# Music for the um..."altered".
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 24, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654 "2009-03-24T22:10:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/1 "2009-03-24T22:10:06Z")
So, I have a pretty interesting collection of music that I listen to when I’m partaking in things that are currently illegal under US law. The problem is, I’m itching for new stuff. I prefer things that have lyrics, but are long and epic. I love good guitar, but I prefer my guitar music to be absurdly long and crazy solos more than simply loud and bombastic. I like electronica, but I have a particular disdain for really thumpy , bass-heavy dance music. I like things with a darker edge as well.
I thought I would supply a cross-section of the music I enjoy and see if you folks can suggest anything that help elevate the experience. Thanks a bunch.
**Panda Bear** _Bros_
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JBU9KlBJWo)
**Smashing Pumpkins** _Starla_
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnFeCex032g)
**Boris** _Farewell_
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeSwal4jqyk)
**TV On The Radio** _Wolf Like Me_
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUB1xSAAADk)
**MIA** _Bamboo Banga_ (ok I know I said no boom-boom, but I like this)
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-K5PwwML2Q)
I also like Boards of Canada, Radiohead, Animal Collective and well the list goes on. If anyone has any suggestions, preferably with a link or two, I would be forever grateful.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/2 "2009-03-24T22:13:24Z")
William Orbit, “Water on a Vine Leaf”
Miles Davis, Tribute to Jack Johnson
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/3 "2009-03-24T22:19:42Z")
When I saw this thread title, I thought that “altered” was a euphemism for spayed or neutered. Which makes the topic much odder.
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### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/4 "2009-03-24T22:21:45Z")
> [@WordMan](#):
>
> Miles Davis, Tribute to Jack Johnson
This is amazing. Checking it out on YouTube right now.
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/5 "2009-03-24T22:22:36Z")
Please, anything but stupid repetitive boring-ass musical-masturbation by “jam bands” like Phish. WHY DO PEOPLE LISTEN TO THAT STUFF WHEN THEY’RE STONED?! The weed doesn’t make it good music!
My own tastes are pretty wildly varying, but it’s hard to go wrong with _Abbey Road_ (by the way - the transition from “you never give me your money” to “sun king” sounds like you’re exiting a very crowded, noisy party, and walking out into the backyard, with crickets chirping.)
Also prog rock like YES especially their mind-blowing epic songs, like the cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s _America_.
Todd Rundgren: _A Wizard, A True Star._ One of the most psychedelic albums of all time.
Going back a little further - the sublime harmonies of the Beach Boys are even more sublime when you’re…you know.
The Sea and Cake takes on a hypnotic quality - especially everything from _The Biz._
Steely Dan - if you focus on the music and don’t try too hard to analyze the lyrics.
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### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/6 "2009-03-24T22:30:54Z")
Oh yeah, I agree. I’m not much into jam band music. The Dead, Phish bands like that do nothing for me.
And The Sea and Cake is a new one to me…they might have potential. Just listened to Weekend, it has the right idea…perhaps a little too happy. But I’m going to dive into them. Thanks for the suggestions!
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/7 "2009-03-24T22:31:09Z")
Lou Reed’s [Metal Machine Music](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I5OtlKjzJo).
Honest. 😃
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/8 "2009-03-24T22:32:08Z")
Kyuss, _Blues for the Red Sun_
Ulver, _Perdition City_ (if you want dark, this is dark)
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/9 "2009-03-24T22:46:04Z")
Husker Du, “Reoccurring Dreams”.
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### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/10 "2009-03-24T22:57:17Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> Kyuss, _Blues for the Red Sun_
> Ulver, _Perdition City_ (if you want dark, this is dark)
Ulver was a great suggestion. Right up my alley. Not an all the time thing but I could get into that.
Kyuss is an old fave of mine. Thanks.
Great call on Husker Du. Long time fan.
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### Author:  [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/11 "2009-03-24T23:16:26Z")
Highly (har) recommend the new **Animal Collective** album. Specifically the song [In the Flowers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY8WH8qgBLM). My… um… friend just had a wonderful sunday in part because of this.
An old standby for this genre is **Jimi Hendrix**. _3rd Stone from the Sun_ and _1983… and a Merman I Shall Be_ always get the job done. Unfortunately I can’t find any decent youtube versions, they are all crappy covers and live versions.
Oops you already said AC. OK I can add to the list: [Grandaddy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Xhy9Ho7ng), [Apples in Stereo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upGq0xfnU6A), and [Mouse on Mars](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yITIyFE6uqo). I got a million of em, just need to track em all down =D
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### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/12 "2009-03-24T23:29:42Z")
> [@HoboStew](#):
>
> OK I can add to the list: [Grandaddy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Xhy9Ho7ng), [Apples in Stereo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upGq0xfnU6A), and [Mouse on Mars](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yITIyFE6uqo). I got a million of em, just need to track em all down =D
Exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for. Never heard of Grandaddy or Apples. Thanks alot! I’m going to enjoy these two bands for sure.
