MEDIA
The official musical theme for ‘A Savage Wilde’ was composed by my dear and incredibly talented friend, Jamie Sweetland. It’s available in streaming form right here:
and is also downloadable as an MP3 or M4A. Copyright rests entirely with Jamie Sweetland, 2010.
iTunes Mix
I spent many, many hours over the last several months listening to music while I wrote or sketched out ideas for future chapters. I put together an ASW iTunes Mix of a few of my favorite songs; particularly those that had a special scene meaning to me. Because of the nature of iTunes, there were also a few that didn’t make the cut (as Apple didn’t offer the song for download). Here’s an extended version of what’s been inspiring me musically:
“Watching the Planets” – Flaming Lips
I got into this song while finishing up Season One, particularly the last chapter. There’s a smoky, almost disembodied sultriness to this song; which sounds at first like a drug trip, but then made me think of the entire city in flames while Sophie waited and watched from the darkness of her cellar. The lyrics, too, are on point, particularly the repeated insistence that there are no secrets and no reasons to lie.
“Blinding” – Florence and the Machine
Audrey introduced this song to me on one of her visits, and I had it on repeat during most of Mexico in Season Two. The beat and pulse of this song is so strong, and the idea of a girl choosing not to be blind to her circumstances anymore really appealed to me.
“Your Protector” – Fleet Foxes
I’ve been a Fleet Foxes fan forever. This track just spoke to me– it wasn’t directly attributed to any person or scene or relationship, it was more an atmospheric song.
I originally had a Bats for Lashes cover of this song, which is a lot more– mournful. I’m pretty sure the accompaniment is an organ, which gives it a somber, yearning tone. I fell in love with it during the Amos and Sophie courtship. It just fit that feeling of the magic dying down and the carnival closing, and Sophie being left pining for him in his trailer.
Because iTunes didn’t recognize the Bats for Lashes version, I looked for another female cover to add. Laura Jensen’s cover is a lot lighter and smoother, and almost sweetly affectionate. The Jensen cover felt to me more evocative of Sophie and Aubrey near the end of Season Two.
I’d had this one on my playlist for awhile, and I noticed it’s been consistently rising in popularity. (The same thing happened with Edward Sharpe’s “Home”, which I thought sounded catchy in ’09 and has since become a hit, and Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”, which I’ll touch on later.) This is a lovely, epic song, and it just grows and blooms as it goes on. It’s sort of a poetic lament on life as a whole. This always seemed like a song of the Wilde brothers– it reminds me of Michael and Joseph simultaneously.
“White Blank Page” – Mumford & Sons
I owe this one to Meg, who was a Mumford & Sons fan first. I heard this song the day after writing the Season Two scene where Aubrey comes clean about his feelings for Sophie. The very first listen, I was smitten, and I can’t hear it now without thinking about the butcher shop. There’s such an anger and barely-veiled belligerence to this song, which I felt was so in keeping with possibly the most violent declaration of love ever, and the song itself gets rough and then gentle again, and then almost pleading at the end. It’s perfection.
“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” – Sean Michel
I’ve listened to several versions of this classic. Moby’s “Run” is hypnotic, but I prefer the hard, gritty tone of Johnny Cash’s. It’s been a go-to song for mood setting for the last year. Unfortunately, Cash’s version wasn’t available on iTunes, and after ‘True Grit’s trailer useof the song, it’s pretty much become attached to that western in people’s minds. Sean Michel isn’t as throaty as Johnny, but he has a beautiful voice, and his cover maintains the organic, gospel aspect of the song without being too plucky.
One of the few songs that almost seems time-period-esque. It’s a perky little piano showtune, something I’d imagine you’d hear in a saloon or stage show, but the lyrics are about a massive killing spree. It sets the tone for the citywide gang fights of New York in Season Three.
This is an unreleased song that’s difficult to actually find or share, but it is awesome, and I was addicted to it during Theodore’s courtship of Sophie. It’s so obtuse and flowery in its language, but then the drums and the hook comes, and it’s got this almost hormonal rush to it. This is total teenage boy crush.
“Beautiful Dreamer” – Cheyenne Marie Mize *
I couldn’t find this title by Mize on iTunes, either, but you can listen for free at her site. It’s a lovely acoustic cover of an actual historic song (although it came out ten years after ASW begins). Such a sweet, tender, crooning lullaby. It makes me think of Missus Moriarty and the hours she spent rocking Michael’s newborn daughter.
* Denotes a song not available on the iTunes Mix
