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The latest addition to the artist catalog at Burst Labs, we bring you Codebreaker.

We’ve known about Steven and Sage, these two long-time compatriots of electro-funk-disco-house, for a few years now. But when our very own Old Man Malcolm started gigging with them and bugging us to give their new record Exiled! a listen (buy it at iTunes)… well, let’s just say we like Malcolm. A lot. So we listened. And we think you’re gonna dig them, too… especially if you’re licensing songs for a new videogame or hipster ad.

Twentyfourhours says :

Armed with killer basslines, wicked beats, and that sweet warm summer feeling you just can’t get enough of.

even The Washington Post has weighed in :

Unless you’re so cutting edge it hurts, you probably haven’t heard of Codebreaker yet — and we’re stressing the word “yet.” Definitely one to watch: The sound recalls some crazy house party where Cameo is drinking with Prince, Phoenix is partying with Daft Punk and Bootsy Collins is jamming on the sofa. Fritz has already said the band’s “Dream Lover” — is “the best damn dance song” he’s heard in ages, thanks to a rubbery bassline, jumpy guitars and synths that don’t overwhelm the vocals.

They’ve shared the stage with the likes of Hot Chip, VHS Or Beta, Datarock, The Silversun Pickups, Har Mar Superstar, The Electric Six, Soviet, Radio 4, Green Velvet, Shiny Toy Guns, Phoenix, The Fever, Outhud, Stereo Total etc… and are ready for the next step, gaining momentum on both coasts and around the world. To wit, check this sweet remix by Miami Horror that Matt unearthed last week at the tastemakers known as Gorilla Vs. Bear :

So pony up… get those hips moving and those temp tracks droppin’. We know you’ll dig these guys and we’re stoked to be hosting their newest release Exiled! at the Lab for select licensing opportunities. [dh]

So we’re at a wedding, and our crazy uncle Ralphie is interrogating us about Burst, wondering what we do, how we pay the bills, wanting to know where he can buy our CDs… ?!

“Ah, no, it’s not quite like that. I mean, you hear our music on tv or radio all the time, you just don’t notice it. And, generally, you can’t buy it.”

“Oh!” he exclaims, “you guys make jingles.”

“Well, no.”

Now… I mean, we have made jingles (though we detest the word and connotation, generally), and they’re fine and dandy and we’re not even particularly embarrassed by them - music is music, and good music is good music - but in the interest of broadening some horizons about what exactly is possible when you have a musical resource such as Burst available to you, check out the following montages.

Full Songs

If you’re looking to license full songs, we have artists and bands of all different stripes and persuasions at BurstLabs.com… here’s a sampling of the myriad genres available :

please note - all ‘Songs’ at Burst Labs are licensed on a case-by-case basis and are not covered by the Rate Sheet available on our site. Please contact us for further info if you have a need for a Song License.

Instrumental Tracks

And for those of you looking for instrumental cues, background tracks, stock music for licensing in movies, tv shows, advertising and commercials, video games, promos, trailers, etc., here’s a compilation of widely different styles, moods and emotions that are part of our Instrumental Catalog :

Rates for licensing instrumental music from Burst Labs are available at our FAQ.

Other Licensed Music

There are many other places where you can hear our music, either as a licensed track or as a custom project we created for a client through our parent company, The Burst Collective. Some examples :

Trade Show Exhibits (giveaways and environmental audio)
Software (a Burst cue is the music you hear in Microsoft’s Welcome Tour for Office OSX)
Kiosks (Ralph Lauren has used Burst music for their Polo brand)
Live Events (such as GE’s annual meeting in Boca Raton FL)
Corporate Videos (product or training)

There’s a longer list of partial credits here.

If you have the need for music of any kind, even a jingle (!), we’d love to hear from you and see how we could work together.

There’s a lot of music coming this week… brand new tracks, from hip hop to indie pop, as well highlights on some catalog material. Stay tuned! [dh]

Yes, it’s true. The Burst Collective no longer produces the Velocity Music Library for FirstCom (a unit of BMG, er… wait… Vivendi/Universal? Who can keep track?!).

