Our favorite musical moments from this summer’s TV and movies

Plus, Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine at the Tiny Desk

View this email online Aug. 13, 2022 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing some TV and movies with great musical moments; plus, a collaborative Tiny Desk concert from Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine Courtesy of EPIX Earlier this summer, a small miracle occurred: Kate Bush was back on the charts. Her 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” racked up millions of streams on Spotify and broke into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. This was, of course, due in large part to the song’s inclusion in an episode of the Netflix show Stranger Things. Our team is full of longtime Kate Bush fans, and we were pretty thrilled for the growing cohort of newcomers to the fandom. (If you need a place to start — or maybe you’re an aspiring music supervisor looking for the perfect sync — we also put together a list of other songs by her that deserve a moment in the spotlight.) And though I’m still listening to “Running Up That Hill” on a regular basis, there are plenty of other great new movies and TV shows with wonderful music to tune into. I have been loving Women Who Rock, the four-part docuseries directed by writer Jessica Hopper. The series pays homage to a huge range of women artists, featuring interviews with icons like Mavis Staples, Nona Hendryx, Nancy Wilson, Chaka Khan, Kathleen Hanna, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent and more. In their own words, these artists talk about their music, their mentors and their legacies — as well as the challenges they faced in such a male-dominated industry. (As an added bonus, my colleague Ann Powers also provides commentary during the series.) It was fascinating to hear these artists’ stories about their careers, but I was even more delighted to hear each of them draw connections between their work and that of other women musicians — to be reminded of the impact of each generation’s work towards equality and liberation, in music and beyond. For more recommendations, I asked a few of my colleagues to tell me about what they’ve been watching. Editor Sheldon Pearce wrote to me about the Tollywood epic RRR, a three-hour blockbuster that became a smash on Netflix this summer. He gave me a little background about the storyline and the musical moment at its center: “In the film, fictional depictions of two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, cross paths in their divergent pursuits of liberation for their nation,” he writes. “It imagines Raju and Bheem as kindred spirits on a collision course — Bheem has come to Delhi from the Gond tribe in search of a young girl stolen from her mother by the British Raj, and Raju is the fast-rising officer tasked with catching him before he can disrupt crown rule. The film is filled with sumptuous sets and delirious action, but it turns on a poignant musical number, ‘Komuram Bheemudo.’ Raju captures Bheem before he can retrieve the girl; in an effort to make an example of this would-be rescuer, the sadistic English governor orders Bheem flogged at Raju’s hand until he can no longer stand. In that moment, as he refuses to let his knees touch the ground despite torture, Bheem performs a call to action for the throngs of Indians who have come to bear witness. He asks rhetorical questions of himself, all amounting to the same lesson: to submit to your oppressor is to dishonor your land’s history. Carried by resonant strings and resolute drums, his voice is defiant and heartening, as he reaches his people, including Raju.” Editor Hazel Cills also mentioned a particularly notable use of music in a movie — this one from the horror film Nope. “Jordan Peele may be a horror auteur these days, but at his core he's still a comedian — one who loves a well-placed gag,” she says. “That might be why he unearthed the silly, ’80s one-hit-wonder ‘Sunglasses at Night’ for his horror film Nope, a movie that's specifically about the consequences of staring at things you absolutely shouldn't be staring at. In any other context, hearing ‘Sunglasses at Night’ outside of 1983 is eyebrow-raising. In Nope, it's actually a sneaky tutorial on how to survive.” And production assistant Ashley Pointer recommended the new TV show Rap Sh!t: “Loosely based on the come-up of the City Girls, HBO Max’s Rap Sh!t documents the friendship and rise of two Black women trying to make it in the hip-hop game in Miami, in true grit fashion,” she says. “As expected from an Issa Rae production, the music curation is top-tier and the aesthetics of the show illustrate the nuances of navigating the music industry in a social media- and clout-driven age.” Lastly, a recommendation from Ann Powers: “After five seasons of dismissively confusing the English period crime show Peaky Blinders with Penny Dreadful, I binged the whole thing this summer, the very one in which its sixth and final season aired,” she writes. “I was hooked by Cillian Murphy’s contained, androgynous ferociousness as Edwardian-era boss Tommy Shelby, by the stellar supporting cast with many juicy roles for women, and by the foggy scenes of squalid Birmingham and the rocky gypsy North. But what really got me was the show’s unique use of music. Tapping only a few high-level auteurs — Nick Cave foremost, but also PJ Harvey, Radiohead and Sinead O’Connor — showrunner Stephen Knight incorporated their songs as signifiers of the characters’ inner lives, and of fate’s inexplicable turns, in a way I’d never heard done before. Most moving (minor spoiler!) was a child’s funeral scene soundtracked by O’Connor’s ‘In This Heart,’ a desolate air based on traditional sean nós singing. As it hung in the weighted air, I thought of my favorite Irish singer’s own hard life and the bitter challenges facing us all these days, and like the stoic Shelby in the most poignant Peaky Blinders scenes, I wept.” Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and hear: NPR The Tiny Desk team shared some incredible jazz performances this week. First, DOMi & JD BECK decorated the Tiny Desk with vibrant floral arrangements and gave a dazzling performance of tracks from the duo’s debut album; plus, the all-star players that make up The SFJAZZ Collective performed a selection of songs that reflect on isolation, social upheaval and hope. Also at the Desk: Tiny Desk alums Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine teamed up for a performance that brings a spirit of serious fun to each other's songs. And speaking of teamwork: This week’s All Songs Considered New Mix features some very special collaborations — including one between Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield and songwriter and singer Jess Williamson, plus a couple collaborations that are family affairs. And on New Music Friday, hear our panel discuss the surprisingly disarming dark pop of Bella Poarch, the brilliant new collaboration between Black Thought and Danger Mouse, the 30th anniversary edition of Check Your Head from the Beastie Boys and more great albums out this week. This week, the music community mourned the loss of two influential artists. Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier —  who, along with Brian and Eddie Holland, co-wrote dozens hits for The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops and others — died at age 81. And singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John — one of the biggest pop stars in the 1970s and early 1980s, and beloved for her breakout role as Sandy Olsson in the movie musical Grease — died at age 73.  This week, our friends at WNXP shared a video of Bonny Light Horseman performing live at the station’s Sonic Cathedral. One More Thing Biggie was talking about inflation, actually. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WMFE (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. 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