‘Juno’ soundtrack balances whimsical indie-folk with rock ‘n’ roll staples

“Juno” Soundtrack

The soundtrack to a feel-good film about teenage pregnancy opens with “All I Want Is You,” a silly love song by Barry Louis Polisar, who is known for writing children’s books, poems and songs. It’s an apt overture and a sly setup for what follows: a journey that bounces and sways from the heart of bedrock classic rock to the outskirts of oddball indie-folk.

The primary star of the music in “Juno” is Kimya Dawson, who appears here as a solo artist and as half of the avant-folk duo the Moldy Peaches. Hers is not a mainstream flavor.

Dawson’s little-girl voice and whimsical, play-school rhythms and melodies often masquerade the pathos and pain in some of her lyrics.

The music of “Juno” was assembled by the film’s director, Jason Reitman, and two veteran and decorated music supervisors, Peter Afterman and Margaret Yen. They’ve certified their indie relevance by including two songs from the fey Scottish folk-pop troupe Belle & Sebastian and Sonic Youth’s subversive remake of the Carpenters’ hit “Superstar.”

The producers also correctly calculated that a little Dawson and Belle & Sebastian goes a long way, so they added ballast and altered the mood by tossing in heavyweight material from other eras: the Kinks’ “A Well Respected Man”; Mott the Hoople’s cover of “All the Young Dudes”; Buddy Holly’s “Dearest.” They also bridge the distance between old cool and new by including “I’m Sticking With You” by the eternally hip Velvet Underground.

“Juno” is bound to draw comparisons to the beloved “Garden State” soundtrack, but there’s a difference. “Garden State” stands alone as a collection of worthy and well-organized songs; “Juno” is more attached to the movie and its love story.

TIMOTHY FINN, THE KANSAS CITY STAR

“MS. G.O.A.T.: Greatest of All Time” Lil’ Kim (mix tape)

A year and a half ago Lil’ Kim was released from prison. She broke her musical silence this month with a mix tape compiled by Whoo Kid and Mister Cee.

She recently told MTV she was leaving her longtime home, Atlantic Records, and to celebrate, she has made a fitfully entertaining mix tape. Some of her rhymes are alarmingly clumsy. (“Some wanna play Queen Bee like she dumb/I burn rappers like tanning under the sun.”) But it’s a relief to hear her sounding as brash as ever, even after a few difficult years.

She borrows beats from Lauryn Hill and the Lady of Rage; remakes a famous Notorious B.I.G. skit; adds her voice to hits by Britney Spears (“Gimme More”) and Gucci Mane (“Freaky Gurl”); and mercilessly taunts the competition, especially in the sing-song Track 10.

KELEFA SANNEH, NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

“Sky Blue” Maria Schneider Orchestra

Maria Schneider’s “Sky Blue” received Grammy nominations for best large jazz ensemble and instrumental composition, but might be the most overlooked of this year’s multiple nominees because it’s available only through the Internet (www.maria schneider.com), without in-store distribution, under the middleman-eliminating artistShare initiative, which enables her fans to directly support her recording projects.

Like Duke Ellington, Schneider writes compositions designed to showcase the improvisational talents of her musicians — many of whom have been with her since the orchestra’s 1993 debut. Clarinetist Perry Robinson deftly maneuvers through the shifting irregular meters of “Aires de Lando” based on Peruvian dance music, while tenor saxophonist Rich Perry is featured on the brooding, meditative “Rich’s Piece.”

Schneider has moved beyond the influence of her mentors Gil Evans and Bob Brookmeyer to develop a rich orchestral palette that enhances the standard big band format by adding Gary Versace’s accordion, Luciana Souza’s wordless vocals, and Latin percussion. Schneider is a masterful storyteller: For example, she recalls her childhood in rural Minnesota on the pastoral “The Pretty Road,” highlighted by Ingrid Jensen’s twisting solo on trumpet and fluegelhorn with electronic effects.

The album’s masterpiece is the Grammy-nominated, 22-minute composition “Cerulean Skies,” a tone poem reflecting Schneider’s passion for birdwatching. Its lush soundscape evokes the migratory flight of birds from the Brazilian rain forest to New York’s Central Park, with solos by saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Charles Pillow soaring over the orchestral backdrop, and ends with the band’s members imitating bird calls and an authentic field recording of a cerulean warbler.

With “Sky Blue,” her ensemble’s sixth recording, the 47-year-old Schneider has firmly cemented her standing as the pre-eminent jazz orchestra composer, arranger and leader on today’s scene.

CHARLES J. GANS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS