Rock that breathes

April 16, 2022 1:49 PM

I'm looking for songs that rock hard, but are also unhurried. Examples: Ball and Biscuit by the White Stripes, Naked and Famous by Presidents of the United States of America, and Tomorrow by Silverchair.

Basically they have parts that are distorted and rock hard, but the songs are in no rush to get there.

Example of what I'm not looking for: Smells Like Teen Spirit - loud & soft is not enough, this is too uptempo to breathe. Plush (unplugged version) also doesn't fit - it takes its time but never rocks hard (the album version of Plush mostly fits the bill, though it's not quite as relaxed as the examples above the fold.)

Stairway to Heaven is kinda the right idea, but I'm less interested in songs that build to a climax, I prefer the distorted parts to be constant (like Plush) or to happen repeatedly (like Ball and Biscuit or Tomorrow).

posted by Tehhund to Grab Bag (29 answers total)

Do you know G. Love and Special Sauce? They nail that laid back blues rock, try Garbage Man, which shows off the Houseman's unhurried hard rocking back beat style.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:02 PM on April 16, 2022

Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin
Instrument - Fugazi
Randy Described Eternity - Built to Spill
Mean Mistreater - Grand Funk Railroad
Electrolux - Hoover
Washer - Slint
Soma - Smashing Pumpkins
4th of July - Soundgarden
Lizzy - Melvins
posted by saladin at 2:07 PM on April 16, 2022

A lot of Chuck E. Weiss might count, if I understand the question. The hard parts and soft parts aren't always on the same tracks, but are on the same albums.
posted by eotvos at 2:07 PM on April 16, 2022

Oh nuts, I forgot Spacewoman by The Breeders, absolute slow power jam
posted by saladin at 2:14 PM on April 16, 2022

Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull. However, the whole thing is 43 minutes long. But you could listen to the beginning and see what you think.

I think there are a number of Jethro Tull songs that might fit this description. Skating Away, Two Fingers, and Aqualung also come to mind.
posted by FencingGal at 2:31 PM on April 16, 2022

I feel this way about Dr. Dog
posted by bleep at 2:53 PM on April 16, 2022

I feel like Garbage might hit some of those notes for you: Queer; Shut Your Mouth; or maybe Bleed Like Me.
posted by hydra77 at 3:08 PM on April 16, 2022

Low, "Just Stand Back" (maybe, anything by Low)
Film School, "He's a Deep, Deep Lake"
and as for the Zep, not their heavenly stairway - I think what you're really after is Kashmir.

(Sorry I couldn't locate video for the first two but those search parameters are just too common)
posted by Rash at 3:17 PM on April 16, 2022

Mahgeetah by My Morning Jacket is the first thing that comes to mind.
posted by HillbillyInBC at 3:28 PM on April 16, 2022

Ooh thought of some more:

Of a Lifetime - Journey
Starless - King Crimson
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys - Traffic
posted by saladin at 3:36 PM on April 16, 2022

So much of Rilo Kiley is like this! The album More Adventurous is a great place to start.
posted by lunasol at 3:43 PM on April 16, 2022

Foreplay/Long Time by Boston
posted by perhapses at 3:49 PM on April 16, 2022

Oh you want The Widow by the Mars Volta!
posted by tatiana wishbone at 4:26 PM on April 16, 2022

Scout Niblett - Nevada
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 4:40 PM on April 16, 2022

Get A Life by Built to Spill (and really almost anything of theirs)

All World Cowboy Romance by Mission of Burma

The whole album The Decline of British Sea Power

Dry the Rain by the Beta Band
posted by Ardnamurchan at 6:02 PM on April 16, 2022

"Happy" by the Wrens and a lot of other stuff off of their album Meadowlands

Timorous Me by Ted Leo.
posted by entropone at 6:13 PM on April 16, 2022

The John Spencer Blues Explosion! has lots of tunes that might fit the bill:
Blues X Man
Dissect
Get Your Pants Off

Big Sugar takes Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy," keeps the laid-back tempo, but makes it extra-loud and distorted (album version, live version).
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:35 PM on April 16, 2022

Farewell Transmission by Ohia
posted by brachiopod at 7:01 PM on April 16, 2022

You might like some of Frank Black and the Catholics albums. The first two are faster and more distorted, Dog in the Sand and later are more bluesy/acoustic/pedal steel and relaxed tempo.
posted by credulous at 7:11 PM on April 16, 2022

Nobody's Fault But Mine Zep

Consumption ZZ Top
posted by effluvia at 7:12 PM on April 16, 2022

Stuck by Oceanator (and a number of other tracks from her latest albums)
posted by mumkin at 8:03 PM on April 16, 2022

Rock On, AC/DC
posted by at at 9:01 PM on April 16, 2022

I came here to say 4th July by Soundgarden, mentioned above. Pretty Noose is also a good example of this. I would advise listening to a lot of Soundgarden.
posted by mani at 12:14 AM on April 17, 2022

Alice In Chains’s “Grind”
posted by johngoren at 2:07 AM on April 17, 2022

Hard Sun Eddie Vedder
posted by Thella at 2:45 AM on April 17, 2022

good morning captain, slint
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:23 AM on April 17, 2022

Oops, Ride On, AC/DC
posted by at at 10:29 AM on April 17, 2022

Your White Stripes example brings to mind Link Wray's Fire and Brimstone
posted by brachiopod at 11:13 AM on April 19, 2022

Thanks all! I’m working my way through these suggestions. Some of them made me think of other songs that fit the bill (or kinda fit), so in case anyone else is reading here are my other suggestions:

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Paris
Velvet Underground - Heroin (okay, only kinda fits)
Green Day - Longview
Green Day - Brain Stew
Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler
The Tragically Hip - Chagrin Falls
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
Alice in Chains - Man in the Box
Alice in Chains - Rooster
Presidents of the United States of America - Candy
posted by Tehhund at 7:57 AM on April 20, 2022