A dog drifts through a parking lot, littered with last night’s trash and beer bottles. The club’s neon patron-snatcher flickers back and forth between two images of a couple doing the jitterbug.
The Roadhouse. A warm but slightly seedy honky-tonk. A girl singer in black leather is up on the small stage, fronting a four-piece, avant-garde rock combo. She’s singing a song called “The Nightingale.”
Over the past few years, the population of Welcome to Twin Peaks has steadily shared old and new music reminiscent of Twin Peaks via the Facebook page and Twitter. Some of those songs are very clearly inspired by Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch‘s soundtrack, a few are soundalikes and others are only similar in tone and mood. Based on my own discoveries and suggestions from a wide range of Twin Peaks fans, Welcome to Twin Peaks is curating an ever-growing playlist featuring a diverse selection of music from all decades and a multitude of genres, from jazz over contemporary doo-wop to electronic music.
These dreamy and twangy songs are collected in Twin Peaks: Nighttime At The Roadhouse, a Spotify playlist created early 2012 to fantasize what a typical night at the Roadhouse in Twin Peaks, WA would sound like these days. You know, the kind of music you might hear when the show returns. Make sure to FOLLOW the playlist within Spotify and check it every few weeks to keep track of updates!
UPDATE (May 2017): It goes without saying that all the songs you hear at the Bang Bang Bar in the new series will be instantly added to this playlist, but there’s also a separate playlist for just the Twin Peaks: The Return soundtrack. Remember, two additional Twin Peaks themed playlists are available as well: Leland Palmer Gets Happy and Isn’t It Too Dreamy? More coming!
UPDATE (May 2019): This Twin Peaks playlist is putting artists on the radar of TV and film music supervisors. Spotify published an article on how Killer Shangri-Lah by Pshycotic Beats got onto the soundtrack of Killing Eve through Nighttime at the Roadhouse!
Nighttime at the Roadhouse, A Fan-Sourced Playlist of Twin Peaks Music
Hit the play button, close your eyes and imagine yourself at the smoky Twin Peaks Roadhouse with Bobby, Donna, Cooper, the Log Lady, and a bunch of Bookhouse Boys…
(Open the playlist in Spotify and click the FOLLOW button)
Fire walk with 
Please add “Roads” by “Portishead” to the playlist.
http://youtu.be/oCqVXHPyZS8
Thanks. I love Portishead, especially “All Mine”, including the video.
Roy Orbison’s “Afraid To Sleep” is perfect.
The Soft Moon “Breathe The Fire”
Beach House “Wishes” of course!
Snowbird “I Heard the Owl Call My Name”
My Bloody Valentine “New You”
Porter Wagoner “The First Mrs. Jones” or The Cold Hard Facts of Life”
Lee Hazlewood “The Night Before”
Mick Jagger “Memo From Turner”
Thank you, Greg!
John Cale “Heartbreak Hotel”
John Cale “Ghost Story”
John Cale “Big White Cloud”
“War in Heaven” by The Raveonettes would totally fit in.
Cocteau Twins
Add some darkjazz. Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, Heroin And Your Veins, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, Dale Cooper Quartet And The Dictaphones, Somewhere Off Jazz Street… You’re welcome.
I always considered doing the darker, jazzy stuff in a separate playlist, because it’s not the kind of music you’d hear at the Roadhouse. What do you think?
A good idea, I’m always up for discovering more of that moody darkjazz.
yeah, doom/darkjazz definitely needs its place on it!
Rowland S Howard – Autoluminescent, and Shut Me Down.
Yes!
i have thought for a long time that pere ubu should have worked with david lynch.
Renascentia by Ninth Moon Black sounds like something that could be in Twin Peaks. It gave me some Pink Room Vibes.
