New York DJ

Some Great Covers by Indie Pop & Rock Artists to Enliven Your Event

Though indie pop and rock artists tend to have a more offbeat sound than those who dominate the mainstream pop and rock charts, one aspect of recording indie musicians have in common with even the most bland bar bands out there is having at least a couple of cover songs they like to perform. However, if an indie band or singer is at all worth its weight in quirkiness, they better well bring a memorable take on the classic (or, sometimes, more obscure) tunes they choose to play.

This iTunes mix of cover songs by indie pop artists (also included are a few bands that were called “alternative” not so long ago) contains unexpected but yet fun and accessible takes on a wide range of mostly well-known songs that can do a lot to enliven many kinds of events. These covers will hopefully leaving you remembering them when you come across the original the next time – which is perhaps the best sign of a great cover.

This mix includes indie bands and singers not only performing a diverse selection of song genres, but also doing covers that are performed in a large variety of musical styles. As far as genres, there’s jazz standards (Over the Rhine’s crisp, smoky take on “My Funny Valentine”), bluesy soul (Feist speeding up Nina Simone's famous version of the song "See Line Woman" and changing the title to "Sea Lion Woman"), ‘80s pop favorites (“In Your Eyes” is given a strikingly pretty stripped-down treatment by Matt Ketteman and Cameron Mizell), innocent girl-group '60s pop made a bit badass (The Raveonettes’ sweet yet more raw version of “My Boyfriend's Back”), and even well-known indie songs from several years ago (“Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service is done by Iron & Wine in its usual hushed, acoustic folk style).

As far as musical styles, the artists here are all over the place - here, a good thing - in their approach to interpreting their cover songs. There’s some once-popular but now-forgotten songs that are pleasantly resurrected (“Holiday Road” from the ‘80s film National Lampoon’s Vacation, made shimmering and pretty and completely "de-cornified" by Matt Pond PA), electronic pop re-imagined with gentle acoustic treatments (“Take On Me” as done by A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers), classic rock performed with a danceable electro beat (Scissor Sisters’ version of “Comfortably Numb”), ‘80s hard rock given a sleek electro-samba feel (Sixth Finger’s take on Guns ‘n’ Roses’ “Patience”), and dancier tunes downshifted into unlikely but lovely ethereal dreaminess (David Bowie’s “Modern Love” as done by The Last Town Chorus).

The great thing about well-done cover songs – whether by indie artists or others – is that they can be played at so many kinds of events, and they can be played at almost any time during events which have different components that call for different energy, such as fashion shows, corporate parties and weddings. We’ve found in our years of experience DJ-ing throughout the city and the metropolitan area that covers are great to play because they offer both the familiar and the unfamiliar at the same time – your guests get something new and fresh, but built on a tune to which they know the beat or lyrics. Hearing a well-chosen cover song done in a fun style adds a playful touch to background-music atmosphere that can boost the energy of guest arrivals, cocktail hours and dinners without being too overpowering, or calling too much attention away from the conversation. And some of the songs in this mix can even be placed into a dancing set to add a rather un-risky fresh surprise into a group of songs of an appropriate genre or style of music your guests are dancing to at the time. As for smaller events like dinner parties or barbecues, playing a few of these songs here and there is almost sure to kick-start a few conversations, or even turn your guests onto new indie bands.

The first half of the mix contains mostly bouncy acoustic songs that would work well when guests are just getting to your event or having some cocktails, as well as faster songs that have a more electronic feel and can be used for dancing. The last half of the mix features more sentimental and/or quieter music, appropriate for dinner or smaller, more intimate gatherings.

Many of you might be fans of the indie bands on this mix, but you might not have heard these covers, simply because many times covers are left off of albums in favor of original songs, or because the covers were recorded for tribute compilations or were featured on movie soundtracks. Hopefully you’ll find some songs here you didn’t know existed from bands you like, and also be able to use some of those songs for events you’re planning, or for events for which you want to contribute to the music playlist.

Listen to the mix here.

Spinnin’ Country Music in the Big City – And Some Vintage Country Tunes to Make Any Event More Festive (and Perhaps Even a Little Badass)

Of all the music genres that come up at meetings with clients, country is the one that people we meet with are most scared of including at their event. Often it’s not because they hate it, but because they like it – some a little, some a lot – but are afraid to admit it. We’ve found that most people don’t lead with their affinity for anything country because they don’t have much confidence that it could be added to an event’s playlist in a way that won’t “kill” the party. They think that as soon as a country song is played, the guests are going to rush from the dancefloor, fearing the MC will begin an annoyingly enthusiastic announcement on how to do square dance moves as he puts on a red gingham western shirt and a cheap plastic cowboy hat.

It's understandable. Most people who only know a little about country fear that obnoxious, campy, Hee-Haw image and the corny country sound that they associate with it, one of blistering banjoes and hillbilly drawls. But from DJ-ing events for many years, we're familiar with country both old and new and know that there's plenty of great country tunes out there - especially vintage ones (some you've likely never heard, some you've likely forgotten you liked) - that have nothing corny about their sound at all. Instead, the much more understated twang of these country songs can add a charm and some can even add an edgy, badass feel to celebrations.

