Intellimusica

A Real Hero Drive (2011) was a great movie — artful in the way it introduced an 80s aesthetic while still being set in the present day. The soundtrack was excellent, punctuated with synthwave (or retrowave) producers like College, Kavinsky, and Desire. Music built around […]

Left Behind (The Journey) I’ve always loved this piece, originally titled “Left Behind (Together)” from The Last of Us Vol. 2 — which is actually the soundtrack for the Left Behind DLC  (the first game’s expansion). I’m not a gamer, and in case you’re not […]

I Suppose We Could Go Anywhere I’m consistently amazed at how HBO knocks it out of the park — specifically with the Game of Thrones universe. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a slightly upbeat departure in tone, but still carried all the shock […]

“Seattle Arrival” Big thanks to Sam, one of my readers who clued me into this track. I’m a Gustavo Santaolalla superfan — but I’m not a gamer, so I had no idea this song existed. It’s an untitled and unreleased track from The Last of […]

Together Again The BBC/Hulu limited series Normal People has been recommended to me for years. I’ve always loved the music, and I was deeply familiar with the minimalist piano soundtrack by Irish composer Stephen Rennicks long before I actually watched the show. Having just finished […]

To the High Fells “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” — Henry David Thoreau I love trail running—even more than playing guitar. I live in Western Pennsylvania, where the topography is a relentless series of foothills building […]

What Do You Know? I’ve seen Alex Garland’s Annihilation a few times now. If you haven’t watched it, it’s a beautiful, unsettling science fiction trip. Starring Natalie Portman and directed by Garland (Ex Machina), the film follows a biologist into “The Shimmer”—a mysterious zone where […]

The Luck Is Ours Alone While Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon focus on the high-stakes maneuvering of kings, queens, and Great Houses—A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a refreshing, more intimate look at George R.R. Martin’s world. Based on the Tales […]

Can’t Help falling in Love Elvis Presley’s performance of “Unchained Melody” — recorded just weeks before he passed — is one of the greatest moments in American Rock & Roll history. I eventually arranged that piece myself. Not quite as dramatic as Elvis, but his […]

Leaving the Reach A Game of Thrones spinoff has a new composer! Welcome, Dan Romer — you are totally awesome. The soundtrack for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is inextricable from the show. The music feels like a hidden character or bard lending unspoken […]

Your Choices, Your Actions This sentimental, acoustic-driven song accompanies a scene in the latest Superman movie where Clark expresses fear that he was sent to Earth to “hurt people,” based on a message from his biological parents. Pa Kent counters this with a quietly powerful […]

Chains of Love I love the concept of the Wuthering Heights soundtrack; pairing the hyperpop energy of Charli xcx with a romantic period piece is an inspired choice. It’s a fascinating departure for Charli xcx, whose typical sound is up-tempo and experimental, rather than the […]