Mass Effect Mix: Good Shepard
I’m back…for now. I was sucked into a Bioware vortex for the last month or so and played through the entire Mass Effect trilogy *twice* and also chalked up both Dragon Age games as well. Sooo, writing and a social life and basic hygiene have really suffered.
No really, I’m clean and in relatively good mental health now (though I still spend a ridiculous amount of time stalking the Garrus tag on Tumblr). And, as with all great fandoms in which music plays a key role (or none at all), I have emerged on the other side of this month-long hedonism with a pretty frakking awesome playlist.
Here goes:
3. You’ll Find A Way – Santogold
4. Raspberry Swirl – Tori Amos
8. Y Control – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
10. Bad Reputation – Joan Jett
12. No Light, No Light – Florence & The Machine
13. He Said She Said – Joe Purdy
14. Standing in the Way of Control – The Gossip
16. C’est la Mort – The Civil Wars
You can also listen to the YouTube playlist here, if you are feeling so inclined.
This is not to disparage the most amazing video game soundtrack ever (with Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood coming a close second) or all the amazing fan-made music I’ve stumbled upon and loved in the last month.
There is so much great art being made for this fandom, and I’ve even met some cool new local artist peeps in the process. So, life is extraordinarily good right now, which means I have no excuse to NOT blog.
Making a playlist has helped purge me of some of my angstier ME feels, and I’m not ashamed to admit I’m on a third playthrough will full intentions to romance Liara. But…I still might end up with Garrus. He’s my space husband. I guess Liara is my space wife? I think I might cheat on her in ME2. Because Garrus.
I’ve been keeping tabs on Tumblr about some of my game-play antics, but since this is my “official” blog, it might be nice to capture some of the insanity here too, in which I’m not copiously fangirling over pictures of Garrus drinking tea or making cupcakes or canoodling in bed or…ahem, you get the idea. Here is where logic and order reigns supreme. Where things are liberally dissected.
I’ll put up a couple posts with brief reviews of my first two playthroughs this week and maybe next week some thoughts about Dragon Age vs Mass Effect. It will be fun kiddos, I promise.
Clearly, I’ve had a lot of time to consider my re-entry into normal life. So here’s hoping I can be a regular blogger again. 🙂
Oscars 2011: Movie Score and Soundtrack Playlist
Every year since the inception of our hosting an Oscar party, I’ve crafted a mix CD for our guests based on the films released in that year. Not all of the scores and soundtracks I poach from are on the Oscar docket. Indeed, with such paltry pickings this year, very few of the tracks align with the Academy Award nominees.
Here is the tracklist for this years winners:
- Earth to Asgard – Patrick Doyle (Thor)
- The Wolf – Fever Ray (Red Riding Hood)
- They’re Calling My Flight – Cliff Martinez (Contagion)
- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Emily Browning (Sucker Punch)
- container park – The Chemical Brothers (Hanna)
- Immigrant Song – Karen O, Trent Reznor (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
- How To Kill a Vampire – Ramin Djawadi (Fright Night)
- Nightcall – Kavinsky (Drive)
- Moses vs The Monsters – Steven Price, Felix Buxton, and Simon Ratcliffe (Attack The Block)
- Magneto – Henry Jackman (X-Men: First Class)
- The Circus Sets Up – James Newton Howard (Water for Elephants)
- The Show – Kerris Dorsey (Moneyball)
- Man or Muppet – Jason Segel & Walter (The Muppets)
- Star Spangled Man – The Star Spangled Singers (Captain America)
- Hold On – Wilson Phillips (Bridesmaids)
- Love Will Take You – Angus and Julia Stone (Breaking Dawn)
- Can You See Jane? – Patrick Doyle (Thor)
- Mah Na Mah Na – Mahna Mahna and the Two Snowths (The Muppets)
BONUS TRACKS:
99 Problems – Hugo (Fright Night)
Iron – Woodkid (Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Trailer)
YouTube Playlist HERE.
