Crash Into Me

Musical Moods

So I've been thinking a lot lately about the use of music in movies and TV shows. The cool thing about using specific songs in those other media is that when you hear the same song outside that movie or TV show, you start to conjure up images of what was happening in the film or show. And it almost makes the song better somehow. Now obviously, there is the caveat that the song had to be good in the first place. I don't know, it's just weird. I've been enjoying certain songs more because they were used in certain movies, or certain shows. It's kind of like when you are listening to a song on the radio. Yeah, you already have the CD and could listen to that song any time, but there's just something about the fact that it's on the radio that draws you to it.
What really brought all this to my thinking is the use of music in the O.C. I know I've been talking way too much about it lately, but oh well. This show uses music better than just about any movie or TV show this side of Cameron Crowe. The music editors and producers ALWAYS seem to pull out a song that not only has lyrics to match what's going on in the plot, but also that fits their indie rock/california band/college radio station/brand-new-never-released/obscure music agenda. And it's almost always really, really good stuff. Now, they obviously work very hard to do it, by finding the right artists, the right songs, the right lyrics, getting imports like Finley Quaye's "Dice", etc. But really, you don't have to even work that hard to at least have a modicum of decent songs that fit the mood you're going for. Never was this more apparent than in the movie Hitch. Lacey and I saw this one for the second time the other night (her choice, not mine), and I realized that the movie's producers had put forth absolutely NO effort whatsoever in the soundtrack. There were a smattering of "in" rap/r&b songs, and a good oldie at the end, but for the most part, the music consisted of some extremely cheezy synth/electric guitar. It was absolutely terrible. Now this was a decent-sized budget film with several stars. Is is too much to ask that they hire someone to find songs that fit what's going on in the movie? Seriously, it's not that hard, I just don't think they try a lot of times. Anyway, I'm rambling now, but I just want to reiterate that the music editors on the O.C. are amazing. And I would love to have the job of picking music for TV shows and movies. Fun stuff.