"RUNNING UP THAT HILL" KATE BUSH (1985)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

TV Series: Stranger Things

The 80’s are the most meaningful era for me musically. It was the decade that I first fell in love with music. And many of the bands from that era are just as relevant to me today as they were back then. It’s my decade. And so there’s no better song to capture what the decade has meant to me through television than one of my favorite Kate Bush anthems: “Running Up That Hill”, a song that has experienced a resurgence through its appearance on Stranger Things during Season 4 in a showdown between Vecna and Max. Because, for me, the 80’s are always ripe for a resurgence in my life.

There’s a delicate beauty to much of Kate Bush’s catalog. But “Running Up That Hill” showed a brasher, more assertive side. On one level, we can simply enjoy the song’s most memorable elements like its echoey drum roll, its unusual synth hook off a Fairlight CMI and Bush’s powerful lyrics and vocals. On another level, the song’s impact on the future of music is something to behold. It’s because of Kate Bush songs like “Running Up That Hill” that we have artists like Tori Amos, St. Vincent, Bjork, Florence and countless others.

“LET ME STEAL THIS MOMENT FROM YOU NOW.”

"THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT" THE SMITHS (1986)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: 500 Days Of Summer

Yesterday I covered a song from one chronically misunderstood band: Rush. Today I’m covering another. The Smiths are also one of my all-time favorite bands, an incredibly prolific band with an impressive album run and intense touring schedule in their short time together. In 500 Days Of Summer, the elevator scene succinctly encapsulates that strong connection and affinity that Smiths fans have for each other. No better song to illustrate that point with than “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”.

One weekend during high school, I bought the Queen is Dead cassette and then played it non-stop that very same night. The album, along with a small handful of others, helped spark my love for music. A record this good only comes out maybe once a decade. and “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” was the lynchpin to the whole thing. Many great smiths songs seem to be composed of stories of odd, sad characters and stunning guitar riffs by Johny Marr. But “There is a Light” created something moodier, more orchestrated, more epic. I know this is sorta expected, but it is undoubtedly my favorite Smiths song of all time.

“DRIVING IN YOUR CAR, OH, PLEASE DON'T DROP ME HOME. BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY HOME, IT'S THEIR HOME AND I'M WELCOME NO MORE.”

"LIMELIGHT" RUSH (1981)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: I Love You, Man

Rush fans are an interesting bunch. They are inarguably some of the most devoted fans on the planet. Rush fans possess a special bond, but they are scorned, laughed at, and misunderstood by the masses – just like the band. Which is why I Love You, Man had such polarizing reactions. Many viewers saw the main characters’ obsession with the band as hilarious. Rush fans, however, viewed the obsession as nothing short of awesome. If anything, they wish the deep cuts, or at least less obvious picks, made it on to the movie soundtrack, not the universally known stuff. But c’est la vie. “Limelight” – along with “Tom Sawyer” and “Fly By Night” – deservingly put Rush truly into the limelight for a moment.

Moving Pictures is often cited as one of the band’s greatest records. It’s an amalgam of the band’s prog tendencies (“YYZ”, “The Camera Eye”, “Witch Hunt”) as well as their occasional penchant for straight-ahead rock (“Red Barchetta”, “Limelight”). On the latter, there actually isn’t much “slappin’ da’ bass”. Geddy’s biggest contributions on “Limelight” are singing in a more palatable tone for the masses and working in sympatico with Alex on the melody and instrumentation. Alex has some pretty fine guitar chops on “Limelight” as well. But I’d argue that this song was all about Neil, as the lyricist and purveyor of whatever the drum equivalent is of “slappin’ da’ bass”. There are some phenomenal fills in there.

“Living on a lighted stage. Approaches the unreal. For those who think and feel. In touch with some reality beyond the gilded cage.”

"KISS FROM A ROSE" SEAL (1994)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Batman Forever

The trajectory of a song is a peculiar thing. This one started out in a place that most songs don’t climb back out of: the trash can. Seal wrote it well before his debut album, and then tossed it aside not feeling happy about it. By the time he was about to record his second album, he decided to show it to his producer. Together, the two of them resurrected “Kiss From A Rose”. But shortly after the song entered the charts, it fell out. Then, in a twist of fate, it came back with a vengeance, reaching the top of the charts in the U.S. Of course, this second life and incredible success had a lot to do with the fact that it was chosen as the love theme for Batman Forever. But, there’s a lot more to it than that, starting with the fact that there’s just no other song quite like it in history.

