Pam has mentioned the Bad Dog Comedy Theater before. We are opening next month. I am the owner.

I need your help. I don't know much about music... I just know what *I* like. I am compiling appropriate music for the bar jukebox. I want you to provide me with a list of music (or links to lists) that would be appropriate, in your opinion.

Here are the boundaries within which you must work:

Target demographic - 25 to 45 years old, college degree Atmosphere - this is ambient music for a lounge/bar of a comedy club. The music should be fun, but not funny. Funny is on stage, not on speakers. It should get the groove going, but should not be a dance mix. Variety - the music should span a variety of time frames and genres

If you are in the demographic, tell me what your favorite stuff is. If you aren't, guess.

You may list albums or specific songs. List as much as you want, but try not to duplicate what others before you have posted.

The music will be delivered from an MP3 jukebox called the Audio Request. Music, for the most part, will be transferred from a CD to the device. It has room for approx. 4,250 songs. That is about 350 CDs, so don't be shy.

I appreciate any help that may be given.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

Answers

I'm not in the demographic (I'm 19 yrs old) but I have quite a few friends in that age area. Here's what they like: Anything by Aerosmith, Metallica, Van Halen, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, AC|DC, Bad Religion. Grunge bands. Anything from the 60's to the present (not including techno or polka, please). Albums: mix Rock albums, such as any/all Woodstock albums; Family Values Tour albums; MTV CD Samplers from the late 80's to the early 90's. You might also try going to national music stores such as Sam Goody or trying online music stores like Amazon.com or CDnow.com and requesting a list of the most popular hits. They let you choose which hits you want (all hits, or just from a certain genre like only rock or only jazz, etc.). You can also choose the era from which you want the hits (60's, 70's, etc. or even 60's to present, etc.). Good luck! :)

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

atmosphere is my middle name - check out Morcheeba, you'll love 'em.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

You gotta have The Humpty dance on there. Trust me it's a winner.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

Things are always much cooler with the Pixies. I think Trompe Le Monde would be a particularly good cd to put in the jukebox. It's not too punky, very melodic, funny, and smart. Some of the songs include "Head On" "UMass" "Motorway to Roswell" "Subbacultcha" great stuff.

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin.

And "Baby Got Back."

-- Anonymous, June 19, 2000

I'd suggest loads of oldies or evergreens.
Look into some 'Hits of the XXs'. Play some great bands like
ABBA, the Beatles or Mamas&Papas once in a while. Also consider
some fun/summer music like Lou Bega or Ricky M. If that is too
much into the dancemix genre, BeachBoys come too my mind ;-)
For contrast, put in something from REM, because you can't really
have positive songs all evening. My personal favorites:
(though I'm a year short of your target audience)
interprets should be obvious

Mama Mia
Help
Mambo #5
Living la viva loca
Help me Rhonda
Loosing my Religion

Plus:
everyone of those Hit's of the XXs songs that make
you go 'yeah, I know it, heard it all my life, but I
just don't who sung it or what the title is'.
(Daddy Cool from ???
Sweets for my sweet from ???
??? from ??? *g*)

Have fun
-nv

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Uh, just to play devil's advocate, I would ban all former top-10 hits and classic rock from the machine, unless they're alternate versions or rare live stuff. In fact, how about having 4,250 songs that are all alternate versions or live or covers? The entire Unplugged series for starters.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Yeah, what nv said is a great idea -- those greatest hits of the '60s, '70s, '80s, etc., are great for CD jukeboxes. Stuff like "AM Gold," that sort of thing. Check out MusicSpace; they have loads of stuff like that ("Monster Hits of the '80s," etc.). "Pure Funk" is also always popular when I have people in my car. Of course you'll want some newer stuff, too, and I can't help ya there, since I'm not much of a po music fan (even though I'm amazingly in your demographic!), but the classics are always popular, and you won't have to worry about switching CDs out when songs drop off the charts.

Bon chance!

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

I'm not sure how much of this is helpful to Jon. Let's get more specific.

There's a New York DJ named Vin Scelsa who has a nose for new talent and an incredible Rolodex of old talent. He's just about the only DJ with any creative control in New York, or he was when I lived there. I scheduled my life around his Sunday night show, Idiots Delight. He always posts a list of what he's played, and some readers keep an archive - go here. It's all good, college-radio, boomer-Xer-etc. alternarock.

More specifically: yes on Morcheeba, also Tricky, Massive Attack, Portishead, Chemical Brothers and similar techno lite. Yes on the Lilith Fair sisterhood. Yes on current and defunct local bands from around the country - Mission of Burma, Mr. T Experience. If you can get foreign music from your MP3 thing, I recommend Nek (Italian), Os Paralamas do Suceso (Brazilian), Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle (Swedish - I'm sure you know they also record together in English as Roxette, but you should look up their solo stuff), and yes, even the Ciline Dion French albums. Antipodal and Pacific Rim: Mutton Birds (listen to NZ Jackie on this), Crowded House, Christine Anu, Shonen Knife. There's also a Finnish band called the Hurriganes that sounds like the Doors, only better (and they sing in English - the great album is Crazy Days). Oh yeah, and anything Canadian. I think this is going to be the Canadian Century.