‘Dream My Darling’ by Lynda Kay
Not exact but Phoebe Killdeer could do some amazing things at the Roadhouse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Yi1y-tBLY&index=5&list=PLxP6tHWUar8pqXu-E3AynT_T09pkAodOk
Some Black Rebel Motorcycle Club perhaps? Firewalker would fit at the Roadhouse just fine
David Bowie has a song called South Horizon. I think it’s very Twin Peaksy and would have fit especially well into Fire Walk With Me (even thought the song was released in 1993).
seductress of bums raveonettes
The burbly organ especially, but the video for “Make Time for the Boy” by Dominant Legs — yowza!
http://vimeo.com/34871573
“Donna” by Ritchie Valens is a must on this playlist. Not just because it is a classic teenage hymn about Donna, but also because the sound is very reminiscent of James Hurleys epic performance of “Just you and I”…
The Shelltones – Blue Castaway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25daQcemQLs
Dale Cooper Quartet and the Dictaphones – Lampyre Bonne Chere
Bohren and Der Club of Gore (They’ve built a 20-year career out of making Twin Peaks jazz, so take your pick of almost any album) Their newest album is Piano Nights, and the lead off track is a good one, “Im Rauch”
Another Beach House song, “Silver Soul” – the lyrics always remind me of TP, especially the “it is happening again” chorus!
Also:
David Lynch & Lykke Li “I’m Waiting Here”
Lana Del Rey “Shades of Cool”
Sky Ferreira “Night Time, My Time”
Chris Isaak “Blue Hotel”
Dum Dum Girls “Take Care of My Baby”
Charlie Megira “Tomorrow’s Gone”
Blondie “In The Flesh”
Mr. Bungle “Pink Cigarette”
Good call on Trailer Trash Tracys “Candy Girl”. I was listening to Pandora and it popped, I immediately thought of Twin Peaks.
Lhasa De Sela – Rising
Lana Del Rey – Once Upon A Dream
Blondie – Shayla
CocoRosie – Lemonade
Anna Von Hausswolff – Epitaph For Daniel
The Residents – My Window
I also agree with Trailer Trash Tracys being on the list. I first heard their song “Wish You Were Red” on “The Killing”, and loved the Twin Peaks vibe of the whole thing.
And the Lykke Li song is perfect too.
Daniel Lanois – Sketches
Emmy Lou Harris – Wrecking Ball
Good playlist. Still not sure about Grooveshark. Are they still being sued by record labels?
Antenne – Here to Go
For over a decade I’ve always thought of this as one of the most Twin Peaksy songs out there yet it is curiously omitted from these kinds of lists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6xNBmbnKII
Twin Peaks was a major influence on the web series I directed called “Ragged Isle.” I did my best to channel the spirit of TP when I wrote a few of the songs for the soundtrack. Would be honored if you’d give them a listen and perhaps add them to your growing list of awesome.
http://deporterrecords.bandcamp.com/track/dangerous-truths
http://deporterrecords.bandcamp.com/track/the-glass-jaw
http://deporterrecords.bandcamp.com/track/love-theme-from-ragged-isle
If you like what you hear and want to check out more, you can watch our supernatural murder mystery at http://www.raggedisle.com
I would add some Trentemoller tracks. He’s a huge fan of TP and you can really feel it in his songs.
http://youtu.be/EvDMDMxDAlc
http://youtu.be/rcBVG-n6Hts
Scott Walker “The Big Hurt” or “It’s Raining Today”
Cleo Laine “All Gone” (from the film The Servant)
The Jesus Lizard “Pastoral”
Low “Fear”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “Christine”
Dusty Springfield “The Look of Love”
Barbara Lynn “I Cried At Laura’s Wedding” (!)
Georges Delerue – Anything from the soundtrack to Godard’s “Contempt” aka “Le Mepris”
I imported this playlist into rdio if anyone is interested
http://on.rdio.com/1AHhrZZ
🙂
Good idea to put it on Rdio, Louis! But please allow me to do it officially 😉
siouxsie and the banshees – cocoon
– obsession
– melt
– pure
the damned – feel the pain
johnny cash – hurt
garbage – cup of coffee
– drive you home
– milk
– queer
bjork – an echo a stain
– all is full of love
– harm of will
– cover me
beck – whiskeyclone, hotel
– ramshackle
– debra
dave thomas and two pale boys – ghosts
ian mc culloch – arthur
p j harvey – the wind
– in my dreams
echo and the bunnymen – going up
eels – your lucky day in hell
nancy sinatra – summer wine
john shuttleworth ?
As a few have already mentioned, they’re spot-on:
David Lynch (feat. Lykke Li) – I’m Waiting Here
Trailer Trash Tracys – Candy Girl
Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time
I’d also add:
Lykke Li – Unrequited Love (shades of Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart)
Francis Harris – Dangerdream (Red Room!)
