The Midnight Diaries of Catty Wampus

Last week I watched Josie and the Pussycats. That’s right, somehow I missed seeing it in the theatres when it came out in 2001.

Actually, I had no real interest in the movie at the time. It looked like another dip into the nostalgia barrel to make another movie from a television show like The Brady Bunch Movie or Bewitched. Actually, this was even a little bit lower than those because Josie and the Pussycats had been a cartoon and the movie was going to be live action; and we all remember how successful The Flintstones movie was.

But my interest was rekindled a few years later when I learned that the singing voice of Josie in the film was actually Kay Hanley, the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Letters to Cleo. I love her voice, and I knew that if she was connected with the music it couldn’t be all bad, right?

Then I heard that some of the songs were co-written by Adam Duritz, lead singer of another of my favorite bands, Counting Crows. Adam’s lyrics always make me pay attention, and I knew that if he was connected with the music it couldn’t be all bad, right?

I went out in search of the soundtrack. What I had expected was typical, forgettable pop music specifically tailored towards a teenage moviegoing public. It turns out I was half-right: the production of the songs on the album are definitely geared towards the under-20s. But I was wrong about the “forgettable” part.

The Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack is a great example of well-crafted teenybopper music that goes deeper musically and lyrically than you’d normally hear in, say, a song by Avril Levine or The Jonas Brothers.

The movie itself is, sadly, a little forgettable. It’s not a bad movie, but I can think of dozens of titles I’d recommend before this one.

So instead of critiquing the movie, I thought I would share one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack album. And if that inspires you to go grab a copy from the iTunes store, I won’t tell anyone that we’re both in the Josie and the Pussycats fanclub. Deal? Deal.

And now, with lyrics by Adam Duritz and Kay Hanley on vocals, this is Spin Around. Enjoy!