Recommendations for poker music?

[supervij]

I'm having another poker night with some of my friends, and I've come to realize that having music in the background is absolutely essential for a good time playing poker. Problem is, the music can't be too popular, or people mentally drift away from the game and enjoy the music too much. It needs to be kinda groovy, with a fair amount of bass, almost loungy, but without the cheesiness. It's got to be low-key, so that it doesn't take away from playing poker, but it's got to keep us going, like it supports the action without calling attention to itself.

At one poker night, I put on Blue Man Group's Audio DVD-A. It's completely instrumental, and has enough momentum to keep us playing without noticing the time, but it's low-key enough that it doesn't get in our faces. At another poker night, I put on TV on the Radio's Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes on, and that went really well too. I'm thinking this time of putting A3's La Peste, but I wonder if that album might be a little too attention-getting.

Anyone have any music they'd recommend for a fun night of poker?

cheers,
supervij

PS: By the way, you're all invited!

 

[quicksilver]

I play City & Colour album name is Sometimes

Nice acoustic peace with excellent vocals. Canadian music. It has worked at my last 4 8 man tourneys at my place.

Before that I used Sat. Radio and let the god's hand me the music they felt fit for my game.

 

[Tomorrow]

I'm having another poker night with some of my friends, and I've come to realize that having music in the background is absolutely essential for a good time playing poker. Problem is, the music can't be too popular, or people mentally drift away from the game and enjoy the music too much. It needs to be kinda groovy, with a fair amount of bass, almost loungy, but without the cheesiness. It's got to be low-key, so that it doesn't take away from playing poker, but it's got to keep us going, like it supports the action without calling attention to itself.

At one poker night, I put on Blue Man Group's Audio DVD-A. It's completely instrumental, and has enough momentum to keep us playing without noticing the time, but it's low-key enough that it doesn't get in our faces. At another poker night, I put on TV on the Radio's Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes on, and that went really well too. I'm thinking this time of putting A3's La Peste, but I wonder if that album might be a little too attention-getting.

Anyone have any music they'd recommend for a fun night of poker?

cheers,
supervij

PS: By the way, you're all invited!

Supervij....

Poker?!! You WANT their attention to drift!! Wear earplugs so yours doesn't and releave them of their cash!!

Otherwise, we use 60's-70's soft rock like Crosby-Stills-Nash & Young, Eagles, Kansas, etc...familiar, yet not too toe-tapping. (But then, we're old guys. )

 

[Nick250]

At the start of the game I would play Billy Joel's "Easy Money" found on the Innocent Man CD. A song all gamblers can identify with.

Edit: In reality I want no distractions, so music is out.

 

[Hawkeye]

Easy - The Alan Parsons Project cd 'Turn of a Friendly Card'

 

[Cygnus]

Rush - Signals
Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
Steely Dan - Katy Lied
Rush - Moving Pictures

any of those'd be cool turned down for background music..oh, dont play Led Zeppelin IV or they might get hooked on Stairway!

 

[rgriffin25]

Not much of a poker player myself, but I will say that Jazz music has a nice way of blending into any environment.

 

[supervij]

Wow -- lots of replies; thanks for your ideas, guys!

quicksilver, I listened today to Sometimes just today. I had already heard "Save Your Scissors", and quite liked it (not sure where I heard it), as I liked the whole album. I'm not sure I'll use it for a poker night, as I prefer something with a bit more instrumentation, especially some bass.

rjbudz, nice idea! Well . . . sounds great in theory, but I think my pals (smart bunch, the lot of them) would catch on pretty quickly! I too enjoy music from the 60s and 70s (and I'm only 34!), but I think I'm looking for something a little less rock 'n' roll. Still, great bands you mentioned.

Nick and Hawkeye, I love those suggestions! I just might put those on during our dinner break! Nick, I know what you mean about having no distractions, but this is a friendly game with friends, so there's no great need for silence.

Cygnus, I think both Rush and Steely Dan might make for great poker music. Thanks for suggesting them; I'll try to find some of their stuff.

rgriffin, jazz is also a nice suggestion. To tell the truth, I was initially thinking of some kind of laid-back jazz/electronica. Anything specific you would suggest I try?

cheers,
supervij

 

[corysmith01]

Wow, not often I see TV on the Radio mentioned here. Awesome.

I always like loungy type stuff when I have friends over for cards/drinks. It's nice to just have a sonic texture/background cd on. With that in mind, I lean towards electronic stuff, or stuff that is all, or mostly, instrumental. Some of the ones that I throw on quite often that fit the bill are:

Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
Kid Koala - Some of My Best Friends Are DJ's
The Album Leaf - In A Safe Place
Four Tet - Rounds
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing or The Private Press
The Six Parts Seven - Everywhere and Right Here

 

[3Putt747]

You gotta Know when to Holdem!