Oh hey, and this guy has good recommendations too: Glenn McDonald, The War Against Silence. No need to read the stuff, just copy down the names.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

tortoise, dirty 3, massive attack, buena vista social club, macha, knife in the water... they're all good atmosphere bands.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Not to be the bad guy here, but you are paying the requisite royalty fees for public performance of all this music, right? I'd hate to get all ascap on you.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Squeeze - Singles 45 and Over, Elvis Costello - Best Of EC, Barenaked Ladies - Gordon (or anything else), XTC - Best of, Smithereens - Green Thoughts, Lemonheads - Come on Feel the Lemonheads, Big Head Todd and the Monstors - Sister Sweetly, Spin Doctors - Pocketful of Kryptonite, Gap Band - Best of.

I could do this for hours, but I'll spare you the rest of the gory details...

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

I'm going to hope my HTML works here, but if it doesn't I'm *really* sorry!

Pizzicato Five : The Sound of Music - Japanese pop that has done the trick at *every* party I've *ever* had. Put it on in the background, it grooves in it's happy way. People will ask what it is, but won't insist it gets turned up. Perfection.

Ella Fitzgerald, Best of the song books, Love Songs. Class!

Everything but the Girl - Walking Wounded : Sad, melancholy but with a beat that makes your foot tap and your butt shake oh so gently.

Beck : Mutations and Midnite Vultures

Elliott Smith XO

Dealership - Secret American Living Room : Kicks ASS! Guitars, killer melodies, sweet pop vocals. Great stuff. Can't live without it. (for samples go to : http://www.dealerkids.com/)

Rushmore soundtrack - FAB FAB FAB.

The Cure - Galore : A singles collection - has oodles of the good stuff from happy to moody

Matadore 10 year aniversary three cd compilation : Indie *quality*

Esthero - One breathe to another

Macy Gray - On how life is

High Fidelity soundtrack - VERY VERY VERY GOOD!

Papas Fritas - Buildings and Grounds

Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk

The Verve - Urban Hymns

Wallpaper mach 1.5 compilation -- excellent, uberhip background music.

Weezer - that blue one cd - indispensable.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

I think Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline are must-haves for any jukebox.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

In response to Reason's query about properly compensating artists:

Yeah, we're paying ASCAP and BMI each year. We may have to pay SESAC (sp?), we're checking on it.

But even if it feels legal, it is kinda fuzzy. The law is currently being decided in the courts where MP3s are concerned. Currently, as I understand it (and I am not a lawyer), one interpretation is that it is illegal to copy music in a digital format. I'm not sure the RIAA is keen on promoting that view too much, since it so obviously violates the fair use doctrine.

Also note, by illustrating that example above, I am not claiming fair use. We are paying for the use.

Thank you all for your ideas. If you are in Austin, come visit us.

-- Anonymous, June 20, 2000

Deee-lite: "Groove is in the Heart" (never gets old. really.)
Ella Fitzgerald: The Cole Porter Soundtrack
Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes
A Tribe Called Quest: The Anthology
Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique
The Pixies: Doolittle
The Breeders: Last Splash
Weezer: Weezer
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Mother's Milk
Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine
Grease: Soundtrack (although, you really only need "You're the One that I Want," "Grease," and "Summer Nights")
No Doubt: Tragic Kingdom
Green Day: Dookie (I can't believe I'm recommending it, but there you go.)
Pearl Jam: Ten
Sonic Youth: Goo
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Fatboy Slim: You've Come a Long Way, Baby (and Sadler will thank you for it)
Hole: "Doll Parts"
The Bloodhound Gang: "Fire, Water, Burn" and "The Bad Touch"
Prodigy: "Firestarter" and "Breathe"
Chemical Brothers: Dig Your Own Hole
Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies (I don't know, ask Sadler. They play it at Lavaca)
Portishead: Live at Roseland NYC
Massive Attack: Mezzanine
Wilco: Being There
Van Morrison: Tupelo Honey
Dirty Dancing: Soundtrack
Footloose: Soundtrack
The Lemonheads: It's a Shame About Ray
Foo Fighters: The Colour and the Shape


-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

um, and Abba Gold and Classic Queen.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

I would go with anything by the Police and anything Ska or Ska-like. The Toasters, The Specials, and BimSkalaBim strike me as especially fitting. The music is great, but it won't take away from anyone on stage. Good luck on your search....

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Siouxsie and the Banshees Elvis Costello- Imperial Bedroom Squeeze- Singles Wilco- Summer Teeth Fountains of Wayne- Utopia Parkway Rosemary Clooney Simple Minds

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Different Class , by : Pulp Gran Turismo , by : The Cardigans Things to Make and Do , by : Moloko I Like to Score , by : Moby

I would also suggest some greatest hits compilations from The Smiths, and Depeche Mode, but since this is *comedy* theater those may be too umm gloomy for your customers...

