For an entire generation of MTV kids, it is impossible to separate Faith No More's song 'Epic' with the image of a fish flopping desperately out of water. Frontman Mike Patton, who has been associated with an ever-growing plethora of bands and projects over the years, tells Spinner that the whole music/image thing has been inescapable for him in the 19 years since. "If I had a dime for every time I heard from either a writer or a fan, 'This sounds so much like a soundtrack,'" he says. "It's kind of like the default description when you don't know what the f--- else to say about a piece of music -- you say, 'It sounds cinematic.'"

And for once the writers are correct: Patton's latest release, 'A Perfect Place,' actually is an original motion picture soundtrack (for an independent short of the same name). Patton was so eager for his first proper soundtrack that the score is almost twice as long as the film itself, an otherwise silent, black and white crime caper. Patton originally met the filmmaker, Derrick Scocchera, through frequenting his laserdisc shop in San Francisco, and kept in touch with him when Scocchera closed the shop to work for Francis Ford Coppola. Eventually Scocchera founded Fantoma Films, of which Patton says he's a fan. "To be honest," he admits, "I didn't even need to see the script; I didn't even need the backstory."

The result, 'A Perfect Place,' sounds, well, cinematic.

Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Mr. Bungle

Fightin' Words: "That stupid white band that does horrible cover versions of black musicians." (Mr. Bungle's Trevor Dunn)

RHCP's Anthony Kiedis took exception to Mike Patton's stage presence in Faith No More, which he thought ripped off his own. When Patton later fronted Mr. Bungle, the bands were set to release albums ('California' and 'Californication') on the same day and label. Bungle's was pushed back. Kiedis insisted that they be removed from Chilis-headlined festivals. A miffed Patton said, "We are not even a speck of dust on this guy's ass!" Bungle later put on a Peppers parody, mocking several songs.

Judges' Decision: Mr. Bungle in a split decision: Score one for the longshot