How about some Kenny Rogers? LOL

Or what about the old Tex Ritter classic "Deck of Cards"!

 

[majorloser]

Drinkin', swearin', smokin' and playin' cards.

Only one thing can go with that.....

George Thorogood & the Destroyers - The Baddest of George Thorogood

(Maybe a little Allaman Brothers)

 

[brown123]

Poker Music

Here's a couple of different paths:

For the swinging, bachelor pad vibe, I like the Cocktail Mix series, particularly vols 2 and 3, not necessarily songs you are familiar with but they really capture the vibe, man.

Same vein, the ultra-lounge series, particularly the wild, cool, and swingin' and wild, cool, and swingin' too. I find the exotic lounge a little too irritating.

Another path, classics like Johnny Cash - the Legends box, or Willie Nelson.

Or the Grateful Dead.

Or on the Jazz side, classic, but relatively lesser known bebop like Sonny Clark or Horace Silver, or Lee Morgan, come to think of it, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - any of those albums make good background - or Shelly Mann.

 

[supervij]

corysmith, thanks for some very cool suggestions. I listened to The Album Leaf album, and liked it. It's low-key and pretty cool stuff. I think I might go with it. The DJ Shadow stuff had some really great moments as well. I'm starting to think about creating a mixed CD with some bits from The Album Leaf, some bits from DJ Shadow, some bits from TV on the Radio.

Loungy/sonic texture/background music is totally what I had in mind. I haven't had a chance to listen to your other suggestions, but I have a feeling I'll like them a lot too.

As to TV on the Radio . . . dude, you live in their home town! You MUST have had a chance to see them live. Talk about intense! I saw them when they came to Toronto last year, and they knocked my socks off. The crowd was pleading for their ultra-cool cover of The Pixies' "Mr. Grieves", but sadly, they couldn't perform it because The Pixies were apparently getting back together. The lead singer was very charismatic and funny in his in-between-songs banter, and the music was incredible. I am so looking forward to the new album.

A lot of you guys came up with great suggestions for music I might use for our dinner break. Nice ones, 3Putt and majorloser!

brown, your first two paths (Cocktail Mix and Ultra-Lounge) -- could you give me some more info on those? They sound like they might be my cup of tea. I'll also try to look into some of those jazz suggestions.

You guys are giving me a lot of cool choices. Many thanks! Hopefully, I'll have time to check them out before the game.

cheers,
supervij

 

[corysmith01]

As to TV on the Radio . . . dude, you live in their home town! You MUST have had a chance to see them live. Talk about intense! I saw them when they came to Toronto last year, and they knocked my socks off. The crowd was pleading for their ultra-cool cover of The Pixies' "Mr. Grieves", but sadly, they couldn't perform it because The Pixies were apparently getting back together. The lead singer was very charismatic and funny in his in-between-songs banter, and the music was incredible. I am so looking forward to the new album.

Yeah, I know! I just moved here and was astounded that I'm surrounded by so many of my favorite bands...the list is absurd:

TV on the Radio, Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, The National, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Beirut, The Books, Et Ret, The Fiery Furnaces.

It's crazy. I haven't seen TOTR...they tend to sell out really quickly here..you gotta be on your toes when their tickets become available. I'm gonna try to catch them. Did see the Pixies though on their last tour.

The mix is a great idea. I've done exactly the same thing. In fact, I did a little screen grab of one of the three I use...it includes some of the bands I suggested as well as others. I think the mix is the way to go. Have fun creating it.

 

[brown123]

Cocktail Mix and Ultralounge

If you go to amazon.com and search on Cocktail Mix and then Ultralounge, you'll get both series of CDs. Ultralounge started coming out in the mid 1990s and put out themed collections of lounge -- exotica, bossa nova, crime capers, etc. They are consistently good, and it looks like they may still be putting out new ones, including a vegas theme that might be appropriate for your use.

cocktail mix was a much more limited series, and it looks like it may be out of print, except for vol. 2, which was the best of the series. This, to me, is the best single disc collection.

Do try the Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers cds, maybe starting with the night at Birdland cds. Art was a great drummer, had an ear for up and coming talent for the band, and put out consistent, straight ahead jazz.

enjoy.

 

[Tomorrow]

Last year I created a July 4th mp3 that would be so inappropriate for poker...but special events compilations sure are fun to cobble together.

We shot off (real!) fireworks for a couple of hours, half-a$$ed timed to the music. Neighbors loved it! (for the most part).

Let us know what you end up with Supervij.

 

[supervij]

Thanks for that peek into your mix, corysmith! And brown, I'll look into them; thanks for the added info. Will do, rjbudz.

cheers,
supervij