Found Americana: A Couple Of Popular Movies Sneak In Some Good Songs

I was surprised lately to hear some really, really good music in a couple of popular movies lately.

One that's out in theatres right now is the The Astronaut Farmer with Billy Bob Thornton. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, as Billy Bob's a big Americana fan himself and the movie takes place in Texas, but it was a pleasant experience hearing Freddy Fender, the Texas Tornados, Dwight Yoakam, Neko Case, and Gillian Welch in a fairly big Hollywood movie. Also, the movie itself was a surprise. I wasn't expecting much, but I really enjoyed it! A great "family comes together" story with a backdrop of Texas tumbleweeds and giant Apollo rockets. Not bad.

But I was really surprised when I heard not one, not two, but three Steve Earle songs in a major Hollywood movie that I just recently saw on DVD -- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Okay, okay, I'm a big Will Ferrell fan. I proudly admit that the King of Dunces tickles my funny bone. (And he can do more than just act the fool, check out Stranger Than Fiction for a great, very under-the-top romantic comedy with another great soundtrack.)

However, I never expected to hear Steve Earle so prominently featured in a major Hollywood movie that's been seen by millions of people. They play Last of the Hardcore Troubadours as Ricky's "theme," playing it at the beginning to show his "arrival" into his character as a race car driver. Then they play the same song again when he "returns to himself" at the end, strengthening his character with a repeated music theme.

They also play I Feel Alright and Valentine's Day from Earle. They play several old Country classics here and there in the background, most notably King of the Road in a scene that reminds me greatly of the story from Grayson Capps' title track Wail and Ride. And what's that song over the closing credits? Oh, it's Johnny Hartford's Gentle On My Mind. Who's singing it? Oh, it's Lucinda Williams!

I guess I could expect some dusty Alt Country and Tex/Mex music in Astronaut Farmer, a smart movie with a well-known Americana music fan (and sometimes, but wretched, musician) as the star. However, I never expected such good music in a "dumb-boy-movie" about NASCAR drivers. A glut of bad Country would have been more the norm. Thank you, movie producers, however, for raising the bar!