While it is true that in and around New York City country isn’t the most popular type of music requested or played, most clients we work with usually have a few country artists they want to hear. These tend to be vintage country artists whose songs and reputations have aged well, like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, or artists that have some “indie cred” or have veered into pop music, like Lyle Lovett or Ryan Adams. But often, too, we get the request for full-on, pure country – from the intimate, unpolished heartache of Patsy Cline, to the big, slick sing-a-long anthems of Alan Jackson.

Just because clients around our metropolitan area tend to be selective about their taste in country music, however, doesn’t mean it has to be quarantined to a single song played at a slightly lesser volume at a time in an event when a particular song choice is less noticeable, like a cocktail hour or dinner. At most events, a few country requests both old or new can be played at any time – even during the prime dancing time of the event.

But with country music, at least here in New York City, consider your guests a bit if you’d like to hear more than a few songs here and there. If you’re thinking you’d like a lot of country at your event and you’re not sure if your guests are also country fans (and country isn’t an overt event theme), it likely will exclude more guests than other more generally universal genres of music such as Top 40, indie pop/rock, hip-hop, Motown, or soul. So, just make sure to think about your guests' tastes, and, if you have and you’re still not sure, do a little field research and ask them if they’d enjoy it. You might find more country fans that are coming to your event than you thought.

If, like many clients we work with, you want only a few country songs of varying intensity played throughout the night (say, a few sentimental, and a few that are more danceable), you should not be shy to insist these be on your playlist. They key here is, unlike with types of music that are more universal in the city and the surrounding area, make sure to ask the DJ if he or she is comfortable DJ-ing country. Ask the DJ if they know it well, and if they know a certain country music era more than another. Some DJs know newer, very popular country “party” songs, but know little of vintage country tunes that can also get a crowd movin.'

If you have a DJ who does know country, he or she will know what other country songs (or, sometimes a bluegrass song, an alt-country song, a southern rock tune, or even a pop song with a country influence) to put around it in the moment they're playing it so that you and your crowd will be pleased and the song(s) won't sound out of place. If your DJ doesn’t know country as well as you do (and if you know how your guests will react to certain songs), you may have to do a little coaching, such as dictating what songs on your list you want played approximately when. For example, you might explain that certain country “flashback” songs from the '70s work great for dancing toward the end of the night, when people have had some drinks and have loosened up, but these won't go over that well at the start of prime-time dancing - at least around these here parts.

Another thing that prevents clients we've met with from including country in their events is they simply don't know enough of it that they like beyond a few songs. So, to help introduce you to some accessible, fun, and often simply just cool and badass country music, I've made an iMix of 30 songs of vintage country tunes that contains a wide variety of artists and moods from the genre, from roughly 1950 to 1980. (A post about, and a list of, newer country songs will be coming soon.)

I’ve tried to exclude songs you already probably know would go over well for guests, like many hits of Johnny Cash (“Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line”) and Hank Williams (“Hey, Good Lookin’”), Tammy Wynette (“Stand By Your Man”) as well as some later hits that are often played at events, like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band. But some of the aforementioned artists’ lesser-known songs are included in the mix, such as Cash’s rockabilly-tinged “Get Rhythm,” the ramshackle swing of Williams’ “Move It On Over” (which would be covered more aggressively later by George Thorogood), and Wynette’s equally sly, sweet and sexy “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” the chorus of which I hope will pleasantly stick in you head and make you wonder with me why it’s not a more of a first-tier country classic. But there's also some songs are from artists you may not be very familiar with, like Faron Young or Buck Owens, but don't let that scare you. These lesser-known songs have been carefully picked because I think they'll be very instantly likeable to even non-country fans - most of these tight retro tunes have a rockabilly or pop influence, and will grab you right away since they have fun lyrics, catchy melodies, and infectious rhythms.

Now, anyone who is even remotely familiar with country knows that it has a long and proud history of capturing, among many other things, lovin' gone bad, cheatin' hearts, the truck drivin' life, lamenting crappy jobs, and the solace found in drinkin' until your tears drop into your beer. In this mix, though, I’ve tried to keep those subjects - that, not suprisingly, result in largely downbeat songs - to a minimum. This mix showcases country songs of a variety of upbeat moods - whether it be swingin,' rockin,' tender, whimsical, jubilant, and some that blend some of these moods together.

That said, it's hard to put together a list of country songs and not include any songs about break-ups, infidelity, 18-wheelers, ungrateful bosses, and beer, so these subjects do make their appearance here and there – but with a tempo that will make you tap your toes or dance. Rest assured, though: In this mix, there are no ballads about the loss of a beloved pet dog, loving one’s truck more than a woman, or, most fortunately, ballads about the loss of a beloved truck.

Finally, I've included, especially toward the bottom of the mix, some vintage country songs from the early to mid '70s that we've found work great for dancing during the end of events, often at ones even where country music isn't featured much. Keep in mind, though, that the end of an event is the time when you have had a few (or more) drinks, have been bonding with friends or family or both for several hours, and it’s often the late evening. All this tends to take away the desire to act cool and aloof, and instead makes it easier for some guests to get in touch with their childhood love for Smokey and the Bandit when they hear a certain theme song about heading eastbound, or to display their inner hoe-downer when the fiddles of a famous bespectacled singer from Colorado kick in and he starts expressing his gratefulness to the Lord that he's a rural youth. 

