How does it feel? Eh, a little too obvious is how.
April 8, 2013 12:11 PM   Subscribe

Help us build our goth-prom-party playlist!

We’re having a mashup party—gothic meets 80s meets prom. We’ve got streamers, balloons, a disco ball, and a spiked punch bowl covered. We’ve also got a running play list, but are worried it’s not long enough. We’d ideally like 4 hours of music (9:00 pm – 1:00 am), but are stuck around 3 hours. Here’s the playlist in question: Black Prom

Tracks that work:

+ Kanye - Monster
+ The Faint – Worked Up So Sexual
+ Massive Attack – Teardrop
+ Beyonce – Sweet Dreams
+ Lady Gaga - Marry the Night

These tracks are dark and danceable. Some of them would be heard at traditional prom and some would not. We’re basically looking for dark and danceable, or dark and poppy. Dirty bass, crunchy guitars, synths, and driving beats are all good.

Tracks that do not work:

+ Overly obvious choices like The Cure – Friday I’m in Love or New Order - Blue Monday
+ Overly aggressive bands like Marilyn Manson or Nine Inch Nails

I’ve already looked through these threads, and some of them are helpful, but also not quite the vibe we’re after:

Too Halloweeny.
Too much goth and not enough dance (but has some good suggestions).

Anyway, this might be the longest post for a music request, but any suggestions would be really appreciated!
posted by too bad you're not me to Media & Arts (32 answers total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
Nemesis - Shriekback
I eat cannibals - Toto Coelho
Anything by the Creatures, especially Fury Eyes and You!
This Town - Go-Go's
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & Blackhearts
New Toy - Lene Lovich
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
Pain - Oingo Boingo
Make a Circuit with Me - Polecats
Ballroom Blitz - Sweet
Blue Spark - X

I grew up right here ^
posted by Sophie1 at 12:18 PM on April 8, 2013 [4 favorites]


"Roll Call," Peter Murphy (either version on the Deep album, although the reprise has a bit heavier beat)
"Kiss Them for Me," Siouxsie and the Banshees
"The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove," Dead Can Dance
posted by dlugoczaj at 12:19 PM on April 8, 2013


Best answer: MIA - xxxo (from what i recall, the Jay-Z remix is dancier)
Tori Amos - Raspberry Swirl
Ciccone Youth - Get into the Groove
posted by oceanview at 12:24 PM on April 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh you need some Depeche Mode in there. I would go with Master and Servant. The Slavery Whip remix runs 9 minutes if you want to kill a lot of time.
posted by drlith at 12:24 PM on April 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


Ooh - also

White Girl - X
Where Do all My Friends Go - Oingo Boingo
Popmusik - M
Europa and the Pirate Twins - Thomas Dolby
She's so Selfish - The Knack
posted by Sophie1 at 12:26 PM on April 8, 2013


Would Lords of Acid and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult be too obvious, too aggressive, or both?
posted by box at 12:28 PM on April 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: The Gothic Archies - The Abandoned Castle of My Soul. The Gothic Archies is pop genius Stephin Merritt's side project with pretty much same idea, 'gothic bubblegum pop'. The chorus fits to theme. 'I was only seventeen when I lost control...'
posted by Free word order! at 12:30 PM on April 8, 2013


There's a club night in Philly once a year that throws this party, and they post the playlist online.
posted by overhauser at 12:31 PM on April 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


Possibly too obvious? But:

The Gossip - Heavy Cross
Ke$ha - Cannibal

You also may want to look into Natalia Kills. She does a kind of dark-poppy Gaga lite thing but you can probably find something there.
posted by SoftRain at 12:54 PM on April 8, 2013


Austra--Beat and the Pulse

In addition to Kiss Them for Me (which has good dance remixes), Fear (remix) and Peekaboo are clublike Siouxsie and the Banshees tracks.

Ladyhawke--Quick and the Dead, maybe?
posted by crush-onastick at 1:00 PM on April 8, 2013


I have no idea if Kick in the Eye by Bauhaus will count as either overly obvious or overly aggressive, but it's classic danceable goth.
posted by scody at 1:01 PM on April 8, 2013


Here are a couple that are funny, for some comic relief.

Bikini Wax or Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage-Killer Pussy

The Homecoming Queen has a Gun-Julie Brown

Nelly the Elephant-Toy Dolls

Here is some Punky stuff, it's pretty damn good and people who know will approve of you.

There's Warm Leatherette, either the orignial version (my fav) by The Normal or the Grace Jones Version.

