Erotic, moody song selections
June 11, 2012 11:00 AM   Subscribe

I'm looking for songs with an ambient, erotic vibe. I'm digging Norah Jones new song "Little Broken Hearts," and have it filed with Sade's "No Ordinary Love," and Genesis' "Mama" in this category, but am looking for more suggestions for a full playlist.

More Portishead, less Marvin Gaye. Stuff with a Daniel Lanois vibe, even soundtracks such as "Last Temptation of Christ" fit...
posted by Unsomnambulist to Media & Arts (31 answers total) 36 users marked this as a favorite
 
Lovage?
posted by Stagger Lee at 11:04 AM on June 11, 2012


Emmylou Harris's "I Don't Want To Talk About It Now" (the album version is closer to what you're asking for, but this live performance may give you a taste for the song).
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:07 AM on June 11, 2012




Wild Beasts, moreso the second and third albums.
posted by elsietheeel at 11:12 AM on June 11, 2012


Best answer: Mazzy Star's Rhymes of an Hour
This Mortal Coil's Song to the Siren
Yo La Tengo's Nowhere Near
Morphine's I'm Yours You're Mine
My Bloody Valentine Sometimes
posted by scarykarrey at 11:14 AM on June 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Peter Murphy, Socrates the Python (lyrics aren't erotic, but the mood is)
posted by scody at 11:15 AM on June 11, 2012


Electric Relaxation, A Tribe Called Quest

I Want You, Erykah Badu
posted by lotus-eater at 11:16 AM on June 11, 2012


Look into Lovespirals, especially the Long Way from Home and Future Past albums.
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:18 AM on June 11, 2012


When Last I Was a Fisherman, by Jane Siberry, off the album Tree.
posted by drlith at 11:23 AM on June 11, 2012


Best answer: air and hope sandoval - cherry blossom girl
morcheeba - howling, moog island
mazzy star - into dust
bjork - possibly maybe
tori amos - iieee
posted by nadawi at 12:04 PM on June 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Arto Lindsay - Mundo Civilizado
posted by hydrophonic at 12:20 PM on June 11, 2012


I have recently become partial to a brand of music called "chillwave," which is very ambient, very moody, and -- depending on the artist -- very sexy.

Check out a band called Washed Out. They (or he, rather, since it is technically only one guy but he does have other musicians who play with him) have one studio album called Within and Without. I can listen to it straight through without skipping a single song. Here is the Amazon page for the album where you can listen to the song samples. Some of my favorites are Amor Fati and Far Away. The whole album puts me in mind of walking along a beach on a cloudy night.

I realize the above music may fall out of the range of music that you're looking for for this specific playlist. I have a playlist very similar in concept to what you are creating, and I tend to like the more New Wave-y/electronic type of music. Not sure if this will help at all, but I'll list some of my favorite songs that I have in that playlist.

The Cars - You Wear Those Eyes
Arcadia - Keep Me In The Dark
Depeche Mode - The Things You Said

Those are three of my faves that I hope fit your profile!
posted by paperclip2000 at 12:35 PM on June 11, 2012


Melissa Ferrick - Drive
posted by Mchelly at 12:45 PM on June 11, 2012


Goldfrapp, "Time Out From the World".

Samatha James, "Waves of Change".
posted by JDC8 at 1:00 PM on June 11, 2012


Martina Topley-Bird. There's an amazing, perfect, very sexy mix of Soul Food on the Oliver Peoples 4 compilation CD (audio sample is at the bottom; unfortunately I can't find any way to stream the whole song online online - the youtube versions that claim to be this mix are not the same one). A couple of (slightly less but still) good ones that you can find online: Anything and Sandpaper Kisses. Also worth checking out Maxinquaye (Pumpkin, for example -- it's Tricky's album, but she did all the vocals).

Lamb - Gorecki

Definitely check out the Big Sonic Heaven playlists. BSH was a long-running radio show that played late-night Sundays in Detroit in the 90s, and it is a treasure trove of songs like this.

If you don't absolutely need electronic flavor, Cowboy Junkie and Mazzy Star (ie, Fade Into You) will work very well.
posted by ourobouros at 1:05 PM on June 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Enigma - Sadeness part I
posted by cali59 at 1:19 PM on June 11, 2012


Heaven's Earth by Delerium was the first song I ever heard that really struck me as sexy. I first heard it some 15 years ago, and it still gives me chills. Reminds me of my husband too, which doesn't hurt~
posted by ashirys at 1:28 PM on June 11, 2012


I think this is pretty sexy:

Renegade Soundwave - "Renegade Soundwave (Leftfield Remix)
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 1:51 PM on June 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Rickie Lee Jones' entire Ghostyhead album.
posted by timsteil at 4:35 PM on June 11, 2012


I came in here to recommend Martina Topley-Bird as well. It should be noted that her album Blue God was produced by Danger Mouse, who also produced this Norah Jones album. A lot of it has a very similar vibe.

Some songs from Blue God:
Pheonix
Valentine

Check out Esthero, too:
Swallow Me
My Torture
Song for Holly
posted by wondermouse at 7:06 PM on June 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Portishead - Glory Box
And pretty much anything that has Beth Gibbons singing in it.
posted by ZaneJ. at 7:37 PM on June 11, 2012


Oh you said Portishead.

/need to remember to read the full posts...
posted by ZaneJ. at 7:39 PM on June 11, 2012


Elysian Fields - Black Acres
posted by Yma at 8:43 PM on June 11, 2012


Golden Palominos. Specifically, the albums This is How it Feels and Pure.
posted by klangklangston at 10:53 PM on June 11, 2012


The Twin Peaks soundtrack.
posted by SisterHavana at 11:06 PM on June 11, 2012


Natacha Atlas's cover of I Put a Spell on You
posted by awenner at 5:50 AM on June 12, 2012


Feist - Honey Honey
posted by sigmagalator at 8:42 PM on June 12, 2012


Bat for Lashes: Sleep Alone
posted by hollyanderbody at 6:05 PM on June 14, 2012


Anything from Massive Attack's Mezzanine album, but especially this one
posted by hollyanderbody at 6:37 PM on June 14, 2012


More Massive Attack
Blue Bell Knoll by Cocteau Twins
posted by hollyanderbody at 7:08 PM on June 14, 2012


Semi-locals Jesse Skyes and the Sweet Hereafter may have what you're after. I was hanging out with Jesse a couple of years ago and asked her when she was going to make The Great American Make-out Record. She looked at me like I was nuts, but I find her tunes kind make me feel...y'know.
posted by black8 at 5:31 PM on July 1, 2012


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