Overall, hopefully this mix will introduce you to - and maybe re-introduce you to - some excellent, very likable vintage country songs that will add just the right dash of sexy drawl, festive twang, and outlaw attitude to your event.

Listen to the mix here.

How to Have a Summer Corporate Party On a Smaller Budget – And Still Keep the DJ

When company budgets are tight, some of the first things to get the axe tend to be employee parties. The most popular corporate gatherings are usually end-of-the-year holiday events, but many companies – especially in New York City – also like to have a summer cocktail party for their staff. These events will often be held outdoors or at rooftop bars throughout the city, and they’re a great chance to say goodbye to the summer interns and/or give regular employees a chance to let loose a bit and refresh themselves after being cooped up in the office all winter.

But even if a company that’s really watching its bottom line comes up with finances to fund a summer party, it likely will be dramatically scaled back, and the music will probably be provided by some too-eager employee willing to put together a whole event-long playlist on their iPod. We all know this usually doesn’t work out. Come on – Mark in the mailroom doesn’t have good taste in music; he has one taste in music. You hear the constant “uhssh-uhssh” beat of his trance techno coming way too loudly from his huge headphones every time he passes you. And worse would be Bill from accounting making the playlist – do you think three solid hours of Phil Collins, Genesis, and Mike and the Mechanics would be in any way fun?

Because of our years DJ-ing corporate parties of all kinds, we know that music is especially important here. Okay, actually, the alcohol is probably just as important. But I’m sure you know a lot of people at your office who would agree that great music from beginning to end is the key to livening things up and loosening things up at an event where much of the crowd is only used to relating to each other through work, and therefore might be a little stiff and hesitant to act a bit silly, or to show a non-work side of themselves.

So whether you’re a boss who wants to have a summer party for your employees but also wants to still have a DJ, or if you know your boss really wants to have a summer party but you’re worried the music won’t be a primary consideration, here’s a few ideas that you can use some or even all of to try to cut some other costs so you can afford to have excellent music that stands a much higher chance of bringing everyone together – and maybe even bringing Rebecca out of her shell a little bit, or getting Brad to sing “The Lady in Red” like he always says he would if he ever had a mic and had a few moments to prepare.

Okay, here's the ideas:

Get a Cheaper Venue – Having the summer party at the rooftop bar on the top of a trendy hotel in Tribeca might have been the way to go when the profits were flowing a little bit more, but when the company’s tightening its belt, there's plenty of ways to get a cheaper location but still get the best of summer out of your venue. Try renting out a bar that has a backyard garden, or one that has large windows in the front that can be opened and pulled back so as to make the front of the place more airy. (Also, these bars will often let you rent out just a part of the bar for less.) Another way to creatively find a venue is to ask around at the office which employee has access to a rooftop, or even has an apartment or home with a large porch. If you bribe him or her with the offer to have the staff pitch in to buy the booze, they might just let you have the party there.

Go Basic on the Drinks and Food – Most employees know that these parties aren’t going to feature the most stellar alcohol and dining choices and don’t really care, so why not use this indifference to scale back the beer and wine selections a bit, save a little on the dinner, or simply don’t have dinner at all and instead just serve appetizers.

Limit the Guests – Often at a corporate party, it’s not just employees that are invited, but also significant others, and sometimes an employee is allowed to bring friends. If you want your party at all these days, the girlfriends, wives, husbands, boyfriends, and best buds are going to have to find something else to do. It’s a work party anyway – why not use it to talk to your co-workers? Yes, even that shy skinny girl who works in the office at the end of the hall that you think is a little weird and is always playing with her hair. Come on, not everyone's the social all-pro. Give her a chance.

Veto the Other Entertainment – Much more expensive than a DJ, but often much less important, are the other games and contests that those in charge of the event think is necessary to make people loosen up. Bringing in a casino table and a dealer, hiring a magician, renting a karaoke machine, buying prizes for a raffle, and such might work great to enliven part of the night, but loosening things up can also be done just fine all night with a great DJ / MC (and, of course, enough booze).

Make it a B.Y.O.B. – You’d be amazed how much you’ll have to drink if you ask each employee to bring a bottle of wine, or a six pack of beer. Plus, you’ll likely have a wider variety than if you go to a bar or hire a bartender. Also, this opens you up to possible having more money to spend on the venue, or different types of venues, like lofts, halls, etc. Oh, and it also might give you some more moolah to hire the DJ for a bit longer. Just saying.

A Mix of Sunny, Laid-Back Hip-Hop to Add Some Bounce to Your Event’s Cocktail Hour

When guests arrive at an event and grab their first drinks, many years of DJ-ing have made me know that the music that goes best with most cocktail hours are songs that have a vibe that's upbeat and fun, but not overpowering - regardless of the kind of music being played.

I'm not talking about "chill-out" music, though. Whether it's vintage or new R & B, or the more recently popular genre of electronic lounge music such as those tunes featured on the seemingly endless editions of the Bhudda Bar CD compilation series, a chill-out vibe often has too much of an after-hours sexiness or a spacey ethereal feel to totally fit with cocktail hour. Usually, cocktail hour is the part of the event where guests only begin to interact, much less start to become a bit tipsy and become more prone to engaging in the kind of activities for which the chill-out vibe would be more appropriate. (You know what kind of activities I mean.)

