music suggestions needed

October 31, 2009 6:13 AM

I desperately need music suggestions for a slide show featuring the Pacific Northwest. It can be anything-- vocals, instrumental etc. Please help.
posted by lanita333 to media & arts (18 comments total)

The soundtracks to Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqatsi
posted by Gungho at 6:21 AM on October 31

A bit of the Twin Peaks theme almost seems obligatory (though perhaps just a little bit).
posted by Burhanistan at 6:46 AM on October 31

New World Symphony?
posted by HuronBob at 7:38 AM on October 31

chris brokaw's i was born, but…
posted by phil at 8:04 AM on October 31

A Record Year for Rainfall - The Decemberists
The River Where She Sleeps - Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer

Both sort of rainy and PNW-centric.
posted by Danf at 8:16 AM on October 31

The Haida Gwaii Singers have just released a superb anthology of Haida Music.

Their website (music autoplays, samples from each of the five disks)
posted by Rumple at 9:31 AM on October 31

PS it might help potential answerers to know the general subject of the slide show.
posted by Rumple at 9:39 AM on October 31

This might be too location-specific, but how about Robyn Hitchcock's Viva Sea-Tac?
posted by DingoMutt at 10:23 AM on October 31

Gideon Freudmann? You're not giving us much to work with, here.
posted by leahwrenn at 10:39 AM on October 31

A simply lovely album, Kurr by Icelandic string quartet, Amiina.
posted by cachondeo45 at 10:51 AM on October 31

Songs of the Whale
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:53 AM on October 31

Actually, that was a bit of a joke, but my partner, an Eastman-trained pianist, recommends Hovhaness' And God Created Great Whales, which mixes whale songs with orchestral arrangements. Alan Hovhaness composed a number of works while living in Seattle.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:59 AM on October 31

It's hard to make suggestions without knowing the contents of the slide show, but when showing majestic and/or pastoral pictures of America, it's hard to go wrong with an orchestral version of Simple Gifts.
posted by dephlogisticated at 12:17 PM on October 31

Portland, Oregon by Loretta Lynn seems appropriate.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:35 PM on October 31

George Frederick McKay was a Seattle-based composer who wrote a number of Pacific Northwest-themed works. The Seattle Symphony's CD From a Moonlight Ceremony / Harbor Narrative / Symphony for Seattle might fit the bill.
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 1:11 PM on October 31

Washington native (in both senses) violinist Swil Kanim.
posted by dr. boludo at 3:36 PM on October 31

I always associate elliot smith with Oregon. But he's not exactly uplifting.
posted by thankyouforyourconsideration at 4:30 PM on October 31

Here's more information. It's a 30 minute slide show of a summer trip that emcompassed The Grand Canyon, Yosemite and the entire Oregon Coast. So I need both vocals and instrumentals -- something grand befitting the scenery. It can be anything and I'll know it when I hear it.

I'm listening to all the suggestions made and really appreciate you taking the time to answer. What you like the music to be if you were watching a show of this type?
posted by lanita333 at 11:20 AM on November 3