Staff Picks Blog

If you’ve been to the movies in the last 15 years, you’ve probably heard a soundtrack score by Thomas Newman. The son of legendary Hollywood composer Alfred Newman, and the cousin of singer-composer Randy Newman, he’s made his own mark with soundtracks to American Beauty, Six Feet Under, Angels in America, The Road to Perdition, Finding Nemo, Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events, and many others. Add to his list of remarkable works the soundtracks to The Good German, and Little Children, both 2006. His sound is distinctive because of his use of unusual and slightly off-tune instruments and his playful percussive backgrounds. When I see his name in a movie’s credits, I look forward to an interesting and memorable score to come.