Lullaby Mix

July 30, 2005 6:46 PM

MixCDFilter: Any minute now, I'll be an aunt. I'd like to make a lullaby mix CD for my hipster niece/nephew-to-be. Suggestions?

I'm looking more for quiet, peaceful songs by "regular" artists, rather than straight-up kids songs. Think more acoustic renderings of rock/pop, less Yanni.

posted by donnagirl to media & arts (42 answers total)

Ministry of Sounds - Chillout Sessions 3, coming down from MDMA or coming out of the womb -- it works.
posted by geoff. at 6:48 PM on July 30, 2005

"Good Night," The Beatles
"Hush," Jellyfish
posted by kimota at 7:10 PM on July 30, 2005

Luka Bloom! He wrote an entire lullaby CD: Before Sleep Comes. His latest, Innocence, is sweet too. Soothing voice with fingerpicking guitar.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 7:11 PM on July 30, 2005

I think Iron and Wine's cover of Such Great Heights would make a beautiful lullabye.
posted by synecdoche at 7:35 PM on July 30, 2005

There's an awesome CD by Jason Falkner (ex-Jellyfish) that's instrumental renditions of Beatles tunes, real quiet-like but also very listenable from a non-child standpoint. It's called Bedtime with the Beatles (non-refer amazon link.)
posted by neustile at 7:40 PM on July 30, 2005

"Cradle Song," Shriekback
"Glow Worms," Vashti Bunyan
"Apples in Bed," The Go-Betweens
"Autumn's Child," Devendra Barnhart
"And Dream of Sheep," Kate Bush
"Seaflowers (A Dream of Waters, pt. 3)," Skygreen Leopards
"So We Go," The Hang Ups
"Regenisraen," Game Theory
"Cool Waves," Spiritualized
"I Wish I Was The Moon Tonight," Neko Case
Pretty much anything by Sigur Ros, don't you think?

Happy aunthood!
posted by melissa may at 7:41 PM on July 30, 2005

Oh, and I forgot this little gem by They Might Be Giants.
posted by melissa may at 8:00 PM on July 30, 2005

Naive Melody by Talking Heads
posted by matildaben at 8:15 PM on July 30, 2005

From my own lullaby mix:

Air - Ce Matin-Là (Dreamy with some nice sax!)
American Analog Set - Don't Wake Me (Sorta boring + incredibly chilled out guitarwork = zzzzzz)
Azure Ray - Sleep (Holy crap this song is relaxing and beautiful)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lion Lair (Slower, but most of all Oldham's low smooooth voice is great for winding down the day)
Jeff Buckley - Corpus Christi Carol (Soft guitars and a pretty falsetto voice)
M. Ward - Well-Tempered Clavier (M. Ward does Bach!)
Múm - Green Grass of Tunnel (Just make sure you don't have the volume on too loud if you include this)
Nick Drake - Fly
Sigur Rós - Untitled [Track 4 off () ] (Those Icelandic folks do this thing well-- hard to sleep with 16 hours of winter sunlight daily)
Sufjan Stevens - Vito's Ordination Song (Very warm sounding keys and horns with the whispery voices/harmonies)
Will Johnson - In a Motionless Way (Beautiful rumbly voice-- the album was recorded in a big barn and you can even hear crickets chirping on the track!)
Yo la Tengo - Tears are in Your Eyes (Classic!)

(Iron & Wine is a wonderful suggestion!)
posted by themadjuggler at 8:19 PM on July 30, 2005

House on Pooh's Corner (amazon link) by Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina.
posted by alteredcarbon at 8:26 PM on July 30, 2005

I would recommend these soothing pop melodies:

The Pretenders - I Go To Sleep (the acoustic version uses piano, not guitars and drums, and is reminiscent of the soundtrack to the movie Amelie)
The Softies - Perfect Dear (two girls singing a capella, really quite lullabyish)
Fiona Apple - Across the Universe (Beatles cover)

Still recommended, but with caveat on the lyrics:
Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (the repetitive rhythm is soothing)
Blur - To The End (very soft, with a few crescendos)
posted by Lush at 8:30 PM on July 30, 2005

Lullaby - Ben Folds Five
Beautiful Baby - Don McLean

and congratulations!
posted by adamfunman at 8:43 PM on July 30, 2005

When I made a very similar mix, it was called Hip Songs for Sleepy Babies and contained

