and others to their "favorite music" lists on MySpace.
For some, it has become offensive rivaling Kurt Cobain's appearance in Guitar Hero 5. For others, it's a welcome sign that at least some independent artists are about to get the kind of widespread recognition and financial security that they deserved. After all, "Romeo + Juliet" boosted the Cardigans to international glory. And if it weren't for "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl," bands like The Walkmen and Bloc Party would probably still be bumming around on minor labels.
It's doubtful, however, that Lykke Li or St. Vincent will see the kind of Top 10 success that accompanies a spot in a "Grey's Anatomy" make-out scene. This soundtrack is just too dark - and too haunting - to be allowed in too many pre-teen hands. Sure, it has its moments: "Meet Me at the Equinox" is as glossy as Death Cab for Cutie gets, and Muse's "I Belong to You," revamped just for this movie, jaunts along on a whiff of seedy saxophone and a spry piano backtrack. But the rest of the gorgeous-sounding 15-song set is a smoky, spectral, unnerving tour through strains of pop that are too shadowed for easy listening.
Something like the Bon Iver and St. Vincent collaboration, "Roslyn," is certainly a far cry from the kind of smirk-inducing pop-rock gems that ruled the first "Twilight" soundtrack. Justin Vernon and St. Vincent can both affect an eerie omniscience on their own; in an extended duet, backed by Vernon's skeletal acoustic guitar, their high-pitched misery becomes outright chilling.
80 Decibels
The worlds of pre-teen pseudo-romanticism and indie music snobbery rarely intersect. But as details of the "Twilight: New Moon" soundtrack began to emerge, the world's indie elite found themselves confronting a disconcerting reality: the trendiest artists in indie rock were soundtracking the latest vampire drivel from Warner Bros. Studios, and 10 million hysterical 12-year-old girls were about to add Thom Yorke, Bon Iver and others to their "favorite music" lists on MySpace.
For some, it has become offensive rivaling Kurt Cobain's appearance in Guitar Hero 5. For others, it's a welcome sign that at least some independent artists are about to get the kind of widespread recognition and financial security that they deserved. After all, "Romeo + Juliet" boosted the Cardigans to international glory. And if it weren't for "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl," bands like The Walkmen and Bloc Party would probably still be bumming around on minor labels.
It's doubtful, however, that Lykke Li or St. Vincent will see the kind of Top 10 success that accompanies a spot in a "Grey's Anatomy" make-out scene. This soundtrack is just too dark - and too haunting - to be allowed in too many pre-teen hands. Sure, it has its moments: "Meet Me at the Equinox" is as glossy as Death Cab for Cutie gets, and Muse's "I Belong to You," revamped just for this movie, jaunts along on a whiff of seedy saxophone and a spry piano backtrack. But the rest of the gorgeous-sounding 15-song set is a smoky, spectral, unnerving tour through strains of pop that are too shadowed for easy listening.
Something like the Bon Iver and St. Vincent collaboration, "Roslyn," is certainly a far cry from the kind of smirk-inducing pop-rock gems that ruled the first "Twilight" soundtrack. Justin Vernon and St. Vincent can both affect an eerie omniscience on their own; in an extended duet, backed by Vernon's skeletal acoustic guitar, their high-pitched misery becomes outright chilling.
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