rewritten by machines on new technology

[reflectedeve]

So last week I was watching some movies to get inspired for a comic I’m working on, and I found myself completing a little project I started way back in college.

See, Empire Records was a favorite and formative movie in my teen years! So like a lot of people, I bought the soundtrack, and to my dismay, discovered that it was tragically lacking. Naturally, once I bfound myself with filesharing technology, I took down a list of all the song titles featured at the end of the credits and started downloading. And then, with six or seven left (none of which seemed to exist anywhere on the internet), I lost interest, and just had a lot of really random nineties indie music floating around my computer forever after. Until now. :p

The (ALMOST) Complete Empire Records Playlist

1. The Cruel Sea - The Honeymoon Is Over
Opening ...
2. The Dirt Clods - Can’t Stop Losing Myself*
"... the obedience of a saint."
3. Ape Hangars - I Don’t Want To Live Today
"In the immortal words of the Doors: the time to hesitate is through."
4. The Dirt Clods - Hey Joe
Dun dun dunnn ...
5. Queen Sarah Saturday - Seems
Mark’s got the orange M&M/setup sequence.
6. Maxwell Caulfield - Say No More (Mon Amour)**
"Joe, it’s Rex Manning Day."
7. Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
Mark and the ballerina ... oh and AJ mooning after Corey, I guess.
8. Lustre - Nice Overalls
"Make me proud, love Daddy."
9. Poster Children - She Walks
Enter Deb.
10. The Martinis - Free
Deb’s haircut.
11. Sybil Vane - Sorry
"Well, Sinead O’Rebellion. Shock me, shock me, shock me with that deviant behavior."
12. Suicidal Tendencies - I Shot the Devil
Impromptu in-store moshing session.
13. Flying Lizards - Money (That’s What I Want)
"This song goes out to our Employee of the Week: Lucas!"
14. Mouth Music - Infinity
"Let’s not fight, let’s just rip."
15. The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
"We mustn’t dwell."
16. Cracker - Whole Lotta Trouble
"Always play with their minds."
17. The Meices - Ready Steady Go
"SHOPLIFTERRRRR!"
18. Quicksand - Thorn in My Side
"Yeah, he’s a juvenile."
19. Ass Ponys - Little Bastard
Rex & Warren’s photoshoot.
20. Sacrilicious - I Don’t Know Why
Lucas and Warren on the couch.
21. Anyone - Real
"I don’t feel that I need to explain my art to you, Warren."
22. Dishwalla - Counting Blue Cars
Berko. Yep.
23. AC/DC - If You Want Blood (You Got It)
Joe drums his feelings.
24. Better Than Ezra - Circle of Friends
"I tell you, if I was selling toilets today, I’d be a rich man."
25. Toad the Wet Sprocket - Crazy Life
"The only thing that was different was there was something else that was making me feel shitty."
26. Evan Dando - The Ballad of El Goodo
"You’re doing a good job, Deb."
27. Throwing Muses - Snakeface
"I’M BRINGING REX HIS LUNCH!"
28. Drill - What You Are
"You sure you want to do this?"
29. The Cranberries - How
"Rock’n’roll."
30. Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
"Now the sixty-four-thousand dollar question ..."
31. The Cranberries - Liar
"One for Miss Teen America, one for the man with the band ..."
32. Fig Dish - Chew Toy
"Superb."
33. Peg Boy - Hardlight
"What, no applause?"
34. Fitz of Depression - Power Shack
"NOTHING’S EVER FINE!"
35. The Innocence Mission - Bright As Yellow
"Let’s save our Hallmark Moment."
36. Gwar - Saddam-a-Go-Go
Eddie’s brownies. (Lots of sugar.)
37. Daniel Johnston - Rock ’n’ Roll/EGA
"Mark, man, you play a mean guitar, man. It’s really a shame ... that you must DIE!"
38. Mouth Music - Tomorrow
"She left us and never said why."
39. Please - Here It Comes Again
"Help me help me HELP ME ... oh god ...!"
40. Billy White Trio - Surround You
"I was just really tired of being invisible."
41. Adolescents - LA Girl
"It’s Warren; he’s shooting up the place."
42. Sponge - Plowed
"Damn the Man! Save the Empire!"
43. Dead Hot Workshop - Vinyl Advice
"I knew you weren’t happy."
44. Coyote Shivers - Sugar High (ft. Renee Zellwegar)***
45. Gin Blossoms - Til I Hear It From You
"I quit. I’m going to art school ... in Boston. So I can be near you."
46. The The - This Is The Day
Celebration/Outro.

??. Loose Diamonds - Backdown Blues****
??. Noah Stone - Dark and Brooding*****
??. Full Tilt Gonzo - Candy*****

*-really, REALLY can’t find this one anywhere. :(
**-this is a 44 second clip from the movie, because that’s about all I can take. sorry. :p
***-I hate the soundtrack version of the lyrics, and also, I mean ... you have to have Gina. So this one’s pulled right out of the movie, too.
****-okay, so I DID find this one on iTunes, but I can’t identify it in the film at all. I just didn’t want to spend money on something so incidental. (and while a number of the other songs are just BARELY identifiable ... I Napster’d those years ago.)
*****-can’t find these anywhere OR identify where they show up in the movie, though they’re listed in the credits.

Download the tracks here:
Part One | Part Two

I thought about trying to curate together my own version of the soundtrack (since this playlist is ridiculously long, and also many of the songs aren’t even really recognizable in the film), but eh. Maybe later. I figure you guys can do that for yourselves if you want. ;) Anyway, enjoy a little nostalgia on me?

Comments

[sassbandit]

Thank you for posting this! *grabs it*

[rhivolution]

awesome project is AWESOME

Though I didn't see this film until I was past the age for it, gdi.