no not that kind of drum and bass

April 17, 2018 11:08 AM

Looking for music recommendations! But the bands have to be ONLY a bassist and drummer or a keyboard/synth player and drummer. No guitars (or other instruments) in the band, though the occasional appearance of another instrument can be excused. Bands that are a synth player, bassist, and drummer are okay but not ideal. Multiple bassist/synth players okay.

examples: Dianogah, Slingshot Dakota, Clatter. Thanks!

posted by everybody had matching towels to Media & Arts (24 answers total)

The first two Depeche Mode albums (Speak & Spell, A Broken Frame) only use vocals, synths, and drum machine.
posted by Radiophonic Oddity at 11:12 AM on April 17, 2018

Morphine (bass, drums, saxomophone)

Soul Coughing! (bass, drums, weird samplers)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:15 AM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

Super! Silver! Haze!
posted by sheldman at 11:15 AM on April 17, 2018

Gary Numam (Pleasure Principle)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 11:23 AM on April 17, 2018

Okay but not ideal: Shout Out Out Out Out
posted by methroach at 11:24 AM on April 17, 2018

Mates of State
posted by photovox at 11:30 AM on April 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

The noisy goodness of bass/drums duo Ruins (sample live performance).
posted by googly at 11:31 AM on April 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

90's Canadian alt rockers: The Inbreds
posted by i_mean_come_on_now at 11:32 AM on April 17, 2018

LIGHTNING BOLT!
posted by ZipRibbons at 11:35 AM on April 17, 2018 [8 favorites]

Came in to say Lightning Bolt as well! Also Quasi.
posted by mustardayonnaise at 11:37 AM on April 17, 2018

Kill Alters - there's a live drummer, Hisham Bharoocha, and the other two members are electronics or vocals. No guitar.

An offshoot of Lightning Bolt - Mindflayer. A duo with Chippendale on drums but Matt Brinkman plays electronics. They haven't put anything out lately though.
posted by rdnnyc at 11:44 AM on April 17, 2018

Early Big Business (they added a guitarist after the first two albums).

Royal Blood, although they do the bass-as-guitar thing a bunch.
posted by neckro23 at 12:25 PM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

Charlie hunter's duet with Geoff Clap (he has been involved in a number of duets with prominent drummers, and I guess he qualifies as a bass player as well...)
Abdullah Ibrahim and Max Roach
Jo jones with Milt Hinton
Larry Young and Joe Chambers
posted by nicolin at 12:28 PM on April 17, 2018

ESG
posted by Jellybean_Slybun at 12:45 PM on April 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

The first Three Mile Pilot album was just bass, drums, and vocals.
posted by saladin at 3:39 PM on April 17, 2018

Seth Horan
posted by Malleable at 3:44 PM on April 17, 2018

Good for Cows. Upright bass and drums playing some modern jazz.
posted by Television Name at 4:17 PM on April 17, 2018

Ed Schrader's Music Beat
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:04 PM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

People beat me to DFA1979, Big Business, and Lightning Bolt, so I can add:

Geryon is the rhythm section of Krallice playing drum-and-bass death metal.

godheadSilo was amazing.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 9:04 PM on April 17, 2018

Matt and Kim
posted by gennessee at 10:53 PM on April 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

Australian 80s band Big Pig? Lots of drummers/percussionists, keyboards, and harmonica. Their hit was Breakaway. Which Wikipedia tells me was in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
posted by Pink Frost at 12:17 AM on April 18, 2018

These might be a bit of a stretch, but...
Drums & Tuba
Musette Explosion
posted by slogger at 6:31 AM on April 18, 2018

Double Dagger
posted by capnsue at 9:16 AM on April 18, 2018

Two Ton Boa is primarily two bassists and a drummer. Sometimes with added piano/organ/glockenspiel.
posted by equalpants at 9:32 PM on April 18, 2018