Like the show that spawned it, the hip and eclectic soundtrack to Rollergirls celebrates strong women, roller skating, Texas, and badassery of all kinds.
The Donnas -- who often come across like an actual roller derby team -- kick things off with the taunting, shouty "Play My Game," a perfect fit for the show's attitude. Likewise, the thrash-pop of the Sweethearts' "Never Give Up" manages to be empowering without being mushy about it.
Vaughan Penn's "Ready to Rise" and
Angie Heaton's "Rollerskate" are pretty melodic but still pretty tough; meanwhile,
Kacy Crowley's acoustic ballad "Badass" and
Ani DiFranco's seven-minute version of "Amazing Grace" are a reminder that strong doesn't always mean pushy.
The Addictions' "Rollergirl" -- an unrepentantly sleazy cock-rock fantasy -- makes an interesting counterpoint to all of the album's female-sung tracks, especially since it's followed by Jaime Paxton's "Five Years," an unflinching, wry breakup song (sounds like she was involved with someone like the guys in the Addictions).
Dale Watson's "Way Down Texas Way" and
Bob Log III's "Log Bomb" capture Rollergirls' low-slung, swaggering Southern atmosphere, while Red Meat contributes a tribute to "the girl with the biggest hair and the longest nails"; in the show's context, the biggest hair just means more padding and the longest nails are extra weapons. Jean Shy's fabulous "Rollerderby World" is the soundtrack's only nod to the venerable roller-disco style; while it's too bad more songs like this aren't on the soundtrack,
Rollergirls is such a blast that it's hard to be too disappointed. ~ Heather Phares