# Please reccomend some music for me! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760 "2004-02-12T00:48:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/1 "2004-02-12T00:48:53Z")
I’m looking for music that is mostly instrumental, some lyrics are okay. Some bands i’m into right now are: _Broken Social Scene_ (especially their first album) and _Sigur Ros_. Please suggest a band or two like these, or perhaps something new or different for me to try **and** what music category it falls into, so I know what i’m commiting myself to. (I’m probably looking for well respected Indie bands. 🆒 ) ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/2 "2004-02-12T02:28:31Z")
Spiderlands by Slint - it’s just so good. So good. Someone come along to describe this record better? The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions in the Sky - Huge crescendos that are as great in quiet moments as they are in the loud ones. Incredible intricacy packed into a simple mix of guitar, bass, and drums. Extremely emotional stuff. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/3 "2004-02-12T04:21:28Z")
I like Tuatara, a band that includes Peter Buck of R.E.M. fame. It’s…I suppose I’d go with “atmospheric” as a description, but then I’m not very good at descriptions. There’s a “jukebox” at the [Fast Horse Recordings](http://www.fasthorserecordings.com/artists.html) site where you can listen to tracks from the latest Tuatara album, “Cinemathique.” They also have samples of some other artists, and you might give the Wayward Shamans a listen as well. I also like Maconha Baiana, the new cd by [Alex Veley](http://www.alexveley.com/MaconhaBaiana.htm). It’s got a Brazilian/samba kind of sound, and it’s largely instrumental (although there are some lyrics, in Portuguese). ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/4 "2004-02-12T04:51:57Z")
**Godspeed You! Black Emperor** is almost entirely instrumental, although tends to be a bit heavier than what little Sigur Rós I’ve heard. F# A# ∞ and Raise Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven are great albums, and the first track of F# (“The Dead Flag Blues”) is phenomenal. ---
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/5 "2004-02-12T05:38:29Z")
Thank you SO much! I’m writing ALL these names down to pursue. But don’t think I’m done, I’m still interested in some more suggestions! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/6 "2004-02-12T05:47:44Z")
I keep repeating myself about this, but you should try listening to [KEXP](http://www.kexp.org). Mum is an Icelanding band that is sort of a more mellow version of Sigur Ros. You might also want to check out the [Transmissionary Six](http://www.rodeosatellite.com/index2.html) for more quiet, moody music. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/7 "2004-02-12T05:49:16Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > Mum is an Icelanding band that is sort of a more mellow version of Sigur Ros. Icelandic, that is. ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/8 "2004-02-12T05:59:34Z")
Dead Can Dance has a celtic/hindu feel to their music… lovely stuff! Some vocals but mostly atmospheric. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/9 "2004-02-12T06:11:00Z")
How about Mogwai? [Allmusic.com](http://www.allmusic.com/) calls them: Sprawling, Ominous, Hypnotic, Detached, Visceral, Cerebral, Druggy, Eerie, Brooding, Volatile. Sounds about right to me. ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/10 "2004-02-12T06:46:37Z")
You may want to have a look at the Kranky label. A number of the artists on there are primarily instrumental. Labradford is great, Stars of the Lid is sublime, and there are little off-shoots of the larger groups like Pan\*American that do interesting things. I don’t recommend Fontanelle though. Low is well known for being very very slow and sparse but they are vocal heavy – you might want to keep them in mind when you are into words again. Other groups I love: American Analog Set, a balance of instrumentals and vocals. The Mercury Program is instrumental and catchy. L’Altra is exceptional – more vocals than instrumentals – still definitely worth hearing. Set Fire To Flames is an eerie, more conceptual side project of Godspeed You Black Emperor that I like. Hrsta is another group with a sprawling sound and occasional vocals that is interesting. These all fall into the indie realm. ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/11 "2004-02-12T06:47:20Z")
You may want to have a look at the Kranky label. A number of the artists on there are primarily instrumental. Labradford is great, Stars of the Lid is sublime, and there are little off-shoots of the larger groups like Pan\*American that do interesting things. I don’t recommend Fontanelle though. Low is well known for being very very slow and sparse but they are vocal heavy – you might want to keep them in mind when you are into words again. Other groups I love: American Analog Set, a balance of instrumentals and vocals. The Mercury Program is instrumental and catchy. L’Altra is exceptional – more vocals than instrumentals – still definitely worth hearing. Set Fire To Flames is an eerie, more conceptual side project of Godspeed You Black Emperor that I like. Hrsta is another group with a sprawling sound and occasional vocals that is interesting. These all fall into the indie realm. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/12 "2004-02-12T07:26:45Z")
If you want to go instrumental, check out the Mono album _Life in Mono_ or I’ll second Explosions in the Sky, Mum, and Godspeed You Black Emperor! (which is a great band name, second only to …And They Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead who ain’t bad themselves). I love Sigur Ros, and I find that late Bjork (especially _Vespertine_ which is very very close and less so _Homogenic_) and Radiohead fill the same niche. If you are going down that path, get the Flaming Lips’s _Yoshimi Vs. The Pink Robots_ (in Dolby 5.1) and the Clinic album _Walking With Thee_. But I’m sure you have probably heard of these albums. If you want to go more symphonic and poppy, try The Polyphonic Spree (but under no condition should one ever be subject to the last track of that album. It is a musical monstrosity). If you want to go more techno-y, I would recommend Royksopp. _Melody A.M._ is a real fun album. Along the same line is The Postal Service’s album _Give Up_. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-reccomend-some-music-for-me/228760/13 "2004-02-12T08:55:33Z")
Some other possibilities: Coil Chris & Cosey (aka CTI) The Dirty Three More of a stretch: Some of the stuff by Psychic TV The last couple of albums by the Walkabouts Spiral Realms The Damo Suzuki Network