One of the principle functions of Dante's Arizona is to promote Arizona's sometimes criminally overlooked musicians. There's so much talent here, that sometimes it strikes me just how priveleged I am to have befriended many of these great souls.
One of the first friends I made in the Tempe music scene was Dead Hot Workshop's Brent Babb. After I'd earned his trust, he let us use "Incorporated" in the crime drama we were doing (see News 4/12/03). After the movie was scrapped, and I started writing Dante's Arizona, I asked him one night at Beloe's if he'd be interested in doing some score work. I'm not sure why I thought he could (or would) do it, but I just had this gut feeling of his musical/visual horizons from his Wednesday happy hours at Wong's. Without hesitation he said he would. My gut feeling was correct; I soon saw his studio recording equipment, and listened to some of the music he'd composed. It was primarily drum and bass stuff he'd programmed, but it was enough to show that he wasn't locked solely into rock and folk stuff.
The Soundtrack
Ahh, the soundtrack. A few months back, the idea popped into my head to hurry up and put together the soundtrack of all the songs that bands had given us permission to use, and sell it to help finance the making of the movie. This would of course be a rather unconventional approach, since soundtracks are compiled and marketed after--and usually depending on the success of--the movie's release! But I figured, this movie ain't too conventional anyway, and it just seemed appropriate that the soundtrack should have prevalence. Now it was just a matter of business (which I kick and scream against). I talked with a lot of people, including Hans Olson, Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms), and Tim Anthonise (Gloritone), among others, on different marketing approaches. Long stories short, the soundtrack should be out before the movie wraps in the next few months.
Here is the tentative list of songs on the Dante's Arizona soundtrack: (as you'll see, we're in the stage of fiddling; most of the songs are "for sures" but some spots are up for grabs, as it depends on the mood of the scene after it's edited together. There's also a timing issue in dealing with editing--one of my obsessions is to have beats and rhythms coincide with actions and elements on the screen)
Dante's Arizona Soundtrack
1. Incorporated--Dead Hot Workshop2. Ned's Revenge--Chicken
3. Pay Your Dues--Mossy Rocks
4. Untrained--First Water
5. Raven--Easterling and Gildersleeve
6. Red Sky Waltz--Flathead
7. Phx--Chicken
8. Same Horse--Gloritone
9. Where's the Grey?--Hans Olson
10. Brand New--Ghetto Cowgirl
11. Don't Fuck With My Man Kyle--Sons of Serro
12. Whose Side Are You On?--The Gas Giants
13. Javier--Gloritone
14. Kill the Rich--Steppchild
15. Mercedes--Dead Hot Workshop
16. Grey Sails--Nicholas Holthaus