Twangy Olde timey westerny music

August 28, 2005 7:45 AM

Having recently fallen in love with Firefly (the tv show) and playing Uru for a short bit I am quite interested in the musical styling of these two things. They both have the twangy floaty guitar.. But they definitely are not country and western.. What is this style of music called, and who should I listen to for more?

I have found 'Buck 65' who uses this style sometimes in a few of his songs.. Any Genre is apperciated.. As long as it has that waawaaa floaty guitar

posted by JonnyRotten to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

Steel or slide guitar ('steel' being the name of the slide).

The Myst series uses a Dobro resonator guitar, which has a metal core and is quintessentially associated with slide guitar, but doesn't necessarily get played with one. The theme to 'Firefly' is by Sonny Rhodes, who plays a lap steel.

The classic popular example is the theme to 'Paris, Texas' by Ry Cooder, and the 'floaty' sound is generally associated with the American south-west. You might be interested in Ben Harper's stuff, too: he plays a selection of Weissenborns and replicas.
posted by holgate at 8:39 AM on August 28, 2005

I, too, am addicted to this stuff, and it led me on a chase that ended with lots of other alt-country type sounds.

I think you'll enjoy Tin Hat Trio's album, Rodeo Eroded, (but not their other stuff necessarily). Also check out Jeff Beal's music from the television show Carnivale.

Someone like Emmylou Harris or Alison Krauss might also be to your liking. Stretching it but still good: Magnolia Electric Co., Son Volt.
posted by frykitty at 9:48 AM on August 28, 2005

Check out Friends of Dean Martinez. They're kind of a Southwestern, TV-jazz group fronted by a steel player. Their site has some mp3s.

Also, the HBO series Deadwood has an eeriely similar soundtrack.
posted by stet at 11:44 AM on August 28, 2005

This other question, What are your favorite songs with steel guitar?, might have some answers for you also.
posted by librarina at 11:59 AM on August 28, 2005

Also, JonnyRotten, where do you live? If you're in the US Northwest, stet and I (and others) might have live music recommendations for you.
posted by librarina at 12:07 PM on August 28, 2005

There are some J.J. Cale pieces that remind me of the Firefly theme. He's not country at all - just sort of laid back guitar. His style's kind of a stretch, but download something and see.
posted by small_ruminant at 4:29 PM on August 28, 2005

librarina, I wouldn't mind hearing those recommendations myownself.
posted by rebirtha at 5:25 PM on August 28, 2005

I am in Ohio, Near the toledo area.
I guess good example for exactly what I am looking for is like the opening to the song "freestlyer" by the Bomfunk Mc's. The instrument I am falling in love with kicks in at 22 seconds until about 57 seconds
I looked around and couldn't find a sample of that song to share.. But if you know it, you will know what I am talking about.
Stet - Love deadwood fo' sure and love the music from it.. The music really stuck out to me while I was watching it, but I can't recalll right this moment if thats what I am looking for. I will have to break out the DVD and review.

Thanks for the recommendations so far!
posted by JonnyRotten at 7:25 PM on August 28, 2005

If I recall correctly, didn't Peter Gabriel have something to do with the music for Uru? That may have changed when the game came out -- I only experienced it in a really early beta.
posted by thanotopsis at 7:26 PM on August 28, 2005

I was totally going to make this my next AskMeFi question. Stephen King's The Stand has similar music - steel guitar, lilting melody on the fiddle, haunting, eerie, and way cool.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 7:50 PM on August 28, 2005

rebirtha, local (NW) bands with pedal steel:
Evangeline, a fave of Jessamyn's, from up here (Seattle); Richmond Fontaine, from down there (Portland) -- look these guys up if you haven't; Chuckanut Drive, from Bellingham/Seattle; Big Smokey from Seattle.

I feel certain that I'm missing someone important; stay tuned for my head smack post when I remember.

You might also keep an eye out for anything with Mike Grigoni in it -- dunno what band, if any, he's with now, but he's an excellent dobro/lap steel player. Seattle band North 19 (often called Anna Coogan and North 19) has several tracks with him on, and is a great record on its own merit too.
And if Paul Brainard, who used to play pedal steel with Richmond Fontaine in Portland but half-moved to Austin, is in town, you should definitely check him out. I guess he has some sort of jazzish group he plays with too.
posted by librarina at 9:10 PM on August 28, 2005