What are some memorable but not catchy melodies in indie and folk rock?

September 2, 2023 9:33 PM

There's a certain kind of melody that gets lodged in my head in a great way, not that it's a hook or an earworm. I primarily listen to indie rock, singer-songwriter or folksy stuff, or contemporary classical. When I find pieces that have this kind of infectious melody, they're wonderful to write to. Usually slow or mid-tempo. Examples within.

Flightless Bird, American Mouth is a great example. Something about the melody and the phrasing is beautifully insistent.

In the Wing with the Rothkos by Annie Gallup

This Happens Again and Again by Nerissa and Katryna Nields

Red by Lost in the Trees (especially the backing vocals)

On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter

posted by mermaidcafe to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Best answer: You might like a bunch of songs by Sparklehorse. Suggestions:
"Saturday" and "Sad and Beautiful World" on
Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
"Box of Stars" from Good Morning Spider
"Gold Day" and "Little Fat Baby "from It's a Wonderful Life

If those connect for you, explore the rest of his stuff. There's a new (posthumous) release later this week, too.
posted by cocoagirl at 5:53 AM on September 3, 2023

Best answer: Not a music theorist, but I think those first three have a time signature that's some sort of "3" (e.g, 3/4)... they're waltzy. Then the fourth one has some sort of weird time signature, that I can't figure out. It might also be these wacky time signatures that are catching your ear?

See, e.g., Radiohead's Pyramid Song and 15 step, CSN's Carry On. In my college Intro to Dance we waltzed in the dark to Lynard Skynard's Tuesday's Gone.
posted by pjenks at 6:19 AM on September 3, 2023

pjenks comment made me think of Song in 3, by Galaxie 500
posted by nixxon at 12:40 PM on September 3, 2023

Yeah it seems notable that almost all of your examples are in waltz time. How familiar are you with Elliott Smith?

Also made me think of Firelight by Hundred Waters.
posted by saladin at 2:30 PM on September 3, 2023

Response by poster: The waltz time thing is great insight! Thank you. I love Sparklehorse
And Elliott Smith, and I’ll check out the rest.
posted by mermaidcafe at 9:47 PM on September 5, 2023