Speaking of YLT…On their website, Hoboken indie-rock trio Yo La Tengo write, “Not sure about the legal definition of ‘popular demand,’ but this might actually apply.”
And in this case, they’re totally right. Anyone who knows us or reads our blog knows for years we’ve gone on and on about Yo La Tengo’s unreleased score to the amazing, understated travel buddy indie-film by Kelly Reichardt, “Old Joy” starring folkie musician Will Oldham (we went off about it a little here). It’s a pastoral, beautifully plaintive instrumental score that really works well within the environment of the film which is the Pacific Northwest (you can hear some of the music in the trailer below).
For years, we asked, ‘when the hell are they going to release that thing?’ We asked publicists and anyone related to them any chance we got.
Well, our prayers have been answered and them some. At long last, Yo La Tengo will release, They Shoot, We Score, a 27 track self-released collection disc — plus outtakes — of all the movies they’ve done music for: “Game 6,” the lovely North Carolina story “Junebug” (directed by Phil Morrison who helmed many of their classic videos; god Amy Adams is sooo bloody fantastic in this movie), the aforementioned “Old Joy,” and the John Cameron Mitchell film, “Shortbus.”
Nearly an hour of instrumental music, 26 of the songs are previously unreleased and the album — which you can purchase on the band’s website, orders will start shipping on September 5 — contains an eight-page booklet which features posters from around the world, and four different album covers, one for each movie.
“Don’t collect them all, and don’t ask for a specific one — they will be sent out according to a random-number generator by our blindfolded mail-order crew,” the band write. Suffice to say we already ordered ours.
The sad part of all this? We interviewed YLT’s James McNew about a month or two ago and he gave us the scoop on all of it. We transcribed the interview and then a few weeks later we were ready to put it up and *poof* the MS Word doc was corrupt. Ok, so try again, right? Wrong, we recently lost our Ipod which we had recorded the interview on. Sigh… What did we lose? McNew’s ironic affection for Michael Bay (which we won’t even try and do justice here) some talk of the Greg Mottola, “Adventureland” film the band scored that won’t come out until spring 2009 (their score is more “rock” this time; apparently it also features songs by Hüsker Dü and has a lot of pop music in it) some thoughts on another Dump record (his winsome and awesome lo-fi solo project) and his love for “Arrested Development” and “Mr. Show.” It was a fun interview, he’s a funny guy. Le sigh… Either way, we can’t wait.
They Shoot, We Score tracklist:
OLD JOY
1. Leaving Home
2. Getting Lost
3. Path to Springs
4. Driving Home
5. Leaving Home (alternate version)
6. Old Joy: End Credits
JUNEBUG
7. Ashley
8. Meerkats
9. Madeline
10. A Roomful of Ladies (outtake)
11. David Wark
12. Aftermath (outtake)
13. George
GAME 6
14. This Could Be It
15. The Phantom Who Haunts Broadway
16. Game Time
17. Pharaoh Blues
18. Zoo Chant
19. Love Chant
20. Asbestos
21. Return of the Pharaoh
22. Spec Bebop
23. Buckner’s Boner
SHORTBUS
24. Isolation Tank
25. Panic in Central Park (outtake)
26. Panic in Central Park
27. Wizard’s Sleeve
Trailer: “Old Joy”
Trailer: “Junebug”
Trailer: “Shortbus”
Amy Adams was nominated for an Academy Award for her genius work in “Junebug.” Here’s why (a collection of only her scenes from the movie — this montage is a riot; this role has granted her eternal good-will status in our world, she’s so fucking charming).