Gapers Block has ceased publication.
Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
TODAY
Tuesday, October 8
Fuel
ab / August 20, 2007 3:54 PM
john coltrane. "blue train"
Andy / August 20, 2007 4:00 PM
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
shermann6 / August 20, 2007 4:13 PM
Stormy Weather - Lena Horne
p / August 20, 2007 4:15 PM
GLENN YARBROUGH. bjork. carly simon. the gravediggaz. cat power. badly drawn boy.
wait, no- portishead is the correct answer. portishead.
all of these are also correct for "rainy day soundtracks to make love by". i wouldn't try the gravediggaz or GLENN YARBROUGH though, unless the person you're sexing up is very much down for whatever.
soup / August 20, 2007 4:26 PM
When I lived in Portland, I would listened to Smog and Will Oldham. Maybe I'll put Andrew Bird on now in Chicago.
Carlotta / August 20, 2007 5:07 PM
"I'm Only Happy When It Rains," by Garbage
snuh / August 20, 2007 5:46 PM
"if your feeling sinister" by belle & sebastian.
"fold your hands..." is also acceptable.
Mikey / August 20, 2007 5:56 PM
Anything by the Grateful Dead usually works for me...
peanut / August 20, 2007 6:58 PM
another green world by brian eno. also, the electronic stylings of schlammpeitziger.
obiewan / August 20, 2007 7:44 PM
Radiohead. Period.
obiewan / August 20, 2007 7:44 PM
Radiohead. Period.
Leah / August 20, 2007 8:29 PM
I'm all about Natash Bedenfield lately. Stumble and Unwrittern.
erin / August 20, 2007 8:32 PM
Nick Drake. Also great snow music.
holden / August 20, 2007 8:38 PM
when the levee breaks
- Led Zeppelin
kiki / August 20, 2007 11:01 PM
"mermaid avenue" - billy bragg and wilco
Steve / August 21, 2007 12:34 AM
"The Rain" by the one and only Oran "Juice" Jones, of course.
Best verbal beatdown ever:
"Silly rabbit, tricks are made for kids, don't you know that?
You without me like corn flakes without the milk
This is my world, you just a squirrel tryin' to get a nut
Now get on outta here."
Andy / August 21, 2007 12:41 AM
I second Beck's Sea Change.
"Vauxhall and I" by Morrissey.
The Doves, in particular the track "Sea Song" comes to mind.
The Wrens.
Boards of Canada.
Lush.
Steve / August 21, 2007 12:47 AM
"Vapour Trail" by Ride. There's a song you can listen to on repeat for hours on end.
Alternately, lots of Broken Social Scene.
charlie / August 21, 2007 7:31 AM
BRIAN ENO - DISCREET MUSIC
Rostropovich - J.S. Bach Cello Suites
Bill Frisell - Ghost Town
Steve Earle - El Corazon
the pet / August 21, 2007 7:42 AM
"Dirty Epic" - Underworld
Portishead.
"Always" - Erasure
PM Dawn
The Cure
"Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles
Keane - the Hopes and Fears album
"Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jason. / August 21, 2007 7:58 AM
Pelican.
post-Times of Grace Neurosis.
Secret Chiefs 3.
TRoyal / August 21, 2007 8:01 AM
The Rain, by MIssy Elliott.
A lot of El-P's atmospherics work, as well as some of RZAs Ghost Dog soundtrack.
mike / August 21, 2007 8:48 AM
Psychic Ills, "Dins"
Easily my favorite rainy day music—especially at night.
Bob S. / August 21, 2007 8:52 AM
Are we assuming rain's melancholy for the purpose of this exercise? I don't consider it so, necessarily anyway, and spent the weekend listening to cowpunk while out on my porch watching the rain. But I could always say something like "Madeleine Peyroux and various piano blues artists like Barrelhouse Chuck and David Maxwell" if that's the direction this is going in...
bucky / August 21, 2007 9:07 AM
Innocence Mission
Doyle / August 21, 2007 9:11 AM
Good call on the Cello Suites, charlie, especially the D min in this rainy day scenario.
For me, "The Boatman's Call" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, in its entirety.
Otherwise, Leonard Cohen singing "Hallelujah" on repeat...
Nicole / August 21, 2007 9:20 AM
Definitely the National, it's all I've been listening to lately.
eep / August 21, 2007 9:20 AM
Bloc Party's "Tulips"
The New Amsterdams' "Idaho"
My Morning Jacket's "Lowdown"
Azure Ray's "Displaced"
Josh Rouse's "Quiet Town"
Rachel Yamagata's "Quiet"
The Decemberists' "Here I Dreamt I was an Architect"
Tooth Fairy / August 21, 2007 9:25 AM
Bowerbirds
Des Ark
Bjork- Fort
"Colorblind" by Counting Crows
Joanna Newsom
siggie / August 21, 2007 9:50 AM
i second belle & sebastian...also simon & garfunkel
Mac / August 21, 2007 10:17 AM
I totally agree with the Portishead and John Coltrane entries!
I'd also add Zelienople (local band) at www.zelienoplemusic.com
Check 'em out!
Spook / August 21, 2007 10:27 AM
My Mom use to play Brook Benton’s
“Rainy Night in Georgia”
Let me sing a few bars for you….
Hoverin' by my suitcase, tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
Heavy rain fallin', seems I hear your voice callin' "It's all right."
