July 10, 2011
"Zorbing" by Stornoway
Featured in Psychoville - Series 2 Episode 5
British nu-folk is NOT something I ever expected from Psychoville. But here is "Zorbing," set to a scene... featuring zorbing. The effect is playful and touching, a bit out of place, a bit melancholic (that's nu-folk for you), especially, because of Maureen's impending death.
January 23, 2011
"Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club
Featured in The Inbetweeners - Home Alone, 3.05
Hate how The Inbetweeners uses really popular music as incidental music (think Intros Buzzcocks round), but I do love this song and this band, and the style fits the show.
January 16, 2011
"Eyes Wider Than Before" by Scott Matthews
Featured in Friday Night Lights - Every Rose Has Its Thorn, 3.05
Season 3: when FNL got its groove back, in more than one way.
January 9, 2011
"I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders
Featured in Nighty Night - Episode 1, 1.01
Nighty Night is terrible in the absolute best way. Julia Davis, queen of dark comedy, hit it out of the park with the first episode of the series. She and Ruth Jones' character, Linda, did a dance number to this song at a support group. Golden.
January 2, 2011
"Yesterday When I Was Young" by Shirley Bassey
Featured in Toast
Ah, Toast! Helena Bonham Carter is my hero forever. I like the feel the music gave this story; it was all, to my knowledge, of the era. Each song helped establish setting and tone. I dig that multi-purposefulness.
December 26, 2010
"Foundations" by Kate Nash
Featured in The Inbetweeners - First Day, 1.01
For some reason, Foundations is used as incidental music in The Inbetweeners for more than a couple episodes. It's kind of irritating because I know the song so well and I always anticipate where the vocals come in and when they don't it's not very satisfying.
December 19, 2010
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December 12, 2010
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December 5, 2010
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November 28, 2010
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November 21, 2010
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November 14, 2010
"All Come Down" by Steve Mason
Featured in Misfits - Episode One, 2.01
Misfits is ace. Such a smart, sharp show.
November 7, 2010
"How the West Was Won" by Katie Herzig
Featured in Bored to Death - The Case of the Grievous Clerical Error!, 2.06
Bored to Death wins again.
October 31, 2010
"Two Doves" by Dirty Projectors
Featured in Single Father - Episode 3
Single Father is the last place I'd expect to hear Dirty Projectors, but I'm pleased I was surprised. Murray Gold did the original music for the series, and I'm in love with it. Absolutely gorgeous.
October 24, 2010
"Dead Hearts" by Stars
Featured in Chuck - Chuck vs. The Aisle of Terror, 4.06
Chuck again! Fantastic episode. I recognized this song immediately because Stars is in constant rotation on my iTunes; however, I didn't think its use was very fitting. Maybe it was the sound editing, because it would be too loud in parts and it'd end abruptly with scene changes, etc.
October 17, 2010
"Laura" by Girls
Featured in Chuck - Chuck vs. The Coup de'Etat, 4.04
Chuck wins again. The Girls album "Album" is fantastic.
October 10, 2010
"Hang Me Up to Dry" by Cold War Kids
Featured in Lone Star - Pilot, 1.01
RIP, show I didn't like. Maybe your second episode was better. I'll never care enough to find out. Your Mumford & Sons-saturated pilot episode just didn't cut it for me.
October 4, 2010
"Dilly" by Band of Horses
Featured in No Ordinary Family - Pilot, 1.01
I bought this album the other day, and was pleased to hear it on TV. Its use was short, maybe about 30 seconds or so, and in the background of a noisy school scene. I had to rewind to make sure I'd really heard it.
September 26, 2010
"Howlin' For You" by The Black Keys
Featured in Chuck - Chuck Versus the Anniversary, 4.01
This song suits the cool action-hero-spy Chuck is becoming. It's very Chuck (the show), and something Chuck (the Bartowski) would definitely listen to. It's in the same musical vein as the Cake theme song.
September 19, 2010
"Man of the World" by Fleetwood Mac
Featured in This Is England '86 - 1.01
My current TV infatuations: This Is England '86 (a four-part spinoff series of the 2006 movie by Shane Meadows, This Is England) and awesome music segue into credits (which Grey's Anatomy had pioneered and Mad Men has mastered this season).
