Seven Music Duos With Intense Sexual Chemistry

The boy-girl indie rock groups we’re most likely to imagine naked.

By Jessica Gentile

1. Matt & Kim

Status: Unclear
Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have so much bouncy energy it's hard to believe they're not expending it on each other every night — or perhaps they are, or maybe they're just too tired after performing their hyper-kinetic live shows. They dated in college and then formed a band, but as for now their relationship status remains ambiguous. As as far as platonic (or not) pals go, they're definitely comfortable seeing each other naked, considering they stripped their way through the streets of Times Square in their video for "Lessons Learned."

2. Jenny and Johnny

Status: Sleeping together
Their debut album released earlier this year is called I'm Having Fun Now, and we bet they are. Because let's face it, if you were in a band with Jenny Lewis, you'd be sleeping with her too. (We did vote her the nineteenth sexiest frontwomen in rock after all). Unfortunately for us, Johnathan Rice is the only guy who gets that honor.  But at least we get some twangy folk songs out of their relationship. As far as consolation prizes go, that's not so bad.

3. Mates of State

Status: Married with kids
Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel have been married for nearly a decade and still emanate the sunny optimism of newlyweds. These two are almost as painfully adorable as their music — a hyper cavalcade of synth-pop (pretty much the sonic equivalent of kittens sliding down rainbows). To add to the tweeness, she's even been known to perform while eight months pregnant, no easy feat when you're pounding the keyboards and belting your heart out to a crowd of sweaty (likely single) indie kids. 

4. Beach House

Status: Just friends
Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally are more likely to put each other to sleep rather than you know, actually sleep together. Not that's necessarily a bad thing. It's just that their music is so ethereal and atmospheric, with organ drones and shrouded reverb, that it can almost lull you into unconsciousness. Luckily, Victoria's haunting, Nico-like vocals keep us awake and wanting to hear more from this charmingly spacy duo.

5. Sleigh Bells

Status: Just Friends
As Sleigh Bells, Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss make music that's almost as explosive as their chemistry.  On their debut album Treats, he crafts abrasive beats with amped-up distortion while she playfully coos cheerleader chants and sweet-nothings in her ultra-girly voice. Together they create an aural assault that's about as surprising and seductive as finding out the bookish girl two cubicles down is really into S&M. Yet while they may excel at making boning music, amazingly, they're not boning each other.  We find that hard to believe, especially given how hot Alexis looks wielding a baseball bat in a schoolgirl outfit.

6. She & Him

Status: Married (but not to each other)
More than enough has been written about indie dreamboat Zooey Deschanel's classic come-hither good looks, but she's also a pretty good singer-songwriter. Luckily, guitarist/producer M. Ward brings more than his share of musical talent to the equation. The pair might sing some love-lorn duets (take their cover of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" for instance) but these two are keeping it on a strictly professional level. Zooey's taken after all, married to the equally endearing (or annoying, depending on who you ask) indie dreamboat, Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. 

7. Phantogram

Status: Just Friends
Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter have been friends — and only friends — since high school, or so they claim. Regardless of their relationship status, one thing's for certain — their creative partnership has lead to some of the freakiest trip-hop we've heard in a while. (Yes, trip-hop still exists.) The band, which released its first album this year, manages to combine electronic beats with eerie psych-rock reverb in a strangely refreshing way. Let's hope they stay friends, or whatever, for a lot longer.