New “Serial”/“This American Life” Podcast “S-Town” Features The Zombies, Helado Negro, More

The producers of “Serial” and “This American Life” have a new true crime podcast called “S-Town” that launched yesterday. Set in Woodstock, Alabama, “S-Town” (aka “Shittown”) investigates local resident John B. McLemore’s claims that a member of a well-to-do local family got away with murder. Nick Thorburn (Islands/The Unicorns) composed “Serial”’s score, and “S-Town” also features original music, as Stereogum points out. Electronic artist and producer Helado Negro, “This American Life” contributing music producer and drummer for Gym Class Heroes Matt McGinley, and composer and Spacebomb co-owner Trey Pollard (who has worked with Helado Negro, Matthew E. White, Foxygen, and the Waterboys) soundtrack the podcast’s seven episodes. Composer Daniel Hart (who has collaborated with St. Vincent, the Polyphonic Spree, and Broken Social Scene) not only wrote the podcast’s theme, but released an entire album of music for the series. The Zombies’ “A Rose for Emily,” off their 1968 LP Odessey and Oracle, ends each episode. The song retells William Faulkner’s Southern gothic short story of the same name. 

All “S-Town” episodes are now available to stream. 

Read Pitchfork’s feature “Helado Negro is Young, Latin and Proud” and interview with Nick Thorburn.   

Music From S-Town by Daniel Hart

Comments are closed.