After forming the emblematic Lounge Lizards (for which the term "fake jazz" was coined), John Lurie acted in and wrote the soundtrack music for Jim Jarmusch's cultissimo movies "Stranger Than Paradise" and "Down By Law". These two soundtrack albums came out worldwide on Crammed (respectively in 1986 and 1987), but are no longer available.

John Lurie's other Crammed release was "Men With Sticks" (1993) by the John Lurie Orchestra (actually a trio, consisting of John, Calvin Weston and Billy Martin).