Songs where an unexpected weird noise makes you turn the car music system right down in a panic cos you think your car's about to suffer some horrible expensive failure

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Prompted by the growling screech that comes in after the 2nd chorus of QOTSA's "Lost Art of Keeping A Secret" which made me do exactly that today (I've only had the car a week and got that horrible sinking feeling of impending doom)

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

There's a song on 100% Ginuwine that sounds like my discman when my cell phone goes off and they're in the same pocket, this buzzing where the signals are crossed.

― deej.. (deej..), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

Can we include songs that make you think there's an ambulance/the police with their sirens on somewhere behind you? Because the first track from Go Team's Thunder Lightning Strike does that to me. And there's a weird sound in the last verse of Elliott Smith's Baby Britain which everyone always thinks is somebody's cell phone.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

np: baby britain

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

Can we include songs that make you think there's an ambulance/the police with their sirens on somewhere behind you? Because the first track from Go Team's Thunder Lightning Strike does that to me.

haha never mind 5345349854 rap songs.

― deej.. (deej..), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:18 (nineteen years ago)

"From a Motel 6" - Yo La Tengo

― Sexy MFA (Hexy M.F.), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

Whenever I listen to Tom Waits's 'Town With No Cheer' I always think there's some construction work going on (which there always is 'In the Neighbourhood', fnar!).

― Wax Cat (Wax Cat), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

I had to stop listening to Swell Maps in my truck b/c it was making paranoid as fuck.

― Fetchboy (Felcher), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

The siren in Beastie Boys' "Super Disco Breakin'" gets me peepin' in my rearview.

― Edward III (edward iii), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

Gastr del Sol to thread.

― The Bearnaise-Stain Bears (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

The guy talking over the intercom in Faust's "...In the Spirit" always makes me turn my head trying to figure out where it's coming from when I'm just listening absentmindedly.

― Bumblepuppy (Horbgorbling Slubberdegullion), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:46 (nineteen years ago)

Tortoise, "Djed" -- that breakdown in the middle that resolves into mutated conga playing made me eject the CD the first time to see if it was getting scratched.

― The Bearnaise-Stain Bears (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

assuming the horrible expensive failure could include a broken cd player: the first track on garbage: G

― cate flamingo (cate flamingo), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 17:00 (nineteen years ago)

quite a bit of RJD2

― J. Grizzle (trainsmoke), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

john cage 4'33"

in other words, my car is a piece of shit.

― DUMBOCLAAT (eman), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 17:05 (nineteen years ago)

This happened to me with Tool’s new album a few days ago, can’t remember the song though. It sounded like something was scraping on the road.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 17:07 (nineteen years ago)

Usually, it's not ME who thinks the speakers have blown, but another passenger in the car. The end of Broadcast's "Arc of a Journey" is a decent example.

Usually I turn it down early, and sheepishly skip to the next song, and then let someone else pick the music after that.

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

The Bark Psychosis' 'Shapeshifter' features a totally out-of-character (after 45 minutes of near-ambient bliss) raucous guitar solo/racket, which actually got the CD ejected from the stereo of a car I was travelling in.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

'Shapeshifting', that is.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

The first time I listened to S/K's The Woods was in a car. I thought, "Uh, that does it. Stereo's fried." Not so!

― Dan Heilman (The Deacon), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

.....and as for the Super Furry Animals' 'Check It Out', WELL DONE D00DZ YOU FOOLED ME GOOD'N'PROPER

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

Okay I know everybody hates Phish etc but...BUT...

During the last minute+ of "Scent of a Mule" there are all these crazy laser blasts, cows mooing in pain, car crash sounds, etc. ALWAYS freaks me right out.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Tuesday, 26 September 2006 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

oh man can anything rule this thread as much as Cabaret Voltaire's Silent Command?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

I think the problem with the QOTSA track that I mentioned in the OP is that it sneaks in behind the song which carries on as before (plus the version of LAOKAS that I've been used to is the live one off "Songs For the Deaf", so it was unexpected)

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 21:11 (nineteen years ago)

No car problems, but The Microphones' "Sand" has had me check me rear view mirror TWICE for cops before. And I used to have a ring tone with jangly chimes and shit that would make me turn down my music two or three times a day. The phone never actually rang, but all my freak folk favorites would suffer for it.

― cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 03:37 (nineteen years ago)

One day, I was giving a friend a ride home, and "Super Shine" came on. She said, "Oh man, your radio is broken" and turned it down. And now she makes fun of what I listen to. Friends are the best.

― Ivan G (Ivan), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 03:42 (nineteen years ago)

uh, the first time i listened to Scott Walker's "Tilt" was with my friend whose last musical obsession was Bobby McFerrin. after enduring all his "what is this shit?" and "This sounds like The Phantom of the Opera on crack" comments during the first track, i convinced him to give at least the next track "the cockfighter" a shot. anyway, after turning the volume way up during the first minute or so of indescript mumbling and shuffling noises, we were then blown away by the screaming locust wall of yell and chaos around a minute and a half. we both started screaming, the car started swerving, we almost got into an accident, we had to pull over, and i was never allowed to put another cd on in his car.

