Various Artists, “Music From the Motion Picture Juno” (Fox Searchlight/Rhino)
Too much quirkiness is always an awful thing, as legions of Wes Anderson imitators should have discovered by now. If you’ve heard much about the indie comedy “Juno,” you know it’s overflowing with pound-you-over-the-head quirkiness.
Fortunately, it also has heart, a solid script and tenacious performances. The soundtrack fares worse than the movie because it lacks the human element. There’s little here to temper the cutesy musings of Moldy Peaches member Kimya Dawson, who contributes most of the songs.
Then again, soundtracks aren’t always meant to flow as albums but rather invoke the film through a pastiche of moods. This soundtrack does that well enough, with overplayed songs (Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes”) sitting next to weirder, more satisfying offerings (Buddy Holly’s “Dearest,” Sonic Youth’s “Superstar” cover).
If you loved the movie, you’ll like the soundtrack. If you merely liked the movie, well …
John Wenzel
Sia, “Some People Have Real Problems” (Hear Music)
O, Feist and “Garden State,” what have you done?
The main reason Sia’s third solo record is making such a splash is because Americans are hot for the subtle and cute female singer (a la Feist). It helps that music aficionados are familiar with Sia, one of the singers behind Zero 7’s music. (Most people get it wrong, but it was actually Zero 7 vocalist Sophie Barker behind the mic on “Garden State’s” mini-hit “In the Waiting Line.”)
This move toward a bold and colorful solo career on FM radio is a brilliant commercial one for Sia, even if it’s creatively less appealing than her work with Zero 7, whose dubby appeal would have only taken her so far.
Everything about “Some People Have Real Problems” screams crossover. Sometimes she’s Joss Stone, the strong neo-blueswoman. Other times she’s funky a la Nikka Costa or Esthero. But much of this record is Sia as Feist, featuring precious and catchy songs that place emphasis on every audible breath and each (intentional) vocal imperfection.
And that’s where she’s strongest, really — her intentional vulnerability. In the Beck-assisted “Academia,” she’s trying to be adorable and accessible. And she succeeds.
Ricardo Baca
Magic Cyclops, “Free Cowboy Hats: Latest and Greatest Hits” (Self-released)
There’s no one quite like Magic Cyclops, a surreal bandanna/sunglass-clad hipster that frequently hosts and performs at the Hi-Dive, Larimer Lounge and other indie rock venues.
The Quad City Madman’s mix of shameless, synth-flecked, gut-busting self-promotion is an acquired taste for some, but on his lastest release the self-effacement helps balance the bombast. Cleverly distributed as a $5 download card, “Free Cowboy Hats: Latest and Greatest Hits” features seven new songs produced by Cyclops and Uneven Studios’ Brian Feuchtinger (Hot IQs).
Cyclops isn’t much of a singer, but that’s sort of the point. “You wanted the best but you’ll settle for less,” he warbles on “Magic Cylops Theme.” With hard-core pride in his Iowa roots (“While corn-fed, I’m not inbred”) and an ear for public service parodies (the hilarious “Teen Pregnancy — Don’t Do It”), Cyclops reasserts himself as one of the most gleefully unpredictable, inexplicable characters in Denver.
John Wenzel