“Kiss From A Rose” is as ambitious as it gets. The melody, epic. The musicality, cinematic. The voice, grand. The song takes you on an elegant voyage back in time. They don’t write pop songs like it anymore, and likely never will. “Kiss From A Rose” is like a black and white movie, and exceptionally grand at times. It takes its listeners on a voyage through a caravan of acoustics guitars, synthesizers, drums and string arrangements. But the most memorable part is Seal’s voice. The song display’s Seal’s iconic, soulful vocals with incredible versatility up and down the scales.

“And now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the gray.”

"REDEMPTION SONG" BOB MARLEY (1980)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

TV Series: Lost

This is one of my favorite television shows of all time for many reasons. But perhaps its two biggest strengths have always been the character development and the ensemble cast’s chemistry. These two strengths are on full display at the end of Season 1. Sawyer, Jin, Michael and Walt sail away on a raft. The song for the scene was perfect. Sawyer sings it. A moment of redemption, but a moment of peril is alluded to in the first verse of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”.

One of my favorite Bob Marley tracks, “Redemption Song” is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest songs by any artist. it was probably the most unlikeliest of his songs. More Bob Dylan than Bob Marley. Most of his recordings had the ability to transport us to Kingston. But “Redemption Song” liberated us. It was stripped of any accompanying instrumentation—not a hint of reggae in there. Just Marley’s beautiful vocals and his acoustic guitar.

“Old pirates, yes, they rob I, Sold I to the merchant ships Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit. But my hand was made strong By the hand of the Almighty. We forward in this generation Triumphantly.”

"YOUNG AMERICANS" DAVID BOWIE (1975)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Sixteen Candles

Few songs did more to prop up a movie soundtrack than “Young Americans”. It elevated the soundscape of Sixteen Candles with instant credibility. Not to downplay Thompson Twins, Spandau Ballet, Billy Idol, Oingo Boingo and the like, but the rest of the soundtrack has a one-dimensional feel to it. A mediocre combination of new wave hits at best – a couple of solid tracks surrounded by mostly forgettable songs. But the scene in the movie where the family is getting ready for Sam’s older sister’s wedding is put on a pedestal with the Bowie classic “Young Americans”.

Some consider this to be Bowie’s best song. It’s certainly up there, showcasing his ability to traverse various genres. On “Young Americans”, Bowie is all soul. The melody. His lead vocals. The piano slide. The backing vocal harmonies, featuring a young Luther Vandross. And the saxophone flourishes from David Sanborn. On the album of the same name, “Young Americans” is the throwback opener that eventually leads to the album closer, “Fame”, which stands in stark contrast with its post-modern, new wave aesthetic.

“All night, I want the young American.”

"SHAPE OF MY HEART" STING (1993)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Leon: The Professional

By the release of Ten Summoner’s Tales, Sting had veered from his rock roots with The Police and toward a softer, quieter musical expression. His previous record. Soul Cages was highly introspective. I much prefer the demeanor of The Dream of the Blue Turtles and Nothing Like the Sun to Soul Cages and Ten Summoner’s Tales. But there are some real treasures on the latter. In the wake of the grunge era, Sting turned to jazz and blues for inspiration – and even flamenco, as he did on my favorite track off the album.

If songs like “Shape of My Heart” prove anything, it’s that, no matter how slow or quiet the music gets, Sting’s exploration of different genres continues to inform his own approach. While The Police found inspiration from reggae and punk, “Shape of My Heart” dabbled in flamenco. It’s a beautiful, classical guitar-driven track with some of the artist’s finest lyrics ever written. Sting used the metaphor of a card player to describe life and love, which gave Leon: The Professional more gravitas as the song unraveled over the end credits.

“I KNOW THAT THE SPADES ARE THE SWORDS OF A SOLDIER. I KNOW THAT THE CLUBS ARE WEAPONS OF WAR. I KNOW THAT DIAMONDS MEAN MONEY FOR THIS ART. BUT THAT'S NOT THE SHAPE OF MY HEART.”

"EVERY AGE" JOSE GONZALEZ (2015)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

TV Series: Parenthood

One of the most underrated guitar players and one of the most understated songwriters of our time, Jose Gonzalez is one of my go-to’s whenever I want something chill. Over the last several years, my wife and I have made date nights out of his shows whenever he’s in town. “Every Age” is one of his simplest, but most reflective songs. When life moves too fast, it’s good to have a song like “Every Age” reminding us to slow the hell down, take a deep breath and stay grounded with a larger perspective. This is also a key strength of the television series Parenthood.