It’s been very cool to hear from some Burst fans across the globe, emails wondering what was up, what happened, yadda yadda.

It was a fun ride, and we’re very proud to have produced Velocity for the past 7 years. We delivered 72 CDs worth of music to FirstCom over that time, and we thought it might be fun to post a few of our favorite tracks here - for demo purposes only, of course :

Not Falwell : thought we’d jump start things in true Velocity style, an irreverent sweaty punk tribute to this week’s fallen idiot. It is with no small measure of pride that we’ve noticed two of our more blasphemous titles have been placed in religious programming (Not Falwell as well as Goat Tackling). [from VL-015 Punk v1]

Mouf Builder : how about our news bed made entirely with sounds created by a human mouth (Kyle’s, to be exact)? [from VL070 News v1 : the sky is falling]

Triple Extra Large : one of our favorite drum n bass tracks from the Velocity collection… menacing and driven. [from VL054 Drum N Bass v2]

Murder By Number : back when the kids were diggin’ that 80s rock revival, we were the first music library to hit the trend and release a whole disc. Again, others followed. [from VL-051 AltRock v6 : throwback]

Slick Chicken : part of our Hillbilly Hijinx release… the description : “Come hang with Jeb n’ the boys as we get freaky on the farm. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, we explore comedy through the lens of inbreeding and moonshine.” [from VL-048 Unique v4 : hillbilly hijinx]

Case In Point : One of our more popular tracks, I like it because it reminds me of Mike - before he set up shop out in the country raising goats and ducks, he spent his days here at Burst, writing music. Not kidding. Goats. Ducks. I think he’s got two of every farm animal now. He’s registered a new alias with ASCAP… Noah. [from VL-031 AltRock v4]

Auld Lang Sigh : an example of how twisted we can get while staying on task… here’s a holiday ditty featuring Col. J.D. Wilkes (of Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers) on harmonica. [from VL-041 Unique v3 : xtreme xmas]

So there you are… enjoy!

We may not be producing Velocity anymore, but rest assured knowing you can still get it through your FirstCom sales rep, as part of the BMG/Vivendi/Universal international conglomerate!

And if you like our work, well, there’s a LOT of great material coming your way right here at BurstLabs.com. [dh]

Sometimes a movie or tv show needs more than simply production music. Library music isn’t always the answer - hard to believe - we know! But hey, we love great music no matter where it comes from, and it’s in that spirit that we offer the following continuation to our previous post: the next 6 of the chosen 12 songs perfect for end credits.

And, though it should it go without saying, if any of my incredibly witty, innovative, and well thought out script synopses actually materialize in the form of a major Hollywood film, I get half the gross… and maybe a walk-on role. Something minor, like the tough-as-nails soccer coach with a heart of gold.

Anyway…

1. Sufjan Stevens : Chicago (Multiple Personality Version)

Reprising his role as Rob Gordon, John Cusack is back in High Fidelity 2. Rob and Laura have gotten married and are pregnant with their first child. We learn from flashback sequences that Barry (Jack Black) is on the road with his band Kathleen Turner Overdrive, and Dick (Todd Lousio) has moved in with Annaugh, their relationship mirroring the early stages of Rob and Laura’s. One day, Rob is in the record shop, and “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens plays through the speakers. This jolts him with the thought of the burdens of parenthood, and sends him in an existential tailspin. He feels the need to find himself before he is able to impart any wisdom to a young child, and leaves Laura to join Barry on the road. He finds Barry locked in a tense struggle with the lead singer of the band they are touring with, Gordie (Kyle Gass). They bicker over everything, from wardrobe to set list to cover songs. On the road, Rob runs into Ian (Tim Robbins), who has moved to Los Angeles to open a peer mediation ashram. Ian quells Rob fears about fatherhood, instilling in him a sense of responsibility and pride in what he is creating. Rob then makes fun of Ian and dreams about hitting him with something. He returns to Chicago, reinvigorated. Returning from tour, Barry and Gordie have discovered they are both gay, and get married in a Motown-themed civil ceremony. After the wedding, the friends are all walking on Navy Pier, Laura with the baby in her arms. Cue Sufjan.

