Earlier this week, Stephanie Meyer announced the full track list for the upcoming Twilight Saga’s New Moon soundtrack to the groaning of many indie rock fans. Some of indie rock’s most precious gems are slated to appear. Thom Yorke and Grizzly Bear will offer previously unreleased material. A duo between folk sage Bon Iver and rocketing, doe eyed pixie St. Vincent has made the cut. Death Cab for Cutie marquees the list with “Meet Me at the Equinox,” a song that has Ben Gibbard singing watered-down digestible lyrics instead of his usually cryptic, clever metaphors and vivid imagery. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Lykee Li, Muse, Sea Wolf and others compose the list that seems more like an iTunes playlist at a downtown bookstore/coffee shop than what would typically blare from a fifteen-year-old’s bedroom laden with posters of Bella, Edward, and the other pale skinned Cullens. Mixed reactions have spouted from comment walls across the net in lieu of the soundtrack unveiling, which can be dissected into four major groups:

Opinion 1:
Bullshit! How could some of my favorite artists associate themselves with something so void of artistic integrity? Grizzly Bear, Ben Gibbard and Bon Iver were all featured on Dark Was the Night, one of the best musical collaborations of the last century. And now, they’re aiding in the spread of Stephanie Meyer’s talentless story telling. So washed…

Opinion2:
This is obviously an easy way for some great musicians to make money and share their music with a larger audience. Of course the books and movies are terrible, but what’s wrong with talented musicians wanting to make actual money and utilize the chance for broader exposure? Is it really that bad to be good and successful? Grizzly Bear deserves some bills in their pockets.

Opinion 3:
Some people who do listen to really good music are fans of the Twilight series. Deal with it. The series may be frowned upon in the indie scene but hardcore fans really don’t care what pretentious hipsters on the internet think. They are thrilled that two of their worlds have coalesced. The whole idea of not liking something because it gets in the spotlight is so played.

Opinion 4:
Who be Bon Iver and where the F is Paramore?!?!?! Wtf? 4 rlz…  no Paramore?!?!

But through all the comments and coverage spanning our four previously stated opinions, one thing is missing: Alexandra Patsavas.

Patsavas’ huge catalog of work as a music supervisor includes her television debut for Rosewell, The O.C., Mad Men, Grey’s Anatomy and many others and has led up to her latest endeavor, compiling the artists to be featured on the New Moon soundtrack. Patsavas is famous for taking “unknown” songs and making them instantly recognizable. Snow Patrol and The Fray’s popularity on iTunes and the Billboard Charts skyrocketed after Patsava featured them on Grey’s Anatomy. Quite simply, she is very successful at what she does so it’s no surprise that one of the biggest money making franchises in the world is utilizing her talents for their latest project. Patsavas’ love for indie music stretches back to her college days where she started her own booking company at the University of Illinois, working with such bands in the early 90’s as The Smashing Pumpkins, Echo and the Bunnymen, They Might Be Giants and Nirvana. From Illinois she moved to L.A. and found work under BMI as a music supervisor where her career flourished.

So who’s right? Should the artists be publicly tarred and feathered for associating themselves with this tweenager cash cow? Are fans of the books going to accept the indie music replacing their beloved Paramore? Can anyone blame Patsavas for being the best at what she does and attracting huge, mainstream attention? Those curious will have to wait and see when the world of tweenage pop culture and credible indie music collide on a level as never before. God help us.

Patsavas’ label Chop Shop is licensed under Atlantic Records who represents Death Cab For Cutie and Lykee Li. One of Chop Shop’s own acts Anya Marina made the cut for the New Moon soundtrack.

New Moon tickets have sold out in many theaters across the country but the film is not set to premiere until November 16. The soundtrack, via Chop Shop/Atlantic, will be released October 20.

by: Bene Garcia

Tags: art, communication, culture, film, music, opinion

This entry was posted on Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 4:19 pm and is filed under art & design, communication, culture, the rathaus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.