When I first saw
David Gordon Green’s exceptional debut
George Washington (2000), one of the things that most impressed me about Green’s style of filmmaking was his inspired use of music. The score was understated, evocative and poignantly beautiful, and was a major contributing factor (along with
Tim Orr’s gorgeous cinematography) to the comparisons between
George Washington and the films of Green’s great idol,
Terrence Malick.
Unfortunately there has never been a
George Washington soundtrack album released, and as a result the man behind the haunting sounds,
David Wingo, has not had anything like the credit he deserves. Wingo has since contributed music (often with co-composer
Michael Linnen) to all of Green’s subsequent films,
All The Real Girls (2003),
Undertow (2004), and this year’s Sundance hit
Snow Angels, but recently has been starting to gain much-deserved attention with his new band
Ola Podrida. The outfit describe themselves as an alt-country group and their music has a slightly rockier edge than Wingo has shown in his film scores, though the plaintive poeticism that is a trademark of Wingo’s music is still very much at the fore.
The band’s
eagerly-anticipated self-titled
album is released in April, and they will be hoping to make a big splash at
SXSW next month. But if you can’t wait until then to see Wingo and co., they are playing tomorrow night in Brooklyn at
Union Pool, and come highly recommended.
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posted by Nick Dawson @ 2/23/2007 12:06:00 PM
Comments (1)
I felt that the music of George Washington was one of a handful of things I hated so much about that film that I have completely written off David Gordon Green as a barely competent student filmmaker.
It's just so boooooring. (In conjunction with half-whispered voice-overs, brazen overuse of slow motion, the screenplay, etc., it's a quick ride to Comatose Junction.)
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posted by @ 2/23/2007 1:04 PM