The song “Every Age” appears in the second to last episode of the final season of Parenthood. In the momentous scene, Amber gives birth to a baby – and she’s surrounded by family spanning four generations. It’s absolutely the right scene with the right song. Together, the picture and the music create a sense of wonderment where life seems to happen so quickly, yet simultaneously feels frozen in time.

“TAKE THIS MIND, TAKE THIS PEN. TAKE THIS DREAM OF A BETTER LAND. TAKE YOUR TIME, BUILD A HOME. BUILD A PLACE WHERE WE ALL CAN BELONG.”

"WHERE IS MY MIND?" PIXIES (1988)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Fight Club

While it may not be in the upper echelon of my personal Pixies favorites, “Where Is My Mind?” has cultural implications that far outweigh the rest of this great band’s catalog. That’s, of course, because of Fight Club, which was not just a terrific film, it was a cultural phenomenon. Controversial and influential, Fight Club ended with this song — and then continued on in public discourse and in private fight clubs across the U.S.

“Where Is My Mind?” is an introduction to the irresistible, jarring world of the Pixies. It’s a coming out party of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics that mimicked the cinematic rhythms of the movie and that would define the Pixies imprint on the music world. They weren’t Nirvana. Or Radiohead. Or Smashing Pumpkins. But they were the ones that influenced all three. We may not have any of those bands without this song. What I’m drawn to on this track: Black Francis going from tentative to full-blown insane. I also think the simple, pervasive guitar riff trumps the mini guitar solo.

“WITH YOUR FEET ON THE AIR AND YOUR HEAD ON THE GROUND, TRY THIS TRICK AND SPIN IT, YEAH.”

"GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON" URGE OVERKILL (1994)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Pulp Fiction

The idea of covering a Neil Diamond song isn’t anything new. Long before Urge Overkill did it, others tried their hand at the task and created covers that were even more iconic than the originals. UB40 brought “Red Red Wine” to the masses. And The Monkees made “I’m A Believer” a classic. But Urge Overkill was a bit of an unlikely participant in the Diamond cover caravan. They rocked a lot harder and opened for Nirvana and Pearl Jam at the time they recorded the song. But their cover of “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” is a cultural icon, ushering the song into the mainstream consciousness as part of the Pulp Fiction movie soundtrack.

There’s more to “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” than the catchy chorus. The song thrives on several tempo changes and strumming styles and the underlying flamenco persona on Diamond’s version is still there though slightly toned down. In the song, it feels like the girl rushes through the red muleta and emerges as a woman on the other side. The guitar certainly plays a prominent role in Urge Overkill’s music. But here, it. takes a backseat and the vocals take centerstage, making it a perfect track for the heroin overdose scene.

“CAN'T COUNT ALL THE WAYS I'D DIE FOR YOU, GIRL. AND ALL THEY CAN SAY IS ‘HE'S NOT YOUR KIND’.”

"SISTER CHRISTIAN" NIGHT RANGER (1984)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights rode on the back of a vivid, throwback soundtrack — and Night Ranger was at the helm. Call it a glorified karaoke anthem or a cheesy power ballad, but the one thing “Sister Christian” has is that it sticks. Arguably the most memorable musical moment of Boogie Nights, it’s difficult to turn off the melody once the song comes on – and it becomes an impossible task when you get to the iconic chorus. I’m always sucked into its excessive, long-haired, hard rock world, for better or worse.

“Sister Christian” is a musical paradox to the Boogie Nights scene that it appears in. It’s steady, resolute, that’s what makes it a power ballad. But beyond the cymbal crashes and soaring 80’s guitar riffs, even the opening piano chords are unflinching. It’s the rock in a completely unstable scene that feels like it’s about to erupt at any given moment. The sounds of those gun shots are impossible for the characters to prepare for. It just happens. But with “Sister Christian”, you feel the groove and the rhythm, and you know exactly where it’s going – and when. Maybe that dynamic is what makes “Sister Christian” so likable beyond the movie, too.

“YOU'RE MOTORING. WHAT'S YOUR PRICE FOR FLIGHT IN FINDING MISTER RIGHT? YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT TONIGHT.”

"NEW DAWN FADES" MOBY (1994)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Heat

Heat is one of my all-time favorite movies. It’s not just a crime thriller. It’s the story of how hate and respect can indeed co-exist. It’s a reminder that we might have a lot more in common with our enemies than we might dare think. And few movies capture the dark, ominous and isolating veneer of L.A. as powerfully and as beautifully as Heat. Michael Mann needed an equally ominous soundscape, which he found in Moby’s cover of Joy Division’s “New Dawn Fades”. It’s the musical background for an unforgettable chase scene. When Pacino catches up to De Niro, he doesn’t take him in for questioning. He takes him to coffee.

