MP3: Ugly Casanova – “Lay Me Down” from 180° South soundtrack, due June 22 on Brushfire.
Well well well, after eight long years there’s a new Ugly Casanova song. But wait, there’s more: seven more Ugly Casanova songs, actually (plus “Hotcha Girls”), coming out June 22 on the soundtrack for a film called 180° South (DVD, Bluray), which also includes songs by Mason Jennings, James Mercer, Jack Johnson, and Love as Laughter.
Still not 100% sure of the current lineup, but the press release mentions “Isaac’s banjo, Tom’s trumpet, Eric’s squeezebox, Joe’s drums and James’s harmonies.” That sounds a lot more like Modest Mouse than the previous incarnation of Ugly Casanova that included Tim Rutili, Brian Deck, Pall Jenkins, and John Orth…
Previously: Glorious Noise Interview with Ugly Casanova (2002)
Trailer: 180 South – A new movie from Woodshed Films
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK FROM THE FILM 180°SOUTH
01. MOUNTAINS OF STORMS – UGLY CASANOVA
02. HERE’S TO NOW – UGLY CASANOVA
03. MACHINES – MASON JENNINGS
04. DOUG’S THEME – JAMES MERCER
05. WAVE GOODBYE – UGLY CASANOVA
06. JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST – JAMES MERCER
07. LONESOME BLUES – UGLY CASANOVA
08. SPRING WIND – JACK JOHNSON
09. HOTCHA GIRLS – UGLY CASANOVA
10. CORCAVADO – UGLY CASANOVA
11. MAYBE WE’RE LOST – UGLY CASANOVA
12. COCONUT FLAKES – LOVE AS LAUGHTER
13. THE GEEZER – UGLY CASANOVA
14. LAY ME DOWN – UGLY CASANOVA
ABOUT THE SOUNDTRACK
In 2007 I fl ew down to Patagonia with my friends James Mercer and
Mason Jennings. My cousin, Chris Malloy (fi lmmaker), and I were
excited to have both James and Mason work on music for the fi lm,
so bringing them down to see Patagonia with their own eyes seemed
mandatory. We told them they didn’t have to write or play any music
while down there and that we just wanted them to check it out and
meet everyone making the fi lm. Then the fi rst camp fi re lit up and
guitars and accordions came out. It was not long before Mason and
James joined in and gave us a nice night under the stars listening to
them trade off on Neil Young covers. In that moment, we didn’t really
care any more if they helped make music for our fi lm because bringing
them down there already felt worth it.
When we returned home, the experience was etched so beautifully in
our minds but unfortunately it would be a long time before any music
was needed. There was miles of footage to go through and a fi lm to
be made. We stayed in touch with James and Mason and gave them
updates on the fi lm, although we were lying when we said it wouldn’t
be long before we were done. The trip really had a profound effect
on Mason and within the next few weeks he had written a couple
of songs that really put our experiences to music. Then a few more
months passed and we showed a preview of the film to Isaac Brock of
Modest Mouse. James lived near Isaac in Portland and kept telling me
that he thought he would be a good fi t to work on some music for the
fi lm as well. Isaac liked what he saw and then handed me a pamphlet
on saving the salmon in Alaska and said he would do it if we could
help with this cause. Seemed fair enough.
When we fi nally had a rough edit of the movie, we headed to Portland
to Isaac’s studio to record the soundtrack for 180° South. Pulling up to
an old two-story craftsman house, we could hear the peaceful sound
of guitars feeding back through the windows. Chris and I stopped
and stared up at the attic completely captivated by what we were listening
to. It was not long before we were watching footage and going
over ideas and it wasn’t long after that before we heard Isaac’s banjo,
Tom’s trumpet, Eric’s squeezebox, Joe’s drums and James’s harmonies
coming from every corner of that house. That did not stop for almost
2 weeks.
This record is inspired by the stars in Southern Chile and was brought
to life via a cabin in Minnesota, a garage in Hawaii and an attic up
in Portland.
Enjoy. Emmett Malloy – Woodshed Films
MP3 offered with permission from Ben Beverly of Brushfire Records.