I think that cocktail hour goes best with music that isn't "all party," but also isn’t "all chill," either. Often at events I attend as a guest I find the DJ is playing one or the other - being too harsh with aggressive dance music, or too mellow with the electronic dreamy stuff. What people seem to really respond to at our events over the years had been the sweet spot in between - music with an easy groove, a pronounced melody, a catchy chorus, and, as a bonus, lyrics that are light, fun or positive. A song about celebrating some hard-earned good fortune that you can bounce to a bit as you head to the bar to refill your drink often works magic for the vibe during cocktail hour, be it in a ballroom or at a rooftop gathering. The goal of a great cocktail hour is, at most events, not to get people dancing, but to get them primed for it. Songs with this light, upbeat, melodic vibe put it in the heads of the guests that the party is rampin' up, and dancing will soon follow. Basically, the music for cocktail hour should a bit of a tease.

The tricky thing is, while there's long been a lot of great songs with a mellow, after-hours feel in both vintage and new R & B, as well as a growing number over the past 20 years in all kinds of electronic lounge music, the amount of songs that have this "rampin' up" quality aren’t as easy to find in any genre. And to those not that familiar with hip-hop, you might think that there's even less, as the media coverage of the genre seem to only focus on its most crude examples, like groups and songs with only booming beats and profane lyrics.

But if you look around a bit, hip-hop tunes with an airy, melodic touch are not that difficult to find. And it's worth it, too, as often hip-hop songs of this type does the most to bring out the hip-shaking during cocktail hour - not just because these mellower hip-hop songs are usually fun and a bit sexy, but because older guests will many times recognize parts of the songs as well, as hip-hop artists will often use deftly-chosen samples of beats and melodies from familiar soul and funk songs from a generation or more ago.

I've put together an iTunes mix of bouncy, upbeat, but rather mellow hip-hop songs that we've found work for us during cocktail  hour and exactly fit the vibe of "rampin' up." Included is wide range of hip-hop styles, from the relatively newer genres of crunk (which tends to feature a lot of infectious call-and-response choruses and a lyrical obession with partying) and Southern rap (which tends to put a stylized lazy slurring on words and rhymes); California G-funk, which, with it's slower tempo and spacey synth riffs, puts a laid-back, sun-drenched spin on ganstga life; old-school rap, with its disco samples, record-scratching DJs and freestylin'-on-the-streetcorner MCs; underground and alternative hip-hop with a less aggressive, often humorous and acoustic touch, from De La Soul to newer artists in this genre like Lyrics Born; a mellower side of the often sharper-tongued New York/East Coast-style hip-hop; and more radio friendly "pop" hip-hop, from Will Smith in the early '90s to Jamie Foxx and T-Pain's new hit single "Blame It."

So get yourself some gin 'n' juice, and listen to the mix here.

A Classic, Festive Tune to Add Some Arabic Flavor to Any Event: Dalida, “Salma Ya Salama”

Often when selecting music for an event - be it a private party, corporate event, wedding, art opening, fashion show, or almost anything else - the organizer will think about catering to certain guests by including a type of music they will like. But if these guests enjoy a style of music that the organizer isn't very familiar with, instead of risking embarrassment by unknowingly choosing a song that's inappropriate for the mood, or simply a lame choice in that particular style, the organizers of the event may simply play it safe and not include any of this more unfamiliar music at all.

Well, if that unfamiliar genre happens to be Arabic music, here's a great classic to start with that will allow you to confidently expand the musical styles of your event. The song, "Salma Ya Salama," is a traditional Egyptian folk song written in the early 1900s that was given a exhilarating "re-boot" in the late '70s by Dalida, a singer who was (she died in 1987) and still is hugely popular and adored in Europe and Egypt.

"Salma" effortlessly achieves a perfect balance in so many ways: It has a lush, festive chorus that instantly creates a warm, relaxing mood that's just as good for sitting down and enjoying as it is for getting up and dancing; the song's arrangement - with a mid-tempo shuffling beat and a tight three minute pop structure - makes it accessible to Western ears, but at the same time the song never sounds bland or "emptied" of its native sound; and because it was a huge hit across Europe and in Egypt in the late '70s and has spawned house music-style remixes as well as cover versions by the Gypsy Kings with singer Ishtar Alabina (go here for my post on one of her excellent Arabic-Spanish tunes), the song is familiar to both old and new fans of Arabic music. But beyond all these impressive qualities, the real reason the song works is simply because it’s infectious and fun and grabs you the first time you hear it.

Dalida, an Italian-born singer who grew up in Egypt and was unfortunately obscure in the U.S. but who had huge success in Europe from the '60s through the mid '80s, sings “Salma” here in Egyptian Arabic, but she also recorded the song in French, German, and Italian. Dalida is considered one of the first singers to have success with songs that fused Western and Middle Eastern cultural influences, long before singers like Shakira, Ishtar Alabina and Ofra Haza emerged and made these cross-cultural connections less unusual. Despite being recorded over 30 years ago, the production of the song and performance given by Dalida has aged remarkably well. Listen to the song, and I think you'll feel it could've been recorded this year. (Keep in mind that during the late '70s, it seemed every studio engineer across the Western world was putting a slick disco sheen on almost all genres of music, making the restraint and lack of "boogiefication" of this song all the more remarkable.)

