Recommend some moody/dark soul/blues/r&b

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slackerinabox

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Mar 15, 2003
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I usually avoid these genres (more an indie rock sort) but have been really getting into the more moody offerings - dark, atmospheric artists like the weeknd, frank ocean, how to dress well have this cinematic spookiness that works really well (and I absolutely loathe people like chris brown, r kelly, and 99.99% of radio friendly r&b).

Anyone have any suggestions? I'm guessing old school is where I'll find my most luck, already plan on giving some stevie wonder, otis redding, etc. a try.

Thanks so much!
 
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Slammy1

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Howlin' Wolf? Women in the audience sometimes fainted from his performances. He was 6'6" and 300#.
 
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Slammy1

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Miles Davis is Jazz, but Kind of Blue is one of the best albums ever.

Some dark classical like Goethe Lieder or most things Wagner. Some really dark rap, too.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

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Nov 30, 2004
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Slammy1 said:
Miles Davis is Jazz, but Kind of Blue is one of the best albums ever.
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I was going for mood. Sometimes people don't know how to ask for what they want. The picture I'm going for is 2am in the city, with a light rain, and a glitchy neon sign.

Maybe that's not what the op wants, but Otis redding and Stevie Wonder I don't consider dark and moody.
 
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Slammy1

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lxskllr said:
Maybe that's not what the op wants, but Otis redding and Stevie Wonder I don't consider dark and moody.
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I was thinking the same thing. Living for the City has a darkness to it, but I wouldn't call it dark unless you consider Michael Jackson dark. And Otis Redding? lol.

Maybe Billy Holliday who is sort of a cross between Blues and Jazz (Lady Sings the Blues). Raped at age 11, a prostitute at age 13; songs like Strange Fruit don't get much darker.

Some of the older blues men like Robert Johnson, too, who wrote the original Crossroads Blues about selling his soul to the devil for success as a blues singer. The older black musicians had hard times.

I guess Muddy Waters would be considered dark. I think the darker blues singers really weren't popular which is why it's hard to come up with something.

Check out the movie Cadillac Records. Someone at work heard my old blues collection and recommended it, they were right.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

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freedomsbeat212 said:
Big Waits fan, any suggested Morphone and Big Lazy albums?

Thanks!
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For Big Lazy, I think their self titled first album is best. The others are good too, but I prefer the first.

Morphine's tough. All their albums are good, but are mixed content. They're all on the dark side, but some tracks are more high energy, and others are more moody. I'd probably go with Yes or Cure For Pain.
 
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slackerinabox

Lifer
Mar 15, 2003
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lxskllr said:
I was going for mood. Sometimes people don't know how to ask for what they want. The picture I'm going for is 2am in the city, with a light rain, and a glitchy neon sign.

Maybe that's not what the op wants, but Otis redding and Stevie Wonder I don't consider dark and moody.
Click to expand...

You're right, 2 am in the city raining is exactly the mood. Otis and Stevie keep on coming up on best of lists when I look up soul - that's the thing, it's hard for me to tell what's the super sunny top-40 stuff (which I respect but I'm not really into)
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
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Slammy1 said:
Maybe Billy Holliday who is sort of a cross between Blues and Jazz (Lady Sings the Blues). Raped at age 11, a prostitute at age 13; songs like Strange Fruit don't get much darker.
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Good call. She's one of my favorite female vocalists.

Getting a little off genre again, Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions album is kind of melancholy, but not really soul. It's more north country lonely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOrNMDzJfzY
 
Scotteq

Scotteq

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Apr 10, 2008
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Dark, Moody, Atmospheric....

Two albums:

Mazzy Star - 'So Tonight That I Might See'

Meshelle N'degeocello - 'Bitter'
 
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