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Music for dark, smoky basement bars

dis-integration [Edit] [Delete] 45 replies 13:54 November 2nd, 2009

So I'm doing the music for an arts night next week and have decided that, for the first half of the evening at least, it'll have a smoky, sleazy bar-room feel - I'm thinking mid-period Tom Waits here. I'm also planning to play a fair amount of jazz as well, but could really do with some recommendations of any material that has that sort of atmosphere - my own knowledge is pretty sparse. Any suggestions would be much appreciated, ta.

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Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore

might be a bit 'Noir' for what you want, but they're really great. Try Dolores, Black Earth and Sunset Mission by them.

ContentToPlayVillain | 2 Nov '09, 14:01 | X | ^ This | Reply

countzero this'd this
- ^perfect
  
  CillaCrack @ContentToPlayVillain | 2 Nov '09, 14:13 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  countzero this'd this
- Noir sounds good to me, I shall investigate...
  
  dis-integration @ContentToPlayVillain | 2 Nov '09, 14:26 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - Cool
    
    If Bohren are the sort of thing you want try out Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks soundtrack and the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble/Mount Fuji DoomJazz Corporation. Maybe throw in Miles Davis's 'In A Silent Way' too, although I'm sure a proper jazz expert will be along soon enough with better recommendations for that.
    
    ContentToPlayVillain @dis-integration | 2 Nov '09, 14:34 | X | ^ This | Reply
    - In A Silent Way is a definite yes, already been planning a bit of that
      
      I'll take a look at the others too - cheers for the suggestions.
      
      dis-integration @ContentToPlayVillain | 2 Nov '09, 15:24 | X | ^ This | Reply
      - oh that reminds me
        
        if you want to slip a bit of atp-style cool in some pretty nice jazz, the Lounge Lizards first album is pretty cool, and has Arto Lindsay skronking away on it. (Produced by Teo Macero, one of the best producers ever, who also did Miles Davis' fusion records.)
        
        milkandkisses @dis-integration | 2 Nov '09, 16:30 | X | ^ This | Reply
What about a bit of,

Serge Gainsburg?

brightonb | 2 Nov '09, 14:05 | X | ^ This | Reply

theShipment this'd this
- Good thinking man, that's definitely going to happen...
  
  dis-integration @brightonb | 2 Nov '09, 15:57 | X | ^ This | Reply
Morphine

'Good'

countzero | 2 Nov '09, 14:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
Morphine

'Good'

countzero | 2 Nov '09, 14:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
Nina Simone

has a good voice for this.

Scout | 2 Nov '09, 15:32 | X | ^ This | Reply
Jolie Holland - Old Fashioned Morphine

wewerewerewolvesonce | 2 Nov '09, 15:33 | X | ^ This | Reply
soul station by hank mobley

the cat by jimmy smith (in fact most things by jimmy smith)
open sesame by freddie hubbard
futuristic sounds of sun ra by sun ra.....

freddiehubbard | 2 Nov '09, 15:35 | X | ^ This | Reply
Cheers all, I'm thinking some more upbeat stuff would be good as well for later on

I'm thinking Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' would be a good one (also has nice Lynchian connections as he used it for the outro to Inland Empire), and maybe some Polar Bear/Acoustic Ladyland. I'm also thinking I could get away with some more Balkan sounding stuff (A Hawk & A Hacksaw in particular)... Again, any ideas would be most welcome.

dis-integration | 2 Nov '09, 15:41 | X | ^ This | Reply
- you might find a couple of nice tunes on
  
  songs and themes by spring heel jack - albeit more low tempo.
  thought about freaking everyone out with a bit of albert ayler?
  
  freddiehubbard @dis-integration | 2 Nov '09, 15:44 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Did you see the Balkan mix Jeremy Barnes did for fact
  
  http://factmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2711&Itemid=103
  
  Obviously you couldn't play that, but you could download some of the artists featured within if that was what you were going for.
  
  On the jazz front, my immediate thought was Dagmar Krause of Art Bears fame. Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come is the best album ever, and Lonely Woman especially has that kind of atmospheric feel.
  Sam River's Fuschia Swing Song is a particular favourite of mine, in terms of being technically quite astute, but also having a lot more 'feel' than it's contemporaries. Lots of long, searching, walking late at night passages.
  Andrew Hill's Point of Departure, or Judgement!! also might work quite well. Remind me of factories, in a way, but very good grooves, smoky, and very rhythmic. Bit more free and experimental though.
  For later, more upbeat jazz = Art Blakely & the Jazz Messengers - Moanin' - real fun jazz, see also John Coltrane's Blue Train or any of Miles Davis' work with Gil Evans.
  
  milkandkisses @dis-integration | 2 Nov '09, 16:27 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - Ah lovely, thanks so much, will be investigating
    
    Got a fair amount to check out now! I've got Blue Train, which I was definitely thinking to include, though I've never gotten round to listening to The Shape Of Jazz To Come - I guess this'll give me the incentive!
    
    dis-integration @milkandkisses | 2 Nov '09, 18:28 | X | ^ This | Reply
- I've been playing this Nina Simone track a lot recently:
  
  Funkier Than A Mosquitos Tweeter
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwk7DWq_E3s
  
  It has been re-released on Jazzman Records, you could probably pick it up from Honest Jon's website.
  
  brightonb @dis-integration | 2 Nov '09, 19:40 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  Matt_J this'd this
A couple of tunes off've pre-emptive strike?

splitterwill | 2 Nov '09, 15:51 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Also
  
  i don't know if it might fit in with the balkan/eastern european thing you mentioned, but redemptive strikes by directorsound is quite nice in a low-key sort of way.
  
  splitterwill @splitterwill | 2 Nov '09, 15:53 | X | ^ This | Reply
Just get yourself a Jools Holland compilation, anything with

him playing honky tonk piano will go down a storm. Oh and no smoking, its banned. Thanks.

