Instrumentals are Fundamental

Yesterday's post featured an instrumental song, Ronald Jenkees' "Guitar Sound," as my summer mix's bonus track. I've noticed over the years that one thing I've really become a fan of are instrumental tracks. So here's my pick for my favorite instrumentals (not including any techno, trance, house or the like, anything on soundtracks or scores; I feel that's a little like cheating for this purpose):

• "Guitar Sound" by Ronald Jenkees -- Youtube sensation turned Rock Band Network artist, Jenkees' signature song is an awesome keyboard piece reminiscent of, well, guitar sounds.

• "Elegia" by New Order -- Chilling. Haunting. I heard it in an Academy Award-nominated short ("More" by Mark Osbourne), then again in Pretty in Pink.

• "Pruit Igoe" by Philip Glass -- Another song I caught in a movie a ways back: the definitely-worth-a-watch Koyaanisqatsi. It later popped up in Grand Theft Auto IV, too.

• "Buster Voodoo" by Rodrigo y Gabriela -- Two friends of mine love this duo (who started out in a metal group!), but it wasn't until this track came to the Rock Band Network that I bothered to give them a listen. I'm not too familiar with their other stuff (outside of the album 11:11), but what hooked me should hook you, too.

• "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers Band -- Any guitar parts by the Allmans are beautiful. The seven-plus minutes "Jessica" provides is certainly no exception.

• "Shambala" by the Beastie Boys -- I love me some Beasties. But hearing this piece laid perfectly in the third season finale of Breaking Bad made me love it even more.

• "Moby Dick" by Led Zeppelin -- On my first run through, how could I possibly forget my favorite Led Zeppelin song? Catch the 20 minute live version off How the West Was Won.

• "YYZ" by Rush -- The second track on this list off of Guitar Hero II (hello Jessica!), I forgot it on my initial run-through. Whoops!

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As far as soundtracks and scores go, however, definitely check out anything by:

• Angelo Badalamenti (especially scores associated with David Lynch Films)
• Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight, True Romance)
• Don Davis (the Matrix films)

Also, the Beastie Boys have a few entirely instrumental albums (The In Sound From Way Out! and The Mix-Up, which are great) and Christopher O'Riley has great original pieces and also entire albums dedicated to covers of Radiohead and Elliott Smith.

I'm sure I've missed tons of stuff, but this is what I've come up with after a brief glance through my music library.



(For some reason, no matter what I try, "Shambala" disappears from the widget. Here it is.)