Seconded. I was going to mention this one in my followup. The whole album is fantastic.
Right now I’m listening to last.fm, having gone to the website of a band called “Thee More Shallows” and having told it to play “Thee More Shallows Radio.”
For the most part I’m getting dark-ish, folksy-ish, electronica-ish, contemplative feeling music. Some of it is experimental.
I’d listen to this while stoned, albeit most probably if I was feeling kind of moody.
Well, take that for what (little) it’s worth.
3rd’d - but only at maximum volume.
I’m not entirely sure I quite take your meaning, but we’ll let that pass. How do you feel about ‘World Music’?
May I recommend Ketjak, the Balinese form used to depict the Monkey King from the Ramayana?
Drumming from Ghana?
Or Burundi?
Justin Vali Trio or Rossy from Madagascar (I couldn’t find anything good on youtube, but they both have albums on the WOMAD/Real World label)
How do you like early music, like Ensemble Organum?
Francesco da Milano?
Contemporary classical - Olivier Messaien
Or maybe something more basic by Steve Reich?
I’ve found these quite rewarding to study, myself.
radiohead - paranoid android - At the 3:33 mark, just close your eyes and feel how heavy it makes your body like you are just falling and falling… beautiful really.
Phil Collins, “I Don’t Care Any More”.
I started this with the suggestion that you could listen to this album in its entirety (though the songs are not in the same order as on the actual album), but then I read this post:
That album is for more introspective, mind-blowing times. For something completely different and for your purposes, I’d recommend Danielle Dax’s Dark Adapted Eye, her best album IMO. I have no link to the entire album, but here are some songs from it. The videos are not that great but it’s the music you’re listening to. Unfortunately none of my favorite songs from the album are on YouTube, but I swear to you you WILL loosen your brain dancing around the house and be very sweaty. It’s not a “dance” album but it’s the ultimate album to dance to.
“Cathouse”
“White Knuckle Ride” (it’s not the whole song and there’s talking at the beginning, but you can hear what the gist of the song is)
If you want to get a lot weirder (I know, but even more weird) go for Nina Hagen’s Nunsexmonkrock. Know that this woman was so bizarre that she got kicked out East Germany (which might not mean anything to you if you’re a youngun’). The whole album is brilliant beyond belief and fairly danceable (IMO, but I’m weird), but here are a few songs to give you an idea as to whether your brain cells can handle it. You could love it and dance around like a maniac. Or, you could go run screaming into the night tearing your eardrums, hair and eyeballs out. Then come back and put me on ignore.
These videos are not so hot, but again it’s the music you’re listening to:
“Cosma Shiva”
“Antiworld” (this one sadly is incomplete, but has great Nina clips!)
Not on that album, but I love them and if you’re as cracked as I am you will too!:
“Zarah” (wait patiently for the real song to kick in after the Zarah Leander cover beginning)
“Ave Maria” (not dancy but damn it’s good, Nina being almost normal!)
(Disclaimer: I in no way endorse Hagen’s wackjob personal beliefs or Leander’s background, I just like the music)
Not anywhere near as weird (well, comparatively), but fun, and to complete this educational blast into the wild women past:
Lene Lovich - “Lucky Number,” “New Toy,” “Say When,” and my favorite, “Bird Song”
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis. The whole album.
Anything Hawkwind ever released.
Anything Psychic TV ever released.
Anything Acid Mothers Temple ever released, especially in their “Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso UFO” incarnation.
The Juan Maclean.
My Bloody Valentine’s been taken, so I’ll add anything by Sigur Rós, in particular anything in Hopelandic. But also my favorite Sigur Rós song in particular, Glósóli (which is apparently in Icelandic).
The new Intronaut is quite good.
The Mariner’s Revenge Song by The Decemberists!
And my favorite song for such an altered state is Echoes by Pink Floyd.
Not that I’d ever partake in said illegal activities…
I like to stick with the classics - PINK FLOYD!!!
But seriously, there’s that Australian Floyd tribute band that is planning to release a series of albums, one for each planet (and they’re including Pluto!)
They’re pretty mellow too. But they’re freakin’ great!!!
That’s nothing…for a real epic song by the Decemberists, you want THE TAIN! Combining everything from heavy metal to English folk music to calliope carnival melodies, this epic song based on a very old Irish poem about (I think) one kingdom stealing cattle from another kingdom - in both the lyrics and music department, it owns, hard.
ETA: the Decemberists totally went downhill lately, IMO. All their new music is totally overproduced and shitty. No soul left at all. They have over-extended their “quirky historical band” theme, and are now just a parody of what they used to be.
Can’t say I’ve ever tested the premise m’self, but I’ve always thought that Green Carnation’s “Light of Day, Day of Darkness” would be well suited to this particular application. It’s a sixty-minute epic that probably falls into the boundaries of metal, though only if they’re drawn quite wide. I’d call it proggy, but that always brings to mind unbearably pretentious musical twaddle, so I won’t.
In The Woods’s later work is much in the same vein, specifically the albums “Omnio,” “Strange in Stereo,” and “Three by Seven on a Pilgrimage.” Omnio in particular is close kin to Light of Day. All are amongst my favorite albums of all time.
Tiamat’s “A Deeper Kind of Slumber” is openly drug-influenced, and would almost certainly go well with certain substances.
Samples of all the above can be found without too much difficulty, I’m sure; if nothing else, I’m fairly certain iTunes has most, if not all of them.
Okay so the ‘Simple Headphone Mind’ video on youtube is a poor sample. Seems they took down the full version, but it at least lets you hear the groove. Try and find a high quality version(mp3 most likely) it is about 10 minutes long, plays alot with the L/R channels and has a lot of neat, subtle sounds.
Couldn’t find them on youtube, but you might like All Night Radioor possibly Huge Spacebird.
For something completely different- Ken Nordine’s Colors.
Some videos…
Amon Tobin - Nightlife
The Avalanches - Electricity, Two Hearts in 3/4 Time
Built to Spill -Broken Chairs
Buckethead - Want Some Slaw?
The Coral - Shadows Fall, Time Travel
cLOUDDEAD - Rifle Eyes
Dose-One - Circle, The Birdcatcher’s Return
Dungen - Panda, Ta Det Lugnt
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Illogic - 1000 Whispers
Incubus - Summer Romance(anti-gravity love song), Vitamin
The Mars Volta - Cassandra Gemini, pt.2, pt.3;L’Via L’Viaquez
Minus The Bear - The Pig War
Murder By Death - That Crown Doesn’t Make You A Prince
Sole & The Skyrider Band - A Sad Day For Investors, Stupid Things Implode On Themselves
Avoid anything from their latest album “Book of Bad Breaks”…“Monkey vs Shark” is still their best (even though it’s an EP). For your ‘purposes’ though “A history of Sport Fishing” might fit better
You’re not the only one.
Wow…so many responses! I waded through alot last night and I’ll respond when I get home from work. Thanks to everyone. I had a blast last night discovering some great music.