Long Songs
May 10, 2017 9:24 AM   Subscribe

Hi, looking for your favorite indie/alternative songs that are roughly over 7:00 minutes long. Can be anything really as long as its not electronic or pop.

I know its a bit broad but that is kind of the point. Thanks!
posted by repoman to Media & Arts (75 answers total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
Fools Gold 9.53 by the Stone Roses. It's 9 minutes and 53 seconds long, funnily enough.
posted by cardinalandcrow at 9:30 AM on May 10, 2017 [7 favorites]


Josh Ritter's Thin Blue Flame is 9.39 and a tour de force. Tori Amos's Yes, Anastasia at 9.20 also fits the bill.
posted by merriment at 9:30 AM on May 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


Define indie/alternative? Because nothing longer than 3:05 is played in pop rotation anywhere. Telegraph Road is a great song and a good story but if Dire Straits was once indie, they were then pop (& now classic rock?) so maybe they don't fit. That Mark Knopfler guitar though.

Also: this.
posted by headnsouth at 9:31 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


Gillian Welch's I Dream a Highway?
posted by mskyle at 9:32 AM on May 10, 2017 [5 favorites]


Pulp - Wickerman
posted by robself at 9:32 AM on May 10, 2017


All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem? Or is that too electronic? Several of the songs from that album are 7 minutes plus.
posted by MadamM at 9:36 AM on May 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


Two songs off this album by Magnolia Electric Co. are fantastic long songs-- Such Pretty Eyes for a Snake and Almost Was Good Enough. It's a live album and I don't know if it's alt/indie enough for you -- they were kind of an alt-country band.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:36 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


Six Organs of Admittance - Close To The Sky
posted by morning_television at 9:39 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


My Morning Jacket Steam Train
posted by lakersfan1222 at 9:44 AM on May 10, 2017


Lilys, Socs Hip
Fiery Furnaces, Chris Michaels
Cardiacs, Dirty Boy
posted by dfan at 9:46 AM on May 10, 2017


The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Your Guardian Angel?
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 9:46 AM on May 10, 2017


A few songs on Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation
posted by danabanana at 9:49 AM on May 10, 2017 [3 favorites]




Wilco, Spiders. They have a few good long ones and some epic live versions, but this is the first one I thought of.
posted by pepper bird at 9:53 AM on May 10, 2017


Response by poster: All great so far, please keep them coming!
posted by repoman at 9:54 AM on May 10, 2017


Queen's The Prophet's Song:
posted by Boogiechild at 9:57 AM on May 10, 2017


There's a lot more Joanna Newsom where that came from. All of her album Ys, and probably ten more songs off of the next two albums.
posted by anb at 9:57 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]






Kurt Vile — "Wakin' On A Pretty Day"
The Mars Volta — "L'Via L'Viaquez"
Wolf Parade — "Kissing the Beehive"
Sigur Rós — Untitled 8 ("Popplagið") and "Svefn-g-Englar"
The Decemberists — "The Crane Wife 1 & 2"
John Butler Trio — "Ocean"
The Microphones — "The Glow"
Weezer — "Only In Dreams"
Wilco — "One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)"
Panda Bear — "Bros"
posted by a good beginning at 9:59 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


New Order - Temptation
posted by General Malaise at 9:59 AM on May 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


Grandaddy - He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot.
posted by kariebookish at 10:01 AM on May 10, 2017


The Velvet Underground – Heroin
posted by General Malaise at 10:01 AM on May 10, 2017


Jane's Addiction - Three Days
posted by goatdog at 10:01 AM on May 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


The Velvet Underground and Stereolab both have a good number of tracks well over seven minutes long.
posted by mdrew at 10:02 AM on May 10, 2017


It has a long empty intro, but Bright Eyes - The Big Picture clocks in just around 7' without it.
posted by General Malaise at 10:05 AM on May 10, 2017




Catherine Wheel's Black Metallic
posted by jalexei at 10:07 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


The Smashing Pumpkins have a lot: Thru the Eyes of Ruby, Porcelina of the Vast Oceans, Silverfuck
posted by John Cohen at 10:07 AM on May 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


Glen Hansard - Drive All Night
posted by Redstart at 10:09 AM on May 10, 2017


Yo La Tengo - The Fireside
Yo La Tengo - Night Falls on Hoboken
Yo La Tengo - Spec Bebop
Bardo Pond's cover of Maggot Brain
Ween - Woman and Man
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - That's What Our Love Is

Actually, I'd recommend any song by Bardo Pond or Yo La Tengo over 7 minutes, but the ones above were the first to come to mind.
posted by mont the drifter at 10:17 AM on May 10, 2017


The album version of Death Cab for Cutie's I Will Possess Your Heart
posted by radioamy at 10:19 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]



posted by limeonaire at 10:27 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart."

Stereolab's "Metronomic Underground."