So, while "Salma Ya Salama" is great for catering to guests who are fans of Arabic music, the song will also work great at any time during an event, regardless of the guests present - especially in the wake of the popularity of the Bhangra / hip-hop / house fusion of the song "Jai Ho" from the film Slumdog Millionaire. (Go here for my recent post on this song and Indian Bhangra music.) For those of you looking for another exotic multicultural song fix, Dalida's invigorating take on this old Egyptian folk song may be the perfect find.

Dalida - Salma Ya Salama (Egyptian Arabic lyrics)

Off the Beaten Track First Dance Songs: The Waterlillies, “Sunshine Like You”

In the early '90s, several bands with female vocalists and ethereal, dreamy sounds achieved a bit of success in the mainstream pop world, most notably groups like Mazzy Star ("Fade into You"), Sixpence None the Richer ("Kiss Me"), and The Sundays ("Here's Where the Story Ends"). For followers of this sound, names of other, less-known bands like Cranes, Cocteau Twins, and Slowdive might also come to mind, all of which had their own memorable take on this swirling atmospheric mood, and had a bit of exposure on MTV’s alternative music videos show 120 Minutes or on indie radio stations of the time.

This near "movement" of languorous pop resulted in some great music, a sliver of which still at times pops up on mainstream radio. But because most of the songs from this era - though shimmering and pretty - tended to be slow and downbeat, they're not the kind of music that’s thought of for a first dance at a wedding, even by those looking for a song that's a bit more unconventional.

"Sunshine Like You," a song by a band with this ethereal sound called The Waterlillies, is a rare exception, however. The tune manages to sound both ethereal and happily upbeat at the same time. Featured on the 1992 album Envoluptuosity (cover pictured), the song is quite a deep obscurity - it never charted, never was a single, never had its own video, and likely had hardly any radio airplay when released. (I was listening to a lot of this music at the time, and I never heard it until long after the album hit the bargain bin at record stores.)

Surprisingly for a non-single and such an obscure song, two versions of "Sunshine Like You" were recorded (both you can hear below). The first, the album version, has a light, shuffling, dance club-ready backbeat throughout. The second version, called the "Limbless Mix," was included as a track on the CD and 12" single "Tired of You," another song from Envoluptuosity. This alternate version of "Sunshine" strips away the backbeat and adds in some acoustic guitar, and may even be a more powerful version of the song. But they're close; each version is worth hearing. (Neither version of this song is available on iTunes, though the album and single EP can usually be found on Amazon or eBay for only a few bucks each.)

It's a shame "Sunshine Like You" went nowhere, because it's the kind of song that probably could've done quite well, especially at the time. It's accessible and bright, sweet but not too sweet, has a lovely melody, makes great use of a warm-sounding slide guitar, and has striking operatic vocals. The song takes the template of the aforementioned more successful dream-pop bands and turns it in a unique direction - yes, the song is quite lullaby-ish, but at the same time, it feels much more dramatic and sweeping than many other songs of this kind. What's more, while the song has a dash of Gothic intensity, it never feels doomy or too icy. In making things sound at once familiar and different, and in being able to sidestep too much of one influence and instead balance many, for the approximately four minutes of this song this utterly forgotten group create a truly unique and enchanting mood.

While once or twice the lyrics concerning the singer's desire for her object of affection veer into the overwrought territory of a 14-year-old girl’s diary entry, because the lyrics are often lushly overlayed with others - and because the song creates such an authority with its mood - this doesn’t break the spell of the song. Even the chorus, which in a different combination of musical ingredients might sound treacly, manages to make its sweetness work more than it should: "In my sky / of yellow and blue / though heaven's the weather / there's no sunshine like you / A sun worshipper / what more can I do / I'd climb Everest / 'cause there's no sunshine like you." Toward the end of the tune, the vocalist even manages to deliver the rather unwieldy lyrics, "You're the center / around which / my world turns," with ease and elegance. And, after this, she then repeats the words "you're the center" twice at the end of the song to perfectly distill her emotion - and I'd say the spirit of a first dance as well - to its essence.

Ultimately, though, "Sunshine Like You" works best at portraying a feeling - the epic, intense, myopic, overcome-by-romantic-love rush almost all of us have had for someone at some time. We might know these feelings are a bit overdramatic when they calm, but when they burn bright, this sweet little dreamscape of a song is one that captures them perfectly.

The Waterlillies - Sunshine Like You

The Waterlillies - Sunshine Like You (Limbless Mix)

Indian Bhangra Music: A Festive, Increasingly Popular Genre to Consider Including at Your Event

With the massive popularity and acclaim of Slumdog Millionaire - the film set in the Indian city of Mumbai that won this year's Best Picture at the Oscars - and its celebratory anthem "Jai Ho," the Indian music genre of Bhangra has entered the American mainstream like never before. As a DJ who knows Bhangra and enjoys playing it at events when I can, for me this is exciting - it means many more people will not only be familiar with this type of music for the first time, but will also likely enjoy hearing it and dancing to it for the first time as well.

While this newfound familiarity may be fortunate, I realize many of you planning events will not suddenly now be confident with a DJ spinning Bhangra for your guests, especially if you know none of those guests have any or much exposure to Indian music. Though our company has been spinning Bhanrga for years, we still appreciate the opinion of those who think it will not "go over" at their event. However, if done in delicate way, and by including accessible Bhangra in the song selections, the increasing enthusiasm everyone seems to have for the genre (not just in the last year, but for about a decade now) can be used to add a touch of exotic - and now suddenly hip - flavor to your event.