Book of Love by Magnetic Fields
One More Goodnight Kiss by Greg Brown
All Right for Now by Tom Petty
Lullaby by Jack Johnson
#3 by Ben Harper & Co.
Say a Little Prayer by Shawn Colvin
Midnight Moonlight by the Be Good Tanyas
Song of Sand by Suzanne Vega
Makambo by Geoffrey Oryema
Kokoba by Mahaleo
The Kiss by Wayne Horvitz
I'm a Fool by Wayne Horvitz
Bwana Toshi by Arthur Lyman
Stellar Lullabye by SF Seals
Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key by Billy Bragg/Wilco
Something by Phish, I don't know what it is
We All, Us Three, Will Ride by Palace Music
I'll Always Remember You by Natalie McMaster
Gauley Bridge by Songs::Ohia
All the Pretty Li'l Horses by Shawn Colvin
Some environmental music with crickets and frogs
posted by jessamyn at 8:47 PM on July 30, 2005 [1 favorite]

Almost anything from the band Low will work, except their latest album.

And I second the Sigur Ros recommendation. Man that whole album is wonderful. It's our falling-asleep-on-an-airplane music. It's almost womb-like, making you feel soothed, safe, and secure.
posted by pitchblende at 8:57 PM on July 30, 2005

I absolutely second neustile's suggestion. Start the kid off on the right foot. Bedtime With the Beatles also serves as my studying and chill out music.
posted by apple scruff at 8:58 PM on July 30, 2005

OK, I'm a total geek but: "Washu's Lullaby" from Tenchi Muyo! is excellent, due to Yuko Kobayashi's outstanding vocals.
posted by SPrintF at 9:36 PM on July 30, 2005

The Decemberists - Clementine
The Magnetic Fields - The Book of Love
posted by ludwig_van at 9:38 PM on July 30, 2005

Awesome suggestions, all! I'm leading with Iron & Wine, without a doubt - that's precisely the vibe I want. Closing with cricket sounds from Trip Shakespeare's Lulu album - thanks, Jessamyn, for reminding me that I had it. Feel free to keep the songs coming; I may make a lullaby CD for myself.
posted by donnagirl at 9:51 PM on July 30, 2005

Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
Blessed - Elton John

and there's another that I can't bring to the front of my brain right now. I'll post it when I remember.
posted by lambchop1 at 9:53 PM on July 30, 2005

The Smiths - Asleep (for the lyrics and the song)
Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining (just cause it's pretty, oooh and he does talk about sleep..)
Mirah - While we have the sun (quiet and soft and lovely)
posted by jetskiaccidents at 11:11 PM on July 30, 2005

"Moon on Your Pajamas" and/or "Sweet Pea, My Sweet Pea" by Paul Weller
posted by scody at 11:33 PM on July 30, 2005

I second the use of Be Good Tanyas and I think it would fit well with the acoustic front-porch folk feel of Iron & Wine.
posted by matildaben at 11:39 PM on July 30, 2005

Try something by Zero7.

Also, "Hayling" by FC Kahuna and "Glowing Yellow" by Eva Abraham

Great idea, by the way.
posted by radioamy at 11:59 PM on July 30, 2005

Finally remembered...

When You Dream - Barenaked Ladies
posted by lambchop1 at 12:01 AM on July 31, 2005

"1559 w. cuningham cosmogr. glasse" by Akira Rabelais. It's track 5 off of Spellewauerynscherde. I think it actually is a lullaby--in Icelandic!
posted by hototogisu at 12:06 AM on July 31, 2005

Also, if you could find "Edo Lullaby" by Ensemble Nipponia, check it out. Another version of the same melody (well, there are probably lots of them but I only have two) is "Komoriuta" off of a compilation called Lullaby for the Moon...both are swell...it'd make a nice bracketing for a bunch of "normal" music...
posted by hototogisu at 12:48 AM on July 31, 2005

Cat Stevens-Moonshadow, The Wind
Modest Mouse-Sleepwalkin
posted by slimslowslider at 12:52 AM on July 31, 2005

Cat Power's cover of "I Found a Reason"

Múm definitely has that childlike wonder sound down, so one of the downtempo tracks from Finally We are No One might be nice.

Come to think of it, the Steve Reich track that gave me my user name really soothes me, but he's a composer, so it might not be what you're looking for.