A bunch of previous suggestions are great, too.
posted by breakin' the law at 10:31 AM on May 10, 2017


Arcade Fire, Reflektor
posted by exolstice at 10:34 AM on May 10, 2017


R.E.M.'s Leave just makes it at 7:18, and is one of my favorite songs to boot.
posted by epj at 10:37 AM on May 10, 2017 [3 favorites]


Shearwater - Home Life (7:16)

Black Angels - Call to Arms (18:06)

Colin Stetson - To See More Light (15:08), And It Fought to Escape (8:24), All this I do for glory (7:19), Time is advancing with fitful irregularity (7:06) | previously on metafilter

Peaking Lights - Wedding Song (9:59), Owls Barning (9:25)

Dirty Beaches - Mirage Hall (9:48), Alone at the Danube River (7:33)

The Drones - Why write a letter that you'll never send (9:20)

Ancient River - Behind Your Eyes

Red Sparrowes - A Swarm (7:10), As each end looms and subsides (7:16)

Spacemen 3: Dreamweapon: an evening of contemporary sitar music (44:17), Ecstasy (9:03), How Does it feel? (7:58), It's Alright (7:42), Come down easy (7:02)

Drone metal:
a lot of songs from any Earth album wiki | Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version (album: 3 songs, 15:38, 27:04, 30:31)

See also: any Sun O))) album wiki | Flight of the Behemoth
(album: 5 songs, 9:12, 13:09, 5:54, 12:53, 10:19)

Sleep: Holy Mountain (8:45) | From Beyond (10:35) | Evil Gypsy/Solomons Theme (7:06) | also their entire "album" Dopesmoker is technically just one song (wiki | 63:31)
posted by czytm at 10:57 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


This is probably too old to be indie or alt, but Alice's Restaurant Massacree by Arlo Guthrie is exceptional and exceptionally long.
posted by mattamatic at 11:00 AM on May 10, 2017 [3 favorites]


Shellac - House Full of Garbage
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:09 AM on May 10, 2017


Great stuff in this thread!

Encouraging more Stereolab: in addition to the hypnotic Metronomic Underground, listen to Jenny Ondioline from the "Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements" LP (can't find a full-length version on YouTube);

more Yo La Tengo: I Heard You Looking;

Modest Mouse: Truckers Atlas and the 45-seconds-under-your-limit-yet-still-formidable Cowboy Dan;

The Fall (file under: once alternative, now classic rock?):
Hexen Definitive/Strife Knot;

Sonic Youth: The Diamond Sea.

Lots of lovely in-concert/live/alternative versions of these songs on YouTube, as well.
posted by lasagnaboy at 11:21 AM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'm also going to mention this one, it's about ten times as long as what was requested (74 minutes and 17 seconds): Fantômas - Delìrium Còrdia
posted by exolstice at 11:22 AM on May 10, 2017


Other people are posting things that are less "alternative" and more "alt-country" so I would wager this is okay:

"Farewell Transmission" by Songs:Ohia

(Second time today I recommended this to someone!)
posted by dearwassily at 11:42 AM on May 10, 2017 [3 favorites]


Godsend by Beat Happening
Tayzee Nub by Califone (only 6:30)
Jezebel by The Drones
That's How You Sing (Amazing Grace) by Low
The Stars are Projectors by Modest Mouse
Thank Your Parents by Oneida
Satellites by Parts & Labor
Salt & Blues by Phosphorescent (6:30)
The Well by Smog
Lioness (6:37), Hold on Magnolia, all by Songs: Ohia (later to become Magnolia Electric Co, mentioned upthread)
Stove by a Whale by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Mary is Mary by Wye Oak
13 Months in 6 Minutes by The Wrens (6:50)
Dinner Bells by Wolf Parade
Blind by TV on the Radio

And of course:
Marquee Moon by Television
posted by lousywiththespirit at 11:54 AM on May 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


Juno - Leave a Clean Camp and a Dead Fire 09:51
Mogwai Fear Satan 16:19

See also every single song (well about 80% of songs) by Godspeed! You Black Emperor, A Silver Mt Zion, etc etc.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:02 PM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'm Your Captain - Grand Funk Railroad

Not electronic or pop I suppose.
posted by humboldt32 at 12:08 PM on May 10, 2017


All but one song on King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King are over 7 minutes. Most on Larks's Tongues in Aspic are as well. Also, King Crimson is the best.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:14 PM on May 10, 2017




Old Brown Dog by John Koerner and Willie Murphy is one of my all time favorits.
posted by brookeb at 12:17 PM on May 10, 2017


Most Explosions in the Sky tracks are really long.
posted by littlewater at 12:21 PM on May 10, 2017




Arthur Lee & Love have a number of long songs.

