The films of director Wes Anderson have always appealed to music fans.
The arthouse favourite’s filmography is littered with memorable song synchs, from scoring Bill Murray’s character’s lowest ebb with The Kinks in breakout 1998 feature Rushmore through to the harrowing use of Elliott Smith’s ‘Needle In The Hay’ in The Royal Tennanbaums (tragically predating the singer-songwriter’s own death by two years).
In some cases, Anderson’s soundtracks arguably even bettered the films they were scoring (such as the rock, classic, Bollywood cocktail of The Darjeeling Limited).
Heck, the American filmmaker has even roped in Devo lincpin Mark Mothersbaugh to score the lion’s share of his movies and a goofy guest spot from Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker for his stop-motion adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
So who better a director to pay musical tribute to than Wes Anderson? Which is exactly what American Laundromat Records is doing, roping in an impressive list of left-of-centre bands and artists to do it, as Consequence Of Sound reports.
The new double-disc tribute album, titled I Saved Latin!: A Tribute To Wes Anderson features songs used across the director’s work covered by such artists as Pixies frontman Black Francis, (recording Love’s ‘Seven And Seven Is’, used on Bottle Rocket), Minutemen/Firehose bassist Mike Watt (for The Stones’ ‘Street Fighting Man’), and alt-rock songbird Julian Hatfield, with her rendition of Smith’s ‘Needle In The Hay’.
Other artists paying tribute include seven-strong Wisconsin ensemble PHOX, (tackling The Life Aquatic’s Zombies cut ‘The Way I Feel Inside’) and New York indies Freelance Whales, (tackling The Bobby Fuller Four’s ‘Let Her Dance’), while other artists give the cover treatment to classic artists like David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Nick Drake, and the Velvet Underground.
More artists for the Wes Anderson compilation will be announced ahead of the two-disc set’s release next spring, to join the already announced list of 23 recordings (view the tracklisting below)
American Laundromat Records have also wrangled a sweet collection of Wes Anderson-branded swag to accompany the tribute album’s release, including a red-knit beanie that would make The Life Aquatic’s Steve Zissou proud, a Khaki Scout badge (for you Moonrise Kingdom fans), a Max Fischer business card (from Rushmore), t-shirts, and a limited-edition 7” vinyl single.
View the announced tracklisting and artwork for I Saved Latin! below, along with a montage of Wes Anderson musical moments.
I Saved Latin!: A Tribute To Wes Anderson Tracklisting
Black Francis – “Seven and Seven Is” (Love) [Bottle Rocket]
Elk City – “Play with Fire” (The Rolling Stones) [Darjeeling Limited]
Escondido – “Strangers” (The Kinks) [Darjeeling Limited]
Freelance Whales – “Let Her Dance” (The Bobby Fuller Four) [Fantastic Mr. Fox]
Generationals – “Making Time” (Creation) [Rushmore]
Grand Hallway – “I Am Waiting” (The Rolling Stones) [Rushmore]
Joy Zipper – “Ooh La La” (The Faces) [Rushmore]
Juliana Hatfield – “Needle In The Hay” (Elliott Smith) [Royal Tenenbaums]
Kristin Hersh – “Fly” (Nick Drake) [Royal Tenenbaums]
Matt Pond – “These Days” (Nico) [Royal Tenenbaums]
Mike Watt & the Secondmen – “Street Fighting Man” (The Rolling Stones) [Fantastic Mr. Fox]
PHOX – “The Way I Feel Inside” (The Zombies) [Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou]
Santah – “Five Years” (David Bowie) [Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou]
Sara Lov – “Alone Again Or” (Love) [Bottle Rocket]
Solvents – “Nothing In This World Can Stop Me Worryin’ Bout That Girl” (The Kinks) [Rushmore]
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – “Margaret Yang’s Theme” (Mark Mothersbaugh) [Rushmore]
Tea Cozies – “Here Comes My Baby” (Cat Stevens) [Rushmore]
Tele Novella – “Stephanie Says” (The Velvet Underground) [Royal Tenenbaums]
Telekinesis – “This Time Tomorrow” (The Kinks) [Darjeeling Limited]
The Ghost in You – “Oh Yoko!” (John Lennon) [Rushmore]
Tomten – “30 Century Man” (Scott Walker) [Life Aquatic]
Trespassers William – “Fairest of the Seasons” (Nico) [Royal Tenenbaums]
William Fitzsimmons – “The Wind” (Cat Stevens) [Rushmore]
+ more to be announced.
