Seeking dark, sexy rock music.
September 5, 2009 4:32 PM   Subscribe

Looking for rock music that has a dark, sexy edge to it.

The only thing that comes to mind at this moment is Queens of the Stone Age. I'm open to music from any time period, but primarily thinking modern rock.

Whole albums or individual songs are fine.
posted by hazyspring to Media & Arts (55 answers total) 84 users marked this as a favorite
 
Mazzy Star.
posted by dreamphone at 4:33 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Anything by Morphine. Damn, I miss Mark Sandman...
posted by gimli at 4:40 PM on September 5, 2009 [7 favorites]


Nthing Morphine.

Hmm, what else. Portishead. Nick Cave. Leonard Cohen. Jesus & Mary Chain.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 4:51 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: You are looking for The Raveonettes, my friend.
posted by escabeche at 4:54 PM on September 5, 2009


Best answer: The only thing that comes to mind at this moment is Queens of the Stone Age

Eagles of Death Metal, which features QotSA's Josh Homme, may be up your alley.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:00 PM on September 5, 2009


Best answer: I would recommend "Neptune" by The Duke Spirit and "Baby 81" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. More dark and sweaty bedroom than sexy, necessarily...
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 5:03 PM on September 5, 2009


I second Raveonettes; sexy music and even sexier lyrics. Pretty in Black or Lust are both good albums.
posted by too bad you're not me at 5:05 PM on September 5, 2009


Best answer: Oh man, I love this kinda stuff. I'll third the Raveonettes and also suggest Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, especially their first album, and the albums Vanishing Point and XTRMNTR by Primal Scream.
posted by ZaphodB at 5:07 PM on September 5, 2009


Lenny Kravitz
posted by hibbersk at 5:18 PM on September 5, 2009


Definitely Nick Cave. I'd submit Neko Case, TV on the Radio, and some Sonic Youth too.
posted by The Michael The at 5:20 PM on September 5, 2009


"Tear You Apart" by She Wants Revenge leaps to mind. Much of their stuff is in a similar vein, though perhaps not quite spot-on as that track.
posted by axiom at 5:23 PM on September 5, 2009


Placebo and the Dresden Dolls.

Nthing Morphine, Nick Cave, and Leonard Cohen.
posted by EvaDestruction at 5:24 PM on September 5, 2009


If you like QotSA, you'll probably like Kyuss, also featuring Josh Homme.
posted by Eumachia L F at 5:24 PM on September 5, 2009


Mind Science.
posted by bunnytricks at 5:29 PM on September 5, 2009


I'd suggest checking out Elysian Fields. The singer was in a project with Mike Patton called Lovage, which is more trip-hop than rock, but also definitely qualifies as dark-n-sexy.
posted by mannequito at 5:30 PM on September 5, 2009


The Rolling Stones
posted by philip-random at 5:37 PM on September 5, 2009


"Dogs of Lust" by The The; you'll probably like the rest of that album (Dusk) if you like that.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 5:54 PM on September 5, 2009


Seconding She Wants Revenge. Of their songs, I would also recommend "Out of Control", "Killing Time", "Written in Blood", and "Pretend the World has Ended".
posted by CrystalDave at 6:08 PM on September 5, 2009


Pulp. Anything by Pulp, especially "Underwear" though.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:10 PM on September 5, 2009


CSS.
posted by fearthehat at 6:12 PM on September 5, 2009


Tindersticks
Bourbon Princess [ex-member(s) of Morphine, recommended above]
Jeff Buckley
Massive Attack
PJ Harvey
Roxy Music
posted by applemeat at 6:13 PM on September 5, 2009 [2 favorites]


i don't think you can beat this.
posted by msconduct at 6:20 PM on September 5, 2009


I'll go with Placebo and Evanescence.
posted by wackybrit at 6:23 PM on September 5, 2009


Heart. Magic Man. That song still makes my toes curl. YouTube, but the higher production value version from the album is better.
posted by nax at 6:28 PM on September 5, 2009


Go type Queens of the Stone Age into Pandora and see what happens. Train it to suggest things for you. It's why it's there.
posted by jeffamaphone at 6:36 PM on September 5, 2009


early Interpol. but they suck live...
posted by frankly mister at 6:40 PM on September 5, 2009


Best answer: The Kills. I like to describe their sound as "sexual menace".
posted by strangecargo at 6:42 PM on September 5, 2009


Kind of obvious -- almost the prototype for this kind of music -- but in case you'd overlooked them, The Doors.
posted by ROTFL at 8:06 PM on September 5, 2009


Somethin' Hot, by the Afghan Whigs. (And I would have suggested The Dogs of Lust, as well!)
posted by theredpen at 8:20 PM on September 5, 2009


This Is Hardcore
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 8:22 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Nthing Nick Cave/Birthday Party. The Cramps are dark and sexy. Not really QOTSA, though, are they? The Brian Jonestown Massacre and related bands/genre-mates (Warlocks, Black Angels, BRMC) have this "Keep Music Evil" thing. For that matter, I'll second early Rolling Stones, especially the Brian Jones-era. Try and find the songs Heavy Black Noise and Ain't No Sunshine by Sacred Miracle Cave.
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 8:30 PM on September 5, 2009