Love is More Than Words
You Set the Scene
posted by brookeb at 12:26 PM on May 10, 2017


Ordering my iTunes library by song length, the longer stuff is mainly African music. I assume that’s not what you’re looking for?
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 12:38 PM on May 10, 2017


Built to Spill: Velvet Waltz, Kicked It In The Sun
Drive Like Jehu: Luau
Hella: City Folk Sitting, Sitting
Hoover: Cuts Like Drugs
Modest Mouse: Seconding Truckers Atlas and also Night on the Sun and Beachside Property
Neutral Milk Hotel: Oh Comely
Polvo: When Will You Die For The Last Time In My Dreams, Stinger (Five Wigs), Gemini Cusp
Slint: Washer
Three Mile Pilot: X. Miner, The Urquan Destroyer
posted by saladin at 12:48 PM on May 10, 2017 [3 favorites]


Sun Kil Moon- Lost Verses
Red House Painters- Katy Song
posted by Rufus T. Firefly at 1:15 PM on May 10, 2017


for obvious reasons, I recommend Bowie's Station to Station.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 1:26 PM on May 10, 2017


Sunset Rubdown: The Men Are Called Horsemen There and Dragon's Lair
posted by kittyb at 1:33 PM on May 10, 2017


Johnny Cash - The Legend of John Henry's Hammer
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
posted by cali59 at 2:10 PM on May 10, 2017


Now That I'm a Man Full Grown by Jack Rose (9:54).
posted by workerant at 2:12 PM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]




Also, Fucked Up's zodiac series title tracks are all very long:

Year of the Dragon
Year of the Hare
Year of the Rat
Year of the Pig
Year of the Ox
Year of the Tiger
Year of the Snake
posted by ndfine at 2:45 PM on May 10, 2017


cardinalandcrow: "Fools Gold 9.53 by the Stone Roses. It's 9 minutes and 53 seconds long, funnily enough."

Also, the song prior to that on the album is I Am the Resurrection, which is 8:12.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:06 PM on May 10, 2017


Here are a few I like, from a quick search of my iTunes library (I had a much longer list before I pruned several already mentioned above):

Lloyd Cole - Half Of Everything
Okkervil River - Judey On a Street
Dawes - Now That It's Too Late, Maria
The Posies - Flood Of Sunshine
posted by HillbillyInBC at 4:47 PM on May 10, 2017


Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
posted by hoodrich at 5:11 PM on May 10, 2017


More!
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Babe I'm on Fire
And lousywiththespirit jogged my Low memory: Nothing But Heart. Low is a good bet for more.
posted by pepper bird at 5:57 PM on May 10, 2017


Here are a few things above 7:00 in my iTunes library that haven't been listed, that I'd still be willing to listen to sometimes, and that might count:

Googoosh - Nafas
Googoosh - Hamsafar
Darren Hanlon - House
Darren Hanlon - Halley's Comet, 1986
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead [Demo]
The Pogues - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:27 PM on May 10, 2017


I've always been a fan of NOFX's The Decline (18:20). It's nice to be able to get a good workout while listening to a single punk rawk song.
posted by subgenius at 7:22 PM on May 10, 2017


Built To Spill - When Not Being Stupid Is Not Enough
posted by mintcake! at 7:35 PM on May 10, 2017


The Dirty Three - Deep Waters
posted by ruhroh at 7:38 PM on May 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


The live version of Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) from The Name of This Band is Talking Heads is 8:24.

Also, that album's version of Houses In Motion comes very close at 6:54.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:20 PM on May 10, 2017


Spiritualized: "Hey Jane" (8'53)

The Clash: "Justice Tonight/Kick it Over" (8'48)
posted by Petersondub at 11:44 PM on May 10, 2017


Morrissey: Late Night, Maudlin Street
Decemberists: The Mariners Revenge Song
posted by crocomancer at 1:02 AM on May 11, 2017


Death Cab for Cutie: Stability
posted by seiryuu at 10:14 AM on May 11, 2017


David Bowie's Blackstar!

Of Montreal's The Past Is a Grotesque Animal.
posted by ferret branca at 11:09 AM on May 11, 2017


Yo La Tengo - Sunsquashed (26:22. Do I win?)
Velvet Underground - Sister Ray
Don Cabellero - Don Cabellero 3
Can - Future Days
Neu - Hallogallo
Jim O'Rourke - Prelude to 110 or 220/Women of the World (nsfw image)
The Dream Syndicate - Days of Wine and Roses
(Smog) - Truth Serum, Bloodflow
Talk Talk - The Rainbow
The Aluminum Group - Rrose Selavy's Valise
!!! - Me And Guliani Down By The School Yard
Tortoise - DJed
The 90 Day Men - St. Theresa in Ecsasty
Arthur Russell: The Platform on the Ocean, In The Light of The Miracle
Galaxie 500 - Listen, The Snow Is Falling
New Order - The Perfect Kiss (We miss you, Jonathan Demme.)
posted by hydrophonic at 11:06 PM on May 11, 2017


The long version of Tame Impala's Let It Happen.
posted by Seeking Direction at 5:48 PM on May 13, 2017


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