Drake Lelane,  Oct 12, 2006 I've never really been much of a football fan, so it surprises me how enthralled I am with NBC's new series Friday Night Lights. It could be because many of the same hands that sculpted the critically acclaimed movie are involved in the series (director Peter Berg, producer Brian Grazer), but I'm thinking it might also be that the music for the series is quite possibly the most inventive of any series this year.

Just as they did for the movie, the East Texas indie rock band Explosions in the Sky supply the incidental music, and since they write to the sweeping landscapes of their home, their music fits the mood so well, it's almost eerie. Their underlying melancholy moves from ambient to epic as we're taken through the Dillon, Texas, landscape, from the hospital room to the football fields (and back again).

Last night also featured one of my favorite bands right now, TV on the Radio, and when "Wolf Like Me" blared through a football practice montage it was hard to hide the goosebumps. If that wasn't enough, the end of the episode featured the Daniel Johnston song "Devil Town" (covered by Tony Lucca). Johnston's a Texas native and cult icon who suffers from a bipolar disorder which makes for some surreal and childlike songwriting. It's no surprise that they used a cover, as prime time isn't ready for him, but I wish they'd used Bright Eyes' excellent version instead.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 102

Tracks:
1. "Remember Me As A Time Of Day" - Explosions In The Sky - Intro
2. "Remember The Name (Instrumental)" - Fort Minor - Theme/opening credits
3. "Wolf Like Me" - TV On The Radio - Football practice
4. "Your Hand in Mine" - Explosions In The Sky - Hospital scene with Coach Taylor and Street
5. "Idlewild Blues" - Outkast - Tyra hits on Smash
6. "Devil Town" - Daniel Johnston - Original version of song that ends the episode

drake lelane
going long on the music blog thus spake drake