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### Author:  [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/13 "2009-03-24T23:36:08Z")
Stereolab w/ Nurse With Wound “Simple Headphone Mind” …dude…
Also…
Amon Tobin - _Permutations_
Black Mountain - _Black Mountain_
Buckethead - _Giant Robot_
Dose-One w/Boom-Bip - _Circle_
Dungen - _Ta Det Lugnt_
Electrelane - _Rocket To The Moon_
Final Fantasy - _He Poos Clouds_
The Mars Volta - _Francis The Mute_
Murder By Death - _Who Will Survive And What Will Become Of Them_
Sole and the Skyrider Band - \*Sole and the Skyriderband \*(hip-hop meets post-rock)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - _Of Natural History_
ETA: I’ll dig up some youtube links when I get home.
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### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [March 24, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/14 "2009-03-24T23:52:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> When I saw this thread title, I thought that “altered” was a euphemism for spayed or neutered. Which makes the topic much odder.
I have to say that’s **exactly** what I thought when I saw the title. A definite “:dubious: ?” moment.
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### Author:  [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/15 "2009-03-25T00:04:26Z")
It depends on the ingested substance(s).
When I used to indulge in the occasional mental enema courtesy of Dr. Hoffman, I would listen to Hawkwind and Mermen.
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### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/16 "2009-03-25T00:06:13Z")
> [@Jettboy](#):
>
> It depends on the ingested substance(s).
>
> When I used to indulge in the occasional mental enema courtesy of Dr. Hoffman, I would listen to Hawkwind and Mermen.
Besides the usual green leafy substances…I was more thinking music that would go with being sweaty, dancing around the house and drinking lots of water.
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### Author:  [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/17 "2009-03-25T00:22:07Z")
Have you listened to “Danse Manatee” or “Here Comes the Indian” (both are Animal Collective records) on decent-to-great headphones? That’s a pretty religious experience, sober or not, if you already like them. Songs like Too Soon, Ahh Good Country, Infant Dressing Table, and The Living Toys are incredible. Other bands that might work for you are Earth, Fu(k Buttons (both are noise/drone rock), Neu!, and The Orb (The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld is one of the greatest things ever created).
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### Author:  [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/18 "2009-03-25T00:27:40Z")
Some great suggestions, already! Thanks. I’m going to pop on some headphones and go spelunking into some of the things suggested already. I let you guys know tomorrow what I think.
Thanks again. This board always comes through.😃
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### Author:  [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/19 "2009-03-25T00:41:36Z")
I generally dig high-energy power pop, which isn’t really mood music, but there are times when it’s good to push the envelope…
**Kraftwerk** _Radioactivity_ They laid off the fey Eurodisco and got weird on this one. I don’t know from Industrial music, but this album \*must \*be an influence. This album will give you a headrush.
**Split Enz** _Mental Notes_ not the original, but the re-recorded version with Phil Manzanera producing…it was also called _Second Thoughts_ on some releases. I might be biased here, because I had a real experience getting into this album on acid.
**R.E.M.** _Murmur_ When I was in college, and this came out, many of my friends who didn’t know alternative from alliteration were mindblown when I put this on the turntable. Very organic-sounding and a natural for the herb.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-um-altered/490654/20 "2009-03-25T01:28:01Z")
The first bands I thought of would be bands from the Krautrock genre or extensions of it, particularly Neu!, Stereolab, and Can. Neu! is mostly lyricless (side 2 of Neu! 75 has vocals on it), but each song is an epic, trancelike journey through a musical sound space. Stereolab works French and English anti-establishment lyrics into a similar trance-like space, and weaves layers and layers of melody and counter melody over it. Can is a bit more diverse, stylistically, but still maintains the pulsating elements of Krautrock.
[Can - Mushroom](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8RzLdf34Ow&feature=related)
[Stereolab - Wow and Flutter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkpXoM0D-Pk)
[Neu! - Hallogallo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5316ZsVYSs) (the opening to Smashing Pumpkins “Cherub Rock” is reminiscent of the rhythmic riff in this song, a song which stays on that “E” pedal riff for the entire song, nearly 10 minutes.)
You might also like to have a look into My Bloody Valentine, particularly _Loveless_ (although _Isn’t Anything_ would work well if you want a bit more pop songwriting). That album is just a massively dense wall of sound with guitars ebbing in and out of tune, topped off with ethereal, enigmatic, and melodic vocals. It’s lush, heavily orchestrated, and just rocks. Beyond that, the album is impossible for me to describe, you just have to hear it. I’ve never heard anything like it before or since.
[My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow](http://www.mtv.com/videos/my-bloody-valentine/47130/only-shallow.jhtml)
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