While Joy Division’s original felt like it played out inside a dark cellar, Moby’s version sprawls across the L.A. cityscape. There’s an expansiveness felt in the performance and the production. The guitar riff soars up while the bass notes descend down. Can anybody be on the same level as Ian Curtis? Maybe not. But Moby certainly fared well in getting inside Curtis’ skin and into his shoes for a few epic, haunting minutes. I can’t think of a better track to rear its head as Heat neared its climax.

“WE'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING AND MORE. THE STRAIN IS TOO MUCH, CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE.”

"CRUEL SUMMER" BANANARAMA (1983)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: The Karate Kid

Bananarama may not be the most exceptional singers in the world. Their voices were rather pedestrian. The trio would often forgo harmonies, opting instead to sing the same exact notes. Which begs the question, why did they need three singers? Well, the reason was because the three of them – Siobhan Fahey, Sarah Dallin and Keren Woodward – looked so damn cool in videos and on stage with their long, new wave-frizzed locks and 80’s fashion cues. They were fun. They were entertaining. And they were highly successful, locking in their spots on Band Aid, garnering countless hits in the UK, and even a couple of Top Ten showings in the U.S., including this song “Cruel Summer”.

Songs in the opening and closing scenes of movies tend to be the most memorable ones – and “Cruel Summer” was the opening number in The Karate Kid, the soundtrack for that first day of school for Daniel LaRusso, Ali Mills, Johnny Lawrence and the rest of the town. It was perfect for the scene. Bananarama sings the song intentionally with a monotonous dread. It sorta works, but it’s the instrumentation that gives the song its edge. Synth hooks and guitar riffs that were textbook new wave musicality. Question is, who composed those hooks and who plays them on the record? Seemed like either no one cares to know, or maybe some people cared too much that those musicians would somehow detract from the power of the female trio.

“IT'S TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. THIS HEAT HAS GOT RIGHT OUT OF HAND.”

"TO BUILD A HOME" THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA (2007)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

TV Series: This Is Us

Music discovery is often happenstance. At times, we can find music when we’re proactively searching for it. But most of the time, it’s about being in the right place at the right time with the right people when a song comes on and our minds are blown. A lot of the music I’ve discovered is thanks to the recommendations of friends and coworkers. One coworker, in particular, introduced me to The Cinematic Orchestra and “To Build a Home”. He called it the most beautiful song in history. And I don’t think that enormous claim is very far from the truth.

The track never charted in the U.S. or in the U.K. But it has become larger than life in many ways. Ironically, it has played a background role, serving as the soundtrack in countless television soundtracks, most notably in a gut-wrenching scene from This Is Us. It was also featured in a figure skating performance at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The irony is that it has been thrusted into the foreground, becoming intertwined with these TV show scenes and Olympic performances. It’s one of those songs that has the power to bring everything else around it to a standstill. Most beautiful song in history? I can get agree to that.

“OUT IN THE GARDEN WHERE WE PLANTED THE SEEDS THERE IS A TREE AS OLD AS ME. BRANCHES WERE SEWN BY THE COLOR OF GREEN GROUND HAD AROSE AND PASSED ITS KNEES.”

"TEMPTATION" NEW ORDER (1982)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Trainspotting

The Trainspotting soundtrack required vivid songs to match the movie’s vivid scenes. Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and Iggy Pop’s. “Lust for Life” captured the mood and energy of two very well-known scenes. But in an atypical move, the director chose to only have the character Diane sing “Temptation” instead of feature the full New Order version. But as an homage to the band, the ‘87 version of the song made its way onto this brilliant soundtrack.

“Temptation” was somewhat easy to miss the first time around if you’re from the States. It was only released as a single at first — and only charted in the U.K. But the singles compilation Substance became a post-punk must-have in the late 80s, which gave me my first exposure to the song. Like the entire Substance double-disc, I loved “Temptation” from the get go. It was devoid of any remnants of Joy Division, but Sumner, Hooky, Morris and Gilbert reinvented a new sound together with swagger and tenacity. In my mind, it is one of the true great New Order anthems. Each band member firing on all cylinders.

“TONIGHT, I THINK I'LL WALK ALONE. I'LL FIND MY SOUL AS I GO HOME.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: The Big Lebowski

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And the Coen brothers nailed it. There was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski and top it off with the dream scene than with Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”.

Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character. Beyond the opening scene inside Ralph’s Supermarket, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved. “The Man In Me” is The Dude put to music – with its “la la las” and stoner organ hook, endearing us to the main character from the very opening scene.

“STORM CLOUDS ARE RAGING ALL AROUND MY DOOR. I THINK TO MYSELF I MIGHT NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. TAKE A WOMAN LIKE YOUR KIND TO FIND THE MAN IN ME.”

"THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (NAIVE MELODY)" TALKING HEADS (1983)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Wall Street

Talking Heads is one of the quintessential music acts of the decade. They helped round out the new wave genre with songs that dared to mingle in the universe of world music. No else did this. Songs like “I Zimbra”, “Slippery People”, “Born Under Punches” and “(Nothing But) Flowers” were global in scope. No one else could’ve made those songs. Their recording studios and concert stages were strewn with instruments most bands have never touched. But, if I’m honest, my favorite Talking Heads anthem is almost the antithesis of what made them so unique. The song is called “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)”, which played on the closing credits of Wall Street.

It lacked funk. There was not a single polyrhythm to be heard. No djembe. No congas. No surdo. It was almost all synthesizers, with Weymouth switching to guitar while Harrison played the bass lines off a Prophet synthesizer. And here’s the kicker. It was repetitive as hell. Almost monotonous. Which is the brilliance of the song. Truly a naive melody, the song hypnotizes you with its sameness. It always puts me in a good space. It always gets me good. Locks me in its groove. After hearing it, I know. This truly must be the place.

“Home, is where I want to be. But I guess I'm already there.”

"IMMIGRANT SONG" LED ZEPPELIN (1970)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: School Of Rock

Jack Black’s love of rock & roll is well-documented. His obsession with rock is felt every time he talks about it — from Rush documentaries to his Kennedy Center honorary speech for Led Zeppelin to the movie School of Rock. It’s like he was just being himself throughout the movie, not simply acting. Jack’s passion is its clearest when he belts Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” in the van scene like every fan wants to — if it weren’t for the fear of permanently damaging our vocal cords.

“Immigrant Song” is Zeppelin in a nutshell. I think that’s why I love this song so much. Mythic-inspired lyrics. Plant’s larger-than-life howl. Page’s epic guitar riff. Bonzo and Jonesy driving the rhythm forward like a wrecking ball. Who else can make Nordic mythology this appealing and infectious? The answer is nobody. Anything else would just feel and sound like a musical parody.

“WE COME FROM THE LAND OF THE ICE AND SNOW FROM THE MIDNIGHT SUN WHERE THE HOT SPRINGS FLOW.”

"SOUL FINGER" THE BAR-KAYS (1967)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Spies Like Us

If you’re an 80’s child, chances are you can’t think of Soviet missile control personnel parties without remembering this song. Spies Like Us’ unforgettable scene went back a couple of decades to uncover this instrumental soul fest from the late 60s. The movie itself featured some of the decade’s best comedians on the silver screen: Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. “Doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor.” The campiness of the acting, the film sets and the movie at large certainly extended its way into the soundtrack, which is most known for “Soul Finger”.

Overly simple and repetitious, “Soul Finger” checks two boxes for likability. First, it’s infectious. The kind of song you can’t get out of your head even if you tried. Second, it’s nostalgic, whether you grew up in the 60’s or in the 80’s. The electric guitar has its moment, but the soul of the song is the trumpet and saxophone. The two instruments are thoroughly irritating and whiny throughout the song, yet strangely irresistible. The band doubles down on the brass in later renditions, adding a trombone. The song is about as ludicrous as having a dance party at a missile control site, which makes it a perfect accompaniment for the iconic Spies Like Us scene.

"CANNED HEAT" JAMIROQUAI (1999)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Napoleon Dynamite

Quirky movies need quirky soundtracks. And that’s what Jamiroquai did for Napoleon Dynamite. The soundtrack had a heavy 80’s flavor, accentuated by acts like Cyndi Lauper, When in Rome and Alphaville. Just when we thought the movie might’ve been set in that decade, “Canned Heat” came out of nowhere in the “Vote for Pedro” dance sequence. It was a 70’s-influenced funk fest a la Jamiroquai that came out in the late 90’s.

“Canned Heat” and Jamiroquai’s entire Synkronized album prove that there are still artists out there that just do whatever they want to do, without caring what the public thinks. At its worst, it’s recycled disco funk. At its best, it’s a case in point that the artist performing the song should have just as much fun as the fan who’s listening to it.

“Nothing left for me to do but dance off these bad times I'm going through.”