andy beta

A Moment Of Gratitude (With An Assist From Big Star)

noah | April 24, 2009 5:00 pm
noah | April 24, 2009 5:00 pm


As you might have noticed, this is a bittersweet week around here; because of budget cuts, we’ve had to say goodbye to pretty much all the Idolator contributing writers, from columnists to daily bloggers. The site is going to go on as a solo project of sorts, although the news cycle might run at a slightly slower pace. I just wanted to take a moment on this crappy day to thank everyone who’s contributed to the site during my tenure, from the people who helped me sift through the news cycle every day to the columnists, each of whom expanded the focus of the site. More »


noah | November 19, 2008 1:45 am
noah | November 19, 2008 1:45 am

Idolator’s Andy Beta delves into the story behind… More »


ZZ Top: The True Idea Men Behind “What Not To Wear”

noah | August 27, 2008 9:30 am
noah | August 27, 2008 9:30 am

Idolator film-music critic Andy Beta places the videos for “Gimme All Your Lovin’,”: “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs” under his critical microscope: “Under such pressure, these blue-collar boys encounter their fairy godfathers, ZZ Top (who appear like a mirage in the Texas Panhandle landscape), via… More »



“Paste” Goes The “World”

Michaelangelo Matos | July 16, 2008 9:45 am
Michaelangelo Matos | July 16, 2008 9:45 am

Just two days after pondering the idea of “world music” via The Believer’s new music issue, I ran across an actual music mag jumping into the same pool. More »


The Sun City Girls’ Alan Bishop Goes To The Movies

andybeta | May 23, 2008 10:00 am
andybeta | May 23, 2008 10:00 am

dc360.jpgEd. note: It’s time for another installment of “VHS Or Beta?”, where Andy Beta looks at the music behind the movies–from preserved-by-Criterion classics to completely inane summer blockbusters. In this installment, he talks to fellow film-music obsessive Alan Bishop about Ennio Morricone, underheralded score composers, and the work his group the Sun City Girls did on Harmony Korine’s latest movie, Mister Lonely:

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Wong Kar Wai Ladles Out A Few Blueberry-Stuffed Lullabyes

andybeta | April 25, 2008 12:00 pm
andybeta | April 25, 2008 12:00 pm

5087.jpgEd. note: It’s time for another installment of “VHS Or Beta?”, where Andy Beta looks at the music behind the movies–from preserved-by-Criterion classics to completely inane summer blockbusters. In this installment, he travels along America’s byways with Wong Kar Wai and his first English-language feature, My Blueberry Nights:

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The New York City Rhythms Of “Taxi Driver”

andybeta | January 18, 2008 9:30 am
andybeta | January 18, 2008 9:30 am


Ed. note: It’s time for another installment of “VHS Or Beta?”, where Andy Beta looks at the music behind the movies–from preserved-by-Criterion classics to completely inane summer blockbusters. In this installment, he looks at the music from Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic Taxi Driver:

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The Oscillations And Pulses Behind “The Andromeda Strain”

andybeta | December 14, 2007 1:30 am
andybeta | December 14, 2007 1:30 am

andromeda.jpgEd. note: It’s time for another installment of “VHS Or Beta?”, where Andy Beta looks at the music behind the movies–from preserved-by-Criterion classics to completely inane summer blockbusters. In this installment, he listens to the long-out-of-print–yet oddly of the moment–score for the 1971 bioterror thriller The Andromeda Strain.

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“I’m Not There” Puts Together Bob Dylan’s Pieces

andybeta | November 9, 2007 12:35 pm
andybeta | November 9, 2007 12:35 pm

imnotthere.jpgEd. note: It’s time for another installment of “VHS Or Beta?”, where Andy Beta looks at the music behind the movies–from preserved-by-Criterion classics to completely inane summer blockbusters. In this installment, he checks out Todd Haynes’ look at Bob Dylan’s multiple personalities, I’m Not There.

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“Hot Rod” Performs Some Stunts With Synths

andybeta | August 3, 2007 1:00 am
andybeta | August 3, 2007 1:00 am

hotrod.jpgEd. note: Today, we introduce “VHS Or Beta?”, a new column in which Andy Beta looks at the music behind the movies–from preserved-by-Criterion classics to completely inane summer blockbusters. In his opening column, he takes on the soundtrack to the Andy Samberg comedy Hot Rod, which, alas, is “Dick In A Box”-free.

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