Love Yann Tiersen's earlier instrumental music. Recently discovered Sweden's "Detektivbyran," which gives me much of what I used to get from Tiersen before he moved on, without being derivative. Tried last.fm and pandora to no avail - looking for other artists mining similar territory. Bonus points for inclusion of accordion. Does not necessarily have to be done on acoustic instruments. Don't want huge sweeping orchestral statements...prefer smaller ensembles who get the point across with fewer instruments or tracks.
posted by dorgla on Oct 16, 2009 - 13 answers

Soundtrackfilter: Please recommend to me mostly-instrumental, sometimes dark, contemplative soundtrack albums (or even compilations or regular albums) in the vein of Michael Andrews' work for Donnie Darko or Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd's soundtrack for Mysterious Skin. [more inside]
posted by Inspector.Gadget on Sep 26, 2009 - 24 answers

I'm singing in an outdoor wedding and am desperately looking for a karaoke version of Gershwin's "For You, For Me, For Evermore." I would prefer a version that starts at the refrain (right on "For you, for me..."). Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by DeucesHigh on Aug 25, 2009 - 4 answers

I am looking for heavy, noisy, vocal-free music like Billy Corgan and Matt Walker did for the Ransom soundtrack. [more inside]
posted by fake on Nov 22, 2008 - 26 answers

I'm looking for good sources of creative-commons licensed, edgy rock instrumental music. A really good example of this is www.saviumsaliva.com. The music there just seems to work for the podcast that I'm working on. I've tried Jamendo, and one other "search engine" for creative commons licensed music, but slow going. I keep hoping for the motherlode.. So far, not so much. Anyone have any other suggestions for places to look? Thanks!
posted by wflanagan on May 17, 2008 - 3 answers

Recommendations for inexpensive software/hardware for making those instrumental/karaoke versions of songs. [more inside]
posted by mphuie on Apr 4, 2008 - 4 answers

I am working on a series of promos for a national cable network and looking for some suggestions regarding music. They love the song from the Michael Mann's Miami Vice trailer: Numb/Encore by Linkin Park and Jay-Z. I'm looking for instrumental tracks with that feeling: serious, inspiring, melancholy, uplifting, energetic, modern, slick, etc. The promos involve beautiful slow-motion visuals with voiceover underneath. Thought I would turn to my favorite hive mind. Any suggestions? Thanks!
posted by oldkentucky on Feb 15, 2008 - 14 answers

Looking for an instrumental Cracker tune from about 10-12 years ago? [more inside]
posted by psmealey on Jan 20, 2008 - 12 answers

Recently I've realized that I enjoy listening to piano music, but I'm not really familiar with it. Can you recommend CDs/compilations/pieces that I might like? [more inside]
posted by Quidam on Dec 16, 2007 - 29 answers

I'm looking for more instrumental music that sounds similar to the violin-heavy themes in FARGO, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, and LoTR: THE TWO TOWERS. [more inside]
posted by (bb|[^b]{2}) on Nov 21, 2007 - 26 answers

Any clue about this song? [more inside]
posted by Bill Shinji on Aug 17, 2007 - 7 answers

What's your background music? [more inside]
posted by serazin on May 29, 2007 - 43 answers

Can you help me identify the artist and name of this instrumental music [1 minute excerpt, 374k mp3]? (I really thought it was Penguin Cafe Orchestra but couldn't find it in their discography.)
posted by night kitchen on Feb 19, 2007 - 3 answers

Music-for-studying-for-the-@#%#-bar-exam-filter: Please help me balm the pain of preparing for this miserable test by recommending excellent music that's either wholely instrumental or not in English. [more inside]
posted by palmcorder_yajna on Feb 18, 2007 - 38 answers

I am working on a documentary radio piece and I'm looking for some instrumental music to use in the background. I've stumbled across some great instrumental stuff, but most of it is incredibly sappy. The problem with this is that my story is not. I'm looking for relatively upbeat music, not music to break up to. Can anyone suggest some interesting instrumental artists or collections? Maybe a movie soundtrack?
posted by erikcore on Dec 16, 2006 - 14 answers

