Death Cab, Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent make 'New Moon' soundtrack better than it should be

 

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack (Atlantic)
In stores: Now
Bella Notte: This moody, mesmerizing soundtrack, filled with sullen reverb and gothy melancholy, didn’t have to be this good to sell huge. In fact, it could have been an hour of gastrointestinal squips, and young folks would have still gobbled the album in record numbers. Author Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series — about mopey girl Bella Swan and neck-hungry luvah Edward Cullen — sells like gangbusters in any form: books, movies, albums, creepy figurines that thirtysomething mothers of two keep asking for much to the chagrin of their rock-critic fiances. New Moon the film, a sequel to last year’s Twilight, doesn’t hit theaters until Nov. 20, but its soundtrack might be the best thing the franchise has offered up so far. Instead of opting for catchy, obvious rock hits — a la Paramore’s Decode from the Twilight soundtrack — producers went for hip: Indie royals Death Cab for Cutie, Grizzly Bear and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke contribute complex art-rock ruminations, all parts buzz, drone and lament. L.A. alt-folk outfit Sea Wolf offers a kickin’ number called The Violet Hour, which sounds like a slightly sour Violent Femmes cut. Even the ballads are intricate, including Bon Iver and St. Vincent’s creepy choral Rosyln.
Reminds us of: I’m so getting stuck with the kids on Nov. 20. Any of you dads want to have a play date?
Download these: Meet Me on the Equinox (Death Cab for Cutie), Rosyln (Bon Iver and St. Vincent) and The Violet Hour (Sea Wolf)
Grade: A

DALY TV! Who's up for a good cry?

This is my last day of vacation. Frankly, I'd rather sob in a shadowy corner than fire up the blog machine. Heck, I don't even get the full day. Tonight I have to work the Rays-Yankees game, drumming up biz for The Big Showoff. I'll be up in the TBT Party Deck if you wanna stop by. If you can't find me, check the shadowy corners and listen for the wailing.

Despite my depression-induced lethargy, however, I'm sick of staring at that Taylor Swift item, so here's some abbreviated madcappery to shake me from the doldrums:

* I taped some schtick for ABC Action News a long time ago, and it finally ran this past Saturday. It's pretty dated; I might as well be in black-and-white and commanding a steamboat. But I'm so unbelievably handsome in my super suit, I'd hate to rob the world of my beauty. Here's DALY TV.

* Thanks to my friend and college roomie Kevin, I put about 500 new songs on my iPod. One of those is 3,000 Miles by a guy named Ellis Paul. You folkies probably know him well. Here he plays my new favorite song with Susan Werner. Prepare to fall in love.

* Stephanie Hayes reviewed last night's American Idol show in Tampa. HERE'S THAT. Check out the comments, too. It's the sign of a great writer when that many people hate your guts. Way to go, Steph!

* Had lunch with Stuck in the '80s co-host Steve Spears yesterday. We've drummed up a new seggie for the show. It's gonna be a Q&A in which you can ask anything you want, from Do I really hate Spandau Ballet with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns (um, yes) to What's the best '80s song for the Dance of the Seven Buttons (Cameo's Word Up) to Does Steve's rug match his curtains (depends on the social function). Fire off a query! Invade our privacy! Spearsy has some good response already on his blog. 

Look! See! I have healthy crushes, too! St. Vincent "Actor Out of Work"

St. Vincent |MTV Music

This song is from my fave album of the summer: St. Vincent's Actor, released in May on the 4AD label. Aka Annie Clark, formerly of the Polyphonic Spree, St. Vincent works in deceptive malaise, joyful woe. One critic described the 26-year-old Oklahoman as a dark Disney princess. That's about right: She sounds like a smirky Cinderella with an axe behind her back. The whole album soars on big strings, lush vocals and quietly nasty lyrics.