About a month ago, I blogged that the soundtrack to Spider-Man 3 might not suck. And, in fact, it does not. Featuring powerhouse songs from the likes of The Flaming Lips, Rogue Wave, Wolfmother, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (among others), it's a pretty solid compilation. Of course, practically none of these new songs are actually in the film. Taken as simply a compilation of good bands, though, the soundtrack is successfully a good album. I can't recall the last time a big-studio pop soundtrack delivered in such a way. It's lately been the smaller, indie or indie-minded films that have impressed with great selections. And, rarely are these selections anything more than a mix CD of vintage tunes. In the case of Spider-Man 3, you're hearing new songs by newer artists, and they rival some of the previously released work on the artists' own albums.