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Here
you will find a list of most the unique features here at Tracksounds.
Interviews, Poll Results, and Special Tributes are just the start.
Explore and have fun!
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The
official podcast of
Tracksounds.com, The
SoundCast is hosted by
Christopher Coleman and
features reviews and
discussions centered
around film, TV, and video
game soundtracks. Special
edition episodes include
interviews with composers
and other industry
professionals.
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2008 Music Preview:
A Look Ahead at this
Year's Soundtracks
Another year of music lay at our
doorsteps. What will 2008
hold for our musical palettes?
There are plenty of big-budget
films on tap for 08 that should
make room for some big, bold
scores. Indiana Jones is
back. Superheroes are on
the increase: Iron Man,
The Dark Knight, The Incredible
Hulk, Wolverine. Hellboy 2.
Children's books turned into
fantasy films are cutting in
line: The Spiderwick
Chronicles, Nim's Island, The
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince
Caspian may only be the tip of
the iceberg.
There are always a number of surprises from the
host of dramatic films that fill the Fall. Indie films and foreign
films also deliver a handful of good scores each year. Which ones
will do it in 2008? Here, we'll give you our perspective on which
upcoming 2008 films might provide the best scores...and which ones may
not. In addition, we've added a video game category. As 2007
showed, the video game music industry has come to rival that of film
scores, so we'll try to give you a glimpse at which game scores might be
ones to clamour for. While Award season is
in full gear the actual movie
going experience generally goes
for a dive in the dumper.
But for 2008? Not so fast.
There just might be a couple movies
that give, at least our ears,
something to look forward to.
Check out
the new feature! |
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Free and Legal: The
Best Free Film, TV and
Game Music Online
Downloading music on the
internet is almost as
common as breathing these
days. If you have a
computer that has a
broadband connection to
the internet, then you've
likely downloaded, at the
very least, a sound clip
or two. More likely,
you've downloaded full
tracks or entire albums
already. Services such as
eMusic, iTunes, Yahoo
Music, and more recently
Amazon.com, have all made
it easy to get the music
you want and at more
affordable prices. As we
know, downloading music
has cast the industry into
a new era where the lines
of ownership, fair-use,
and profitability have
been put into question. .
.
Here
you will find a list of
sites that offer music in
a variety of ways: sound
clips to streaming tracks
to fully downloadable and
free tracks! You will
likely find some great
music out there that you
could not buy, even if you
wanted to. You may
discover a new talent that
might lead you to buying
other music from the
composer. You will
inevitably find some new
treasure to bring hours of
entertainment to your
ears. . . and all for
free!
Check out
the new feature! |
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High
Score: The New Era of Video Game
Music |
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The days of the stunted,
electronic, jingles which cued
up with the drop of each quarter
or token into those hungry,
little, metal slots seem like a
century ago. As the world of
video games has become
increasingly sophisticated (not
to mention lucrative), so has
the music associated with it.
While the musical jingles from
Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, or Ms. Pac
Man have become icons
themselves, an increasing amount
of today's video game music is
sharing more in common with many
of the iconic film scores of the
last thirty years.
Read More
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The Themes
of Fall |
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No other sport in America has a
following like it. Be it
High School football in Texas,
college football in Florida or
the Mid-West, or the National
Football League, no other sport
garners the attention and
passions of its fans like the
game of football. Perhaps
its because there are so few
games per season. Perhaps
its because the levels of
strategy and nuance go unapproached
by any other mainstream sport.
Perhaps it's because the teams are
often likened to
armies and its players like
warriors. Then out of climactic
clashes on the field rise
mythic heroes who capture the
imagination. Perhaps these
are some of the reasons why
football in America has gone
from competition to institution.
As someone once said, "Baseball
might be America's past-time,
but football is America's
passion."