2. Lupe Fiasco : Kick, Push

In this documentary of black inner city youths that escaped a life of gangs and drugs by skateboarding, shot in grainy Hi-8, Lupe Fiasco narrates 4 different stories. The confluence of these stories is a skateboarding competition in Philadelphia’s Love Park. I’d love to flesh this one out a little bit, but it’s documentary- you shoot shoot a lot of film and hope you get something, right? I’m sure those guys that did that Murderball thing didn’t even know that paraplegics could play sports until they got lucky. Anyway, “Kick, Push” sound like it was written for this movie, so it’s only fitting to have it playing when one of the black inner city youths wins the competition.

3. DJ Earwom : No One Takes Your Freedom

This is an experimental piece by Michel Gondry, the first “mash-up” film. Scenes from over 80 films spanning 6 decades are pieced together to form one cohesive story about two star-crossed lovers who find themselves on a large “unsinkable” cruise ship that is being terrorized my a giant man-eating shark. Luckily, there is a wish-granting genie machine on board, who grants them a little alien with glowing fingers as a protector, as long as they can stop the huge asteroid hurtling towards earth. They are befriended by a couple of gay cowboys, who explain that their day job is running a “cattle-ranch retreat” for middle-aged city dwellers having mid-life crises. The cruise ship heads down the Nile river to sink the Nazi-helmed ship Louisa, but the story takes a bizarre turn when the cowboys are captured by some bayou rednecks, who force them to squeal like pigs. All’s well that ends well, however, and after the battle for Mordor is won, medals are handed out to everyone, even the Wookie. The accompanying soundtrack is also comprised of mash-ups, with DJ Earworm’s tapestry of George Michael, The Scissor Sisters, and The Beatles playing as the credits roll.

(note: because of modern copyright and sampling law, this film will never be seen by anyone)

4. Jens Lekman : You Are The Light

Reese Witherspoon plays a woman who is desperate to have a child. Since her relationships all seem doomed from the beginning, she decides on artificial insemination. After a lenghty process of choosing just the right seed to plant, she picks #498245, a law student with no history of serious illness and a 3.8 GPA. She often fantasizes about her donor, giving him a name, and a backstory, and imagining their life together with their child. When the child is born, she names him Lucas, the name she had imagined the donor as having. When Lucas (the little one) is 14, Reese gets arrested for aggravated assault, and, not having the money to post bail, must sit in jail. Lucas is sent to a foster family. You guessed it, it’s his biological father and his wife, with whom he is soon separating (there is a lot of dialogue that leads up to this revelation). His father’s name turns out to be… wait for it… Lucas! Once Lucas (the little one) convinces Big Lucas who he is, he persuades him to represent his mother in court. Big Lucas bails her out of jail, and pleads her case to the judge, whose cold, frozen heart is melted by her hard luck story. She is absolved of all wrongdoing, and she and Big Lucas get married and live happily ever after. Jens Lekman sums it all up.

5. Boy Least Likely To : I’m Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon To Your Star

In this coming-of-age film set in Olympia, WA, Adam Brody plays Allan Grody a former star of a teen drama series. After cancellation, he continues to try and live up to his indie-crush status, and starts a record label in Olympia. He finds a girl playing in a small club, and people seem to like her, so he signs her to his label. During the recording of her debut, they become romanitcally entangled. They release her EP, which generates a lot of buzz in the indie community, and leads to an offer from Columbia Records, which she signs immediately. This causes Allan to reasses his whole opinion of her, because anyone that would sell out their own creativity for money is obviously not just in it for the music. She then reminds him that just scant years ago, he was a corporate shill, playing the sensitive indie kid so that the labels in the umbrella corporation with the TV network could load up “soundtrack” CDs with their own artists, dictating to the masses what was cool. He sees her point. She becomes a millionaire and brings him along for the ride. The movie ends with them desperately trying to retain some sort of credibility by going to a The Boy Least Likely To concert, at which they are egged.

