Future Soundtrack for America

Future Soundtrack for America is a benefit album for Music for America and MoveOn.org released in 2004 by Barsuk Records and McSweeney's and compiled by Spike Jonze and They Might Be Giants' founding member John Flansburgh. Each CD bore the legend, "100% of our profits from this CD will go to non-profit progressive organizations working to involve more Americans in our political process, to advocate for ordinary people and traditional American values, and to help keep the United States a country all of us can be proud of. Thank you for your support." Most songs were either rare or exclusive to this compilation album at the time it was released. The CD was also included in The Future Dictionary of America, published simultaneously by McSweeney's.

Future Soundtrack for America
Compilation album by
Various artists
ReleasedAugust 17, 2004
RecordedVarious
GenreAlternative, indie rock, folk, hip hop
LabelBarsuk Records
ProducerVarious
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone link
Allmusic link
Pitchfork Media(7.4/10) link

At a They Might Be Giants concert at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California, the night before its release, Flansburgh had this to say about the album: "We made some very, very cold, cold calls to our...fake, fake rock friends that we don't even know, to talk them into being on this thing, ladies and gentlemen." He then added, "One more thing: If you're not registered to vote, what's up with that?"

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."This Will Be Our Year" (The Zombies cover)Chris WhiteOK Go2:05
2."Ain't Got So Far to Go"David ByrneDavid Byrne4:07
3."Game of Pricks (BBC Evening Session)" (Guided by Voices cover)Robert PollardJimmy Eat World1:53
4."This Temporary Life"Benjamin Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Jason McGerr, Chris WallaDeath Cab for Cutie4:37
5."I Miss You" (James Guthrie mix)Travis Barker, Tom DeLonge, Mark HoppusBlink-1824:26
6."Move On"Mike DoughtyMike Doughty4:14
7."Jerry Falwell Destroyed Earth"Ben KwellerBen Kweller1:22
8."Off with Your Head"Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet WeissSleater-Kinney2:27
9."Final Straw" (MoveOn mix)Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael StipeR.E.M.4:07
10."Going for the Gold" (live, probably Feb. 24, 2004, Loew's Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, NJ)Conor OberstBright Eyes5:46
11."The Commander Thinks Aloud" (Future Mix)John RoderickThe Long Winters4:20
12."Money" (feat. Huck Fynn, Oezlem, and the Horn Dogs)William Adamswill.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas4:10
13."Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" (a campaign song from the US presidential election of 1840)Alexander Coffman Ross (lyrics)They Might Be Giants1:39
14."The Ballad of David Icke"Eef BarzelayClem Snide1:51
15."Date With the Night" (live, March 17, 2004, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA)Yeah Yeah YeahsYeah Yeah Yeahs3:03
16."Everything's Ruined" (acoustic)Chris Collingwood, Adam SchlesingerFountains of Wayne2:22
17."Your Legs Grow"Matthew Caws, Ira Elliot, Daniel LorcaNada Surf2:45
18."Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" (live on the BBC)Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Dave Fridmann, Michael IvinsThe Flaming Lips3:29
19."Northern Line"David Roback, Kendra SmithOld 97's4:24
20."Sam Stone" (John Prine cover)John PrineLaura Cantrell4:44
21."Day After Tomorrow"Tom Waits, Kathleen BrennanTom Waits5:59
22."A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to Be Free"Elliott SmithElliott Smith4:31
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