INTO THE WILD is based on a true story and the bestselling book by Jon Krakauer. Synopsis: After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, he encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Sounds like a decent plot, no? It reminds me of the classic Kerouac novel, On The Road, in which Dean Moriarty ventured west to live life as a drifter (or “beat” as Kerouac calls it). Shortly after reading this book, I became fascinated with the counterculture movement and the existential notion of finding higher meaning in life by rejecting the social norms (thanks, Nietzsche). I feel these concepts tie in nicely with the spirit of the indie music scene. Indie music, to me, is the unhampered freedom to express yourself through art with no outside control. It’s a beautiful thing.

Let’s get back to Into the Wild. Immediately after viewing the trailer for this movie, it became my #1 looking-forward-to-it film of the year. Not only is it being released via Paramount Vantage (smaller, “art-house” film distributor) but also features a soundtrack full of solo material from rock legend Eddie Vedder. Ah, now I know what you’re thinking…

Yes, Pearl Jam’s first three albums were massive commercial successes. However, this is still the same guy who alleged a Ticketmaster monopoly and lost a ton of support from the corporate realm in the 90’s. It’s important to note that around this time, Vedder began to steer the group in a non-commercial direction… allowing the music to re-earn its alternative label.

I’ve heard samples of his solo material from this soundtrack and it’s totally awesome! In lieu of the soundtrack release, Vedder has announced a solo tour this Fall. If he comes by your city, be sure to check it out. Perhaps he’ll use his presence on-stage to speak freely on the upcoming Presidential election (just as he did in ‘04). At some point in a superstar career, I believe the fortune and fame means far less than the effort to engage the fans on issues of importance. Glad to see that Eddie Vedder is staying real with the artist within.

Speaking of staying real… most of you know that commercial-music juggernauts Kanye West and 50 Cent have a new album out. Guess who out-sold who? Yup, Kanye. Why? Because he’s more creative. But before you start pouring out a little vitaminwater formula 50 in memory of a once-dominant career, please note that Fiddy has renegged on his vow to retire if his album was outsold. How real is that?