Shortbus Soundtrack Rides Strong with Old and New Artists

The opening sequence of Shortbus, in which Anita O'Day's "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" is intercut with a claymation New York, introduces the film with the promise of a soundtrack that will not quit. From Scott Matthew's original, ethereal songs performed within the film, to the final sequence in which Justin Bond and the Hungry March Band collapse into an orgy of sound in the musical number "In the End," the soundtrack of Shortbus plays a crucial role in the film's dramatic development. While part of the soundtrack relies on indie rock heavyweights such as Yo La Tengo, Azure Ray, and Animal Collective, filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell leaves room for less well-known artists such as The Ark, Lee and LeBlanc, and Gentlemen Reg. The upbeat is equally interspersed with the slower, more melodic songs of Scott Matthew, so that the parts create a fluid whole. Shortbus is one of the few soundtracks that can truly stand on its own outside the context of its film. See the movie, but get the soundtrack first.