If you’re a regular reader of AfterEllen.com, you know how much we love Juno around here. And if you’ve seen the movie, you know why. If you haven’t, well, just quit what you’re doing and go. Now. Your boss will understand. One of the many signs of Juno‘s genius is the music. In fact, the soundtrack is so beautifully blended with the film that it’s hard to imagine the movie without it. And last week, the album was finally released for those of us who like to have a physical recording to load in the CD player while we read the liner notes. (The digital version already tops Billboard‘s Top Digital Albums list.) Some of the artists – the
Kinks, Belle & Sebastian, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth – are well known, but the heart and soul of the soundtrack come from singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson, shown here with her hair. Dawson is perhaps best known as a member of the Moldy Peaches, which means that most of the general public has never heard of her. Juno certainly could increase Dawson’s profile, given the film’s popularity. The Houston Chronicle predicts, “Juno is to her what
Magnolia was to Aimee Mann, only without the Supertramp.” Dawson’s style certainly is not for everyone, but I suspect that if you like the movie, you’ll like the soundtrack.
Dawson’s involvement in Juno was actually Ellen Page‘s idea. In an interview with Pitchfork, Page recalls that director Jason Reitman asked her what kind of music she thought her character Juno would listen to. “Immediately I said the Moldy Peaches and he, I guess, wasn’t familiar with their work, so I hopped on his computer and I played the Moldy Peaches for him. The next thing I knew he’d fallen in love.” Reitman’s favorite,
“Anyone Else But You,” reflects the mix of wit, quirkiness and heart that makes Juno so endearing.
Other tracks are harsher, but Dawson’s childlike voice makes lyrics like the anti-Bush “Loose Lips” sound like nursery rhymes. And the songs she wrote especially for Juno, like “So Nice So Smart,” are the perfect mix of innocence and rebellion.
“I like boys with strong convictions and convicts with perfect diction underdogs with good intentions amputees with stamp collections”But the highlight of the soundtrack for me is the last song. Paulie (Michael Cera) and Juno’s duet of “Anyone Else But You” is adorkable. As Blogger News says, “it’s the icing on the cake of an already beautifully executed soundtrack.” OK, that’s a little much. But you get the idea. Currently, Dawson is on tour to promote the Juno soundtrack – she’s in New York this week. You can find her updated schedule on her Live Journal. Meanwhile, you can sample the album at IndieMuse and enjoy some movie highlights set to Paulie and Juno’s duet.
Have you seen Juno? Do you agree with me that Ellen Page totally got cheated out of a Golden Globe? What do you think of Kimya Dawson and the Juno soundtrack?
