New Release Tuesday

I'm not a big fan of the soundtrack much, but the films of Edgar Wright starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost always seem to have great morsels of tunes. For their inital collaboration, Shaun Of The Dead, only one of the greatest films ever, they combined modern alternative rock (Ash) with classic hip-hop ("White Lines") and spliced it all up with some of the more memorable dialog of the film. This week not only sees the release of their new movie, Hot Fuzz, but also its corresponding soundtrack. This time around, these boys will be shooting it up to the sounds of the new ("Baby Fratelli" by UK IT band for the moment The Fratellis, "Here Come The Fuzz" by Jon Spencer & The Elegant Too) and some classic brit rock (an XTC number and, cleverly enough Supergrass' "Caught By The Fuzz.") The soundtrack is rounded out by the 23-minute score, "The Hot Fuzz Suite," conducted by James Bond film composer David Arnold. Tunes: now, movie: Friday.

Download: Hot Fuzz [Trailer] /// [Buy Soundtrack Here]

Something beyond the typical that I am a fan of is the always treasured rarities compilation. Superdrag was one of the bands to come along and shape me during my formative years (that being 1996-7, when I was 12 and 13 years young.) "Sucked Out," their debut single from the near perfect album Regretfully Yours, didn't do it for my very influential young one when I saw the video on MTV. It was the follow up single, "Destination Ursa Major," that sold me as a long life fan of the 'Drag. As a fan, I joined the message board, trading for demos and rarities of the band, getting my hands on some of the rarest songs in the Superdrag canon. After the band broke up, there was all this talk of a rarities box set, because there were a ton of things us hardcore fans didn't have ("Malfunction Junction" being the most sought after track, an outtake from the sessions for Head Trip In Every Key.) This week, Arena Rock finally issues the single-disc rarities comp, Changin' Tires On The Road To Ruin. As a fan, I'm sorely let down by the songs included on this (2 live tracks!? What gives.) I have most of them, which essentially are from the sessons for In The Valley Of Dying Stars, but some of these songs are demo versions I don't have. Ah, whatever. Here's to the rumor of the original line-up reuniting. I offer you a rarity myself, "I Guess It's American," the demo version of "I Am Incerator" which is a demo in itself. Make sense?

Download: "I Guess It's American" [mp3] /// [Buy Here]