THE BIG LEBOWSKI SOUNDTRACK

The other night I watched The Big Lebowski for maybe the 50th time.  I lent out my DVD, so I bought it on iTunes so I always have it on my computer. It's a perfect film on every level: it's fun, funny, holds up to repeated viewings, has a great story, it's quotable, the acting is great. Even Tara Reid shines.

But it struck me how great the music is. The Coen Brothers definitely know their music (further proof of that is O Brother Where Art Thou). The often use T-Bone Burnett to be music supervisor, and he did an incredible job here.

Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" which opens the film sets the tone perfectly.  Kenny Rogers & The First Edition "Just Dropped In" during the freakout sequence: genius. The Gipsy Kings cover of "Hotel California" during Jesus' bowling scene: awesome. Especially given that The Dude hates The (fuckin') Eagles. Also the choice of fairly obscure artists: Captain Beefheart, Moondog and Meredith Monk is cool.

The Dude's music choices make sense: he loves Creedence Clearwater Revival. He's listening to Elvis Costello at the doctor.  But sometimes he just listens to tapes of bowling.

The movie rocks even more with its choice of cameo actors. Aimee Mann as the nihilist who cuts off her toe. Flea, another nihilist with a ridiculous accent.  Jimmie Dale Gilmore as Smokey, did he really step over the line? Jeff Bridges as The Dude is just perfect, and he's a rocker in his own right (he actually releases his second album tomorrow. It's produced by... wait for it... T-Bone Burnett).

I've often talked of my respect for music supervisors who do their job really well.  So, I have to tip my hat to the Coens and T-Bone for this one.

RYAN BINGHAM: OSCAR NOMINEE

After winning a Golden Globe for "The Weary Kind" from the film Crazy Heart, today Ryan Bingham received an Oscar nomination for the song. He's up against two Randy Newman songs, both from The Princess and The Frog, "Almost There" and "Down In New Orleans." Also nominated: a song called "Loin de Paname" from a film I never heard of called Paris 36 and from the film Nine, "Take It All." Also up for an Oscar is Jeff Bridges, who played "Bad Blake" in Crazy Heart, he already won the Golden Globe for that role. I know he has had like four Oscar noms, but has never won. Maybe this will be his year.

Anyway, dig the above video: it is Ryan Bingham doing a solo acoustic version of "The Weary Kind" on SIRIUS XM's Outlaw Country.

CONGRATULATIONS TO RYAN BINGHAM AND JEFF BRIDGES

Well, I'm glad that Ryan Bingham won a Golden Globe tonight for Best Original Song. His song "The Weary Kind" (you can buy it on iTunes) from Crazy Heart... it kind of tied the whole film together (to paraphrase Jeff Bridges' "Dude" character). This will help his career out,  and I love when award shows are able to give much-needed exposure to deserving artists, rather than awarding the same superstars over and over. And speaking of "The Dude," congrats to Jeff Bridges for winning a Golden Globe for Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture - Drama for his portayal of "Bad Blake" in the same film.

Hopefully this will lead to an Oscar nomination and win for Ryan Bingham. The Globes, as much as they are a hack award show, are often a good way to predict the Oscars. Although it isn't always the case: last year, Bruce Springsteen rightfully won the Globe for his title track to The Wrestler, but then didn't even get a nomination for the Oscars. Oddly enough, that gives the Globes a bit more cred in my mind. Oscars, you blew it last year, don't do it again! Anyway, check out my last post to see a great video of Ryan performing "The Weary Kind" on Mojo Nixon's show on SIRIUS|XM Outlaw Country.

THE REAL BAD BLAKE: HANK THOMPSON

A couple of days ago, I posted about the cool new film Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges as a down-on-his-luck country music legend. I compared him to Kristofferson (mainly because he looks like him) and Jennings.   It turns out that Bridgs' character, Bad Blake, is based on Hank Thompson.  The film was based on a 1987 novel written by a guy named Thomas Cobb. Read more about it at the L.A. Times Pop & Hiss blog.

I had a passing familiarity with him, I just knew the song "The Wild Side Of Life." So I went to iTunes and downloaded a few more, "A Six-Pack To Go," "Bubbles In My Beer" (written by the late great Cindy Walker, Willie Nelson does a great version also) and "I'll Sign My Heart Away." I recommend the songs highly, but if you go to iTunes, beware: there are lots of "re-recorded" versions of his songs. Lots of times artists changing labels would make a quick buck, and also thwart their former labels, by re-recording their hits to sell CDs (and licence tracks) for their new label. I'm not saying the newer versions are bad, but I myself wanted the originals. It seems like the 1965 album A Six Pack To Go is the best one.

CRAZY HEART, RYAN BINGHAM AND A THANK YOU TO OUTLAW COUNTRY

Crazy Heart was a really good movie that I recommend. It stars Jeff Bridges (aka "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski, one of my favorite films ever) as a Kristofferson/Jennings type country singer who is down on his luck, and the world has kind of passed him by, while his former protegee (a Paisley/Urban type played by Colin Farrell) has become a huge star. Well, that's not all it is about, but it is a great movie, so go see it.

But the music in the film is also notable. T-Bone Burnett was music supervisor (as he was for Lebowski and O Brother Where Are Thou, of course he has also produced recent great albums for Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, B.B. King, Elvis Costello and others).

One song that takes a kind of central role in the film is "The Weary Kind" by Ryan Bingham. Here is an interview where he explains how he got invovled with T-Bone Burnette and the film (he and his band have a small role backing Bridges' character at -- of all things -- a bowling alley).

I was kind of familiar with Bingham - thanks to the fact that I listen to SIRIUS XM's Outlaw Country. I have some songs frmo his 2007 album Mescolito, which I recommend. It was cool of T-Bone and the film's director, Scott Cooper, to involve him and expose him to a larger audience.  The song is up for a Golden Globe, and if I were a voter, I would probably vote for it over songs by U2 and Paul McCartney. But if you like "Americana" or "hardcore troubadour"-type country music, check out Ryan Bingham.

PAUL MCCARTNEY AND U2 GET GOLDEN GLOBE NODS

Earlier this week, the semi-bogus but semi-legit movie awards, The Golden Globes, announced the nominees for this year's ceremony (although on the music tip, The Globes rightly awarded Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" with a trophy last year, while The Oscars didn't even nominate him).

This year's Golden Globe nominees include a U2 song that I hadn't even heard of: "Winter," from the film Brothers.  Also on the ballot is Paul McCartney's "I Want To Come Home" from Everybody's Fine. And finally, a song written by O Brother music supervisor (and awesome producer) T-Bone Burnett and singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham, "The Weary Kind," from Crazy Heart. That song is performed in the film by the star, Jeff Bridges (aka "The Dude") who apparently plays a Kristofferson/Jennings type character. So far, I've heard U2's song which is nice but didn't knock me out, and Paul's song which I really do like. I haven't heard the Crazy Heart song, but I am definitely going to see that movie, and I can't wait.

In honor of U2 and Sir Paul being nominated, here's a video of them together from Live8, performing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."