Soundtrack for Infant pictures

[tzvibish]

So, I'm having a child in the next few days, and I'm going to be putting together a slideshow of newborn pictures shortly thereafter. I need some help choosing some background music for it. (I know, you'd think my mind would be on other things right now, but this seems strangely important to me). For reference, I did the same thing with child 1.0, albeit via a professional studio. (Song is "Henny Buggy Band" by Sufjan Stevens, off some Asthmatic Kitty sampler release).

I'm finding it difficult to choose a track for infants. On one hand, you want something upbeat, and "child-like", kinda like Henny Buggy Band (Lots of bells, light horns, and bright harmonies). On the other hand, you want to convey some meaningful emotion as well. Henny Buggy Band has that, but I think I want more of the depth this time. Here are my nominations, and I'd love to get some more input.

Sigur Ros - Takk - Ce Lest: Song doesn't really start until 0:41, and even then it's probably too long for a slideshow. It's really the second part (4:05) that I really want. ending credit coming in where the fanfare drums kick in. Amazing. Might be a little too mellow, though.

Jonsi - Go - Hengilas: It's super mellow, but the chords have this triumphant and victorious thing going on that might actually be appropriate. Once again, maybe too mellow.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues - Helplessness Blues: This is a much more upbeat option. Every Fleet Foxes is full of emotion, and I think that the lyrics here are especially poignant for an infant just entering into a wide strange world. Don't know if I would cut out the second part; the transition is a little jarring.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues - Blue Spotted Tail: This is one of the nicest simple acoustic folk songs I've heard in a long time. Great for a soundtrack. The only issue is that the lyrics are pretty haunting; death and the pointlessness of life aren't really great ideas for a baby pictures slideshow, but the music is a great counterpoint to the subject matter.

Iron and Wine - Creek Drank the Cradle- Lion's Mane: Of all the great I&W for this, this one jumps out at me. I don't know why.

Iron and Wine - Shepherd's Dog - Carousel: This has a sunny/melancholy thing going for it, but it might be too much on the mellow side.

Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche - The Perpetual Self, or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?": This was actually the song in the trailer for Babies, and I think it works well for an upbeat triumphant song with some mellow warmth in the backing vocals, but that's Sufjan for you..

There are more, but I really need some ideas that are either a) not as mellow, or b) instrumental. For some reason, I can't find an instrumental piece that doesn't sound cliche for an infant soundtrack.

[SirMustapha]

You may want to check out Stereolab's Daisy Click Clack, which somehow mixes childlike playfulness with an incredibly poignant beauty in a way that's almost superhuman. I don't know if that's exactly what you want, but their album Chemical Chords has some other vaguely similar stuff. You may want to give it a whirl.

[tzvibish]

nice, but too happy-go-lucky for my needs. Good try, though :p

[AvatarIII]

So, I'm having a child in the next few days,

congratulations

also i've never had a chance to ask this to anyone before, but have you ever thought about taking a picture of your baby every day (at first, but less often as time goes on) for as long as possible, to document aging?

[tzvibish]

haha, I think every parent thinks about that. Unfortunately, not everyone is that focused and/or dedicated to pull off such a feat. You're too busy thinking of ingenious ways to avoid getting shat on.

Either way, I think I take enough pictures to satisfy the basic idea of it.

[Роберт]

I know this won't be a helpful suggestion at all, but I think it would be funny if you wanted to do good pictures (cute sleeping baby, happy awake baby) and bad pictures (wailing infant, diaper disasters) to do some dubstep stuff like Skrillex's equinox.

[modularblues]

Not sure how much of a jazz/blues fan you are, but I think vibraphone or similarly pitched percussion might work here. Something like this or this?

[Bassoon]

No doubt you've already thought of it, but I think Iron & Wine's "Love and Some Verses" is a pretty good match.

[tzvibish]

Y

I know this won't be a helpful suggestion at all, but I think it would be funny if you wanted to do good pictures (cute sleeping baby, happy awake baby) and bad pictures (wailing infant, diaper disasters) to do some dubstep stuff like Skrillex's equinox.

maybe for a birthday video, where comedy would be a factor. This is more to get the ladies crying (and maybe some men, if executed properly). Also, do you take pictures of diaper disasters? Cuz that's just wrong.

No doubt you've already thought of it, but I think Iron & Wine's "Love and Some Verses" is a pretty good match.

That's really nice. I dn't know if I like the tunes so much, but the tone of the instrument is spot on. That's what's used in Sigur Ros - Se Lest, and that's why it's on the top of the list right now.

No doubt you've already thought of it, but I think Iron & Wine's "Love and Some Verses" is a pretty good match.

Actually, of all the iron and wine stuff I have, I think this one actually wins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8hXJTki3U.

I don't what it is. Maybe it's the totally serene piano/guitar mix, or the tremolo'd vocal, but it just puts me in a trance. (Whoever decided to tremolo the vocal track has balls, and is a genius.) I think the serenity thing is actually the "theme" I've been looking for. I think that's the emotion people feel when faced with a newborn infant. It's hard to explain; probably the innocence, blank-slate and wonderment that characterizes children and especially infants.

Keep the suggestions coming!

[The Moomin]

How about this?

Beasts by Slow Moving Millie

Congratulations on the child

(I only just now looked at the dates on the posts. Oops).