Greg Dulli - his old band The Afghan Whigs (Gentleman still holds up pretty well) and his new band The Twilight Singers (who's "enjoy twilight" shirt I can't wear anymore because of a certain movie). Mmmmmm...Dulli
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 9:26 PM on September 5, 2009


Neko Case
Bjork (especially Underworld remixes)
PJ Harvey
Belle & Sebastian
One Dove / Dot Allison
posted by KokuRyu at 9:44 PM on September 5, 2009


Ours! The guy is like the ghost of Jeff Buckley, but more raw.
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 9:55 PM on September 5, 2009


Cowboy Junkies.
posted by dancestoblue at 10:24 PM on September 5, 2009


Definitely PJ Harvey: Long Snake Moan, The Letter, O Stella, A Perfect Day Elise, It's You
posted by dephlogisticated at 11:05 PM on September 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Two Ton Boa.
posted by dacoit at 11:10 PM on September 5, 2009


Depeche Mode is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of dark and sexy, although they straddle a lot of genres and aren't precisely rock. Try these songs:

Only When I Lose Myself (strange, unrelated video accompanies it; sorry)
Corrupt
I Want It All
World in my Eyes
Shine
I Feel Loved
Dead of Night

There are tons more, really; most of their songs deal with love or sex (or drugs, couched in the language of love or sex), Dave Gahan's voice is deep and sexy and dark, and so is the music.
posted by Nattie at 11:54 PM on September 5, 2009


Nthing PJ Harvey.

JG Thirlwell's solo work. Foetus is a little too grindy.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:55 AM on September 6, 2009


Scott Walker may also fit the bill. He sounds more like traditional pop, which can be part of the appeal -- you're listening to what sounds like a Sinatra or a Tom Jones record, and then you stop and say "Did he just make reference to cunninglingus?" His cover of Jacques Brel's "Mathilde", just to whet your appetite.

While I wouldn't call all of the Walker Brothers' output dark and sexy, their final album, Nite Flights, could fit the bill. Here's the title track.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:23 AM on September 6, 2009 [1 favorite]


This may seem obvious to many, but no one has mentioned The Cure. Anything up through Wish should suffice.
posted by dortmunder at 6:01 AM on September 6, 2009


Response by poster: Thanks for all of the suggestions. You got me going in the right direction.

I will add the Black Keys, Attack & Release.
posted by hazyspring at 7:21 AM on September 6, 2009


Pleasure Forever.
posted by ubersturm at 8:08 AM on September 6, 2009


If you like the Raveonettes, try Suicide
posted by Midnight Rambler at 8:42 AM on September 6, 2009


I would suggest Bad Moon Rising, Sister, and Evol by Sonic Youth.
posted by elder18 at 9:25 AM on September 6, 2009


The Dead Weather!
posted by grateful at 9:52 AM on September 6, 2009


Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have To Love"

Lyrics:
Your hands on me; Pressing hard against your jeans
Your tongue in my mouth, trying to keep the words from coming out
You didn't care to know who else may have been you before

Depressing and sexy as hell.
posted by KateHasQuestions at 10:25 AM on September 6, 2009


Also check out Eric McFadden Trio
posted by polymath at 1:48 PM on September 6, 2009


Concrete Blond

Pretty and Twisted

16 Volt
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 6:33 PM on September 6, 2009


Take E.S. Posthumus for a spin. Especially Nara. They have samples at their website. In any case, Nara just exudes sex to me. Half their songs are a bit hard for sexy stuff, but the other half are perfect.

Man I love those boys!
posted by magnoliasouth at 11:04 PM on September 6, 2009


Seconding PJ Harvey, Eagles of Death Metal, Afghan Whigs, The Birthday Party/From Her To Eternity-era Nick Cave, Bad Moon Rising and Sister-era Sonic Youth, Lydia Lunch, and throwing in Ike Yard ("Cherish" and "Cherish 8" are phenomenally creepy songs with lyrics like "you're so young/you're so chic/then I touch your head/then we lay"), Section 25, The Stooges, Axxess and Ace-era Songs: Ohia, Ladytron, The Au Pairs, Blondie, Thalia Zedek, The Brian Jonestown Massacre ("Shortwave" is a good example). Maybe MX-80 too...

I don't know if this is too weird, but people sometimes mention the, ahem, possibilities with the right person when you put on a Big Black album. "Precious Thing" comes to mind, which is yeah, messed up.
posted by ifjuly at 10:37 AM on September 7, 2009


The Black Angels are great as well.
posted by jourman2 at 3:55 PM on September 7, 2009


Kings of Leon! Sex on Fire!
posted by kidsleepy at 6:40 PM on September 7, 2009


it's already buried in ifjuly's comment, but I'm going to go ahead and demand that you listen to Songs: Ohia's ridiculously titled Captain Badass, which I don't think it's an exaggeration to call the darkest, sexiest shit in the damn world

with the possible exception of early PJ Harvey
posted by skwt at 2:07 AM on September 8, 2009


some Dandy Warhols stuff.
posted by snofoam at 1:09 PM on September 8, 2009


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