Producer Stewart Lerman and Boardwalk Empire music supervisor Randall Poster have put together a collection of prohibition-era hits with instrumentation from Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. This record, which is actually the second volume (with the first winning a Grammy no less), features a wide range of guest vocals from well known faces – from The National and St. Vincent to Neko Case, Elvis Costello and Liza Minnelli. Members of the show’s cast also contribute, including Stephen DeRosa and Margot Bingham.

Poster, who has worked for a number of the top directors including Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson and Sam Mendes, says,

“Boardwalk Empire provides an incredible back drop for music.  It’s been a steady treat to mark the passing of time in song over the course of four seasons.

Terry Winters, Martin Scorsese and the entire Boardwalk Empire team inspire the sound of the episodes as we move from the streets and alleys of Atlantic City to the smoky rooms of Al Capone’s Chicago and on down into the tropics of Florida. This compilation celebrates the mastery of all the artists involved.”

You don’t have to be a fan of the show to appreciate this album. Where else are you going to find such a collection of heavyweight acts all in one place? I am by no means a connoisseur of 1920s music, but it sounds good to me. Check out The National covering Isham Jones below.

The soundtrack is out now on ABKCO Records

The post Boardwalk Empire OST appeared first on Various Small Flames.

15. Tune Yards – W H O K I L L
(4AD)

14. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
(Mexican Summer/Software)

13. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
(Fat Possum/Lefse)

12. Parts & Labor – Constant Future
(Jagjaguwar)

11. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
(XL/TBD)

10. Clams Casino – Instrumentals Mixtape
(Self Released)

9. South of Lincoln – Homes

 (Self Released)

8. Blanck Mass – Blanck Mass
(Rock Action)

7. Conrad Plymouth – Comrade Plymouth
(Ten Atoms)

6. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
(4AD)

5. The Antlers – Burst Apart
(French Kiss/Transgressive)

4. Gil Scott Heron / Jamie XX – We’re New Here
(XL/Young Turks)

3. James Blake – James Blake
(A&M/Atlas)

2. Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital
(Sub Pop)

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
(4AD/Jagjaguwar)

If you’d like a sample of the above, check out the Wake The Deaf Top Albums of 2011 playlist on Spotify. Click here to be taken straight there.

The post Wake the Deaf’s Top 15 Albums of 2011 appeared first on Various Small Flames.