I must hear more of those Mad Men drums.

September 12, 2008 7:58 AM

The drums in the Mad Men theme drive me, um, mad! Where can I get more?

My wife and I are making our way though the first season of Mad Men on DVD, and I've fallen really hard for the part of the theme music when the drums kick in. What recordings feature similar drum sounds/textures?

posted by COBRA! to media & arts (9 comments total)

Amon Tobin uses samples similar to that, with this complicated, layered Brazilian thing underneath it. It's a lot more electronic sounding than the Mad Men theme, but it's got similar drums.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:45 AM on September 12, 2008

FYI, the Mad Men theme is "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2 off of "Magnificent City: Instrumentals." The original album is featuring Aceyalone rapping over all of RJD2's beats. You might give more RJD2 a shot, or perhaps Four Tet, who has a somewhat similar, though more organic and less structured, sound.
posted by quickasfoxes at 8:49 AM on September 12, 2008

Cool so far, thanks.
posted by COBRA! at 9:11 AM on September 12, 2008

You might also be interested in Thievery Corporation or many of the other artists who at some point have been on the Eighteenth Street Lounge record label.
posted by proj at 9:18 AM on September 12, 2008

The percussion is made of of a drum kit with a pretty jazzy sort of tone and congas. Quite groovy. I'm glad to see RJD2 getting some exposure on television, which seems to be the only way good music gets heard these days...

As far as latin percussion goes, there is no better place to start than the master, Tito Puente. I heartily second the Eighteenth Street Lounge label, particularly (it's founders) Thievery Corporation and Chris Joss. A lesser known group in the vein of Thievery Corporation is Pacha Massive (check out La Verdotaga off their album All Good Things).

A track that comes to mind when I think jazz drumming and congas is Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter - hands down one the funkiest breaks of all time.
posted by phrontist at 1:41 PM on September 12, 2008

Oh, and you can't miss The Heart's a Lonely Hunter by Thievery Corporation and David Byrne.
posted by phrontist at 1:50 PM on September 12, 2008

This track by one hit wonder Amerie has some pretty groovy bongo/kit interaction, and if her autotuned cooing isn't your thing there is a mashup with Jurassic 5.
posted by phrontist at 1:58 PM on September 12, 2008

Last comment, I swear: Check out the Daptone label particularly The Budos Band and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings.
posted by phrontist at 10:53 AM on September 14, 2008

Thank you for the many comments. I'm really digging this stuff.
posted by COBRA! at 12:12 PM on September 14, 2008