― methanie tanner (methanie tanner), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 03:45 (nineteen years ago)

the Fugees, "Zealots" on the inconvenient sirens

― milo z (mlp), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

A Wolfgang Press song comes to mind...starts with a horrible clank noise...I think it's "Dig A Hole". Yeah, that's it.

― Dare Of The Hog (Bimble...), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 03:59 (nineteen years ago)

I hate it more when I'm listening to music on my computer and the music makes a noise like I have a new email or someone IMs me.

― max (maxreax), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 05:09 (nineteen years ago)

elbow - snooks

― cracker killer (crackerkiller), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 18:15 (nineteen years ago)

Laddio Bolocko - Laddio's Money

― autovac (autovac), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 20:01 (nineteen years ago)

There are some noises on The Prodigy's "Jilted Generation" album that sounds like the car is hitting something. Particularly on the first track.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 21:41 (nineteen years ago)

there is a siren in a smog song that used to mess me up like this.

I hate it more when I'm listening to music on my computer and the music makes a noise like I have a new email or someone IMs me

otm, there is one of these in king's crossing by elliott smith

― kephm (kephm), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

assuming the horrible expensive failure could include a broken cd player

Phenomenon is owned by "Chor Moire," the first track of Jon Hassell's Fourth World Vol. 2: Dream Theory in Malaya. WHAT WAS HE THINKING

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Wednesday, 27 September 2006 22:49 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

Note to self: Trying to make a turn on the highway while listening to EVOL is not a good idea. Particularly if you're on track 4.

― i fuck mathematics, Sunday, 28 December 2008 11:03 (seventeen years ago)

Haha I'm guessing you're talking about In The Kingdom #16 or whatever the spoken word Lee track is because that happens to me all the time.

Also track 4 or 5 on Pretty Toney Album has some pretty effective sirens.

― BusDriverStu (Bus Driver Stu), Sunday, 28 December 2008 11:31 (seventeen years ago)

And that story about Tilt was hilarious

― BusDriverStu (Bus Driver Stu), Sunday, 28 December 2008 11:32 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, In The Kingdom #19. It's just kind of weird to get totally caught off guard by a song you're 100% familiar with. When it got to the screechy car accident section, I totally had no idea what was going on and panicked a bit.

― i fuck mathematics, Sunday, 28 December 2008 12:37 (seventeen years ago)

pixies, pj harvey

most shite steve albini shite really stip utter lip

― Matt P. (Matt P), Sunday, 28 December 2008 12:45 (seventeen years ago)

There was that Autumn of 96, when becoming a Autechre obsessive prevented me from hearing actual engine trouble....

― derelict, Sunday, 28 December 2008 15:34 (seventeen years ago)

'Shapeshifting'

Yeah! Good song.. but hate that bit.

Reminds me of my own submission: those high-pitched bleeps (I think there're two) in Sonic Youth's "I Love You Golden Blue," I'm pretty sure it is.. from Sonic Nurse, starts with ambient noise, then the tune fades in, Kim sings. BLOOOOOO.

Trying to make a turn on the highway while listening to EVOL is not a good idea.

Funny you say that.. EVOL is one of my absolute favorite driving albums. Don't know why.

― Kyle Clewett (bassace), Sunday, 28 December 2008 19:41 (seventeen years ago)

songs that make you think there's an ambulance/the police with their sirens on somewhere behind you?

"Indiana Wants Me" by R. Dean Taylor owns this.

― xhuxk, Sunday, 28 December 2008 19:53 (seventeen years ago)

songs that make you think there's an ambulance/the police with their sirens on somewhere behind you?

I was listening to the Disco Inferno EPs at vast volume in the car the other week and assumed that the WOO-WOO-WOO noise was part of a song; quite startled to look in the rear-view mirror and see a fucking ambulance bearing down on me.

― grimly fiendish, Sunday, 28 December 2008 19:55 (seventeen years ago)

six years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRYj9ChcWyg

I was listening to Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity while driving home tonight, and my stereo emitted a high-pitched tone (@ the 50-second mark of 'News') just as I was approaching a speed bump. for a second or two I though the speed bump was shrieking at me to slow down.

― stoomcursus rockisme (unregistered), Friday, 10 July 2015 00:59 (ten years ago)

― methanie tanner (methanie tanner), Tuesday, September 26, 2006 11:45 PM (8 years ago)

lol, wow

― stoomcursus rockisme (unregistered), Friday, 10 July 2015 01:05 (ten years ago)

oh hey, I wrote about this phenomenon once in a deliberately grating manner:
https://pitchrevvyrev.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/life-after-death/ (paragraphs 2 & 4)

― Heroic melancholy continues to have a forceful grip on (bernard snowy), Friday, 10 July 2015 02:09 (ten years ago)

I remember having a mixtape with Savage Republic's Jamahiriya title track on in a car I'd hitched a lift in. The driver thought the rattling percussion was an engine fault and wanted to stop. I think she rethought and I got to my destination ok.

― Stevolende, Friday, 10 July 2015 09:09 (ten years ago)

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