Cinepocalypse organizers have joined forces with Creep Records for the release of their first vinyl record, the soundtrack to Jenn Wexler’s acclaimed punk slasher The Ranger. The Soundtrack will include 20 tracks of punk rock and country including songs from FANG, Authorities, The Avengers, the Lobstrosities and 4 songs by Rotten UK who performed live in the movie. The soundtrack for the film was curated by Middagh Goodwin and the cover/art design by Alan N. Smithee(Mr Lobo.)
The Ranger OST is set for a release date of June 14th, with a double gatefold cover accented with chrome foiling over The Ranger logo and on hot pink vinyl. All 500 copies will be hand numbered with a super limited version of 200 which will include the film’s synth-driven score by Wade McNeil and Andrew Macpherson on black vinyl.
Pre-order now, records will be on hand to purchase throughout Cinepocalypse, June 13-20 at the Music Box in Chicago.
In many ways, the Ranger like its soundtrack is forty years in the making. Jenn Wexler and Giaco Furino story set in 1980 dreamland draw inspiration from classic horror movies from the ’80s and ’90s. The songs used in the Ranger, span four decades from the Authorities 1979 to The Polyester Wags 2018. The music was curated to act as a supporting cast member, helping to drive the pacing and momentum of the film. The songs chosen were not because they were hits or by well-known artists, instead picked because they fit the mood and pacing of the scene.
In true DIY fashion, a call was put out to see which bands wanted to let us use their “babies” to be part of an Indie Slasher Film with the next great American Punk Rock Soundtrack in the vein of Repo-Man or Return of the Living Dead. The response was amazing and soon we had more songs then we could ever hope to use. There were a few bands that Wexler really wanted, so I wrote to them some I was friends which made it easier others we had to court to finalize using their music. Two such bands were The Avengers and Fang. There were others that unfortunately due to time constraints or issues with who owned syncing and publishing rights we were not able to acquire. Maybe we will see them on the Return of the Ranger.
The Bud Perry and Ronnie Masters songs almost didn’t make it onto this release. Wexler licensed the rights to use in the film but not elsewhere. It took some time, and several rabbit holes were gone down to track down and receive the consent to use those tracks. Unfortunately, Bud Perry had passed away. By digging, I was able to get in touch with his grandson Chris Perry who was able to put me in touch with Bud’s manager and Co-Writer of the song. Harry Eckert and the Perry estate were more than thrilled to sign off. Next, I had to find not just Ron Masters but Roy Ownbey who wrote and owned the publishing. I tracked Ron down through a family member on Facebook, and he had two emails for Roy, one of which was current. Both Roy and Ron were more than happy to sign off and give these songs a new lease on life.
It was very critical to all of us involved that the OST release was complete. We know the value that these songs have and the importance to share them all with you. On this release, you have 20 songs performed by 15 artists spanning 40 years. We encourage you to go out and pick up the records by all these great acts some you might have to dig deep just like us to find, but in the end, we are sure you will be thrilled you did.
Along with the 20 songs, there are 12 tracks for the score along with the 2 Black Lungs songs, written and recorded by Wade McNeil and Andrew Macpherson specifically for the movie. That is a ridiculous amount of music to be used in any film let alone an independent.
Thanks to the Avengers, The Authorities, Dayglo Abortions, FANG, The GRIM, The Atom Age, Rotten UK, Black Lungs, The NERV, Bud Perry, Ronnie Masters, The Lobstrosities, The Polyester Wags, Shayfer James, Charlie Rich and all the other bands that were behind us on this project.
Middagh Goodwin-Music Supervisor
SIDE A
- Charlie Rich – The Most Beautiful Girl
- Rotten UK – Animal Sacrifice
- Rotten UK – Long Kiss Goodbye
- Rotten UK – Siouxsie Sioux
- Rotten UK – Dark Times
- Shayfer James – Two Dollars and a Dime
- Black Lungs — Blood Blood Blood
- The Grim – Cop Killer
- The Avengers – Teenage Rebel
- Ronnie Masters – The Days Never End (And The Nights Keep Coming Too Soon)
SIDE B
- The Polyester Wags – Stockton (Full of Gold)
- The Atom Age – It’s a Mess
- Fang – We Die Alone
- The Authorities – Shot in the Head
- The Nerv – Truth Be Told
- Black Lungs — Graveyard Dirt
- Dayglo Abortions – Used to Be In Love
- The Lobstrosities – Gasher
- Bud Perry – Alone Again
- The Avengers – The Good, The Bad and The Kowalskis