Some of the tracks are disabled because YouTube and record labels are stingy, ridiculous jerks who don’t understand new media, but whatevs. You can get a sense of the entire compilation together through the playlist feature, even if you have to listen to some tracks as stand alones. Pretty good stuff. Handing this mix CD out as a party favor on Sunday!
As always, if you ask me nicely I can mail you a burned copy of the CD via the good old US postal service. Possibly with a special, nerdy treat included. Email me at Mindy@tinyheroes.net if you’re interested!
Mockingjay: Playlist
Here are the first two in case you forgot. 🙂
Catching Fire Playlist (UPDATED w/ Adele and Muse!)
The tempo here stays pretty consistent with the mood of revolution and war. Until around song 13, when the entire book changes. At least for me. Probably for you as well. We all know what happens. So yeah *spoiler alert* for this entire playlist.
ALSO: Made some alterations to the Catching Fire list and added a few songs. I blame this entirely on So You Think You Can Dance for introducing me to the Turning Tables song by Adele. Then I started scouting up applicable Adele songs – and found some excellent Florence + The Machine tracks.
Here’s the last video:
Which some of you will note there are TWO of in this particular playlist. This breaks the cardinal rule of creating playlists – you should not have multiple songs by the same artists. Really though – should I be blamed if they make awesome and fitting songs? Don’t think so.
1. Deep Red Bells – Neko Case*
Katniss returns to District 12. Again. *Many of you will have noted a Neko Case song kicks off every playlist. Firstly because she’s awesome. Secondly because her haunting country-twang fits the coal-mining District 12 so aptly. Thirdly, she will be in town in early July and I will be there with bells on. That is all. 🙂
Peeta is revealed to be alive in the Capitol.
3. Bird Song – Florence + The Machine
Katniss agrees to become the Mockingjay (really, does she have any either choice?)
4. You and Whose Army – Radiohead
Katniss participates in rebellion.
5. Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri
Peeta’s mind is hijacked by the Capitol. Attempted murder and angst ensues.
*This video is quite disturbing* But pretty in-line with The Hunger Games in a lot of ways. And this song echoes Katniss sentiments of being free from the Capitol.
Catching Fire: Playlist
The best things come in threes, and these Hunger Games playlists are no exception. Dan finished up the second book yesterday so I have the immense pleasure of posting yet another playlist.
This is for the second installment in the series – Catching Fire. As you might be able to tell from the song selection, the overall tempo and tracks are ramped up a bit more than the first playlist The Hunger Games, because the threat from the Capital is greater and the revolution is really starting to kick off.
Again, it flows chronologically with the progression of the book and offers up different perspectives along the way. Sometimes referencing specific passages, sometimes just capturing the emotional landscape of the chapters.
After spending a lot more time with this playlist, I’m starting to think it’s the better of the two. Which means the third will probably be that much more awesome.
Here’s another YouTube video:
1. Look For Me (I’ll Be Around) – Neko Case
Katniss returns to District 12 and attempts to resume life. Much melancholy ensues.
2. Love’s Not a Competition (But I’m Winning) – Kaiser Chiefs
Gale’s perspective?
3. A Wolf At the Door (It Girl. Rag Doll) – Radiohead
President Snow makes a visit.
Post-visit and the victory train lap around Panem. Lots of snuggle time with Peeta.
The sense of unease grows and the noose tightens around District 12.
6. This Fire – Franz Ferdinand
Katniss makes her decision to rebel. Again.
7. Winter Song – Sarah Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
Peeta and Katniss snuggle fun time. Again.
The Hunger Games: Playlist
Finally forced Dan’s hand and got him to start listening to The Hunger Games Trilogy. I had to wait patiently for him to finish the entire Aubrey-Maturin series – roughly 21 audiobooks.
He started the first book on Wednesday and is now half-way through the second. I put together a playlist of songs at his insistence and we listened to it in the car on the way to the beach for Father’s Day yesterday. We drove my parents in the Prius and since we were all raving about the series, my Dad wanted to listen to the first audiobook.