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Umm.. 28 male, I am, so I fit the demographics...but I think you guys are way off base...here is the list.... Adam Ant "Wonderful" Green Day "Good Riddance" Rod Stewart "Maggie May" Peter Gabriel "Solsbury Hill" Peter Gabriel "In Your Eyes" Peter Frampton "Baby I love You" Simon and Garf "Cecilia" Simon and Garf "50 Ways to Leave your Lover" Neil Diamond "America" Mighty Bosstomes "Impression that I get" Men at Work "Land Down Under" Jimi Hendrix "Hey Joe" and "Watchtower" Janes Addiction "Jane Says" Jamiroqui "Virtual Insanity" Indigo Girls "Closer to Fine" Gary Wright "Dream Weaver" Garth Brooks "Freinds in Low Places" Elvis Costello "Veronica" Doors "Peace Frog" Elton John "Daniel" Don McLean "American Pie" Big Audio Dynamite "Rush" U2 "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" Warren Zevon "Werewolves of London"

As you can see, alot of sing along songs, thats what makes it fun, songs you kinda know the words to...........Jg

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

What Pamie said. I think she and I could make a road trip together, she likes the same tunes I do. My roommate plays DJ when I drive and is worse with the dials than a man with a remote. We have opposite tastes. UGH!! We drove for 15 hours once and by the end of the trip I don't think I heard one complete song!

Anyhow, what Pamie suggested is all good. And there's something about hearing Patsy Cline on a jukebox that makes me want to run from the bar screaming.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Most of what's been listed I would give a thumbs up to. Speaking only for myself, when I'm at home I tend to listen to things I'm not likely to find on the radio etc. However, when in a club I generally find music that is familiar is preferred, or music that is not terribly abrasive (or loud), unless it's a place where I would normally dance or slam my head into walls for a good time. If I'm not in a place where dancing or the music is the focus, it is really annoying having to shout your lungs out trying to talk to people above the music. Anyway ... whatever the choices, I often find what I like most are the occasional gems slipped into the mix, and in a comedy club this could mean one or two of the Monty Python songs every so often. Maybe not the Lumberjack Song (which we've all heard a million times) but "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life" or "There is Nothing Quite As Wonderful as Money" and so on. You know, maybe once every hour or so. Maybe a good idea; maybe not.

You know, if you've got a comedian who can work a crowd well, you might want to do something like a little interactive thing where you take maybe ten or so types of music and do a live survey. You know, a few bars of Abba - see how the crowd reacts, boo's, cheers, whatever. Depeche Mode - same thing. Sinatra. Pearl Jam. Cranberries. Ricky M. (If you play stuff from Elvis Costello's "In the Darkest Place," or really any EC music, I may move to Austin.)

Anyway ... if something like that could be worked, you would know pretty quickly what your crowd likes and doesn't and start revising your mix to reflect what they want. Of course you may also be just hanging some poor bugger out to dry if it doesn't work. Just a thought. Not necessarily a good one.

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

Ooooh, I can't tell you how much I love to hear MY favorite music out of context. I tortured a large group of people for two years with a jukebox mix that never varied in the slightest. Needless to say, ALL of the folks that didn't love me wanted to kill me and I'd spent a fortune attempting to enlighten them....Fools! Such is life, huh? Anyway, a few **records** that no one has mentioned, yet:

Talking Heads "Popular Music" (2 CD set) Elvis Costello "Girls Girls Girls" (2 CDs also) Paul Simon "Love Songs and Negotiations" Duran Duran "Decade" Dave Matthews Band "Live at Red Rocks" Jimmy Buffet "Songs You Know by heart" Peggy Lee "Decca" Suzanne Vega "99.9 F" They Might be Giants "Flood" Blondie "Best of Blondie" 311 "Music" Robert Palmer "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" Billy Joel "Glass Houses" Pretenders "Singles"

Best of luck with the new theater, Jon!

-- Anonymous, June 21, 2000

ALBUMS

"Greatest Hits of Simon and Garfunkel"
"Are You Experienced?"by Jimi Hendrix
both Queen hit collections
Blue and Red Beatles albums
The Supremes' Greatest Hits
Talking Heads' greatest hits (can't remember the name of it)
Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2
The Doors' greatest hits

SINGLES "Losing My Religion" REM
"Where It's At" Beck
"Love Shack" B-52's
"Sweet Home Alabama" Lynard Skynard
"Shake Your Tailfeather" I think its Ray Charles
"I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor
"Barracuda" Heart
and...because no jukebox is complete without it: "Hotel California" by the Eagles

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

there's a whole series of CD's called "Ultra Lounge". Very exotic, very cool, very ecclectic. It's fun and entertaining. And the CD cases are neat, too.

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2000

If you don't have Dusty In Memphis, no on will come.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2000