Send us your music choices

This week's show is dedicated to what might make for great music while you play poker. We've brought this up on the blog but we never had our special guest, St. Pete Times Music Guru Sean Daly, on before. So, send us what your favorite music to listen to (either on your iPod or in your home game) and tell us why and we'll try to bring it up on the show.

-- Chris

Comments

[Kyle Bailey]

I think that the best music to listen to while playing poker is just classical music. I have a 'poker mix' on my ipod with 44 songs of only Mozart, Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinf, Bela Drahos and Beethoven. There are no lyrics to distract me while making a tough decision, and the soft tempo and soothing sounds will never play on my emotions and get me more riled up when I get a beat put on me, they only calm me down and help me keep my cool. Which is something that everyone needs from time to time.

[Clever Moniker]

I was going to post something here, but for some reason all I can come up with is KB HOME.

[Chi-Guy]

Wow!

My two favorite Podcasts coming together. I'll have a little too much Sean Daly this weekend if you have him on!

I think anything by the St. Pete Times #9 one hit wonder from 1989 will do. Grayson Hugh plays nice soothing music that helps me think clearly at work. I would guess it would have the same effect at the poker table, although I do not listen to music while I play poker.

Brian

Brian

[Mig]

Dj Doboy - Trancequility Vol. 20 & Paul Oakenfold - Live at Gatecrasher. In fact, anything that has to do with Paul Oakenfold is a plus. The flow of these songs correlate with the different stages of most tournaments. Slow to begin with and as you get to the later stages the tournament, the music beats go faster which makes for a more aggressive train of thought.

[TooDrunkToLive]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nvux-6AcrfY
alcatrazz

Too young to die too drunk to live

[simple0010]

We Rawk alot of Supersuckers and Beastie Boys at our home games.

[tonya]

I, too, have a Poker Playlist on the pod. A few selections...

Stronger - Kanye West
Today - Smashing Pumpkins
Bittersweet Symphony - Verve Pipe
Baba O'Riley - The Who
Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine
Story of My Life - Social Distortion
Not for You - Pearl Jam

I tend to really like music that makes me a bit angry...or at least unsympathetic towards the competition.

[Erwin Blonk]

Always a question that draws a few repsonses.
@Tonya - Smashing Pumpkins and The Who, fine choices. While many of my generation had either Beatles or Rolling Stones parents, my father was a big Who fan and I have that genetic defect too. Just don't tell it to Chris, who can't handle the cool factor of The Who when Keith banged the drums and has to turn to the easy listening of rock for his rush :P [hey, just kidding man - Rush is cool]

[Erwin Blonk]

I like all kinds of music but have a soft spot for the dramatic and complex, the kind that make Leonard Cohen, The Cure, Morrissey and Nick Cave sound like two chord happy sunshine music.
Somehow it doesn't distract me. Not all on my list is like that, but much is. Mostly I pick complete albums in my Media Player and put it on shuffle:
Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff
Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Peter Hammill - Incoherence
Peter Hammill - K Group Live
Simple Minds - Live In The City Of light
The Who - Quadrophenia
Jade Leary - Black Glitter Diaries
Jade Leary - Fossildawn
Motorhead - No Sleep Till Hammersmith
Hawkwind - A Space Ritual
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie
Smashing Pumpkins - Machina
Frank Zappa - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore
Frakn Zappa - any of his orchestral stuff
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Edgard Varese - (anything)
Karl-Heinz Stockhausen - (anything)

[rose]

I like fusion music, i don't like typical classical.

I have a long list for fusion music. And yes I like instrumental, specially instrumental in jazz genre.

Indian Core, The fusion Mantra , Transcend, on Mysticamusic Records, I just love their tracks.

[Tom]

Depends on the situation....

ipod filled with a number of songs, but like a little Sum41 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=e4dyIMhG4J4 and Link Park http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZp2jAdBu1o&feature=related

and then I'll switch over to The Samples http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xLppiPwtKs

[Erik]

I like to listen to Bob Marley. It relaxes me and keeps me from getting too upset with any particular play or opponent.

[st]

Paul Oakenfold? Van Der Graaf Generator? Fusion? Hawkwind, for god's sake!? It's like Neil Pye's record collection. Heavy, man!

As for me, our game is down in the basement by the old turntable; last time I think we got through Up on the Sun by Meat Puppets, Memphis to New York Spirit by John Patton, Band of Gypsies by Jimi Hendrix, and My Aim is True by Elvis Costello.

[Jason]

Spiritualized
Brian Eno
Explosions In The Sky
Sigor Ros
Smiths

Bob Marley is good too. Also love obscure early 90s Brit bands.

[st]

There may be a disconnect between music people listen to while playing with friends, and music one listens to while playing online by oneself. I mean, I love Explosions in the Sky (all the Hawkwind geeks upthread should check them out), but I don't think my home game players really want to listen to eight minute flowing guitar crescendos while they try to play cards and drink a beer or two.

[pokerpeaker]

Holy Cow, what a bunch of softies, people! Why not just say you like the soulful tunes of Celine Dion or Kenny G while you check-raise your opponent?