Sit on My Face Stevie Nicks by The Rotters

Eve of Destruction by The Dickies

Alone Again, Or-The Damned

A more modern one is:

Let's have a Kiki-Scissor Sisters

Now I'm going to go to Hot Topic, buy a dress and crash your Prom!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:02 PM on April 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh man, you gotta have some Siouxie in there. Not even Cities in Dust?
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:18 PM on April 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'd throw in some Cruxshadows and Sisters of Mercy there, along with some Smiths.
posted by skittlekicks at 1:20 PM on April 8, 2013


Teenage Enema Nurses in BONDAGE!!!

Had forgotten about that one!
posted by Sophie1 at 1:29 PM on April 8, 2013


Oh, Dark Drive Clinic, Collide's cover of Son of a Preacher Man and Kidney Thieves' Before I'm Dead.

Zombie's cover of I'm Your Boogie Man.
posted by crush-onastick at 1:31 PM on April 8, 2013


LIGHTS - Siberia probably fits in with what you're going for.

"Too obvious" is a hard criteria not to match so sorry if you've already considered these - what about goth covers of 80s songs? These are pretty good:
Genitorturers - Touch Myself
Ofra Haza - Open Your Heart (Die Krupps Remix)

You can't go wrong with Sex Dwarf.

Too techno-y? Sinead O'Connor - Troy (Pulsedriver Remix)

Keep in mind this is a mixed playlist so you can slip in some songs that might be on the fringe of what you're looking for and it should still work as a whole.
posted by reptile at 2:16 PM on April 8, 2013


VNV Nation's Empires is what comes up in my brain for goth+dance.
posted by nat at 2:51 PM on April 8, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks for all the awesome suggestions so far.

I will be listening more in depth and marking my favorites later this evening, but so far I really like the XXXO remix and some of the remixed covers. I also dug The Gothic Archies song--love Stephen Merritt!

A bit of feedback, in case it's helpful: Sex Dwarf and Let's Have a Kiki are a bit too theatrical for my taste. I also love Joan Jett and some of the other punk suggestions, but I don't think they quite fit the mood.

Again, thanks so far...keep 'em coming! :)
posted by too bad you're not me at 3:00 PM on April 8, 2013




Best answer: A Plus D, the duo behind the Bootie Mashup club parties in SF and LA, put out a lot of unique awesomeness, though it's a little hit and miss.
posted by smoq at 5:47 PM on April 8, 2013


GAH! The Motels! Suddenly Last Summer, Only the Lonley, or one of my favorites, Take the L out of Lover and it's OVER!

THE MOTELS!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:49 PM on April 8, 2013


This compilation is fun for that sort of thing (I've stolen that track list for many a party playlist). Lots of "classics" there.
posted by erst at 6:21 PM on April 8, 2013


Seriously, no Sisters of Mercy?

Anything from Floodland really. This Corrosion. Lucretia My Reflection.
posted by elendil71 at 6:26 PM on April 8, 2013 [2 favorites]




Best answer: Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
Bowie "Let's Dance"
(is Rihanna too obvious?)
I feel like Garbage would kind of fit here
Everything But the Girl - Missing (the remix)
Jessica 6 - Fun Girl
If I had to go to a prom it would be nice if they played Pulp - Common People
posted by citron at 8:33 PM on April 8, 2013


La Roux - Quicksand
La Roux - In for the Kill
posted by oceanview at 9:13 PM on April 8, 2013


She Wants Revenge has a video about this exact thing, and the song has been played at many a goth club event that I have attended. I'm feeling The Kills for your purposes too.
posted by koucha at 7:00 AM on April 9, 2013


Let's Dance to Joy Division by the Wombats.
posted by Shoggoth at 7:02 AM on April 9, 2013


Teenage Enema Nurses in BONDAGE!!!

Had forgotten about that one


Yeah, I knew Lucy La Mode through one of my best friends. She was a window dresser in a department store in Phoenix. I attended a Dada wedding of one of my friends and a guy called Frank Discussion at the mall where Lucy worked, right by the See's Candy.

I had an original disk, but I sold it to a guy in Germany for $40 on eBay, because I can download it.

So...yeah, it was an interesting time to be young.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:29 AM on April 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Oh, I forgot The Knife
Silent Shout, "Girls Night Out"

The Rapture How Deep Is Your Love, Sister Savior

Old Eurythmics is great - "Never Gonna Cry Again" and Take Me To Your Heart off In the Garden (the second one especially is one of my favorite tracks)

Caribou - Odessa
posted by citron at 3:41 PM on April 9, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks, dudes and dudettes! Lots of good suggestions here! I've marked my favs and will consider this question resolved.
posted by too bad you're not me at 4:35 PM on April 9, 2013


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