Romance...(and songs to make love to)
Jess: Jesu - Sun Down
This song melts with slight imperfection. That's Jesu in a nutshell. Far from the industrial Godflesh, this Justin Broadrick labor of love maneuvers overdriven sound with organic composition. Distorted guitars and looped reverb dissolve effortlessly. Never mind the altered balance between distortion and delicacy. Contrasting black-and-white imagery molds this mid-paced ballad into a suitable love song. Modern slang 'lick my lollypop' this and 'try my milkshake' that contaminated innuendo for good. Perhaps that's why the few words sung in "Sun Down" speak so much more. Minimalism is not overrated. Broadrick knows this best. Even though he slows things nearly to a halt midway through, there's no doubt he'll carry the Jesu aesthetic to the very last second.
Chris: Slowdive - Machine Gun
I couldn’t bear to not pick Slowdive for this one. When I think making love – not sex necessarily-- they are the first band that pops into mind, mostly for sentimental reasons. Beyond the sentimentality, their album Souvlaki just sounds like how making love is to me. Not hard like a fuck, but slow and dreamy and comforting. Yet, making love is something that also cannot last forever (even if it lasts quite a long time), and that lends a sort of sadness to it. This combination of sadness, dreaminess, and comfort perfectly describes Souvlaki as an album for me, as well as this choice song. The lyrics aren’t really directly about making love, so it’s mostly a choice based on sound. Enjoy!
Bitsy: Pixies- U-Mass
Frank Black’s explosive scream may not exactly set the mood for you, but “U-Mass” will definitely give you some rhythmic inspiration. So many songs came to mind when Jess unveiled this week’s theme—and honestly, sad and sappy were the general feel of most of them. I then took a moment and thought this through— sad, sappy sex? What? That sweet, sweet love should never be so unfortunately described! Fully charged, this track won’t entirely rule out the romance—it just gives you a little something more to work with. The Pixies drop some sexual knowledge in this track that should be valued between every set of sheets.
“Of the April birds and the May bee… oh baby. It’s educational.”
Tyler: Janet Jackson – If (Siik Remix)
janet. was all about trying to be a standalone ‘let’s-get-the-draws’ mixtape, and ‘If’ in its original form is actually not in contention for its best sex jam on the album [that would be this]. It’s a banger and something to strip to, but doesn’t work as well in the bedroom as you’d expect - because lyrically, it is the dirtiest radio-ready song ever. Ever. We’re not arguing. Siik solves all instrumentation shortcomings by bringing the vocals down a little and grooving an instrumental more bump-and-grind than freaknik. It’s the rare short song you could get down to on repeat, especially because this version takes a few listens to get just how dirty the lyrics are.
Quinn: Portishead – Wandering Star
There was no getting around it. I had to choose one and this one was a constant possibility. By ear I can’t determine exactly what the bass is in this song – organ or synthesizer? Whatever it is, it has always been very entrancing to me and has served to make “Wandering Star” one of the most hypnotic things I’ve ever heard. The vibe of this song is something inescapable. I know I already picked a Portishead track for a previous mixtape, but there was no way I could find anything more suitable for this theme. Normally I’d have a lot to say, but for this song, all I can say is listen with headphones and live there for a while.
Well, I avoided actually talking about the theme. I’m just trying to keep the blog family-friendly.
Jason: Miscreant - Naked
Okay, so my obvious choices would have been "Book Of The Month" by Lovage, or 'Easy" by FNM..but I decided to not be quite so predictable. I chose to look back at our Swedish friends in Miscreant.
Miscreant were an overlooked Swedish death metal band who only released one album. Their brand of metal is fairly average, but has some weird moments here and there. "Naked" was chosen for obvious reasons.
Allmusic took a bit of an easy route in concluding My Bloody Valentine's Loveless as concerning "either druggy sex or sexy drugs." Forget the narcotic element-- Kevin Shields did the record on a massive binge of sleep deprivation. Somehow, he came out with what sounds like the aural crystallization of romantic passion. Being in love around the time I was spinning Loveless regularly no doubt had a part in my interpretation, but come on-- that overdriven-as-possible, all-consuming fuzz is absolutely sensual. Shield's vocals have a wonderful sort of androgyny to them; it could be your beloved whispering right next to you. Meanwhile, the low-mixed acoustic guitar grounds everything rhythmically. When I listen to "Sometimes," I just want to melt into the arms of that special someone as the haze of warm, comforting distortion fills the room.
Hasan: Jesu - Brighteyes
There's nothing more powerful than the feeling you get when you gaze into your lover's eyes. To me, this song perfectly presents that extraordinary feeling of love, hope, and promise. The eyes say it all and just as they can leave you feeling hopeful, they can also leave you feeling doubtful-- the heavy-natured melody and soft spoken lyrics of this Justin Broadrick tune present the listener with a feeling of both. Still, don't just take the negative vibes you get with the song. I find the song to be more positive and uplifting. The layered guitars and effects create a beautiful soundscape that's balanced by Broadrick's shoegaze style vocals, you can't help but have an inner feeling of peace and happiness as the chorus "those eyes" echos through. The atmosphere and warm feeling presented by this song will not only make you appreciate the company and touch of your lover, but also the powerful nature of their glare. So, be sure to put this on a playlist or mix for that significant other.
Adam: Flipper - Sex Bomb
What a perfect week for my return! I could have easily picked some sexy-ass shoegaze like MBV or Slowdive (they work well...especially on one's lonesome), but I decided to go for what I think is the ultimate sxxxy muzik song. Flipper's definitive moment is also one grade-A aphrodisiac. With lyrics like "Sex bomb baby yeah!" and "She's a sex bomb, my baby yeah!," "Sex Bomb" acts as the ultimate, gender-neutral panty-peeler. This song is everything sex should be: swampy, spastic, saxophone-equipped, flat-out retarded, and, if you can last that long (SHUT UP), just under eight minutes. Get your tips wet.
Aesop: When I was first told of the subject of this week's post, I immediately thought of so many great songs about sex (Sweet and 2 Live Crew come to mind,) but none of these songs about sex actually seemed very sexy. Nothing is more sexy to me than a coy glance or a whispered suggestion, subtlety is sexy. So with that in mind, I chose Fovea Hex's "Allure." With its slow, sleepy, bedroom drone, and its images of clothes being removed, tongues of flame, and kneeling before an object of desire, "Allure" is a right sexy tune. It's a song about a booty call, a very classy and romantic one, but a booty call nonetheless.
Download the Romance mixtape HERE.
