Instrumental Discs

[modest mouse]

My music collection has only a few non-vox albums that are not jazz or classical. Wondering if anyone can throw some suggestions out for some new shiznit to explore.

I've been chowing down on Jeff, Beck, Ginger Baker, Sonny Sharrock, among others but need some counterpoint to my recent infatuation with spoken word and glorious noise.

Foreign stuff would be a bonus, with special fondness for Danish, Icelandic, Russian, and Jugoslavian sounds.

 

[alexandraaah]

Can't help you with the foreign stuff, but from what you've been grooving to lately, you might want to check out Nick Drake, Buffalo Tom, and there's the dude from Velvet Underground (not Lou Reed) whose name escapes me..**** stuff. Starts with a "J."

I'm of no help in the "new" department either. *shrug*

 

[Coralee]

I would definately suggest Jesse Cook, an incredible flemanco guitarist (and Canadian I might add). I'm listening to him right now.

Also, you might want to check out the Solitudes collection. They have a wide array of instrumental discs.

It's a place to start at least.

Coralee

 

[modest mouse]

Draaah,

Got some Drake on the 'puter but nothing on disc and I've never really explored his work in depth. I do own 'big red letter day' by Buffalo Tom. Edit out 'treehouse' and its a masterful pop album. 'I'm Allowed' was one of the songs in the soundtrack to my middle high school years.

John Cale. He is all over the place musically and a true artist. Good call. The VU box set was in heavy rotation last month in the mouse house.

***


Coralee,

I'll check it out. Thanks. But I believe Solitudes is more 'new agey' than what I'm interested in.

 

[alexandraaah]

Get Buffalo Tom "Let Me Come Over." You'll be happy you did.

Galaxy 500.

Big Star.

Yes! Cale...that's it.

Sounds like you need to rediscover Dire Straights to me.

 

[modest mouse]

Not to be a dick but you realize I'm looking for vox-less stuff,right?

 

[alexandraaah]

Not to be a dick but you realize I'm looking for vox-less stuff,right?

I have no idea what that means.

I just took it as an opportunity to type out some of my favs.

I have no posting etiquette whatsoever.

 

[modest mouse]

Instrumental, no voice, no singer, vocalist, mouth user, etc.

How rude!

 

[alexandraaah]

Instrumental, no voice, no singer, vocalist, mouth user, etc.

I'll retreat over to my section of music now. I'm of no help.

How rude!

Nothin' but the best for mouse.

 

[Weird Harold]

My music collection has only a few non-vox albums that are not jazz or classical.
...
Foreign stuff would be a bonus, with special fondness for Danish, Icelandic, Russian, and Jugoslavian sounds.

Check out NPR's website for "Hearts of Space" and The Celtic music program I can't recall the name of off-hand. Both should have links to CDs of the music fetured on each program.

I personally am very fond of Big Bands and 1930's/40's style swing music.

Ragtime and Honky Tonk piano are other good instrumental genres -- if you can find any.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass put out some good instrumental music in the 60's, and, if the over-powered car stereos in my neighborhood are any indication, you should be able to find LOTS of Latino/Mexican instrumentals.

 

[alexandraaah]

Holy shit, I just reread the thread title.

It's so self-explanatory! "Instrumental Discs."

Fear my inattention!

Fear it!

 

[lisalove]

what the hell is non-vox?

John Cale is amazing.

 

[Weird Harold]

what the hell is non-vox?

Music without voices -- instrumental music.

 

[berkley2955]

Instrumental Music (Non-Vox ???)

If you are looking for individual tracks that are not Jazz or Fusion... Genesis has a track on "Invisible Touch" called 'The Brazillian'. All instrumental, first time I heard it I thought 'no way this is Genesis'. It's one of my favorite songs now. Also you might look for stuff by Stewart Copeland (fmr percussionist for The Police). Among other post-Police work, he has done some great theme songs, including one of my favorites "The Equalizer" from the early ninetys.

Now... regarding the "nouveau-speak"... instrumental is instrumental...

the Berkster!

