by Julian Lim

Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET time-warped into the streets of the modern world, with guns and gangs and goggle-box a-blazing, and really cool music playing on the soundtrack? Wowee, whoída thunk it? Well, Leonard Bernstein for one. But weíre not talking about West Side Story here. The soundtrack for Baz Luhrmannís MTV-friendly ROMEO & JULIET assembles some of the most happening young bands, and songs so utterly diverting they may well threaten to turn the movie into a mere promotional video for the music.

Garbage kicks off the proceedings with "#1 Crush," an acidic hymn to adolescent obsession. Everclear performs an enjoyably boisterous piece of short-haired punk (though the line "We do what we want" seems borrowed from Big Blackís "Jordan, Minnesota" - and the comparison leaves Everclear looking somewhat pale). The Butthole Surfersí "Whatever" serves up more irreverent takes on Shakespeare ("Juliet is up in heaven, a pocket full of pills, and Jesus drives to Mexico, to get her prescription filled.")

It's not all alterna-rock, though, and the soundtrack reflects the movieís own mood swings. Gavin Friday and Desíree up the love-ballad-croon quotient, though Fridayís delicate, teen-breathed "Angel" hits the spot much better than Desíreeís drippy, strings-and-piano-sugared "Kissing You." "Pretty Piece of Flesh," an acerbic rap by Nellee Hopperís band One Inch Punch, grates after a few listens.

Among the more unexpected pleasures is the disco classic "Young Hearts Run Free" by Kym Mazelle (so retro it seems perfect for the filmís costume party chameleon feel), as well as the old dance hit "Everybodyís Free", transformed into a gospel-chorale by Quindon Tarver

The Cardigans provide the most obvious hit, Lovefool, (and a great song it is, too), while another honey-voiced Swedish grrl, Stina Nordenstam, sings "Little Star," a magical lullaby that (in a just world, if you can find one) ought to be a hit as well.

The best gems are saved for the last. Mundyís "To You I Bestow" is beautiful stuff, even managing a near-Shakepearean cadence: "I will give you the stars from the bruised evening sky." "Talk Show Host" is one of the best things Radiohead has done, with a seductive, sidewinding rhythm and distortion-fed drumming. And The Wannadies' "You and Me Song" begins as a quiet bossa nova number, then bursts into shimmering, soaraway pop chorus. Itís a brilliant finale to a soundtrack that is, for the most part, a gun-barrel of fun.