Bruno Nicolai (1973) -L'onorata Famiglia Uccidere E' Cosa Nostra [OST]

Artist: Bruno Nicolai
Album: L'Onorata Famiglia Uccidere E' Cosa Nostra [OST]
Released: 1973
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 70 MB

”Bruno Nicolai was born in Italy in 1926, and the first film he scored was 1963's "Head of the Family". Bruno's big break came in 1965, when he was the musical supervisor for the Sergio Leone film, "A Few Dollars More". In 1966 he reprised this role for "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". Bruno worked along side composing master Ennio Morricone, learning much from him. Bruno Nicolai studied piano, organ and composition at the Conservatory Of Santa Cecilia. His teacher for piano was Aldo Mantia, and for composition was Goffredo Petrassi. While at the Conservatory he met Ennio Morricone who also was studying with Petrassi. A friendship began that would last many years. He has composed for theatre, TV and movies. Between scoring movies he also conducted scores by Carlo Rustichelli, Luis E. Bacalov and Nino Rota. He conducted many of Morricone's scores, and played the organ on some of them and also co-scored some with him. Many of his scores have and are still being released on his Edi-Pan label. In 1975 Bruno was the musical director for Tinto Brass' movie, "Saloon Kitty", and this is here the two got to know each other. About 1977 Bruno was approaching by the Caligula Production (probably through Tinto Brass) team to write original music for the movie. As well, Bruno picked out the Classical music that was featured through-out the movie, he must have been a big fan of Aram Il'Ych Khachaturian (1903-1978) and Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), who were both great Soviet Union composers. Bruno's last film was 1987's "Buckeye and Blue", which he wrote the score. Bruno died in 1991 in Italy. © Discogs

Various Artists (1998) -The Big Lebowski OST

Artist: various
Album: The Big Lebowski [OST]
Released: 1998
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 118 MB

The soundtrack to The Big Lebowski, the Coen brothers' follow-up to their breakthrough film Fargo, is an odd mixture of opera, world music, pop, jazz, exotica, folk and blues. In other words, it's as idiosyncratic as the Coens themselves, and the weird array of styles makes sense in practice, not on paper. Among the highlights are Elvis Costello's "My Mood Swings," Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me," Nina Simone's "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," Yma Sumac's "Ataypura," Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In," Townes Van Zandt's "Dead Flowers" and Henry Mancini's "Lujon." The collection makes more sense if you've seen the film, but there are enough good songs and quirky humor to make it an enjoyable listen on its own terms. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

TRACK OF THE DAY - Shanker Ganesh

Various Artists (2006) -The Bombay Connection Vol.1 & Vol.2

Artist: various
Albums: The Bombay Connection Vol. 1 & 2
Released: 2006
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 123 / 125 MB

”…Cast a long shadow, and the rest of the civilized world will get caught in at least part of it. Bombay Connection’s eight-volume series of music culled from Indian cinema follows a number of compilations that emphasized the exotic qualities of Bollywood filmi. The tack taken on these inaugural releases, however, hasn’t yet been fully realized by their predecessors, in that they glamorize those elements that descend directly from Western ephemera, in an examination of how they can be meshed with Indian musical traditions. These compilations seem to have been made by – and for – beat miners, record collectors, B-movie enthusiasts, dimestore novel devours, and all those who wish to get hip deep in the pulp. Incredible selections, and exhaustive, intriguing liner notes omit the last part of the story: you, and your involvement with the material therein. Here, the discs identify how Indian cinema found its own private grindhouse, peopled by jewel thieves, hippie burnouts, floozie starlets, grizzled flatfoots and lecherous scum, qualities that may have passed as a fad but still project the clarion call to margin dwellers all over the world. They shuttle us to a world too ridiculous for us to live in, and we soak it all up…” ~ by Doug Mosurock, DUSTED REVIEWS

Angelo Michajlov (2010) -Saxana: The Girl On A Broomstick

Artist: Angelo Michajlov & Karel Vlach Orchestra
Albums: Saxana: The Girl On A Broomstick
Release date: 2010
Quality: mp3 VBR
Size: 37 MB

The previously unreleased spooked-out psychedelic-jazz score to 70s Czech's 'other' favourite teenage witch flick. Directed by Vacalav Vorlicek (3 Nuts For Cinderella / Who Killed Jessie?) from the studios that brought you 'Valerie and Her Week of Wonders', 'Daisies' and 'The Cremator'. Finders Keepers presents the entire studio sessions, plus psychedelic effects by Angelo Michajlov (Marta Kubisova's arranger) performed by the Karel Vlach Orchestra. First screened in Czech cinemas in 1972, almost 30 years before the ongoing series of the 'Harry Potter' films began in 1992, 'Dívka na kosteti' (The Girl On The Broomstick) occupies a special place in the hearts of many Czechs who grew up in the 1970s and 80s. But how do you score a 76 minute feature about... deep breath... a girl at a black magic university who, in order to escape a 300 year detention, steals a spell book which allows her, and her vampire guardian, to spend 44 hours, in various animalistic guises, in 1970s Prague, where, while being manipulated into casting spells for the malediction of a gang of three tear aways, she learns about love, life and morality leading to a quest to recover the witches lexicon and the bizarre formula that will free her of her ancient curse and turn her into a human teenager...!?!?!?! These aren't pop songs, we're talking about instrumental and incidental music here (of the spooky variety) only to be found in European cinemas, and as soon as Karel Vlach puts down the brass and pulls out the electric bass and mid-tempo score sheets then Angelo Mikhailov's demands for backwards percussion samples and eerie manmade Hex F.X. begin to add extra colour to our screens and stereos. We even get the sitars on one track! But let's not forget that this is a kid's film for a teenage audience with a soundtrack made by chief technician at the Czech pop factory. You can almost hear the pulsating influence of Western pop music with chord progressions that teeter on the copyright friendly side of 'Light My Fire'. Could that bass line be a reference to a top ten Spanish hit by Christian rockers Lone Star? Perhaps it's unlikely but if a well traveled (by Czech standards) composer like Mikhailov was infusing the teenage market with messages from the wicked witch of the West then maybe 'Dívka na kosteti' is more subversive than we think. After years of being trapped in a small cold room by an evil wizard she finds that all she needs is the right documents before she can join the rest of the world. Like I say it's a kid's film, but many say that the Czechs made the best fantasies. ~ ©

The Sadies (2006) -Tales of the Rat Fink OST

Artist: The Sadies
Albums: Tales of the Rat Fink
Release date: 2006
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Size: 187 MB

Famous for representing American Hotrod counter-culture with his intricate yet bizarre creations, Ed Roth and his monsters have been followed by fans ever since and Ron Mann, director of Comic Book Confidential and Grass has now given the man a film with Tales of the Ratfink, burrowing the name of his most famous creation. A largely animated affair voiced by John Goodman, Brian Wilson and others, the film is scored by American surf/western-rock band The Sadies.

Sounding exactly like it should, Tales of the Ratfink OST is a great deal of guitar and little else; largely instrumental with the exception of The Corktown featuring the man himself Ed Roth, the score works in the best possible way and could easily provide backing to all manner of social events from BBQ. ~ Ross Breadmore