September 12, 2010
"Game of Pricks" by Guided by Voices
Featured in The IT Crowd - "The Dinner Party," 2.04
I don't write about The IT Crowd because it's uniformly funny and so short it hardly seems worth it to write a couple sentences about how it was amusing Roy had lipstick on, or that Jen had bad bra problems, or that Moss reacted abnormally to an event. Again. Since it's a sitcom that takes place primarily in the basement of an office building, there isn't much music. This was an exception, and I appreciated it.
September 5, 2010
"Girlfriend in a Coma" by The Smiths
Featured in Being Human - "Episode 3," 1.03
This song plays on the speakers when George has his date, a nurse, who can't see the house's resident ghost DJ (for the episode).
August 29, 2010
"First Breath After Coma" by the Cinematic Orchestra
Featured in Friday Night Lights - "Pilot," 1.01
Used stunningly, ambiently, over a football scrimmage on an overcast day, then revisited in the final hospital scene. When I heard the Cinematic Orchestra in the pilot I immediately knew the show would be less football and more drama, which is fine by me. Preferable, in fact.
August 22
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August 15, 2010
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August 8, 2010
"Tobacco Road" by the Nashville Teens
Featured in Mad Men - "Public Relations," 4.01
I want to marry every song Mad Men goes to credits on.
August 1, 2010
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July 25, 2010
"Tea for the Tillerman" by Cat Stevens
Featured on Extras as the episode outro
Hilarious show is brought down to earth with a simple, almost melancholy tune as the credits roll. Similar effect to Mike d'Abo's Handbags and Gladrags over The Office's credits. Props to Gervais, or whoever made these decisions.
July 18, 2010
"Lull" by Andrew Bird
Featured in Bored to Death - "Stockholm Syndrome," 1.01
Quirky indie show starring Jason Schwartzman (who else?) along with Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson features plenty of fittingly quirky indie music.
July 11, 2010
"Mouthwash" by Kate Nash
Featured in Secret Diary of a Call Girl - "Episode 1.1," 1.01
Secret Diary uses cute pop music (Regina Spektor's "Fidelity" over Hannah washing her hair) as well as some older classics ("Anything Goes" over Belle leaving a sex party) to set the mood. This is an example of the former.
July 4, 2010
"Chances" by Athlete
Featured in Doctor Who - "Vincent and the Doctor," 5.10
A rare non-Murray Gold musical moment. Played as Vincent sees his legacy. Sad scene, perhaps the only one blatantly so yet in Moffat's Who. I actually don't care for this song, but its use was interesting enough to document.
June 27, 2010
"To Sir With Love" by Lulu
Featured in Glee - "Journey," 1.22
A cute moment in season 1's finale as New Directions sings to Mr. Schu. (But overall, not the greatest episode.)
June 20, 2010
"Night Time" by the XX
Featured in Misfits - "Episode Five," 1.05
Set to Simon and Sally's sweet but twisted date.
June 13, 2010
"Eric is Dead" by Panda Su
Featured in Skins - "Everyone," 4.08
For all my complaining, Skins is all in all an excellent series, with excellent music choices every episode.
June 6, 2010
"She's Got You High" by Mumm-Ra
Featured in Torchwood - "To the Last Man," 2.03
Tosh has had only doomed relationships. That pseudo-lesbian fling, Adam-the-lover-that-never-existed, her one-sided pining over Owen, and finally Tommy, the soldier from 1918 that wakes up only once a year. This song plays during their once-a-year date.
May 30, 2010
"Congratulations" by MGMT
Featured in Chuck - "Chuck Vs. the Subway," 3.18
Tons of good music in Chuck as usual, especially the first hour of its two-part season 3 finale.
May 16, 2010
"Is There a Ghost" by Band of Horses
Featured in Fringe - "Northwest Passage," 2.21
Used in a beautiful, awesome scene. Digetic (err... kind of) music, cut to Newton and Walternate steps in frame. So good.
May 9, 2010
"Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine
Featured in V - "We Can't Win," 1.08
Used rather inelegantly (but I'm not complaining) when Tyler and Lisa make out in a space pod.