6. The Arcade Fire : Intervention

Nathanial Hart is a man of the cloth. Predetermined in his youth, he was sent to the seminary at a young age, he missed out on everything- girls, rebellion, excessive alcohol consumption, friends that weren’t married to God. Now, at 22, he is the youngest pastor in Ann Arbor, MI. One night, in a particularly depressive state, he absent-mindedly sips communion wine that some local miscreants have spiked with ecstasy. In the following revelatory stupor, he decides his life has been wasted, and rejects God, takes his name in vain, and sleeps with a nun. The following morning, he is summarily dismissed from the priesthood, and must start his life over. He takes a job in a record store, and is soon immersed in all of the music he had missed. He is akward and socially inept, yet is befriended by a bartender named Mary. The irony is not lost on him. Mary convinces him that he can both love God and live a normal life, that God understands that sometimes a man just needs to get drunk and have sex, which is what they end up doing. The clarity that comes from drunken fornication motivates Nathanial to go to the Vatican and convince the Pope that it’s not normal for a man to be abstinent just prove his devotion to his lord. The Pope agrees. Nathanial is reinstated, and he and Mary get married. Nathanial sits in the rectory office, listening to his new favorite record, “Neon Bible” by The Arcade Fire.

[ms]

Our latest find on VIRB is a hometown artist known as Mjantz. The track we’ve been digging a lot lately is called “Dead In The Time Machine”. It’s kind of a throwback to Squarepusher and Aphex Twin albums of the early 00’s, with skittery drums and a loping, meandering melody. Atmospheric, a little creepy, definitely good stuff.

Show a little love for the Milwaukee music scene.

Mjantz- Dead In The Time Machine

By the way, if you’re not hip on VIRB, go check it out. Myspace is sooooo last year. [ms]

Music supervisors have a lot on their plate. Title sequences, montages, climaxes… in a movie without an original score, there’s a lot of space to fill, and a lot of music to choose from.

In the spirit of camaraderie, we thought we would weigh in with our opinion. Here are 12 pieces of music that should be licensed for film, complete with a brief synopsis of the appropriate accompanying storyline.

1. Mika : Lollipop

Owen Wilson plays a former college fullback who has fallen on hard times. His pro career didn’t work out the way he had hoped, and he is now destitute, living off of whatever woman will tolerate him. He meets an inner city youth at the park one day, a precocious young girl, and forms a friendship with her. Then something happens where their friendship is tested. And then they realize how important friendship really is. “Lollipop” resounds as they play hopscotch in the waning evening light.

2. Crooked Fingers : New Drink For The Old Drunk

Matt Dillon and Charlize Theron play a couple of recovering alcoholics that meet in an AA meeting. Though the rules of AA strictly forbid intimate relations with fellow AA members, they are soon having said intimate relations… a lot. Then Charlize falls off the wagon and Matt comes clean to his sponsor about their relationship, resulting in his being kicked out of AA. They lose touch. A few years later, they run into one another on the street. Both have been sober while separate, and while there is still a spark, they worry about jeopardizing their sobriety for their feelings. Then they make out. Crooked Fingers serenades their decision.

3. Oh No! Oh My! : Walk In The Park

In this Farrelly Brothers film, Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn play paraplegics who join a handicapped water polo team, coached by Alan Arkin. They soon become the most succesful team in the region, and are on the verge of winning the championships, when, in a freak escalator accident, Vince regains the ability to walk. He quits the team, chosing to live a new life, leaving Ben behind. The day of the championship, however, he realizes that the team is more important than his own good fortune, so he breaks both of his legs and rejoins the team, leading them to the championship. Ben and Vince roll off into the sunset to “Walk In The Park”.