First, a little background: Bhanrga refers to a style of drum-based folk music often accompanied by a single-stringed, high-pitched guitar, and the genre originated in the northern Indian state of Punjab. (Bhangra also refers to a form of dance that is performed to the music.) In the U.S., the sound of Bhangra music is probably most familiar to those from hearing hip-hop artists mix it into their songs in rougly the last decade or so. In 2001, Missy Elliott’s Top 40 hit "Get Ur Freak On" used a bhangra guitar riff, and two years later, Jay-Z had a Top 40 hit with a remix of a song called "Mundian to Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys)" where he rapped over singing by the song's original artist, Panjabi MC. "Mundian" (listen to the song below) also featured a high-pitched Indian guitar riff, as well as use the theme of the '80s TV show Knight Rider as a surprisingly potent danceable backbeat. The songs featured in relatively popular 2002 British film Bend It Like Beckham also no doubt introduced many to the sound of Bhangra for the first time as well.

But with the recent popularity of "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire (the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song), Bhangra has seemingly connected with its largest American audience yet. "Jai Ho" (the words apparently mean, roughly, "may you have victory" in Hindi) is featured in the film over credits in a large, intense dance sequence, and is sung by Bhangra artist Sukhwinder Singh and composer A.R. Rahman. The song (listen to it below) has a Bhangra drum-and-vocal foundation, but is also quite a multicultural mix of other elements: the lyrics are at times sung in Hindi, Urdu, Panjabi, and Spanish; there's dramatic violins; there's even the so-in-vogue robot-ish vocoder vocals (popularized over the past few years by the suddenly ubiquitous hip-hop artist T-Pain). And "Jai Ho" has recently been released as a single remix with English lyrics and featuring vocals by recent Top 40 mainstays the Pussycat Dolls. This reworking of the song quickly climbed up the charts.

Guests to an event may indeed recognize these versions of "Jai Ho," and it's fairly infectious as a dance song. Most important, because it's extremely well-known, it will likely bring people out to the dancefloor regardless of if they know how to properly dance in any sort of Bhangra style. While this may be encouraging for you to play the song, you may wonder if anything else can be played before or after "Jai Ho" for your guests instead of this isolated burst of Bhangra. Well, this is where the delicate approach to introducing Bhangra to your guests comes in.

First, the aforementioned hip hop songs are great lead-ins and follow-ups, as they sound much more hip-hop than pure Bhangra, which should mean that a crowd will not be intimidated and will feel comfortable dancing. If guests are feeling the Panjabi vibes, the DJ can add in some of the more infectious tunes from the Bhanrga-centric soundtrack to Bend it Like Beckham, such as "Darshan" by B21, or other catchy Bhangra like it, such as Sukshinder Shinda's hip-hop-influenced "Panjabi Clap." Also great is to try a more mid-tempo traditional Bhangra song, like "Hey Jamalo (Tootak Tootak Tootiyan)" by Malkit Singh (pictured), considered the "King of Bhangra." (Listen to his song below.) If guests still want more, the faster-paced but sublimely goofy "Tutak Tutak Tun" (which, a few years ago became a hit as an internet video) by Daler Mehndi might work to take the intensity up a notch.

The important thing to remember, as I emphasized in an entry I recently posted on salsa, is that the songs be accessible – easy to dance to, fun, upbeat – and therefore, guests who aren’t very familiar with the genre will be not be intimidated by their "foreignness," which is something which those of us familiar with world music need to always be sensitive toward.

So next time you're planning an event - be it a wedding, corporate party, fashion show - don't be afraid to have the DJ pull out some Bhangra for the guests. If accessible songs are chosen, and played at the right time at the event, this genre quite new to many American ears will do wonders to elevate the mood of your celebration.

Jai Ho

Mundian to Bach Ke (Beware of the Boys)

Hey Jamalo (Tootak Tootak Tootiyan)

Hiring a Non-Cheesy DJ: Recognizing Policies DJ Companies Have But Aren't Eager to Share

Unfortunately, too many people have a very low opinion of the mobile DJ/MC. People always seem to expect something lame or offensive. The mobile DJ/MC is often considered to be either cheesy, obnoxious, coarse, unfunny, unresponsive, sloppy-looking (wearing jeans to a formal event), schmaltzy-looking (wearing a sparkly suit to any event) or even an unenviable combination of all these bad qualities. For the past few months I have written about this negative image and how to sniff it out and avoid it in a series of posts called “Overcoming DJ Fear,” which you can read here.

But in our mission to make sure you always get a non-cheesy DJ for your event, this post is going to reveal to you a few other things that mobile DJ companies do which you should shy away from, but that you probably didn’t know many regularly do. Yes, most of us fear the aforementioned tacky sparkly suit, or the 8-minute Richard Marx remix played at the height of the wedding reception, or enduring the tired jokes of the MC all night at a corporate event. But there are also certain business policies that many DJ companies have that are quite lame as well. They tend to straddle that line between very shrewd and slightly sneaky. And from what we've heard from our clients who've sniffed out some of these policies in DJ companies, the DJs aren't exactly eagerly bringing them up, so maybe they even feel a bit guilty about them. These policies are not of the obvious variety, such as just the adding of extra fees for bringing additional equipment or performing overtime. No, these policies that are a little more insidious; they're not as automatically thought about by a potential client, but they can adversely affect your event unless you are aware of them and therefore can bring them into the discussion with your DJ, and react accordingly.

