We’ve repeatedly referred to “500 Days of Summer” as “The Shins of indie movies” and, upon reviewing the recently revealed soundtrack, it seems we were right, at least musically speaking. It contains every imaginable twee-as-fuck indie rock song EXCEPT something from The Shins (who are still so tainted by that “Garden State” mention that they’re not permitted to place their songs prominently in any indie films until 2020 according to direct orders from Jesus – but he was wearing a trucker hat at the time so the binding legality is obviously questionable).
We understand this movie has some questionable song & dance moments in it and we’re guessing, since the soundtrack listing doesn’t list performers for these two songs, that they’re to the Pixies’ “Here Comes Your Man,” The Clash’s “Train In Vain (Stand By Me),” Belle & Sebastian’s “Boy with the Arab Strap” and the theme song from Knight Rider. The dudes at /Film report the songs below are what we can expect.
- The Smiths “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”
- Regina Spektor “Us”
- Belle & Sebastian “The Boy with the Arab Strap”
- Black Lips “Bad Kids”
- Patrick Swayze “She’s Like the Wind”
- The Smiths “Please, Please, Please Let Me What What I Want”
- Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”
- Lee Hazelwood “Sugar Town”
- The Pixies “Here Comes Your Man”
- Lee Greenwood “God Bless The U.S.A.”
- Jack Penate “Have I Been A Fool?”
- Doves “There Goes the Fear”
- Hall & Oates “You Make My Dreams”
- The Temper Trap “Sweet Disposition”
- Carla Bruni “Quelqu’um M’a Dit”
- Black Lips “Veni Vidi Vici”
- Paper Route “The Music”
- The Clash “Train In Vain”
- Feist “Mushaboom”
- Kevin Michael “At Last”
- Regina Spektor “Hero”
- Spoon “The Infinite Pet”
- Simon & Garfunkel ” Bookends”
- Wolfmother “Vagabond”
- Mumm-Ra “She Got You High”
Director Marc Webb had a previous career as a music video director and, in that capacity, helmed a couple of Regina Spektor videos, was responsible for My Chemical Romance’s early visual campaigns and has worked extensively with Weezer. That’s about the sum of his credible career, the rest of the time it was mostly terrible one hit wonders and Fergie. We’ll cross our fingers that he’s got the indie part of the indie film aesthetic under control.