Pressing Play Prior To The Plot
- brittdigsvinyl
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
If you asked my grandparents what their favorite theme song was in a television series they'd probably look at you like you had chicken pox all over your face. "Favorite theme song....Britt....don't you mean favorite show?!" and to that I would respond with a sigh...because no grams....that's not what I mean....at all....
Don't get me wrong...show intros like I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, Diagnosis Murder, or even 90210 will always hold a special place in my heart....but inspiration also breeds inspiration....so it only makes sense the shows we grew up listening to would motivate us to do more magical things with the tools given to us....
For most people, music doesn't really need to rear it's head in film until there's a certain tension, nerve or sadness envoking the need for it. For me, it absolutley fuels the entire storyline. If the music is off....if the symphony is overdone in anyway...it could throw the entire thing off for me.
Every story structure starts off with either a feeling....observation, or point of view...and in order to convey that consciousness to the crowd....the auditory experience has to be perfection.
Ten years ago the music may have helped in supporting the story or making it easier to digest. Today though...the music is a part of the story...pulling you into an entire identity and space before introducing you to their cast of characters.
Next time you dive into a show pay attention to the tones and heightened melodies you start assessing before the character background stories even come into play.....
Six Feet Under...Friends.....Dexter.....The Office all start off that way....
Today I'm breaking down some of my favorite tunes in recent cinema...that are worth a deep dive if you haven't given them a chance already. They may be worth a free trial or two to see the scenes in full glory, but at the same time those monthly fees are becoming a little more unsteady.....
The Time Traveling Blues Scene in HBO's "Sinners"
The first time I saw this, my jaw dropped to the damn floor. I found myself rewinding at 1:38 mark to get the full effect of him talking over the guitar....that slow bouncing riff followed by the blast of boom like a foot on the floor.....the turntable add in at 2:20.....
One of the most cinematic scenes in film this year....intertwining where we've been to where we're going....a historic piece of art offered up by Ryan Coogler everyone and their momma needs to see......
The Title Sequence in Apple TV's "Severance"
Already I'm in for a dark thriller featuring Adam Scott...but with the added composition of Theodore Shapiro on the intro in conjunction with animation from Oliver Latta? Yess please.
I bet you not even 40 seconds in you'll be nodding your head in agreement. "I have no idea what this show is but the music is getting me interested..." and that's exactly how my mind works too, friends....
If the tonality is there.....I'll down for whatevers about to happen with this lens....
The Opening Credits in HBO's "The White Lotus" (Season 1)
First off, they completely failed us with the season three theme...and although I'm aware most fans dig the season two opener more than the first....I'm not a super huge fan of the "yodel"...
Since season 1 is a more toned down version of that...I still think it fits for being the identity of a show. If there's ever a time I find myself not skipping an intro....there's probably a good explanation as to why....
I'm here for the monkeys, the shaker drums and the mouth howls....with the addition of tribal flutes and birds in the background it's all too fabulous for my mind to ignore.....
The Title Sequence in Netflix's "Detroiters"
Okay so this Youtube video isn't from the show at all...it's actually just from a couple chilling throughout the city of Detroit drinking Faygo and taking the city in.
The music though, is 100% on the show...this is just the full version. There's something so rad about the way Faye uploaded this....casual love and admiration for the city around her. That's what this state really needs more of....
The reason I dig it? I come from the days of Rob & Big....and there's something so cozy about watching a show about two friends sharing a commonality for humor and every day life. It's upbeat, it's jazzy with a little dose of underground making it the ideal choice for a show about the motor city.
The Opening Title Sequence in HBO's "Uzumaki"
If you haven't heard of Junji Ito....it's about time you read up on the man. My current favorite creator in manga...the dude started as a dental assistant at Nagoya Dental Technical College before turning his attention into full time illustration....
The HBO adaptation of the book "Uzumaki" is not for the faint of heart. It's so troublingly terrifying I had to wait until morning to finish the series. It details a small Japanese town that becomes slowly obsessed with the sight of spirals....and Colin Stetson's approach to the experience sounds like a spiral in itself....
I challenge you to let the music speak for itself next time you're in the mood for a binge or a bout.....
listen for the quirks in the arrangements....the tingles in textures....sometimes it's all too insane the amount of enthusiasm they can bring out...