The Plain White T's and Danny Elfman

Today I have some interesting music for you by a band whom I never expected to create music like this. The Plain White T's are generally a very sweet sounding band, with more acoustic and guitar oriented music. Their music is more along the lines of contemporary and more of a pop sound. Their most popular radio hits have been romantic ballads accompanied by a guitar and well performed melodies. But this song seems to be much more off the beaten path. Now I guess a precursor to the song is to explain that it was actually created to be a part of the Alice in Wonderland soundtrack. This being said, The Plain White T's had to create a song that was worthy of a Tim Burton film, in other words, something strange and out of the ordinary. And my oh my did they nail it! This song is such a wonderful expression of Tim Burton and his style, making it one of the greatest songs to accompany a movie of this caliber. Alice In Wonderland is a movie about a girl who gets swept into a world of magic and mystery and intrigue. This is also a movie that is not like its animated original, but is more of a steam punk take on the famous story. Which is why I fully appreciate what The Plain White T's did here with this song. They turned it into this vaudeville, cabaret masterpiece. I mean this is the kind of sound I would expect from Panic at the Disco! It is that well done. The Plain White T's took this song and worked it into this vividly imaginative masterpiece, one that encompasses the wildness and mystery and wonder that is Alice in Wonderland. The song starts out with some eerie chiming, giving way to a rhythmic guitar line. The entire song seems to give off that Cirque du Soleil kind of vibe, the kind of vibe we get when we see that steam punk kind of circus. That darker, more intriguing and mystifying kind of circus. The Plain White T's does include some of their punk rock elements into the song during the chorus, mainly with the way the electric guitar is used. But the song as a whole is definitely more of a baroque kind of song, and I love that. One of the coolest things about this song is the vocals. There is this slight echo to the vocals, kind of like there are multiple layers of the same vocal line layered on top of each, giving the vocals somewhat of a fuzzy sound. It isn't that you cannot understand what is being sung, but it is the tonality and clarity with which you hear. The vocals are just a tad bit fuzzed out, given a little bit of a tinny and electronic sound. This is absolutely perfect for the kind of mood that The Plain White T's are going for with this song, and I have to say, this is some of the best branching out I have heard! It isn't easy for bands to get this far out of their comfort zones, but the novelty of this song is absolutely brilliant. I am honestly kind of blown away by how incredible of a job The Plain White T's did with this song, and the beautiful contribution it gives to the Tim Burton film. Today's instrumental song is from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. The composer of this film score is a man who knows that very eclectic style of music so well that no one else can compose scores the way he does. Danny Elfman is a man who has created some amazing movie scores, for some of the most interesting and even weird movies. Most Tim Burton movies have been scored by Danny Elfman, which should tell you how brilliant he is at is craft, and how the compatibility between the former and latter makes the music sound. This song is just amazing, with all the quirks and intrigues of a Tim Burton film. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!