A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia
Lawd, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
Find me a place in a boxcar, I take out my guitar to pass some time
Late at night it's hard to rest,
I hold your picture to my chest
It's still a rainy night in Georgia
it's a rainy night in Georgia,
I believe it must be rainin' all over this world, all over the world....
mary / August 21, 2007 10:38 AM
ive been enjoying owen today. but i enjoy owen on most days. also, wilco, as posted already.
kl5 / August 21, 2007 10:45 AM
My Blody Valentine-Isn't Anything. (Yes, I'm old and proud.)
skafiend / August 21, 2007 10:56 AM
"King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings" by King Pleasure and Annie Ross
"Everybody's Boppin'" by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.
Everybody knows that mellow jazz (preferably vocal jazz) is the only appropriate rainy day music.
Josh / August 21, 2007 11:06 AM
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (duh)
John Coltrane - Stardust
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind
Frank Sinatra - Where Are You?
The Church - After Everything Now This
I second Portishead and Simon & Garfunkel. I also second Lush, but just the "Gala" album.
vanessa / August 21, 2007 11:28 AM
On my current "rain" playlist:
Fiona Apple
Ray LaMontagne
Radiohead
The Postal Service
Tori Amos
Black Crowes
Allman Brothers Band
Pete Yorn
Blind Faith
CSNY and/or Neil Young
Frances / August 21, 2007 11:36 AM
I'll second Radiohead, Portishead, and Beck (Sea Change and Mutations).
Also:
Black Heart Procession
Elliott Smith
Beirut
Dirty Three
Velvet Underground
TaJ / August 21, 2007 11:38 AM
-anything eliot smith
-chopin
-mix CD my friend burned- nina simone, madeleine peyroux, lucinda williams
-cat powers
-vespertine/bjork
steven / August 21, 2007 11:44 AM
"Prince of Parties"
Flight of Conchords
LDC / August 21, 2007 12:24 PM
the cure, naturally.
Ramsin / August 21, 2007 12:36 PM
Either Mobb Deep ("The Infamous"; "Hell on Earth") or Bjork (Debut or Vespertine)
Bill V / August 21, 2007 12:49 PM
Ocean Rain, Echo & The Bunnymen
fluffy / August 21, 2007 3:01 PM
Cocteau Twins- Victorialand
TKO / August 21, 2007 3:05 PM
Anything by Nick Drake
Heart of Saturday Night by Tom Waits
One Part Lullaby by Folk Implosion
JillyBoo / August 21, 2007 3:15 PM
Rain Fall Down by The Rolling Stones. Wash, rinse, repeat.
JillyBoo / August 21, 2007 3:16 PM
Rain Fall Down by The Rolling Stones. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Leelah / August 21, 2007 5:00 PM
Since Steve and Bill V took my first choices (Vapour Trail and Ocean Rain), I'll have to go with Damien Rice... just about any song will do!
Luke / August 21, 2007 5:48 PM
Ray LaMontagne
Feist
Wilco (A.M.)
Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley
Neko
Nirvana Nevermind on vinyl
ack, and I'm a guy. I have definitely been influenced by my girlfriend. In my defense, I've always had a thing for the female singers.
Luke / August 21, 2007 5:53 PM
Ray LaMontagne
Feist
Wilco (A.M.)
Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley
Neko
Nirvana Nevermind on vinyl
ack, and I'm a guy. I have definitely been influenced by my girlfriend. In my defense, I've always had a thing for the female singers.
Michael / August 21, 2007 7:28 PM
Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise. Especially when in Chicago, obviously.
Brian / August 21, 2007 11:19 PM
Playlist for a rainy day (Courtesy of my iPod, Odysseus):
New Order - Blue Monday
REM - Leaving New York
Five For Fighting - Superman
John Mayer - Why Georgia
Coldplay - The Scientist
Nina Simone - Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair
Garbage - Supervixen
Interpol - NYC
Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
Crash Test Dummies - Keep A Lid on Things
Material Issue - Valerie Loves Me
Modest Mouse - Bukowski
Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk
James Taylor - Fire & Rain
The Postal Service - Against All Odds
Elvis Costello - Allison
The Beatles - Happiness is a Warm Gun
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World (Unplugged version)
Sara Vaughan - Summertime
JasonB / August 22, 2007 8:09 AM
-Iron & Wine
-Classic jazz or blues.
-Most recently, a Lauryn Hill solo acoustic performance followed by a little Elliot Smith.
Nothing too busy or loud.
John / August 22, 2007 9:16 AM
Wow not one person has mentioned:
"Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters. It was perfect music for monday.
Ramsin / August 22, 2007 9:26 AM
The Man Who Sold the World is the most depressing song about selling the world.
charlie / August 22, 2007 10:13 AM
Music for a sunny day......
What a smile this brought to my face. Your mileage may vary.
moody / August 22, 2007 10:59 AM
I agree with most of the above so there's need to repeat…but I'll add these to the list:
1) Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come"
2) Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth"
3) anything by Blue Six
moody / August 22, 2007 11:02 AM
I agree with most of the above so there's no need to repeat…but I'll add these to the list:
1) Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come"
2) Dinah Washington's "This Bitter Earth"
3) anything by Blue Six
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kate / August 20, 2007 3:23 PM
"Papa was a Rodeo" - Magnetic Fields.
Over and over and over and over. And then a couple more times.