Read More
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Return of
the Matrix |
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In 1999, the
movie business was in dire need of a revolution. It just didn't know
it yet and neither did the movie-going-public. The Wachowski Brothers upstart
production of THE MATRIX shook up an industry that had all but given up on
creativity. The biggest cultural-phenomenon started by a single film
since 1977's STAR WARS, THE MATRIX not only introduced a new
vocabulary to many but help propel the perception of the computer-geek
from zero to hero. THE MATRIX was intelligent and visually engaging
at the same time...two things that seemed to have become mutually
exclusive in the world of film. Interweaving the religious and the philosophical,
Japanese anime, and the Chinese, kung fu genre, THE MATRIX was a blend
that few had even dared dream about, let alone follow that dream through to
a feature
film. THE MATRIX could be considered the first
cyber-punk film to move into the mainstream. It went on to influence a
number of films and television shows and commercials, which
sought to capitalize on some of the groundbreaking effects and growing
interest in cyberspace. Not to be lost amidst of the visual effects and
philosophical messages was this film's innovative use of electronica and
orchestral score. The music of The Matrix went to on influence the world of film music
almost as much as the film had influenced it's world.
Read More
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Music from
the Films of Zhang Yimou |
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One of the famed
"fifth-generation" directors our
of China's growing film history,
director Zhang Yimou has been
delighting audiences for over
twenty years. His
first major film as director
came in 1987 with RED SORGHUM
(scored by Jiping Zhao) garnered
numerous awards and nominations
and was prominently featured in
the International film festival
circuit. This would be his
first of seven collaborations
with famed Chinese actress Gong
Li. Zhang Yimou
established, what has become,
his trademark use of stylized
color photography as a means of
storytelling with RAISE THE RED
LATERN in 1991 (scored by Jiping
Zhao and Naoki Tachikawa).
Read More
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Faith and
Film Music - Part I |
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There it sits on many-a
nightstand . . .just as dusty as
my father's old Ben Hur records.
At least one Bible probably sits
on the shelf of every screenplay
author or studio executive.
The Bible, of course, makes a
great deal of sense as
movie-material. It is
veritable treasure trove of
complete stories and even more
story seeds. Many of these
are full of the two, magic,
Hollywood ingredients: sex and
violence. Further, the Bible is public
domain, so no royalties, no
contracts, no one has to pay a
thing for portraying any of
these tales in whatever manner
they so choose (or will they?).
Composers have benefited as
well. What a platform from
which to unleash an orchestra on
for an epic confrontation or divine miracle!
And that they did.
Read More
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Cue Awards |
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 Tracksounds recognizes the
year's best in soundtracks!
2006
2005
2002
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Contests |
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The Caption Contest
You can WIN GREAT SOUNDTRACKS
and other movie memorabilia by
simply submitting the winning
caption from one of today's
hottest films!
Enter today!
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Special
Reviews |
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TO
BOLDLY GO!
Soundtracks of Hollywood's
Quest for Space
by Christopher Coleman
Whether it was reaching
the upper atmosphere, the
moon or Mars, the drive
and determination of
mankind to reach their
goal has translated into
numerous feature films and
numerous film scores. Some
of the most entertaining
scores have come from
films that centered around
man's quest for space. To
that end, Tracksounds
focuses on the scores that
point to unearthly
destinations and the force
of human courage and
determination to reach
them.
Read On!
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Double review of FIREFLY
and SERENITY
Little known composer Greg
Edmonson was not a
complete stranger to
television or science
fiction when he started
working on “Firefly”,
having written music for
“Quantum Leap” and a
handful of other shows,
including the very
non-science fiction
animation “King of the
Hill.” But those shows may
very well give you an idea
of his approach, one being
a non-conventional
time-traveling science
fiction series, and the
other being a contemporary
western-family oriented
sitcom (which also happens
to be a cartoon.) So
hearing the music for
“Firefly” for the first
time is a particular
treat--Mostly because it’s
not what you expect at
all…
Read the Double Review |
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Double Review of GLADIATOR
by Hans Zimmer
Some would say the era of
the great Roman-Empire
films are long gone. Not
since Ben Hur, Spartacus,
or Quo Vodis, has there
been an impacting film
about the formidably
complex Roman Empire.
