GHOSTWOOD 023: "Listen to the Sounds, Part 2" is Up!

"Watch and listen to the dream of time and space."

-- Margaret "The Log Lady" Lanterman to Tommy "Hawk" Hill, Twin Peaks: "The Return, Part 10"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we review the score album Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Original Soundtrack from the 2017 Showtime revival of Twin Peaks, released on September 8, 2017 from Rhino Entertainment!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like the length of an album mattering once again because of the vinyl resurgence, Columbus record stores, soundtrack nerds needing to check out vinyl, David Lynch slowing down the Muddy Magnolias to Creepy Mode, not considering "Laura Palmer's Theme" a love theme, Harry Dean Stanton vs. Richard Dean Anderson, Angelo Badalamenti making his new Twin Peaks music nostalgic for the original series without being a slave to it, Lucy punishing Andy when she was pregnant, pinning murders on Deputy Chad, the most beautiful movie in the world, the atomic bomb horror of World War II, Xan loving the '30s, the Fireman putting out the fire of BOB, being considerate to the employees of the real life Double R Diner, Leslie Jones live-tweeting Game of Thrones, Laura's final scream at the end of "The Return", missing tracks that should've been included, Xan and I staying up late to watch Stranger Things Season 2, Xan having the sheet music to the Twin Peaks theme, paying tribute to the late Brent Briscoe, Xan's trip to Australia, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE

YouTube -- RIGHT HERE

Ghostwood's Facebook page

Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I "listen to the sounds" once again and review the CD Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Original Soundtrack from the Showtime revival of Twin Peaks!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

GHOSTWOOD 022: "Listen to the Sounds" is Up!

"Agent Cooper.  Listen to the sounds."

-- The Fireman to Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks: "The Return, Part 1"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  This time, we change up our format a little to review the Twin Peaks soundtrack CD Twin Peaks: Music from the Limited Event Series, released on September 8, 2017 from Rhino Entertainment!

LET'S ROCK!

In our latest episode, Xan and I discuss things like Julee Cruise needing more albums, Xan being burglarized in college, Xan's impressive audio collection and organization database, the Millennial dating problem of not being able to look at your prospective love interest's music collection, Harry Dean Stanton's "Red River Valley" being a huge omission from the 2017 soundtrack, David Lynch giving cool bands you've never heard of great exposure, U2 reinventing their sound, wondering what happened to Armpit Scratching Girl, Au Revoir Simone's connection to Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Ike "The Spike" as the Tasmanian Devil, Trent Reznor calling in all his favors to David Lynch to be in Twin Peaks, the Platters in the X-Files episode "Kill Switch", Rebekah Del Rio's amazing Spanish cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying" in Mullholland Dr., Xan's issues with Donna Heyward, the redemption of James Marshall's "Just You", ZZ Top in Back to the Future Part III, explaining what an axolotl is, Eddie Vedder bringing the Roadhouse audience down, the first time Julee Cruise sang "The World Spins" on the original Twin Peaks series, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn --  RIGHT HERE

YouTube -- RIGHT HERE

Ghostwood's Facebook page

Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I "listen to the sounds" once again and review the CD Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Original Soundtrack from the Showtime revival of Twin Peaks!  Look for more of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

TWIN PEAKS' Double R Diner, Angelo Badalamenti Returning

The place where pies go when they die is returning.

Twin Peaks news site Welcome to Twin Peaks has some reassuring updates on the upcoming Showtime revival of the original 1990-91 ABC television series.  The information came from none other than Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne) and Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson) during a Twin Peaks panel at Crypticon in Seattle over the weekend.

Here's the rundown of what was learned:

First, David Lynch will be directing 18 episodes of the new Twin Peaks series for Showtime, twice what was originally announced before negotiations with Lynch broke down.

Original Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti, creator of the show's memorable theme and numerous haunting jazz pieces for the series, is composing new music for the upcoming revival.

The Double R Diner, where characters Norma Jennings, Hank Jennings and Shelly Johnson worked on the series, will be restored from original location Twede's Cafe in North Bend, Washington.

In addition to North Bend, the new series will also be filmed in Snoqualmie, Washington, which was used for many of the exterior shots in the original series and the feature film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.

Twin Peaks is expected to debut on Showtime sometime in 2016.

James Gunn Reveals GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Music Tracklist

K-Billy's Super Sounds of the '70s approves.

Ever since the first trailer for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy debuted, comic book movie and sci-fi fans have been digging the '70s music that will feature in the film.  The question of which songs will feature on the soundtrack has been a bit of a mystery...until now.

On his official Facebook page earlier today, director James Gunn revealed the full tracklist for the soundtrack with the following post...