(Non-hypocrite alert: Our company doesn’t engage in either of the three practices mentioned below, so we feel comfortable exposing them, in the Obama-esque hope that one day enough clients will demand a higher-quality product from mobile DJs, and that the business as a whole will get some well-needed respect. Okay, end of plug.)

So, here we go:

1) The DJ You Meet With Might Not Be Your DJ – Often, DJ companies, especially the larger ones, will send the company owners – who tend to be the most confident, well-spoken, experienced DJs they have – to an initial prospective client meeting, to impress the customer. This is Business 101, of course. And this may win you over. But, this impressive DJ might not mention that they won’t be there the day of your event. They might give you a phone consultation, take note of your requests, answer all your emails promptly, and then pass all of it on to some other guy in the company. To be fair, this other DJ you get for your event might not be a bad DJ, but if he is going to be doing your event, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable meeting with him instead of having a go-between, where important details could get lost or miscommunicated, such as song requests, or pronunciations of the names of guests to be introduced? So, if you like the DJ you meet with initially during the "sales pitch," make sure to ask if he will be the one doing the event. If not, ask to meet – in person – the DJ who will. If this offer is refused, I’d move on.

2) The DJ May Have Another Gig That Day – Many clients, in focusing on arranging your event, may forget that a DJ business succeeds on booking as many events as the company thinks they can handle well. Again, to be fair, that’s understandable for a business owner. But the problem comes in when a DJ company misjudges what they can handle well, or has a different idea from you of what being able to “handle well” means. To some DJ companies, this might mean just showing up with some generic playlist for your event, since they put all their effort into the event before or after yours. You should be sure to ask if your DJ already has another event on the day of yours, or if they do not, if they do multiple events in a day. It tends to be the larger companies that have the resources (many DJs, some “roadies," a lot of equipment, several vans or trucks) to do multiple-day events, so if you’re meeting with these companies, they’re the ones to flesh out a " line of questioning" on how this may affect your event. If they’re assigning the DJ for your event another event that day, I’d be a little nervous, since it brings in some other potential complications - most importantly travel time to or from the other gig will now be an issue. If the DJ is doing multiple events, make sure that the reassurances of the company satisfy you to the fullest, and think of getting some guarantees of prompt arrival in writing. And make sure to remember that even the most experienced DJ companies can’t predict what the weather, traffic, or highway conditions will be like that day.

3) Free or Easy DJ Consultations May Not Be Guaranteed – Part of the peace of mind of having a DJ for your event is having access to them, of being able to ask them a question or being able to have a responsive line of communication, such as knowing quickly if they found that obscure first-dance song, or what they think about changing the style of music for cocktail hour. This not to say that every element revolving around music needs to be discussed in detail, but it is nice to know that the DJ is regularly available to you if it is needed. Some DJs know they need to be available a lot to clients, and they could charge for it, like some wedding planners do. You may get one free consultation after you hire the DJ, but any others may cost you. Just make sure to ask. If they do charge, this is probably a sign to move on to ne where you can get unlimited commuinication included in your original contract price. If you have a DJ who doesn’t charge, great, but then make sure to ask about their availability, and when is the best time to contact them. This answer, right there, might give you an idea of their schedule, and how open it is. But most importantly, make sure to gently but firmly emphasize that you expect to have a relatively quick line of communication with your DJ. This is not to expect a lightning-quick, 15-minute response to all emails, but at least a 24-hour response is reasonable and should be expected.

(If you've experienced a rather shrewd or sneaky policy from a DJ company that annoyed you and that you'd like to mention to help those needing a DJ for any sort of event - from weddings to corporate parties to fashion shows to art gallery openings - feel free to leave a comment below. Let your frustration known, so others won't have to share it!)

A Great Indie Pop First Dance Song: She & Him, “I Was Made for You”

Fans of indie pop, alt-country, singer-songwriters, or all three have probably heard the music of M. Ward, a singer-songwriter who for about a decade has been releasing albums of moody, otherworldly-sounding, yet often warm folk and pop that stitches together vintage sounds - from genres, like folk or bluegrass, to actual old sounds, like vocal effects that make it seem his voice is emanating from a 1930s radio. A couple years ago, Ward began a side project called She & Him with the increasingly popular actress Zooey Deschanel (known for her supporting roles in Elf, Yes Man, and as a lead in an underrated indie film featuring some great music called All the Real Girls).

Last year the pair released their debut album, Volume One, a well-crafted collection of songs that blends retro styles like vintage country twang, '60s girl group harmonizing, and a touch of classic torch song jazz into an enchanting mix. But the real surprise here is Deschanel, who sings lead vocals and wrote most of the songs. Her vocals, usually delivered crisply but with a sweet, slight country-ish drawl, quite beautifully convey a range of emotion throughout the album, from the exuberance of celebrating a new love to late-night, tear-in-your-beer, honky-tonk heartache. And what's also impressive is that you can tell - not just from the strength of the songs, but also from the choice of the radio-unfriendly musical styles themselves - that Deschanel and Ward have made music they care about, and that Deschanel is not simply a pretty young face trying to pull a Jennifer Love Hewitt and cash in on her growing stardom. Though the album may not be thematically deep, and though at times it sounds too derivative of its retro influences, Volume One is of the quality and integrity that that most actors with musical side projects think they're making but rarely do.