Recommend me some nice melancholic instrumental music with sparse arrangements. Maybe classical music (?), of which I know very little, but I'm thinking specifically of "Music For Egon Schiele" by Rachel's. [more inside]
posted by p3t3 on Mar 31, 2006 - 41 answers

Can you help me identify an instrumental piece of music heard in a tv science documentary? [more inside]
posted by funambulist on Mar 28, 2006 - 2 answers

Name that tune please :: PBS is great, and the songs in their promos are actually just as good. Currently running is a promo that ends with the words; "Be More ~ ThirteenHD" (this is PBS Thirteen's High-Def channel which they broadcast in NYC & possibly elsewhere?). The music which accompanies it is a piece that I'd classify as sort of a Blues/Rock/Jazz instrumental. My Question: Name that tune!?! [more inside]
posted by Jhaus on Jan 31, 2006 - 2 answers

I have developed an unhealthy obsession with Juno, Swervedriver, The Appleseed Cast, Compound Red and Art of Fighting. What other bands would you suggest in the same vein?
posted by signal on Nov 22, 2005 - 14 answers

What is your favorite mellow instrumental music? [more inside]
posted by evilbeck on Oct 9, 2005 - 29 answers

Name that tune! In "Unfaithfully Yours", Rex Harrison cracks a joke around 00:16:30 about blah blah "pizzacato con motto vibratto" ("...like a dentist chipping out an old filling!"), then his orchestra launches into a classical piece. What is he having them play? Googling does not suggest that's its title.
posted by nakedcodemonkey on Sep 30, 2005 - 4 answers

What are the greatest rock instrumentals of all time? (i.e., not jazz, electronica, funk, etc.)
posted by jjg on Jul 26, 2005 - 74 answers

While digitizing some minidiscs before I throw them out, I was very surprised to find this electronic instrumental (100KB MP3) on a disc of Avril Lavigne etc, and I have no idea how it got there. What is it? [more inside]
posted by cillit bang on Jan 19, 2005 - 8 answers

I'm looking for some good road trip music, specifically instrumental music, acoustic guitar if possible.
posted by 4easypayments on Oct 12, 2004 - 23 answers

Settle an argument, please. Spike Jonze directed a music video of Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice, featuring Christoper Walken as the droll businessman dancing through and around a huge hotel lobby. In the version available online at Astralwerks Records' site (scroll halfway down page; available in Real and Windows Media), the soundtrack includes vocals, as on the album. Now the question: has anybody (other than me...) seen this video with an instrumental soundtrack instead? I swear this version exists, I even recall wondering where the title Weapon of Choice had come from in lieu of any vocal clues. Sound familiar? Sound like I'm just nuts? TIA for any enlightenment on this obviously earth-shattering issue...
posted by JollyWanker on May 23, 2004 - 18 answers

On the movie version of Pink Floyd's The Wall, there's a short instrumental piece before "In The Flesh" (I think), with a guitar and flute, the guitar part starts something like this:

E||-----------------0----|----------------------|-----------------0----|----------------------|-----------------0----|-----------------||
B||------------1---------|--1-------------------|------------1---------|--1-------------------|------------1---------|--1--------------||
G||-------2--------------|-------2---------2----|-------2--------------|-------2---------2----|-------2--------------|-------2---------||
D||--2-------------------|------------2---------|--3-------------------|------------3---------|--4-------------------|------------4----||
A||----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|-----------------||
E||----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|-----------------||

Does anybody know the history or name of the piece, and hopefully have an accurate tab of it? I've played it forever but never seem to have got it quite right.
posted by signal on Dec 25, 2003 - 4 answers

I'm looking for good background music for videos that I'm editing together of family stuff, and later for personal biographies that I might do for people. I have only a tiny repertoire, and I can't use the same music for every family video. I'm thinking instrumental with a mellow vibe. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by beth on Dec 14, 2003 - 15 answers