RIYL: hip new indie rock, your kids

If Drew Barrymore and Justin Long make a movie together, you better believe that they are going to see to it that the soundtrack is stuffed with bands so hip it hurts, and that is exactly what Going the Distance is. Indeed, some people may view a band’s inclusion on this soundtrack as a sign that said band or artist is no longer cool, and it’s officially time to stop listening to them. If you’re friends with one of those people, do yourself a favor: stop being friends with them.

All kidding aside (Psssst! We weren’t kidding), the soundtrack plays out much like the one for “500 Days of Summer,” blending cutting-edge indie acts like the Boxer Rebellion (they’re here a whopping three times, but there’s a reason for that – they’re a key piece to the movie’s plot) with first-gen alt-rock bands like the Cure, the Pretenders and the Replacements. The end result is a more enjoyable experience than the movie itself, consistently engaging and high-brow. (Don’t get us started on the spray tanning scene.) It’s most likely to appeal to alt-rock suburbanites in their 30s and 40s, and that might sound like a death knell on paper, but here’s the thing: there are tons of people who fit that description, and while they may no longer be the hippest demographic in the world, they’re one of the most passionate groups of music fans left that actually still pay for music. And they love stuff that makes them feel cool again. Well played. (Water Tower Music 2010)

Click to buy Going the Distance from Amazon

While guys like Jandek painstakingly live by the restrictions of outsider art, Paul Westerberg has found a way to stick it to the music industry on his own terms. Frankly, he’s just not as weird as Jandek, and that’s more appealing to guys like me who like a certain amount of normalcy in their favorite musicians.

Last year, Westerberg dropped his full-length album, 49:00, out of nowhere. The digital album was originally sold on Amazon for 49 cents (the idea that you paid a penny a minute), but legal ramifications quickly marred the release. Since one currently can’t buy the album anywhere, it’s quickly become a collector’s item. (Actually, since a tangible format doesn’t even exist, I don’t know if we can call it an “item.” Somebody out there has those mp3s!)

Sticking to his do-it-yourself ethos, yesterday Westerberg self-released a new EP, entitled PW & the Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys. You can buy it here. Thankfully, the EP comes in both digital and disc versions. No press release; no promotion; no nothing. He just did it.

If a dude admits that he likes a chick flick, he might lose certain privileges, like, you know, the privilege to not be hassled by his buddies. But soundtracks are another story, because sometimes they surprise us with songs we actually like or even ones we have listened to and purchased on our own before. As for “He’s Just Not That Into You,â€� which is the chick flick of chick flick titles, there are some songs on its soundtrack that will let you guys keep your street cred and then some, such as My Morning Jacket’s “I’m Amazed,â€� the Black Crowes’ “By Your Sideâ€� and the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait.â€� But even the estrogen-heavy stuff isn’t bad – Tristan Prettyman’s “Madlyâ€� and Erin McCarley’s “Love, Save The Emptyâ€� are catchy and worth a download, and make up for the sappy James Morrison tune (“You Make It Realâ€�) or the over-played Human League hit, “Don’t You Want Me.â€� But the kicker? Scarlett Johansson’s “Last Goodbyeâ€� is the closer, and it is so not bad at all – there’s no surprise she has a sexy voice, but it’s her delivery and the beauty of the song itself that will surprise the most skeptical of you all. (Warner Bros.)

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