If Radiohead's your thing, there's Cristopher O'Reilly's piano arrangements, or the album version of "Sail Me to the Moon" - or, hell, even "Treefingers" itself.
posted by electric_counterpoint at 3:38 AM on July 31, 2005

Porcelain by RHCP

Avril 14th by Aphex Twin

Teardrop by Massive Attack
posted by Lotto at 4:24 AM on July 31, 2005

Someone has already mentioned TMBG's "Bed, Bed, Bed" off their kids' album, No!, but that is actually not a great lullabye song (it rocks much to hard). Even better off the same album is "Lazyhead and Sleepybones".
posted by Rock Steady at 6:33 AM on July 31, 2005

It's a Fine Day by Jane & Barton

O Superman by Laurie Anderson?
posted by Grangousier at 10:56 AM on July 31, 2005

Check out Stay Awake. It's a collection of Disney songs covered by (then) popular artists.

Specifically...
Bonnie Raitt singing Baby Mine
Suzanne Vega singing Stay Awake

if you want to scare the kid, you can add...
Tom Waits croaking Heigh Ho

Also, a great one by a local artist here, Kim Taylor. Griffin's Lullaby from her album So Black, So Bright which you can get from iTunes.
posted by Jase at 11:43 AM on July 31, 2005

To clarify the whole "Bed, Bed, Bed" situation, the No! version is NOT a lullabye, although the version on the CD that comes with the Bed, Bed, Bed book is one. (With vocals by Kimya Dawson instead of Linnell -- though I don't like that version much at all -- possbily because I cannot stand the Moldy Peaches or her solo stuff; so I'd probably second "Lazyhead and Sleepybones" from No! anyway. But if you, you know, don't despise the Moldy Peaches/Kimya Dawson, you might check the book version of "Bed, Bed, Bed" out, too.)
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me at 12:07 PM on July 31, 2005

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. It looks like I might have a couple days now to put this (thanks to you, totally awesome) CD together. I'll be sure to post the final track list for posterity.
posted by donnagirl at 4:48 PM on July 31, 2005

Dirty Three, especially Ocean Songs. It's the album I fall asleep to myself.

And just so you know, I am ripping off every one of these suggestions and putting a CD in the mail to my wee nephew tomorrow. This is a great idea.
posted by catesbie at 5:01 PM on July 31, 2005

Friends of mine reported that their infant really did like Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds for Baby.
posted by hydrophonic at 8:12 PM on July 31, 2005

great thread.

Innocence Mission has a cd of lullabies out now that gets good reviews.
posted by mecran01 at 10:06 PM on July 31, 2005

Latecomer, but Puff the Magic Dragon by either Peter Paul & Mary or Seal. Alison Krauss also has a wonderful version of Baby Mine. If you aren't averse to Christian-themed songs, Kathy Mattea's Christ Child Lullabye helps me sleep.
posted by IndigoRain at 2:08 AM on August 2, 2005

Sarah McLachlan "Angel"
posted by softlord at 5:43 AM on August 2, 2005

I've compiled a list of all the songs and albums mentioned in this thread, which can be viewed here.
posted by DeeJayK at 5:01 PM on August 2, 2005

St. Judy's Comet by Paul Simon?
posted by dgeiser13 at 8:19 PM on August 7, 2005

Here's the playlist - song * artist * album. Some of the songs, while not directly suggested in this thread, were found by exploring some of the artists I wasn't familiar with. Thanks to everyone for a great thread!

1 * Such Great Heights * Iron & Wine * Garden State Soundtrack
2 * You Can Not Lose My Love (demo) * Sara Groves * The Other Side of Something Bonus Disk
3 * Ice Cream * Sarah McLachlan * Fumbling Toward Ecstasy
4 * Superman (live) * Five For Fighting * (recorded live at VH1.com, quieter, more reflective than the original)
5 * All the Pretty Li’l Horses * Shawn Colvin * Holiday Songs and Lullabies
6 * Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain * Ladysmith Black Mambazo * Shaka Zulu
7 * First Time Ever I Saw Your Face * Johnny Cash * American IV
8 * When You Dream * Barenaked Ladies * Stunt
9 * While We Have the Sun * Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn * Songs from the Black Mountain Music Project
10 * The Book of Love * The Magnetic Fields * 69 Love Songs
11 * Lullaby * Greg Brown * Covenant
12 * Tears are in Your Eyes * Yo La Tengo * And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
13 * Midnight Moonlight * The Be Good Tanyas * Chinatown
14 * Falling * Angelo Badalamenti * Twin Peaks Soundtrack
15 * Wee Small Hours of the Morning * Frank Sinatra * The Best of the Capitol Years
16 * The Luckiest * Ben Folds * Rockin' the Suburbs
17 * Baby Mine * Bette Midler * Beaches
18 * Moon River * The Innocence Mission * Now the Day is Over
19 * ?? (crickets) * Trip Shakespeare * Lulu
posted by donnagirl at 11:04 AM on August 8, 2005 [1 favorite]