I was late to the game (excuse the pun) when it came to the amazing TV show Friday Night Lights. Friends had gone on and on...and on and on about how fantastic it was, how the writing was so great, the characters, etc. Finally, one weekend when Marcus was out of town I decided to hunker down and try a few episodes on Netflix. I’m not one to watch a ton of TV but I could not pull myself away and I watched the entire first season. It...was...incredible and lived up to the hype. Sadly, much like my beloved West Wing, Friday Night Lights was over all too soon.
Something that subtly stood out to me was the music used on the show. It fit the setting and characters perfectly and, much to my delight, I found that W. G. Snuffy Walden did the music for FNL, as he did West Wing. I chalked the musical bed being his genius and went to iTunes to see if it was available. I later found out that a good chunk of the musical beds that I thought were written for the show were actually by an Austin based band called Explosions in the Sky.
Come to find out my husband has been a fan of theirs for years and we already had their albums in our iTunes. Go figure. Explosions in the Sky are considered a “post-rock” band that features three electric guitars and drums for what they call “cathartic mini-symphonies.” It’s incredibly moody and elaborate music that comes at you in waves. It’s very timid and delicate at times but then crashes down like a wave with a wall of sound. It’s pretty incredible.
Their song titles are quite interesting too. Several of my favorites are “First Breath After Coma,” “The Birth and Death Of The Day,” and “Remember Me As A Time Of Day.” This is my go-to band when I have to get work done and just need warm sound spurring my brain on.
If you’re one who likes movie soundtracks that feature big, full sounds Explosions in the Sky just might be the ticket for you. And while you’re at it...try Friday Night Lights as well :)