"I Was Made for You" is one of the songs here where Deschanel and Ward are at the their best. While on some of the more twangy tunes on the album, Deschanel leans a bit too hard on the country drawl (she was born in L.A. and went to high school in Santa Monica, so she's no coal miner's daughter), on "I Was Made for You" she keeps just enough of the drawl to make things warm, but also channels the breezy sweetness of the '60s girl group sound. From the opening lyrics about taking a walk and seeing a boy pass by to the backup “ooh, uh-huh” female vocals, this song seems like it could be the prequel to innocent "teenager-in-love" girl-group classics like "My Boyfriend's Back" or "He's So Fine."

Why is this tune a great first dance song? Mostly for one important reason - it manages to flawlessly create a tricky mood to pull off, but one that's perfect for a couple's initial foray alone onto the dancefloor for their guests and photographers. In the song, the solid foundation of lush retro production, a bouncy melody, and Deschanel's joyful vocals all come together to convincingly capture the pure, teenager-y thrill of falling for someone, and from my experience as a DJ at weddings, few things could be better than feeling that during a first dance. Plus, like most simple pop tunes should, the song doesn't overstay its welcome, being only two-and-a-half minutes long. The one caveat is that the song isn't gender neutral like many first dance songs - twice in the song, Deschanel sings "I have been waitin' for a long long time/for a boy like you" - but come on, guys, the wedding should be more about your bride anyway, right?

Have a listen...

She & Him - "I Was Made for You"

Ensuring Your Fashion Show Arrival Music is the Right Fit

When people think of music played at fashion shows, the thumping bass and dreamy melodies of intense house grooves likely come to mind. It’s no surprise that house seems to be present a lot when we see models strutting down runways, be it during the city’s Fashion Week, or at fashion shows at shopping malls. Intense musical energy boosts the drama in witnessing the debut of a designer's creations, but this energy has to be somewhat airy and unobtrusive to not interfere with observing the designs. For this, house works well – it's often fast, has a stylish sheen, and because it doesn't often reach mainstream radio, it’s rather anonymous and never competes for your attention more than the clothes.

But when it comes to the music before the runway music – the mix of songs played during the arrival of guests – many of the same background music rules don’t apply. Sure, the goal of fashion show arrival music is to be in the background while guests chat, grab a drink or a snack, and make their way to their seats, so it need not initiate any dancing. However, unlike the more sedate arrival music played at other events – like art receptions, corporate events or wedding ceremonies – at fashion shows, the mix needs to be "amped up" a bit more. Why? Simple: The mood in the room before the start of  fashion shows we’ve performed at (the photos above and below are from a recent show we spun at in the West Village) has more of a fun, exciting air of anticipation than almost any other kind of event, and that feeling of rising action should be reflected in the songs played.

So what kind of music goes best with this sense of anticipation? Hip-hop? Indie rock? House music grooves? Glam rock from the ‘70s? A more internationally-flavored mix of festive meringue, or sensual Indian Bhangra? Well, almost any genre of music can do it, as long as there’s an intensity to the music and it’s compelling in some way. People don’t want to walk in and be overpowered by the music's mood (or volume) so it interferes with their conversations, but the songs also shouldn’t ever be constantly familiar or predictable. The arrival music should add palpably to the anticipation and excitement, not lessen it. Overall, the best arrival music seems to have a bit of an unexpected, even mysterious (but usually at the same time playful and fun) quality about it, with, of course, little sexiness thrown in.

We're able to establish a mix like this in many ways. For example, we might spin a classic rock song  done in French, or pull out out a song by some obscure vintage jazz vocal artist with a clever lyrical hook, or simply ride the killer melodies and rhythms of a pair of spicy, gritty Latin soul tunes that you don’t need to have heard before to start bobbing you head along.

But the most important element to creating a tight mix of arrival music often simply depends on the fashion show organizer (or the DJ themselves, if the organizer desires) taking the first step – consulting with the designers to brainstorm about what the right “feel” of the arrival music should be. The designers might have many ideas of what kind of music they would like to get the audience most pumped up for the show, and this way they can be discussed and integrated. When the designers are picking their own songs for their collections, then the organizer (or DJ) should look at what overall mood all of their selected music will likely create during the show, and think how to complement it. For example, if most of the designers’ songs are more ethereal and airy, it might be more appropriate to play a more ambient mix of songs as guests arrive. If many of the designs have a provocative and edgy look, a bit of indie rock, glam, or punk might be the best choice. Or, if there doesn’t seem to be a consistent mood to the designers’ works, then at least this will be known, and the DJ can create an eclectic but smooth mix based on the genres that will be included in the show.

This might all seem like a lot of fuss over what is not even the main section of the show. But because the arrivals often can last an hour,or even, at times, more than that, doing a little homework to put the guests (many of whom are buyers, of course!) in a positive, intrigued, loosened-up mood from the start the first model takes the runway (and giving the guests the sense that the start, middle and end of the event all fit together seamlessly) will only make your show more successful.