Director Ridley Scott,
actor Russell Crowe, and
composers Hans Zimmer and
Lisa Gerrard have combined
to bring the glory and
passion of the Roman
Empire back to the big
screen.
Read the Double Review!
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Double Review of
Braveheart by James Horner
If James Horner ever wrote
a shoe-in for an Oscar,
surely it was Braveheart.
Ah, the irony known as The
Oscars! As Mel Gibson's
Braveheart racked in Oscar
after Oscar, surely
composer James Horner
would bring in the coveted
prize - finally. As we
know, it was not meant to
be for 1995, but, as we
further know, Horner would
finally receive some
recompense. Two years
later Horner would bring
home that trophy, for this
ultra-popular score to
Titanic.
The score for Braveheart
represents the very best
of James Horner. 1995 was,
arguably, the composers
best year. Not only did
Braveheart find itself
nominated for best score
but so did Horner's Apollo
13. For many, Braveheart
remains one of their most
beloved Horner
compositions, if not their
all-time favorite. This
Celtic sound would go on
to permeate several of
Horner's later scores
including: The Devil's
Own, and Titanic.
Read the Double Review!
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The Grinch: Battle for
Christmas
 For years Dr. Seuss' How
the Grinch Stole Christmas
has entertained old and
young alike. For many,
like my own family, it
became a yearly tradition
to watch this cartoon
together along with A
Charlie Brown Christmas
and the claymation-classics,
Rudolph the Red nosed
Reindeer and Santa Claus
is Coming to Town.
Interestingly enough the
music of each of these
Christmas classics have
become classics in their
own right. From Vince Guaraldi's wonderful jazz
trio underscoring of
Charlie Brown's search for
the true meaning of
Christmas, to comical
lyrics of You're a Mean
One, Mr. Grinch, each
forged a special place in
the hearts of millions.
Read on |
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The FANtom Menace: Double
Review of the music
from Star Wars: The
Phantom Menace
With the second official
release of music from
Episode 1 of the Star Wars
saga, the true menace is
manifesting as none other
than the Star Wars fans
themselves. The initial
release from Sony in May
of 1999, proved, for many,
to be far inadequate. The
second release with every
note of music from the
film has, instead of
satisfying the heartiest
of Star Wars music fans,
brought their subtle
frustrations out of the
shadows into the light-
poised to strike out in
rebellion against the evil
Empire, Sony Classical.
Read on |
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The
James Horner Compilation
Showdown
With the overwhelming
success of James Horner's
score to Cameron's epic
Titanic three major film
score labels jumped to get
a compilation disc out
containing his music. The
three currently available,
not including bootlegs,
are in some ways similar
and in others "different
worlds." Here, I will
compare three of the
latest compilations
released and see which one
gives the listener the
best experience. Of the
three official releases, I
will compare several
facets: song selection;
recording quality; length;
packaging; track order;
orchestra performance.
Read on |
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Film Music of the
East
Film Music featuring
the elaborate and
distinctive touch of
the Far East has
thrilled music fans
for years. In recent
years, some of the
best scores
featuring Far
Eastern musical
elements have been
produced. Western
composers such as
John Williams, Jerry
Goldsmith and Hans
Zimmer, among
others, have tried
their hands at this
type of film music
and many times with
unforgettable
results!
Check out this
Tracksounds
Exclusive Countdown
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Film Music Forecast: 2002
What does 2002 hold for
film music audiences?
Tracksounds provides you
with a general overview
and also a detailed look
at the upcoming year in
film music. This forecast
will help you plan your
film music year! Know when
the most-anticipated films
and scores of the year are
about to be released, when
to save up your money,
what attitiude to pack for
your next movie-theatre
excursion and more!
And now your 12-Month
Forecast...
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