Me? I mostly prefer heavy metal, stuff like speed metal with some hair metal thrown in there. I will toss in some classic jazz but not very often. I think metal is aggressive music and I need something to encourage me to play aggressively as my tendency is to play too tight.

A friend calls it "Music to Crush Thyne Enemies To" and I think that fits perfectly.

P.S. I also listen to a lot of the old Ante Up Podcasts as I'm a new listener, but I don't want to appear like I'm kissing your butt so I can make the show.

[Chris Cosenza]

These are great! Keep em coming!

And for the record, I don't listen to Rush when I play.

[JLBSox]

I go with classic rock and mix in some newer stuff. Tonya threw out some great stuff above. I'll add a few artists:
Rolling Stones
Smiths
Jane's Addiction
NRBQ
INXS
Oasis
Johnny Cash(I know not rock)
U2
Van Halen
Red Hot Chili Peppers

It makes me feel old when kids say they have never heard of the Chili Peppers.

[Popeye39]

REO Speedwagon- Roll with The changes

Anything by Nickel Creek or Chris Thile. Mandolin playing soothes me. Moe Larry cheese, Moe Larry cheese!

[AngelEyesGBU]

My Poker Music Playlist - I'm older than Chris and Scott, younger than Fasso, so that probably makes me one of the altfurzen of the AnteUp nation. I like music that sets the "cool" mood but is not too distracting, hence Rat Pack and Smooth Jazz:

Frank Sinatra CD album, "Nothing But The Best", ASIN: B0018MU8JC

Frank Sinatra CD album, "Fly Me To The Moon" ASIN: B0009R5QT4

Frank Sinatra CD album, Duets II, "Luck Be A Lady" duet with Chrissy Hynde

The Ratpack CD Album, "Boys Night Out", ASIN: B0002U5BR0

"Live and Swingin', The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection" CD album, ASIN: B0000CF342

"The Rat Pack Live At The Sands" CD album, ASIN: B00005RGHW

"A Decade of Steely Dan" CD album, ASIN: B000002P4R

"The Very Best of Diana Krall" CD album, ASIN: B000SO7OL6

Stan Getz CD album, "A Life in Jazz" ASIN: B000004775

David Sanborn CD album "Pearls", ASIN: B000002HHR

David Sanborn CD album "Songs From The Night Before, ASIN: B000002HND

[aces88ss]

Chris, a few months ago, you asked for our poker playlist...here's a copy of what I sent then...the beauty of age is here is nothing new to replace any of these...

Chris, I'll save you the trouble...I'm looking for the "Stuck in your Grandpa's Music" blog. But then, I am older than dirt.

For my home game, i have a playlist that includes lots of Dean Martin, Sammy and Frank to start the game off. In my age group, gets everyone happy.

As the evening wears on, I pep it up with some Garth Brooks ("Friends in low places" is a sad UGLY sing along). Toby Keith ("Should Have Been a Cowboy"...Hey, it's South Dakota, some of them are Cowboys). Mary Chapin Carpenter's, "I Feel Lucky".

I wrap up the evening with a set of Jazz songs...Bobby Darren, "Mack the Knife", A.J Croce (Jim Croce's son)...Best Jazz artist you've never hard of, and LOTS of BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY (You may know them from the movie "Swingers" from a couple of years ago).

Here's a you tube link to what should become your new favorite song and video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmpmjsq8Z70&feature=related

Depending on how th night goes, I will cash chips in while playing "Minnie the Moocher" (Cab Callaway of course), or "I I were a Rich man" Tevye from FIDDLER ON THE ROOF...

Yeap, Rat Pack, Country (I like both kinds of music...Country and Western), Boogie Woogie and sometimes show tunes.

But I do provide a stocked bar and I will smoke ribs. The yin and yang that is MY home game.

[Boomer76]

It might be too late to include in the cast, but I LOVE listening to "Trance Tuesdays" a fellow podcast when I'm playing...it sets a pace for me when the table doesn't have one.

[Boomer76]

It might be too late to include in the cast, but I LOVE listening to "Trance Tuesdays" a fellow podcast when I'm playing...it sets a pace for me when the table doesn't have one.

[Erwin Blonk]

@
"There may be a disconnect between music people listen to while playing with friends, and music one listens to while playing online by oneself."

In my case, indeed, I rarely inflict my musical preferences on my friends, lest they stop being my friends.
Checking out EITS right now, seems somewhere between early Pink Floyd and Hawkwind. Good stuff and especially good to know there are people younger than I that still make this type of music.

[Alan Stewart]

Sounds odd, but 80s and 90s rock works for me. I have a playlist on my iPod just for the occasion. It includes stuff like Bon Jovi, KISS, Whitesnake, Poison, Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Van Halen, etc.

I sprinkle in a few upbeat country diddys from Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Johnny Cash, too.

[TonyH]

Hello everyone,

This isn't so much a best poker song as it is my favorite poker sample.

http://www.amazon.com/Foxbase-Alpha-Saint-Etienne/dp/B000002LS0
Play track 11, "Etienne gonna die"

It's from the movie House of Games by David Mamet. One of the actors in the sample is Joe Mantegna with a bunch of guys playing 5-card draw. The lyrics/quote is here:
http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/s/saintetienne3354/etiennegonnadie160214.html

It's a great last line.