Upcoming Releases - Week of November 19th

To keep you on top of the latest rolling out of Hollywood's music department, here are the upcoming releases from the world of soundtracks for the week of November 19th.

There's not much to get excited about prior to the Thanksgiving weekend. Hey, at least you've got better things to spend your money on. Next Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, right?

	Babel: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Release Date: November 21 Ah, that lovely phrase "inspired by". It usually means the music director found way more music than they could use. Sometimes that's a good thing, and with Babel I'm inclined to think it might be the case. Oscar winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla reteamed with director Alejandro González Iñárritu to create the score which is included in the music. There are two discs here though, to make room for all that extra "inspired by" stuff. Look for many ethnic variations on a theme, seriously eclectic style fusion, and some truly bizarre but interesting mash ups.
	Van Wilder, The Rise of Taj: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Release Date: November 21 Crappy movie = crappy soundtrack. A weird combination of songs from a hodge podge of bands including Everclear, Buckcherry, Shannon Noll and, heaven help us, Hanson. Thank goodness for iTunes online. Don't even bother with the disc. Just hand pick your favorites and get in line at the 99 cent aisle.
	The History Boys: The Original Soundtrack Release Date: November 21 Nevermind that George Fenton composed what is likely to be yet another perfect score for this kind of thoughtful (but irreverent in a British sort of way) film, the first thing to roll out is the general music soundtrack. This release date is kind of irrelevant since the disc has been out in the UK and importable via internet order sites since last month. If you're a fan of groups like The Clash, The Cure, New Order and The Smiths (lots of 'thes' in the 80's weren't there?) then you might find something here you like.