These straws are sane. Straight to the mouth.

April 16, 2005 10:44 AM

I must destress. I need some good pre-bedtime, hanging out, or typing-into-the-night music. If you suggest it, I will download it.

I especially like post-rock and experimental stuff. But the trick is, it has to not put me to sleep (at least some of it). Have your way with me and do your worst.

posted by saysthis to Media & Arts (41 answers total)

L'Altra. They've done (I think) three albums, so far.

It's ethereal music. Music to drift away to.
posted by veedubya at 10:53 AM on April 16, 2005

Oneida's new record, The Wedding, is great, mellow nouveau-psychedelia.

Their older stuff is great, but I can't say I'd recommend it as mellow, de-stressing music...
posted by dersins at 10:59 AM on April 16, 2005

When I'm writing, I listen pretty obsessively to Schubert's String Quartets. They're intense without being overpowering.

Also, I listen to Underworld a lot at night.
posted by felix betachat at 11:12 AM on April 16, 2005

Zero 7 and Air make up my mellow-mood music.
posted by painquale at 11:20 AM on April 16, 2005

Head over to somafm.com and listen to the "Drone Zone" channel. See if any of it soothes the nerves that need soothing, and go from there.

Then head over to Ambience for the Masses. Check out their broadcast, and wander around their site to see what sounds about right.

Also check out the downtempo and ambient mixes at thetastates.

And for more specific suggestions, check out the answers in these threads: 1 2.
posted by googly at 11:28 AM on April 16, 2005

I dunno how obvious or obscure you're looking for, so I'll just list whatever comes to mind, including stuff you prolly know, so you get a sense of where I'm coming from...

instrumental... listed in semi-order from more ambient toward more energetic:
Stars of the lid, Physics, Early day miners, Explosions in the sky, Do make say think, Godspeed YBE, Tortoise, Mogwai, Electrelane, Jai Alai, Red Sparowes, Turing Machine, Matmos, Candies,

this stuff has some lyrics but not in a really noticable way...
Add (n) to x, Mercury Program, Stereolab, Namelessnumberheadman, Red Stars Theory, Spacemen 3, Schrasj...

I'm not sure if that stuff is relaxing-but-not-sleep-inducing to other people... actually, some of it might be exactly the opposite in a sense, like droney rock that's loud and rhythmic but also hypnotic! . More info on what you like or what fits this category for you would help...

Some of the bands I listed above have free mp3s on their sites, or on epitonic, if you have trouble locating them otherwise.
posted by mdn at 11:33 AM on April 16, 2005

Second on Explosions in the Sky. I have some post-rock you can sample if you e-mail me. Do you want more trancey, beat-driven music, or something ambient? I'd suggest Brian Eno's "Music for Airports," but that would put you to sleep.
posted by NickDouglas at 11:42 AM on April 16, 2005

Air: Moon Safari
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:45 AM on April 16, 2005

Boards of Canada
posted by kenchie at 11:47 AM on April 16, 2005

I don't download anymore...I just stream music. As of now, I'm obsesses with Digitally Imported and specifically their vocal trance music which I find great to just...chill to.
posted by jmd82 at 11:53 AM on April 16, 2005

Petestrumentals and The Surviving Elements: From Soul Survivor II Sessions

Both by legendary Hip-Hop producer Pete Rock.

Both are soulful instrumental only CDs.

Both are mellow cool out records, great for having on in the background and working to.
posted by thefinned1 at 12:00 PM on April 16, 2005

Music for Airports by Brian Eno. A tonic for your brain.
posted by vronsky at 12:19 PM on April 16, 2005

I can heartily recommend Sigur Ros' last full studio album as being good chillout music in the vein you're after. It's not postrock per-se but it is in that kind of idiom.

Explosions In The Sky, and Eno's ambient stuff, as mentioned above, are well worth checking out as well. I'll add Eno's Apollo into the ring as well.
posted by TheDonF at 12:33 PM on April 16, 2005

Lunz. I can't put it better than the venerable mp2.com: "a blend of ethereal veils of sound to neo-classical forms, fusing acoustic and electronic sound and pulse to build a trance-inducing atmosphere".

Just the sleepy ticket.
posted by RichLyon at 12:48 PM on April 16, 2005

(although I could get their name right, I s'pose ... just too relaxed as I was typing)
posted by RichLyon at 12:49 PM on April 16, 2005

George Sarah's Ossia or Opus Eleven. Classical string arrangements meet airy electronica. It's become my favorite "I just want to chill to something pretty" music (esp. Ossia, which is completely instrumental).
posted by scody at 1:02 PM on April 16, 2005

I'd warn against Explosions in the Sky.

Not because I hate the music, but because I honestly fell asleep at the concert. Standing up. (And fell into some poor hipster dude with a PBR).

I'd second Air and Sigur Ros.

My favorite mellow late night instrumental is Jean Michele Jarre (Oxygene, Equinox), but might be a little retro synthy for your taste.
posted by Gucky at 1:03 PM on April 16, 2005

oh, prob. old news, but I'm relaxing and doing some reading listening to Yo La Tengo right now - some of their stuff is very good for that, esp "and then nothing turned itself inside out" but also stuff from "may I sing with me" & "i hear the heart beating as one"...
posted by mdn at 1:03 PM on April 16, 2005

I second Eno's ambient music...