Mount Eerie – Between Two Mysteries
Grouper – Vapor Trails
Julia Holter – Boy In The Moon
Slowdive – Golden Hair
GULP -Game Love
Anything by Timber Timbre. Also their “Last Ex” side project.
Absolutely! Thanks.
the stargazer lilies should absolutely be a part of this.
http://youtu.be/MqL19g0HVRo
So glad we made the list ! Outside Twin Peaks was written with all my memories of what was going around the set about what this show was about, and to me I thought the music was what was really going on… it was the music that I remember most, how David and Mark used it and it gave all our visiting Directors something too. a sound that creates a feeling that ends up on screen! Who could ask for more , so thank you for including my song , listen to Gloston berry Grove too , the words in some places are from Laura’s diary.
I have a huge Spotify list like this as well, only mine is more of an entire Twin Peaks vibe more than just a roadhouse vibe. I’m apparently not smart enough to figure out how to post a link, though. (Help?) Anyway, here are a few tracks on mine that I didn’t see here that fit the roadhouse vibe quite well:
“Anemone” – The Brian Jonestown Massacre
“House of Metal” – Chelsea Wolf
“Souvenirs” – Esben and the Witch
“Changelings” and “This is my Hand” – Gazelle Twin
“Synthetic” – HTRK
“Sandpaper Kisses” – Martina Topley Bird
“Cuckoo” – Still Corners
This song is often given the “Twin Peaks-feeling” while playd live (and on record) to people in the crowd. It´s all ok and we would be honored to have it on this playlist:
https://play.spotify.com/track/3Q7pteE6gw2M6ANWlPumum
and/or
https://play.spotify.com/track/2g3terIV3izjK2pLqav3Yr
Perfect fit! There’s a hint of “Just You” in “Yearnings”. Consider your song added!
great playlist!
I found this one on a “heavy metal” album (yes, hard to believe) but it’s from one of finland’s most popular bands ever.
cheers!
https://play.spotify.com/track/1cs3sFvkOhyRdofjapRrHY
melanie de biasio
– sweet darling
– the flow
should be sweet darling pain
Great tips, Stuart!
super playlist. really evokes feelings of twin peaks
Thanks, F3L1X!
eeengstrom.bandcamp.com
Please consider adding Sky Ferreira – Night time, my time! It’s not only Twin Peaks inspired, the lyrics are basically dialogues from Fire Walk With Me, and the atmosphere is so much like the whole show! 🙂 Psychedelic, eerie, just perfect.
Grimes – Genesis would be a great addition.
Mount Eerie – Between Two Mysteries (NEEDS to be in there – samples Laura’s Theme, makes direct references to our favorite town, lovely song in its own right)
Girls – Headache (you can’t listen to this without imagining a big red curtain behind the band)
Don’t get some of the choices tbh, like Tortoise’s TNT for example. Great song, but don’t feel any Lynch vibes from it at all. Otherwise, great playlist!
spotify:track:6FD6w3nSf0qQ4mzCeIAHHC
Sorry, Vincek, can’t figure out which track this is.
Here’s a nice one: https://open.spotify.com/track/0xVU3b2ZWl8cq8QuZ6oYPl
i think Link Wray’s Shadowman song would be good for the roadhouse playlist
how about riverman by lizz wright?
Love the mood of that song. Thanks!
Summer Moon by The Raveonettes
Nightmusic by Grimes
Call Me In The Day by La Luz
Damp Face by La Luz
Clear Night Sky by La Luz
Bad Girls by Tennis
Hot Dreams by Timber Timbre
BONUS
Twin Peaks Twist by Messer Chups
Beach House – Days of Candy
Julia Holter – Hallo Stranger
Chromatics – “Shadow.” Really gets at the sorrow at the heart of the show I think and the troubled pasts that many of the characters carry around with them. The “8-track” version in particular seems like it could have been played in the Roadhouse, but I don’t know that that version is on Spotify, so here it is: https://soundcloud.com/johnnyjewel/chromatics-shadow
Glad to see two Beach House songs represented, their whole catalogue could be featured in Twin Peaks really. “Wildflower” has also always felt rather Twin Peaks-y to me also for some reason; I think it reminds me of Cooper and Annie’s relationship, maybe?
“Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires” – Cocteau Twins. Has a dark and mystical vibe that reminds me of the way the second season ends, and of the mysteriousness of the woods in general.