4. M83 : Don’t Save Us From The Flames

In this edgy drama Josh Hartnett Plays Thomas Steele, a motocross rider with a mysterious past. He gets caught up in a drug deal gone bad, and is forced to ride for his life, using his contest winnings to pay off a drug lord, played by Steven Dorff. In the final scene, he must pull off a double backflip corkscrew, a trick never before attempted, or his girlfriend will be shot. The audience watches in amazement as he flips through the air, landing with both tires on the ramp. He stands on top of the dirt hill, raising his helmet in the air, as his girlfriend runs out to embrace him. Cut to a closeup of his face, frozen, with a single tear. “Don’t Save Us From The Flames” plays as we fade to black.

5. Aimee Mann : Nobody Does It Better

Paul Thomas Anderson directs this biopic of Roger Moore, played by Thomas Jane, in an uncharacteristically deep and challenging role. Plagued all his life with feeling of inadequacy and guilt, the backlash he withstood after taking over for Sean Connery’s role of James Bond is enough to send him over the edge. In a haze of drugs and sex, his paranoia leads him to hatch a plot to murder Sean Connery. The audience is kept wondering what is real and what has been imagined in Moore’s drug addled sub-conscious. As the film ends, Moore suffers a psychotic breakdown, thinking he has already killed Connery, and is paralyzed with guilt. As he sits in a room wallpapered with Sean Connery magazine clippings, his head in his hands, Aimee Mann’s rendition of the Spy Who Loved Me theme comes on while the scene fades to credits.

6. The Polyphonic Spree : Hold Me Now

Paul Giamatti plays a card cheat and con man who has been blacklisted from every casino in Las Vegas. As his money starts to run out, he sees an abandoned church for sale just outside of the city. He buys the chapel, and begins to hold services, using religion as a cover for stealing the weekly contents of the offering plates. He soon falls for a member of the church, played by Susan Sarandon. As he struggles to keep his ruse and his romance separate, he realizes that the people he is stealing from are poor and trusting God with a portion of their meager earnings. His hardened heart softened, he starts a church outreach program, helping people to fix their homes, pay their bills, and forge friendships that last a lifetime. In a brilliant piece of cross-marketing, the Polyphonic Spree show up, offering their services as the church choir, and sing “Hold Me Now” as the credits roll.

Part 2 to follow. [ms]

UPDATE 070507 : part 2 available here. [dh]

In celebration of Valentine’s Day - and the 25th anniversary of Huey Lewis’ timeless record, Picture This, released in 1982 - we bring you an update on his classic Do You Believe In Love?.

Many, many thanks to Old Man Malcolm and JTodd - two regular contributors at The Burst Collective - for taking Matt’s idea and running with it.

Enjoy! [dh]

mp3 here

The Album Leaf just released a new album called Into The Blue Again. You should buy it, and play it for people who don’t know. It sounds like either Modest Mouse doing Postal Service covers, or the Postal Service doing Modest Mouse Covers, either way, it will probably be making a yogurt commercial much cooler in about 6 months.

Here’s a song called Always For You.

Buy the album from SubPop

Pablo is the working name of Paul Schalda. He plays kind-of alt-country/singer-songwriter stuff, kind of reminds me of Patrick Park (which reminds me, I owe to everyone to do a Patrick Park post (triple alliteration, nice)). His album “Half The Time” is really really good. You owe it to yourself to buy it, if for no other reason than the gorgeous cover of The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year”.

Here’s a song called Get Around

Buy the album at the 230 Records store
Visit his website here
Go to Pablo’s MySpace page and check out the cover of the Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year”.

Those of you that remember Catatonia, the Welsh pop group from the 90s… well, congratulations.

Cerys Matthews was their singer. She has a solo album. It’s really frickin’ good. It’s pop music, but just a little left-of-center. We can relate.

Here’s a song called “Streets of New York” It makes me think I should write better music.

Here’s her website.

Call your local record shop and tell them to buy 10. Then you buy 1. And bring 9 friends.

[ms]