 

[Private Vasquez]

Sam and Dave Green Onions. Just the music, man.

 

[superlittlegirl]

A perennial favorite of mine is "A Touch Of Cloth" by Fila Brazilia. It's eminently listenable, with tight, groovy riffs and a masterful mixture of organic and synthesized sounds.

 

[Svedish_Chef]

Tommy Emmanual - guitar

James Morrison - trumpet

 

[Laurel]

Ryuki Sakamoto has some good instrumental stuff.

 

[tin_tinr]

it maybe only a single track but if you get the chance
listen to (lily was here) its by dave stewart and
candy dulfer , superb combination of guitar and saxophone

 

[tortoise]

Instrumental music has a small but cherished space in my collection. Some selections border on jazz (Medeski Martin and Wood, for one), but the bulk would fall into a sort of spaghetti western/surf music/road movie genre. For this discussion, I'm pretty much ignoring my pure electronic/dance/ambient/etc. collection, as I don't think that's what you're looking for here...? (if I'm wrong, let me know, as my collection of that stuff is quite extensive)

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites:

• Pell Mell - Interstate
• Friends of Dean Martinez - A Place in the Sun
• A Small Good Thing - Slim Westerns (this one is out of print, I'm pretty sure, and it's a damn shame, as it's the best "ambient western soundtrack music" CD ever recorded)
• Scenic - Incident at Cima
• Tortoise - TNT
• Suspended Memories - Earth Island (this is ambient, but includes a lot of primitive ethno-acoustic instruments as well)
• Calexico - Black Light (not all instrumentals, but they are the highlights)

 

[alexandraaah]

Casalando.

And Manu Chau--album is Clandestino.

 

[Darowyn]

Fila Brasilia is a very good place to start- but there are lots and lots of artists in the spaces between Drum 'n' Bass and Ambient Trance who do nothing but instrumental music.
When no-one is looking, sneak away from the Rock & Pop racks in the record stores and explore the more intelligent end of the Dance category. Try William Orbit's exploration of classical pieces- I hated it in theory, but love the actual CD!
My world music explorations have concentrated on songs- but if you have no Javanese Gamelan Music, then your collection has a big hole in it- and I've got some Mongolian Bluegrass (not my description, that's what a Chinese student called it- when she'd finished crying nostalgic tears) I could send you an MP3 of it if you want to have the wierdest music on your block! It's really good, but very strange.
If you have any Northern European Jewish connections, look for Klezmer music too- that is not really like anything else either.
Didgeridoo? Native American wooden flutes? South American Panpipes? Balkan Panpipes? (just be sure that they are panpipes and not the "PanFLute" setting on a Korg Synth)
Cheers- happy hunting

 

[riff]

This disc always did it for me, but it ain't non-vocal:

Heaven Or Las Vegas, Cocteau Twins.

It it good, relax, lets make out, and please-lets-fuck kind of music.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: Instrumental Discs

The Celtic music program I can't recall the name of off-hand.

It's "Thistle and Shamrock." (The hostess/DJ has the sexiest voice and accent I've heard for a very lng time.)

 

[modest mouse]

Thx

WH, I'll be sure to check out the program as well as the information at the site. The time signature of ragtime might be just the ticket. A sexy voice always help, Im such a sucker sometimes.

berkster, PV, super hero, chef, Laurel, tin tinr....

All of your seuggestions will find their way to my file sharing utilities. Look forward to checking it all out.

tortoise, You pretty much nailesd what Im lookign for. Not electronic and not jazz. Esentially music that leaves an open spot for my thoughts, its where my headspace is at now.

I have some MMW as well as some tortoise (TNT ans Standards), both great but I havnt had them in heavy rotation... not sure why. I assume you have checked out similar bands to tortoise like Rodan, Slint, etc. If not, let me know.

Any further suggestion on ambient western stuff would be appreciated.


Draah, King of the Bongo from that album singlehandedly got me through El Paso last year. Classic.

Darowyn, Excellent damn post. You've given me a great deal to search out and explore. I may get back to you about the Mongolian stuff after I see what I can find. Thanks.