That should be modified, I think: Alice in Chains’s acoustic EPs, Sap and Jar of Flies, are rather quiet and surprisingly beautiful considering their reputation as a metal band. Not to say they weren’t one, but they had other capabilities. Their MTV Unplugged album is in the same vein.
I would say Thief by Our Lady Peace, and, really, suggest a lot of their music(Annie, Clumsy, Automatic Flowers, etc…). Though, I must admit, it may be that the songs aren’t as meaningful to you,(Thief brings me almost to tears because of my sister, Annie is a lot like a reflection of my early years in school, and the other ones have meaning to me because of two very kind people I believe to be friends). I might also suggest Blurry by Puddle of Mudd. I am hoping that these songs are the kind you’re looking for, and if not, my apologies. I could also give you some more unusual choices, like Ashita Moshi Kimi ga Kowaretemo, Genki no Shawaa and Afureru Yuujou ga Tomachinai, but it’s more than likely you wouldn’t be interested…
Agreed. The versions of “Nutshell” and “Down in a Hole” on the Unplugged album are even more sadly beautiful than their originals. IMO they were the best thing to come out of Seattle during the Grunge era and are highly underrated.
Great songs as well. Anything by Cat Power is good really.
A band called Hazeldine depressified some already-depressing songs. Try “Heart of Darkness”, “A Song for you”, “Lucky” (yup, the radiohead song.), “It’s Only Love” and “April 8”.
Henryk Gorecki–Symphony No. 3. It’s a requiem for those who died in the Holocaust. Currently, there’s a commercial for a firefighter’s memorial organization which is using the happy portion of the piece for it’s ad. As much as I love Barber’s Adagio for Strings, this piece is probably one of the most mournfully sad that I’ve ever heard.
Dead Can Dance–Toward the Within. It’s a live album, and while a few of the songs are uplifting, almost all the songs are tinged with a touch of sadness. I Am Stretched on Your Grave is nearly a Gregorian chant of mourning. I saw the band live on the tour this album comes from. When they performed this song, there wasn’t a sound from the audience. When it was over, everyone sat there, stunned into silence by what they’d heard, for a good minute or more.
The last track on Floyd’s Division Bell is a good one, too.
A little older – Joe Cocker, Blues Medley from the album Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Three songs: I’ll Drown in My Own Tears; When Something Is Wrong with My Baby; I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.
Second that. Get The Trinity Sessions by Cowboy Junkies.
Other good choices: Beck - Sea Change (Listen to “Lost Cause” and see if that doesn’t make you sad!) Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot John Prine - John Prine (you haven’t heard sad angst until you’ve heard John sing, “Sam Stone”, “Far From Me”, “Paradise”, “Hello in There”, or “Donald and Lydia” - all of which are on that album) Jack Johnson - Brushfire FairyTales Son Volt - Trace
Some other low-key, quiet Radiohead (Street Spirit definitely fits the bill):
True Love Waits
High and Dry
Fake Plastic Trees
Karma Police
Lucky
Let Down
How to Disappear Completely
Simply the most wonderfully angsty song I have heard in a long, long time. It’s a hard song to find, only on the LP (I may be wrong), and its long at ten minutes plus. And worth every picosecond.
This song gets me through all my angsty times, I try to avoid it when im feeling happy in case I immunitize (if thats a word!) myself to its effects. The song is the only one I know that can make you smile and cry at the same time - heaven
http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1872913&domain_id=1876&meta_id=2 Ditto for Marry Me Jane http://half.ebay.com/search/search.jsp?nthTime=1&product=music&query=marry+me+jane&x=12&y=10