So yeah – my house is currently inundated with The Hunger Games madness.
Thought I’d share the playlist I put together for the first book. I can’t reveal the second and third until Dan is done with those book because he claims I will include spoiler songs. Which is probably true.
Here is a YouTube video with three clips of the audio tracks. I wanted to include them all, but YouTube and the copyright lawyers took a shit. So, this is my second best option:
THE HUNGER GAMES PLAYLIST:
1. Magpie to the Morning – Neko Case
2. Let’s Get Lost – Beck and Bats for Lashes
3. Cinder and Smoke – Iron & Wine
4. How to Disappear Completely – Radiohead
6. I’m On Fire – Bruce Springsteen
7. This Place is a Prison – The Postal Service
Dr. Walter Bishop: Fringe Mix CD
Happy May 4th: May The Fourth Be With You! By request – I have completed the Fringe Mix CD Trilogy with the last edition: Dr. Walter Bishop. As with the previous two entries – Agent Olivia Dunham and Peter From Boston, they are somewhat autobiographical and follow the emotional life of what is known about the character from Seasons 1 and 2.
Out of all three – Walter’s was the easiest and most fun to put together. Maybe because we already know the dude loves to dance.
His musical genre is almost all classic rock with some blues and jazz thrown in for good measure. The perspective is his, so some of the songs are a bit more ironical or tongue-in-cheek and should not be taken at face value. My theory is that Walter is kind of an egomaniac and somewhat delusional about himself. Until of course, he starts to wake up post-asylum.
This mix is also heavily Peter centric, with some references to Elizabeth Bishop and Olivia Dunham. Rather than a Mix CD someone else put together for him, I like to think that Walter is music savvy enough to have created this himself. I can see him sitting around in the lab on a rainy day constructing it.
So here’s what Walter would want you to believe:
2. Well Respected Man – The Kinks
3. God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
4. White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane
5. Let My Love Open The Door – Pete Townshend
6. The Sun – Mirah (couldn’t find a decent YouTube video except for this, it sounds different from the original) / While We Have The Sun – Mirah
7. Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ – The Velvet Underground
8. St. James Infirmary Blues – Louis Armstrong
10. Where Is My Mind? – The Pixies
12. Feelin’ Alright – Joe Cocker
13. From The Beginning – Emerson, Lake and Palmer
14. Crimson and Clover – Tommy James & The Shondells
15. Love and Happiness – Al Green (a great Fringe vid!)
16. Lonely Teardrops – Jackie Wilson
17. One Way Out – Allman Brothers
18. Tomorrow Never Knows – The Beatles
Check out this YouTube playlist somebody put together of all the tracks!
If you are a true Fringe enthusiast you’ll probably notice some of these songs actually appeared in the TV series. I scouted them all out from the first two seasons and used the ones which were most Walter-like. As always – you can download these songs and make your own copy, or I can be bribed to burn and mail you one with beer and candy. Email me at Mindy@Tinyheroes.net if you are interested.
And what do you think? Is this Walter?
Halloween Hinjinks: The Walking Dead and Music Playlist
Halloween weekend was chock full of hijinks – and the topper of the weekend was The Walking Dead television premier at the Baghdad Theatre in Portland, Oregon. 600+ Zombie fans crammed into the ornate location for a costume contest, raffle and unveiling of the episode. This is the first time I’ve watched television with hundreds of people, so it was actually quite thrilling to listen to the roar of chatter during the commercials. We were warned about talking during the episode, so when the show started – the theater became quiet enough that you could hear the rustling of people in the first few bottom rows from the upper levels of the balcony.
The costumes were pretty fantastic. We missed getting pictures of Chairface (The Tick) but there were dozens of other people who really dressed for the occasion.
Check out the pictures we snapped here, as well as some from our Halloween party:
Another highlight of the weekend was getting to air out the massive playlist of Halloween-y songs I’d been preparing all throughout October. It ended up being about six hours long (three hours of ambient, three hours of dance).
The Top 20 Tracks from each are listed here.
Dan
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