NEW YORK (Epic Records) - Three weeks after its release, Epic Records' GARDEN STATE soundtrack continues to bloom, doubling its sales and shooting all the way to No 25 on Billboard's Top 200 and No 2 on its Top Soundtracks chart.
As audiences discover the acclaimed Fox Searchlight/Miramax film, its companion album has become the top-selling CD at Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and Amazon.com.
Each song on the soundtrack, hand-picked by the film's writer/director/star Zach Braff (Scrubs), plays an integral part in the film, lending depth and emotion to every scene, character and storyline. "Essentially, I just made a mix CD of the music that I felt was scoring my late twenties," he says. "I never imagined that so many people of so many different ages would respond to the same bands that inspire me. I guess the coolest thing about the soundtrack's success is that it shows the labels that there's a bona fide desire for this kind of music. That, and the fact that my grandmother's driving around Boca Raton cranking Coldplay."
Critics are also connecting with the image-rich soundtrack, which features an eclectic lineup of Grammy winners (Coldplay), indie darlings (The Shins) and cultural icons (Simon & Garfunkel). The Washington Post called Garden State "...an excellent primer on today's alt-rock heroes (Coldplay), beat miners (Zero 7, Thievery Corporation) and somber, sensitive acoustic strummers (Iron & Wine, Nick Drake)." Entertainment Weekly spotlighted GARDEN STATE on their "Must List," writing, "Coldplay, the Shins, and Simon & Garfunkel remind us of how much we loved Zach Braff's sweet gem of a film," and Rolling Stone put it on their "Hot List," saying, "With songs by the Shins, Remy Zero, and Iron and Wine, this CD is like a mix tape from a recent ex."
Called "this generation's The Graduate" by Spin, "Garden State" has grossed more than $11 million since its limited release on July 28th. The movie expands to 1,000 screens on September 3rd for the Labor Day Weekend.
The film stars Braff as Andrew Largeman, an actor shuffling through life in a lithium-induced coma. His mother's death inspires a vacation from the pills and a trip home, where he finds old acquaintances around every corner. By a twist of fate, he meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a girl who's everything he isn't. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam becomes a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth and fearlessness give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain of the infinite abyss that is life.
The track listing for Garden State is as follows:
1. "Don't Panic" - Coldplay
2. "Caring is Creepy" - The Shins
3. "In the Waiting Line" - Zero 7
4. "New Slang" - The Shins
5. "I Just Don't Think I'll Get Over You" - Colin Hay
6. "Blue Eyes" - Cary Brothers
7. "Fair" - Remy Zero
8. "One of These Things First" - Nick Drake
9. "Lebanese Blonde" - Thievery Corporation
10. "The Only Living Boy In New York" - Simon & Garfunkel
11. "Such Great Heights" - Iron and Wine
12. "Let Go" - Frou Frou
13. "Winding Road" - Bonnie Somerville