“Shadow” – Chromatics. This song resonates with the tragedy at the show’s core I think, and speaks to the troubled pasts that so many of the characters carry around with them.
“Wildflower” – Beach House. Glad to see this band already represented on the playlist; this song reminds me of Cooper and Annie’s romance, for some reason.
Totally right about that version of Shadow! Too bad it’s not on Spotify.
Amatorski – “Come Home”
Beach House – “Space Song”
Hooverphonic – “2 Wicky”
The Raveonettes – “Aly, Walk With Me”
The Stargazer Lilies – “How We Lost”
Earth – “Omens and Portents 1: The Driver”
Starflyer 59 – “Messed Up Over You”
Thanks for the suggestions, Marc. Good to see a couple of Belgian bands there! Did you notice Hoover(phonic)’s Sarangi is one of the first songs in the playlist?
Hey I don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but “Surrender” by Suicide always felt like a Roadhouse song to me.
“Wild Peace” by Echo Lake has a hook that is very reminiscent of Julee Cruise. Very atmospheric.
Excellent suggestion, Crouttie. Thanks!
“Nocturnal” by Amaral and “The crying game” by Boy George.Thanks.
Nine Inch Nails – She’s Gone Away
Anthrax & Angelo Bandalameti – Black Lodge
Check out Crooked Ghost. There are definitely some dreamy twin peaksy songs.
Crookedghost.bancamp.com.
Oops crookedghost.bandcamp.com.
Specifically Tar Angel Waltz and Casting Shadows
Memory Motel – The Rolling Stones 1979
Serious twin peaks vibes on this
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL OR SPARKLEHORSE!!!
I really want to see the instrumental of SATURDAY on the Rhino release. The Windswept CD version is great- but the instrumental so much more…majestic. I’ve hit rewind on that scene so many times just to hear the song
Know this hasn’t been commented on in forever, but since it looks like you still update this playlist I have a couple of suggestions!
Holy Knives – “Always Gone”
Bones in the Walls – “Stay With Me”
Both have an eerie lounge-y vibe!
Remix DJ artist Unders created a remix for ‘The Other Side’ by Morphine:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2LfiweIpaEUpbcGIQxuOk4?si=Iuke7oaaQLKVX7o7SzZWEg
Also, the late Morphine frontman Mark Sandman has a pair of rediscovered albums coming out from one of his other side projects, The Hypnosonics. Here are a pair of singles:
Someone Stole My Shoes:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2oT12AvxDpkdpgCKv1rO2h?si=Q3YEK3SDQbWiWnVs4v4FrA
Drums Were Beating:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6a22N153dCRcJK43ie1Z4k?si=97xxaCSERPWdSZ2mI0yNWA
Remix DJ artist Unders created a remix for ‘The Other Side’ by Morphine:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2LfiweIpaEUpbcGIQxuOk4
Also, the late Morphine frontman Mark Sandman has a pair of rediscovered albums coming out from one of his other side projects, The Hypnosonics. Here are a pair of singles:
Someone Stole My Shoes:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2oT12AvxDpkdpgCKv1rO2h
Drums Were Beating:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6a22N153dCRcJK43ie1Z4k
Remix DJ artist Unders created a remix for ‘The Other Side’ by Morphine (available on Spotify, but I couldn’t post the links).
Also on Spotify, the late Morphine frontman Mark Sandman has a pair of rediscovered albums coming out from one of his other side projects, the Hypnosonics. Only the singles ‘Someone Stole My Shoes’ and ‘Drums Were Beating’ are available right now.
Deja Vu by Soak would be perfect. Watch the great video on YouTube also – real David Lynch vibe in the use of covers. Would love to see this in the Road House some day!
Orville Peck: “Turn to Hate,” “Dead of Night”
Little toot of my own horn, but I co-wrote and produced a song with a friend and my partner that is aiming right for that sweet Lynchian “Roadhouse” vibe, perfect for long roads and empty hotel rooms.
“Honey Sing Slow”
https://open.spotify.com/album/1Yxg9WThoJ4atKILeH4JR5?si=LGBI17CHTZKcjDkgxsQQ_w
Les Bourgeois de Calais – J’ai vingt ans
Sylvie Vartan – Par Amour, Par Pitié