Hunger Games Soundtrack

This will be pretty quick and dirty, but I just wanted to say: The Hunger Games Soundtrack is going to be awesome!

It's not officially released until March 20th. However, you can preview quite a bit of it on iTunes. Plus, two entire songs are up on youtube via the Hunger Games promotional site. They've been pushing the soundtrack pretty hard. As much as I loved the books and as stoked as I am for the movie, I was pretty reluctant to check out the soundtrack. I mean...it's got Taylor Swift on it. How good could it be?

The answer: Very, very good.


"Safe & Sound," Taylor Swift's song (with Civil Wars), is especially good. Like, bloody brilliant. My friend, Rachel, force fed it to me the other night after The Black Keys concert (to which I had press passes. ...just sayin'). She's not impressed with T-Swift, either. However, she loves the books and is also excited for the movie. We have pretty similar tastes in music, so when she said it was good-I was willing to give it a listen. We sat on her couch and she played it through for me...I liked it well enough. Once I got home, in the privacy of my room and after another drink, I gave it a second whirl. And then a third. And a forth.

It's been on practically continuous play ever since Friday night.

Other artists featured on the album: The Decemberists (who's song is also off the heezy), Arcade Fire (Of "Who The Fuck Is Arcade Fire" fame) and Maroon 5 (Right. Like I could make that up.). Below, you'll find a track-listing for the soundtrack, as well as the video for "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift & Civil Wars.

The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond
Abraham's Daughter-Arcade Fire
Tomorrow Will Be Kinder- The Secret Sisters
Nothing to Remember- Neko Case
Safe & Sound (ft. The Civil Wars)- Taylor Swift
The Ruler and the Killer- Kid Cudi
Dark Days- Punch Brothers
One Engine- The Decemberists
The Daughter's Lament- Carolina Chocolate Drops
Kingdom Come- The Civil Wars
Take the Heartland- Glen Hansard
Come Away (ft. Rozzi Crane)- Maroon 5
Run Daddy Run (ft. Pistol Annies)- Miranda Lambert
Rules- Jayme Dee
Eyes Open- Taylor Swift
Lover is Childlike- The Low Anthem
Just a Game- Birdy

Private Session Confessions: Addendum

I've spent a lot of time on Private Session tonight. I've listened to Kings of Leon's "I Want You" roughly 50 times. I did this a few weeks ago, too.

Kings of Leon is every bit worthy of the shit they are given from music lovers and the press.

With that out of the way, they can still write some pretty awesome songs. They're good at piquing a mood. I can be in a completely chill mood, put on "Four Kicks" and be ready to fight someone by halfway through it.

"I Want You" -- Well, it puts me in the complete opposite mood. Like a lot of songs do for many people, it reminds me of one very specific person. Wrong or right, it reminds me of (the previously mentioned) MOMD. It's a little dirty, but it's fun...which might actually sum him up quite nicely.

I spent the better part of our friendship trying to figure out what, exactly, our friendship was supposed to be. If I think about it for too long, I'll admit that I'm still not really sure. Luckily for both of us, I stopped caring a long time ago. But, I've had a crush on him practically since we started talking. So, I like the chorus. It didn't matter who I was with at the time, I always wanted him, too. I still do, too, I guess.

Just exactly like I used to.