I also really like Loscil as really great concentration music (some albums: First Narrows, Triple Point, Sumbers).
posted by sic at 1:12 PM on April 16, 2005

Pat Metheny's Rejoicing. Not for everyone though.
posted by ldenneau at 1:25 PM on April 16, 2005

Listen to some Tim Hecker, it's the most gorgeous electronic music you will hear, theres a few MP3s at alien8. You might have to root around for the pages though. I found him incredibly easy to get into after listening to post-rock type stuff, and it opened up electronica for me. I also make my own music which you may like here, but my site seems to be down at the minute.
posted by iamcrispy at 2:05 PM on April 16, 2005

Doves.
posted by Kwantsar at 4:05 PM on April 16, 2005

Max Richter might also be up your alley, though he might fall closer to classical... On the more electronic side of things, Amon Tobin is high on my playlist of a similar nature.
posted by rfordh at 4:17 PM on April 16, 2005

Dude, Amon Tobin is so not falling-to-sleep music, unless you're cramming for an exam and want to avoid falling to sleep. I'm a huge fan, by the way. But this is not sleepy-time music.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 6:07 PM on April 16, 2005

Gregorian Chant.
posted by kavasa at 6:33 PM on April 16, 2005

*cough* Civil: "But the trick is, it has to not put me to sleep "

But, yes, definitely more into the "typing-into-the-night" pile, depending on the album of choice.
posted by rfordh at 6:49 PM on April 16, 2005

Morcheeba's "Big Calm" album.
posted by suchatreat at 6:59 PM on April 16, 2005

Hardly post-rock, but for the setting/mood you describe, Miles Davis, Kind of Blue works well for me.
posted by BT at 7:59 PM on April 16, 2005

There are some great suggestions above, but I'm going to go with Sigur Ros's () and, my personal favorite, Tricky's Maxinquaye. I wrote almost all of my college papers to that Tricky album. It's downtempo trip-hop and after a while you start hearing his voice more as music than as vocals. I've also written papers with Mogwai's song "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" on repeat over and over again. From a strictly chillout perspective, I always go to Mushroom Jazz 3 & 4. Lots of atmospheric loops and ethereal female vocals.
posted by pokeydonut at 8:43 PM on April 16, 2005

Madredeus
posted by dhruva at 8:55 PM on April 16, 2005

Tosca - Suzuki is a classic, downbeat album (Busenfreund and Orozco are good cuts for two) that can't even be advocated enough.
posted by abcde at 9:01 PM on April 16, 2005

I think these would work well...

John Fahey - The Legend of Blind Joe Death
Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
posted by sad_otter at 9:46 PM on April 16, 2005

Soma FM
posted by randomstriker at 1:12 AM on April 17, 2005

Theivery Corporation: The Mirror Conspiracy
bravo, Stereolab and Music for Airports
posted by airguitar at 2:44 AM on April 17, 2005

Zero 7 - When It Falls. (for late-night typing)
posted by Lotto at 5:12 AM on April 17, 2005

Nightmares on Wax, large portions of Bill Laswell's voluminous output, dub reggae, Sheila Chandra...
posted by box at 5:58 AM on April 17, 2005

*cough* Civil: "But the trick is, it has to not put me to sleep "

Jesus, I completely missed the not. In that case, yes, go Amon Tobin.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:24 AM on April 17, 2005

Tristeza is fantastic for destressing, very mellow and emotive ambient music. Also, I second Air and Theivery Corp.
posted by baphomet at 10:50 AM on April 17, 2005

yep. zero 7. it is the music you're seeking.
posted by RockyChrysler at 8:42 PM on April 17, 2005

Harold Budd, Avalon Sutra

Or either of the albums he did with Brian Eno, The Pearl or The Plateaux of Mirror. Even though I'm a huge Eno fan, I think I like Avalon Sutra best.
posted by BoringPostcards at 9:08 PM on April 17, 2005

*Goes through CD collection in head looking for ambient, relaxing, interesting stuff*

Adam F. ("Colours" - )
Air (already mentioned...)
Amorphous Androgynous ("Tales of Ephidrena" or "The Isness")
Aphex Twin (may be a bit too weird to chill out to...)
Apocalyptica ("Cult")
Apollo 440 (esp. "Milennium Fever" or "Electro Glide...")
Archive ("You All Look The Same To Me")
Boards of Canada (already mentioned...)
BT ("Ima")
Chicane ("Behind the Sun")
Enya (almost anything, although I like "Watermark")
Fluke (try and get "Progressive History XXX" boxset)
Future Sound of London (esp. "Lifeforms")
Leftfield ("Leftism" - and oldie but a goodie)
Lemon Jelly (any of their stuff!)
Mogwai (already mentioned...)
Orb (again, may be a bit too weird in places...)
Orbital (mostly too dancy, perhaps, but "Insides" is amazing)
Primal Scream ("Screamadelica" naturally)
Quantic (any of their stuff!)
Radiohead (although if you're into post-rock/experimental then you'll already have their later albums)

I'll need to have a proper look through tonight, but that's a starter for... erm... 19 :-)

Yes, my CD collection *is* alphabetized... it makes finding things much easier...
posted by Chunder at 3:22 AM on April 18, 2005 [1 favorite]