I really love very 'impressionistic' songs - these 2 clearly so. Going outside songs of the sea - do you have any other favorite strongly impressionistic songs ? (now - aren't all songs impressionistic - I'm not sure what word I'm looking for here : )
On the note of other impressionistic songs - old rock and roll "Outlaw" songs can be impressionistic for me, for example, the Eagles Desperado album has quite a few - Desperado, Doolin' Daltin, Outlaw Man.
La Mer has to be close. You can't get much closer to The Sea than this
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Not a song but two Canadian Folk artists that do a lot of sea and fish songs. Search separately on YouTube for Stan and Garnett Rogers. I especially like Stan's "Tiny Fishes For Japan" a sad commentary on Canada's dying fishing industry.
Trivia: The late Stan Rogers was a gentle 6'4" giant from Halifax, NS, Canada and had a beautiful baritone voice. He was an accomplished Folk guitarist heard on most of his albums and live performances.
Another Folk artist that does a lot of sea/fishing songs is Gordon Bok here:
Not a song but two Canadian Folk artists that do a lot of sea and fish songs. Search separately on YouTube for Stan and Garnett Rogers. I especially like Stan's "Tiny Fishes For Japan" a sad commentary on Canada's dying fishing industry.
Gordon Lightfoot has a beautiful song that I've forgotten the title but it tells the fishermen story through the eyes of the lady who stands looking seaward in anticipation of her love's return.
In my mind's eye I see a beautiful young maiden straining to catch sight of the ship carrying her true love home to her embrace, a ship that will never come.
A lot of songs I've never heard. Really liked the Knopfler song (and sound). For some reason I have never been a fan of the Lightfoot sound. Steve - you have an interesting listening palate (and palette). I REALLY like the 1st 4. The last is a too "Irish" for me (a genre I do not care for at all). I plan to go deeper into your bands - none of which I had ever heard of... Trev - my French is not good enough to catch more than a few word. But that certainly is pretty... Don - some interesting links. Although most of the music I grew up on grew out of the folk movement, I've never care for "pure" folk (similar to Lightfoot and "Irish" stuff - it all hits me the same). Deryk - 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' ...ah. yes. Herb - you could pretty much put up 80% of Buffett's entire catalog... Deb - The Cheiftains (really not my cup of tea). Noel - who doesn't have a soft spot for Bobby?!... nice choice. Rich - I know that as the theme song to Outlander
Steve - you have an interesting listening palate (and palette). I REALLY like the 1st 4. The last is a too "Irish" for me (a genre I do not care for at all). I plan to go deeper into your bands - none of which I had ever heard of...
Thanks for listening sir. I've given a little more details on the bands/genres of these. I've listened to Flogging Molly more for the entertainment aspect. Who ever heard of Irish-American Celtic Punk? Humorous to me.
I'll make sure to check out the ones you listed as well. Thanks!
Queens of the Stone Age - I Sat by the Ocean (Modern Alternative Rock - Band I most listen to in this list)
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Walk on the Ocean (Late 80's/Early 90's Alternative Rock)
DNCE - Cake by the Ocean (One of the boy band members of the Jonas Brothers - Modern Pop)
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue (Early 2000s Rock band)
Flogging Molly - The Heart of The Sea ("Irish-American Celtic Punk" Band popular since the early 2000s)
wow - didn't expect so many great responses, and so many excellent songs. Thanks so much for all of your sharing - and because we're all musicians, or incredible music lovers to say the least, I find your suggestions so much more in line with my personal taste.
At some point I hope to listen to all of them all the way through and comment on each, like Floyd did - but that would take several hours, and my attention span is short. But until then, thanks again for all your shares. Lots of great new music and artists.
Here's another that was a big hit, and also a great song:
I always wonder what musical tricks or sonic (instrumentation, etc) tricks help the music sound like a particular idiom. For songs about the sea , sailing, fishing - some of the above clearly go for that, while others stay true to their own genre but the words are what make that song fit the category. Can anyone articulate what musical tricks and sounds used, for those songs where the music sounds like the category (fishing, sailing), are used ?
For example, in Downeaster Alexa, Billy Joel (in my top 5 of greatest pop/singer/songwriters of all time) uses some of these tricks: 1.) an accordion, which is often found in traditional ship songs 2.) a very rhythmic, repetitive drum beat 3.) extremely melodic with very simple chord changes, often 1-5, which 4.) a musical bridge with seagull sounds and violins - violins are also much part of traditional music played on the waters, and seagull sounds that are maybe synth and slide guitar on the high electric strings. and the "Yea-Oh" - is something similar to sailors yelling (ship ahoy - there she blows") 5.) lyrics and vocabulary - try and count the number of ocean/fishing words are in that song - probably has the most of all - Trawlerman has a lot too. I haven't listened to the others yet to see which also fit have a huge number of words that fit the theme.
I thought about another similar thread - with "Greatest Ballads" - though that cateogory is really broad, but I'm sure everyone has 5 or 6 songs that come to mind first when asked "what are some songs that have a really great story underneath them"
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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