Some summer soundtracks
The best thing I can say about Boys And Girls: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack To The Miramax Film (Ark21) is that it’s not as intolerable as the movie with which it is associated. In fact, the opening track by underrated Australian band Regurgitator (check out their bizarre out-of-print Reprise disc if you can find it!) gets things started on the right foot, and contributions from Settie, Girl Next Door, 2 Skinny J’s and David Mead add to the appeal. Previously unavailable tracks by Joe 90 (“When You Arrive”) and Duncan Sheik (“Now Or Never”) up the ante. Sheik’s presence adds some credibility to soundtrack, and the fact that the song is making its first appearance here makes the soundtrack a must-have for fans of Sheik. Ronan Keating, former band mate of openly gay ex-Boyzone member Stephen Gately, gives the Diane Warren-penned “If I Don’t Tell You Now” the proper dose of emotion, making it the kind of song you might expect to find nominated for an Oscar. Ex-Police man, and soundtrack scorer Stewart Copeland also contributes an instrumental piece, “The Freddie File,” from the movie’s orchestral score.
Dance music has often been about finding the right repetitive groove to insinuate your body into for a few minutes or a few hours. The dance music on Groove: Music From and Inspired By The Motion Picture “Groove” (Kinetic/Reprise), the soundtrack to the movie about the rave scene in San Francisco, supplies ample grooves, many of which you aren’t likely to find on the many dance music compilations currently available. While the album may not entirely capture “the full spectrum of dance floor excitement,” it certainly gives the listener the sense of how easy it is to succumb to the groove. Tracks such as “Girls Like Us” by B-15 Project, “Duke’s Up” by W, “Heaven Scent” by Bedrock, and “Infinitely Gentle Blows” by Alter] Ring offered a persuasive argument for throwing your hands in the air and moving your body with flair.
Since it’s not exactly a Disney cartoon, the animated movie Titan A.E. needed a movie soundtrack that didn’t resemble a Disney cartoon soundtrack. Titan A.E.: Music From The Motion Picture (Capitol/Java) features contributions from male artists such as post-punkers Lit (“Over My Head”), electro-rockers Powerman 5000 (“The End Is Over”), and Latin-influenced hip-hoppers Fun Lovin’ Criminals (“Everything Under The Stars”), so the post-apocalyptic testosterone level is high. However, tracks by groovy funkmeister Jamiroquai (“Everybody’s Going To The Moon”) and female fronted outfits such as Texas (“Li