You wanted the track list for the ‪#‎GuardiansoftheGalaxy‬ soundtrack, here it is -

NOTE this is not the entirety of the Mixed Tape that Peter Quill listens to, the one that I gave to Chris Pratt that he listened to endlessly before the movie started. That is a longer list, that includes these songs, among others. I'll release that full list closer to the release of the film

However, if you don't want to be SPOILED on the songs in the movie, and see them as they play.... ...

Don't scroll down.

You can pre-order it on Amazon, just hit the link.

1. Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling
2. Raspberries – Go All the Way
3. Norman Greenbaum – Spirit in the Sky
4. David Bowie – Moonage Daydream
5. Elvin Bishop – Fooled Around and Fell in Love
6. 10Cc – I’m Not in Love
7. Jackson 5 – I Want You Back
8. Redbone – Come and Get Your Love
9. The Runaways – Cherry Bomb
10. Rupert Holmes – Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
11. The Five Stairsteps – O-O-H Child
12. Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

And if you really can't wait to listen to these groovy tracks, MTV has posted a Spotify playlist of all twelve tracks.

The "Awesome Mix Vol. 1" soundtrack will be released on July 29th, with a 2-disc deluxe version also released on the same day that includes the film's score by composer Tyler Bates.

 

Eminem Channels Max Headroom in "Rap God" Video

Max Headroom fans, get ready to jump twenty minutes into the future again...

Rap music star Eminem, a.k.a. Marshall Mathers, once again shows his love of classic pop culture in his just-released video for "Rap God," the third single from his eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2.  The song debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album has already sold at least one million copies within three weeks of release.

For those of you who aren't geezers that grew up in the eighties, Max Headroom is a fictional character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer as a stuttering artificial intelligence billed as "The world's first computer-generated TV host."  Max first appeared in a 1985 British cyberpunk TV movie called Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into The Future and was soon given his own music video program, The Max Headroom Show.  The character became a cult hit, even earning a science fiction drama series on ABC, called simply Max Headroom, that lasted for two seasons.

Max Headroom became a significant pop culture icon of the '80s, appearing with the band Art of Noise in the song "Paranoimia," as a television spokesman for New Coke, on the children's program Sesame Street and even at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Also, as he often does in his song lyrics, Eminem uses comic book references in "Rap God," by name-checking Superman villain General Zod, Superman's birth planet Krypton, Thor's realm of Asgard and even The Walking Dead.

Kneel before General Zod, this planet's Krypton...No, Asgard, Asgard

So you be Thor and I'll be Odin, you rodent, I'm omnipotent
Let off then I'm reloading immediately with these bombs I'm totin'
And I should not be woken
I'm the walking dead, but I'm just a talking head, a zombie floating

If you'd like to check out the video, you can view it below thanks to EminemVEVO on YouTube...

Kyle MacLachlan Does the TWIN PEAKS Harlem Shake

I have no idea where this YouTube video will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.

Okay, I'm a bit late to the dance party on this one, but a few weeks ago, Official Comedy released a short video of actor Kyle MacLachlan doing the popular internet meme based around Baauer's song "Harlem Shake."  Well, everyone has jumped on this bandwagon of late, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, so if there's another one, it must be a day ending in the letter Y.

This particular Harlem Shake, however, features MacLachlan back in the hellish Black Lodge from Twin Peaks, with various other people referencing a number of things from the cult classic 1990-91 ABC television series.  MacLachlan, who starred as Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Cooper, starts off the video bopping along and wearing the mask worn by the Jumping Man from the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me in front of the familiar Red Room curtains inside the Black Lodge.

All at once, the image cuts to the unmasked MacLachlan smiling and holding a cup of damn good coffee, surrounded by Laura Palmer wrapped in plastic, the Little Man from Another Place, eyepatch-wearing Nadine Hurley, someone holding the Log Lady's log, someone holding up a picture of an owl, someone holding up the deer's head that was resting on a table inside the Twin Peaks police station, and someone holding a plate of doughnuts beloved by Cooper and Twin Peaks police officers.  MacLachlan even takes a sip of coffee and spits it out in a recreation of Cooper uttering the line "Damn good coffee...and hot!" that obviously inspired the name of this very blog.

If you'd like to check out the video, and who wouldn't, you can see it below thanks to Official Comedy...

TRON 3 Reloading Return to The Grid

Greetings, programs!

One of my favorite films of 2010 was Tron: Legacy, the stylish sequel to the 1982 cult classic Tron by director Joseph Kosinski that no one ever expected to happen.  The film had its critics, but still managed to pull in over $400 million worldwide with a reported production budget of $170 million, so a second sequel certainly seemed like a good possibility.

