From multi-million dollar blockbusters to super low-budget independent films, from Beyoncé to Belgian Bluegrass bands, Grimy Goods has compiled a list of the best movie soundtracks of 2013, with no shortage of diversity. Take a look at our best soundtracks of 2013! You can stream them as well. What were you favorite soundtracks of 2013? Let us know in a comment below.
The Place Beyond the Pines — Mike Patton, best known as the lead singer of alternative metal band Faith No More scored the Ryan Gosling-led drama which follows a motorcycle stunt rider-turned bank robber. Patton gave the drama – which co-stars Bradley Cooper and Gosling’s girlfriend of the moment Eva Mendes – music from all walks of life (perhaps to mimic the diversity of social standings in story), including Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” played while Gosling counts the money after his first robbery, and Hall & Oats’ “Maneater,” played while the corrupt cops steal the money back. What Danny Gonzalez from examiner.com calls Patton’s ‘moody, Western-styled score with rocking electric guitar mixed with pulsing electronics’ also features the Estonian classical composer Arvo Part, Sergio Leone’s longtime composer Ennio Morricone and Bon Iver. Even Gosling gets a 10-second solo with “Borriquito” in the middle of the film.
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Inside Llewyn Davis — It’s a no-brainer that a movie about a 1960s folk singer has a great soundtrack. The story takes place over one week, following a singer-songwriter in the New York folk music scene. And although Llewyn Davis is a fictional character, the story was partly inspired by the autobiography of folk singer Dave Van Ronk. The score was produced by T Bone Burnett and all the folk songs featured in the film are allegedly sung in full, each recorded and filmed in one take and sung by the actors who include Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Adam Driver, and Stark Sands. Alongside them on the album are classic musicians like Bob Dylan, Nancy Blake and Van Ronk himself.
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Hunger Games: Catching Fire — One of 2013’s biggest blockbusters also had a bangin’ soundtrack. From radio pop stars such as Taylor Swift, to some very underground modern bluegrass bands such as the Punch Brothers, the Hunger Games sequel pleasured our ears with a beautifully emotive set of tunes that complimented some of the movie’s best scenes. A few favorites: “Abraham’s Daughter” by Arcade Fire, “One Engine” by the Decemberists and “Just A Game” by Birdy.
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The Great Gatsby — Baz Luhrmann’s remake of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous novel may not have wowed moviegoers this year, but the soundtrack – featuring all original material by some of today’s most popular musical acts – was so Top 40-esque it left moviegoers’ ears satisfied at least. As the film’s executive music producer Anton Monsted told The Hollywood reporter, the idea to fuse traditional jazz with modern-day hip-hop, sometimes even in the middle of a song, came from longtime collaborator Luhrmann after leading man Leonardo DiCaprio introduced him to Jay-Z, who was recording “No Church in the Wild” for his Watch the Throne album with Kanye West. Joining Jay-Z (who ended up with an executive producer credit for his musical contributions) was his wife Beyoncé, will.i.am, Fergie, Q-Tip, GoonRock, Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine, The XX, Gotye, Jack White, Nero and Sia, just to name a few.
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Her — It was a big year for Arcade Fire: They dropped their über-popular new album Reflektor in October and contributed heavily to the score of Spike Jonze’s (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) newest cult indie starring Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a man who falls in love with an operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Jonze has worked with Win Butler and company before, directing their 2011 short film Scenes From The Suburbs and used “Wake Up” for the trailer of his 2009 film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. Also featured on the soundtrack are The Breeders and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ frontwoman Karen O., who performed and co-wrote “The Moon Song” for the film with Jonze and which is performed by Phoenix and Johansson as well.
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Broken Circle Breakdown — In the Belgian indie that wowed audiences and won awards at film festivals worldwide, tattoo artist Elise and banjo player Didier bond over their shared enthusiasm for American music and culture, diving headfirst into a sweeping romance that plays out on and off stage while performing in a bluegrass band. The soundtrack, composed by first-timer Björn Eriksson – who took existing bluegrass songs and created new arrangements while also writing new songs for the film – was the top-seller of all time in Belgium. The album is full of classic bluegrass songs that receive a fresh spin from The Broken Circle Breakdown Bluegrass Band, a group that formed out of the actors and musicians who also appear in the film. They’ve even sold out their first European tour through 2014 already.
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Short Term 12 — Newbie writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton’s sophomore indie film took audiences by pleasant surprise, winning both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW and placing lead actress Brie Larson firmly on the Indie Darling map for 2013. The film, about a group of young workers at a foster-care facility, features a simple and sad score punctuated by small moments of hope written and produced by Joel P West and his band The Tree Ring, based out of San Diego. One of the leads, Keith Stanfield’s career has taken off since the film and his performance of “Vicious,” which he wrote for an emotionally raw scene in the film when his character begins to lose control, has received widespread acclaim in the indie film and music world. Stanfield’s single “Asphyxiated” from his upcoming 2014 EP (he goes by Moors as a musical artist) and it’s accompanying music video is getting lots of play. Be on the lookout for this rising musical talent.
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Spring Breakers — Harmony Korine’s (Kids, Gummo) wild Florida romp with Disney Channel princesses in bikinis and James Franco sporting a gold grill and braids could only call for one type of soundtrack: outrageously nutty. Skrillex brings his usual bassline craziness to the score and is honored with the film’s featured song “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,” along with new work “With You, Friends (Long Drive)” and “Park Smoke.” Gucci Mane adds his wacky and often funny punch lines to the collaboration and Ellie Goulding’s ghostly soprano fades the movie out with her staple “Lights.” Franco gets his time in the spotlight too, with “Hangin with Da Dopeboys” performing for the debauchery that is Spring Break.
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Words: Valentina Valentini — Click here to follow Valentina via Twitter!
