No Garden-variety Soundtrack

Garden State compilation attracts an audience far beyond the movie

Back when actor Zach Braff of the medical sitcom Scrubs was shopping around a movie project, he sent out a screenplay that he'd written and, with it, a mix CD of songs he wanted to use in certain scenes. The story, as told in show-business circles, is that several studio executives tossed the script and kept the CD.

As if tipping his hat, Braff wound up using a typically wistful Simon & Garfunkel song, The Only Living Boy in New York, on his soundtrack. Rock band Coldplay, the late English folk singer Nick Drake and former Men at Work singer Colin Hay also appear on the collection. But most of the 13 tracks are performed by artists with smaller followings: Thievery Corporation, Bonnie Somerville, Iron & Wine and Brothers.

"This was a case where the soundtrack came together really for a love of music," Brothers says. "The songs were not in there because some label said, `Oh this is our next release and were going to push this.' It was very organic. It was like a mix tape your best friend made for you. I think that's what people responded to, that mix-tape feel."

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