Earlier this week, Tron: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund, who played Kevin Flynn's son Sam, gave an exclusive to NextMovie that he would be reprising the role of Sam Flynn in Tron 3.  "Disney's very excited," Hedlund commented on the project.  "That's about that.  You know, yeah, I'm very excited, Disney's very excited."  The article also mentioned that Jesse Wigutow, who wrote the screenplay for Eragon, was in negotiations with Disney to rewrite Tron 3 for a possible production start in 2014.

Meanwhile, Kosinski was interviewed by MTV about the project and gave the following remarks.  "We've got an idea for the next movie that's really exciting to me," he said.  "I mean, obviously, the only reason to go back would be if we could do something spectacular and really push the ideas forward that we had established in Legacy.  We have an idea and an approach and a way into it that I'm really excited about, and now it's about execution on the level of the script.  So working hard on that in the background, and hopefully that'll all come together.

"It's still the same plan in that Tron 3 would deliver on the promises set up at the end of Legacy in different ways," continued Kosinski.  "You look at what happened in the closing scenes of Legacy.  I think it sets a clear direction for what could happen in the next chapter."

Kosinski also played the Star Wars card in seperate interview with Collider, with comparisons to that film series' original trilogy.  "I’ve said it would have to be our Empire Strikes Back for me to come back and for me to pull the whole team back together.  I think we do have that idea.  We do have the idea that feels big and really blows the doors off this franchise.  It’s hinted at promises of something for two movies now, for thirty years, so it’s time to deliver on that.  But the script’s got to be at a level that makes it worth going back for, because it’s a lot of work to make a movie like this and it’s a multi-year project.  So we’ve got our writer Jesse Wigutow on it right now writing, and fingers crossed if it all comes together, as we hope it will, there could be another Tron in the next few years, and it’s going to be awesome."

Concerning the time frame between Legacy and Tron 3, Kosinski remarked, "I think time has passed.  It feels like we’re kind of real-time in step.  So however much time has passed since Legacy came out would also have transpired in the real world.  So it will still be contemporary.  So let’s say if the Tron sequel comes out in 2015, then four or five years have passed since the last movie."

One of the highlights of Tron: Legacy was the incredible score by Daft Punk, so the subject of their return naturally came up as well.  "When it comes to building the team up for soundtrack they would absolutely be my first call," said Kosinski.  "As to whether or not they would do it, it depends on what they’re doing at the time.  They are very methodical in how they pick their next project, and they would only do it if they felt that they could dedicate themselves a hundred percent to that.  I know they have another album coming out, I’m sure that’s going to be their next big project, which I assume is going to be followed by a massive tour.  So, you know, hopefully if they’ve got the time and the creative willingness to dive back in."

Here's hoping the project continues moving forward, preferably without taking another 28 years...

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Who Should Sing the SKYFALL Opening Credits Theme?

With the twenty-third official James Bond film Skyfall scheduled to arrive in theaters later this year, I started wondering about who would be singing the opening credits theme music.  The Bond films' traditionally bold, artistic opening credits sequences are legendary in cinema and have been accompanied by songs from equally legendary performers such as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Paul McCartney and Wings, Sheena Easton, Duran Duran, a-ha, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow, Garbage, Chris Cornell and most recently, Jack White and Alicia Keys.

So with this range of musical artists in mind, I came up with a small list of who I feel might be worthy enough to be added to this impressive list.  Sadly, I would've suggested the late Amy Winehouse not that long ago, but I think this group would do just as nicely...

Adele -- The obvious choice given her current popularity and her soulful sound that picks right up where Amy Winehouse left off.  Songs like "Someone Like You" and "Set Fire to the Rain" prove she could easily handle a Bond movie theme, especially with such a powerful voice.  The young English singer-songwriter recently suffered a vocal cord hemorrhage, but has since recovered and is expected to make her comeback at the Grammy Awards on February 12th. 

Florence + The Machine -- While I'm thinking about powerful voices, Florence + the Machine's Florence Welch certanily has quite the set of pipes as well.  The band would probably bring a more ethereal sound to the opening theme, but with songs like "Howl," "You've Got the Love" and "What the Water Gave Me," you have to admit there's serious potential for a great Bond theme there.

Noel Gallagher -- As the former lead guitarist and songwriter for the band Oasis, Gallagher is starting to find additional success in his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.  Singles like "If I Had a Gun..." seem ready-made for a Bond film, while his prior Oasis songs like "Don't Look Back in Anger" or "Morning Glory" show quite a bit of creative range.  Of course, I wouldn't be unhappy if he reunited with his brother Liam for the track...

Michael Bublé -- The Canadian singer is probably the closest thing out there to a modern-day Frank Sinatra, introducing many standards to a new generation of fans.  I'm curious to hear this kind of take on a Bond theme after the last couple songs, but after hearing the stellar Junkie XL remix of Bublé's version of the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon theme, I know there are other ways the song could go as well.