Ricky_Ronco | 2 Nov '09, 15:58 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Of course, how could I forget the maestro himself!
  
  Cheers for the memory jog, can't wait to surprise everyone with a bit of honky-tonk over the top of everything else.
  
  dis-integration @Ricky_Ronco | 2 Nov '09, 16:23 | X | ^ This | Reply
Tindersticks?

Though be careful which song you pick.

Binary_Star | 2 Nov '09, 16:47 | X | ^ This | Reply
- ???
  
  What, in case you accidentally pick one of the cheery, happy go lucky 80s cheese-synth songs they pepper their albums with???
  
  terminus_est @Binary_Star | 2 Nov '09, 21:36 | X | ^ This | Reply
Polar Bear

usualy gives me that kind of vibe.

Then just whip out loads of DMZ or something its rare I hear that stuff in a club without epic amounts of smoke and darkness being involved haha

jimitheexploder | 2 Nov '09, 18:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
- John Lee Hooker
  
  makes me think of smokey basements too.
  
  jimitheexploder @jimitheexploder | 2 Nov '09, 18:39 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Planning it, got someone doing a chilled dubstep type set later in the evening!
  
  We'll see how well that combination works I guess...
  
  dis-integration @jimitheexploder | 2 Nov '09, 20:25 | X | ^ This | Reply
Morphine is a good shout

"You Look Like Rain" would be perfect.

beard | 2 Nov '09, 18:41 | X | ^ This | Reply
- and Cry by Money Mark
  
  8:06 on this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErEsV_GdnuQ
  
  beard @beard | 2 Nov '09, 18:44 | X | ^ This | Reply
maybe more loud

would be Heroin & Your Veins from Finland http://www.last.fm/music/Heroin+and+Your+Veins
more traditional in a way of jazz is Tord Gustavsen Trio
for more dark-ambient atmosphere Deaf Center

gloomy666 | 2 Nov '09, 18:48 | X | ^ This | Reply
Nostalgia 77

and Flat Earth society

bretj89 | 2 Nov '09, 19:00 | X | ^ This | Reply
Bill Evans Trio-Waltz For Debby

Charles Mingus-The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
The John Coltrane Quartet-Ballads

Should start you out nicely.

Luis_Carruthers | 2 Nov '09, 19:12 | X | ^ This | Reply

milkandkisses this'd this
- The first two of those are two of the greatest records ever.
  
  milkandkisses @Luis_Carruthers | 2 Nov '09, 22:41 | X | ^ This | Reply
Nick Cave

Miikka | 2 Nov '09, 19:21 | X | ^ This | Reply

ContentToPlayVillain this'd this
- ^ this
  
  why did it take so long
  
  soapy @Miikka | 2 Nov '09, 21:14 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - I'd been thinking about Nick Cave, but trying to think of something that balances dark with humorous
    
    I reckon 'Stagger Lee' might be a good one.
    
    dis-integration @soapy | 2 Nov '09, 21:29 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Play the whole of "O'Malley's Bar"
  
  if you can get away with it
  
  ContentToPlayVillain @Miikka | 2 Nov '09, 21:17 | X | ^ This | Reply
You mentioned sleazy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64OcpQC25V4&feature=related

for when things warm up a bit lol!

brightonb | 2 Nov '09, 20:51 | X | ^ This | Reply
- ^ yeah this too
  
  Matt_J @brightonb | 2 Nov '09, 21:32 | X | ^ This | Reply
Tom Waits

for fucking sure

drcoffeebean | 2 Nov '09, 21:13 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Put on 'Blue Valentine' LP
  
  Get yourself a drink.
  Have a nice sit down.
  Job done.
  
  terminus_est @drcoffeebean | 2 Nov '09, 21:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  dis-integration this'd this
Holly Golightly

Matt_J | 2 Nov '09, 21:34 | X | ^ This | Reply
What about Mezzanine?

"Inertia Creeps" has always tasted smoky on the way down to me.

ThisTemporaryLife | 2 Nov '09, 21:48 | X | ^ This | Reply
- you'd get extra goth points if you put the track that
  
  samples 10:15 on a saturday night by the cure on it.
  
  terminus_est @ThisTemporaryLife | 2 Nov '09, 21:53 | X | ^ This | Reply
Oh, I've just thought.

Erik Truffaz with Murcof, Rendez-Vous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX9LvEskdCQ
(some of the stuff is a bit more accessible than that)

maybe even try Truffaz solo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku47l0kcGzg

milkandkisses | 2 Nov '09, 22:49 | X | ^ This | Reply

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