Picture a scene that you might see in a Quentin Tarantino movie such as True Romance. Clarence is looking for Alabama and he walks into a seedy yet cool bar/lounge where the crowd is cooler than cool, the lights are low, there’s a faint hint of weed in the air and a couple that looks like they’re high on smack are feeling each other up in the corner and no one is batting an eye. The Stooges - Down On The Street is playing on the jukebox. What songs/albums would be perfect for this hypothetical jukebox?
Moving from IMHO to Cafe Society.
Cowboy Junkies’ Sweet Jane.
Ooby Doobie. Roy Orbison.
If you have to ask why, you’ll never know.
The Pogues and Velvet Underground. Those two are pretty much required anywhere people intend to drink themselves to death while wearing cool clothes.
Buddy’s Advice by Paul Butterfield
Hoodoo Man by Junior Wells
The Black Keys - I Got Mine
DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect World
Massive Attack - Angel
Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Probably more Guy Richie / Danny Boyle film cool than Tarantino cool.
Unfortunately I can’t find a link to the song on YouTube, but ever since I heard it, I’m convinced that “Ghost Road” by Carla Werner just HAS to be in a Quentin Tarantino movie at some point.
It can be heard, if you’re willing to brave MySpace’s stupid new layout. On this page you, maybe, will find a player. If the player is minimised, you will have to click some stupid arrow somewhere to get it to expand. If you can see the player, and if it’s expanded, and the stars are aligned, and you’ve been especially good this year, you’ll see “Ghost Road” on the player.
It’s a very simple song, but damn, turn off your monitor, turn off the lights, close your eyes and listen and let your mind take you to that Tarantino bar with the cool jukebox, and picture Alabama with her eyes closed, swaying in time to the music. It starts out show and quiet and builds and builds and builds. Such a great song.
It probably wouldn’t make a good jukebox song, but speaking of ghosts, Mary Kelley’s creepy cover of “Ghostriders In The Sky” is pretty damned cool and needs to be in a Tarantino movie too.
Also not jukeboxy and higher-voiced than most Tarantino-esque singers, Noe Venable just needs to be mentioned. She has several cinematic songs, but here are a few of my favorites.
“Garden”
“Is The Spirit Here?”
“Black Madonna”
“Juniper”
“Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Walk Away - James Gang