She Wants Revenge -- I know this is a bit of an oddball pick here, but if a band like Garbage could create arguably one of the best Bond themes ever with "The World is Not Enough," then a band like She Wants Revenge should be in the ballpark.  Their recent "Take the World" is practically a Bond theme already, while other tracks like "Up in Flames" or "Tear You Apart" could result in an edgier theme that worked well in Casino Royale. 

Regardless of who sings the opening theme though, I think most of us can agree that it definitely shouldn't be Madonna again...

Need Some Music? Sting Has an App for That

Okay, this may not be the next Angry Birds, but starting this Monday, the legendary singer, musician and songwriter Sting is releasing a free app on iTunes.  A message in an iPad, if you will.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the former lead singer of The Police and solo artist for the past twenty-five years in making use of iPad tech to promote his back catalog and reach a wider audience.  The app, called "Sting 25," will reportedly combine music, concert footage, photographs and videos.  The featured highlight will be footage from Sting's performance last month at New York's Beacon Theatre, which includes duets with guests such as Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder.

Other features in the app will be a sliding timeline that shows photos and video from career milestones such as Live Aid in 1985.  Another navigation bar moves through about twenty "influences," ranging from author Quentin Crisp to the Cold War, with images and audio commentary from Sting. If any songs from eleven of Sting's solo albums reside on the user's iPad, the app automatically recognizes them.  Songs the user doesn't have can be sampled in the app and then purchased through iTunes.

Essentially, the app works as a retrospective of his long career.  "This is a very convenient way of archiving yourself," said Sting in an interview from his apartment overlooking New York's Central Park.  "There is a story, so whatever helps me to tell it, I will use.  This is the future, in my opinion.  I'm putting my money on the app."

It's the End of R.E.M. as We Know It and I Feel Fine

Well, another part of my past finally called it quits today.

After 31 years, the band R.E.M. has announced they've broken up.  "As lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band," the band remarked in a statement posted on their official website.  "We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished.  To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening."

As someone who collected the band's albums, good and not-so-good, all the way through to their last studio album Collapse Into Now, I'm certainly not surprised but I do have to wonder what took so long.  Their last really big album was Monster way back in 1994 and the band's quality dropped significantly after drummer Bill Berry suffered a brain aneurysm in 1995 and later left the band two years later.  They only seemed to get their groove back with Accelerate in 2008 and this year's Collapse Into Now seems like a solid enough effort to go out on.

However, like many R.E.M. fans, I tend to focus on their earlier albums, the ones more full of life and classic alternative/college rock energy.  My major introduction to R.E.M. was with their Green album, their first with Warner Bros. Records, although I'd obviously heard their earlier songs here and there on the radio.  But Green was one of the earliest albums I'd bought on CD after over a decade of listening to tape cassettes, so it got a lot of play.  Songs like "Orange Crush," "You Are the Everything" and "World Leader Pretend" really grabbed me so I went back and started getting their collecting their previous stuff, blown away by how consistently good those albums were.

It wasn't until their Monster tour in 1995 that I finally got to see them live at the Polaris Amphitheatre in Columbus.  I remember them giving songs like "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?," "Crush With Eyeliner" and "Bang and Blame" a lot of punch, but even then it seemed like R.E.M.'s best days were starting to be behind them.  Lead singer Michael Stipe looked and acted as though he was turning into actor John Malkovich and guitarist Peter Buck lost quite a bit of his edge as he grew older, which seemed to show on their later albums.

So now it's the end of R.E.M....and I feel fine with it.  I'm glad they were able to redeem themselves somewhat with their last two albums before breaking up, but those stellar first nine albums are the ones I'll probably keep going back to as the years wear on.  Something tells me I won't be the only one.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER Score Preview

As someone who enjoys epic orchestral scores with superhero films, I'm often disappointed with many of the recent offerings that tend to feel unremarkable and phoned in.  Thankfully though, it seems that Alan Silvestri, composer for the Back to the Future trilogy, Predator and The Abyss, is at least attempting to give the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger the bold, heroic score it deserves.

Last night on New York City radio station WQXR, their "Movies on the Radio" segment featured a 13-minute preview of Silvestri's upcoming score.  This adventurous score should complement director Joe Johnston's style nicely and harken back to Johnston's previous period superhero film, The Rocketeer. 

Daft Punk's "Derezzed" Official Music Video

Greetings, Programs!

With the release of Daft Punk's soundtrack to the film Tron: Legacy arriving in stores today, it certainly makes sense that their official music video from the soundtrack would make its debut as well.  MTV has the premiere, so enjoy the nods to a few classic '80s videogames and also a great cameo by Olivia Wilde, one of the stars of Tron: Legacy, in the process.

Daft Punk - New Music - More Music Videos

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