New York DJ

Being a DJ, and liking all kinds of musical genres, I see trends come and go all the time. But one that I never thought I would see at all, or see last as long as it has, is the transatlantic success of British female retro-soul singers like Amy Winehouse and Duffy. While some of these women put more of a tough, hip-hop attitude into their style, and others add a bit more sweetness, they all have a sound that’s a throwback to classic ‘60s female soul.

I’ve noticed that a wide range of people seem to like this trend at the events where we spin – Amy Winehouse is an artist that the hipsters, Top 40 fans, and those in their 50s and 60s who recall '60s soul's heyday can enjoy. And Winehouse’s success means guests at our events are more familiar with this retro soul sound, so we’ve been spinning similar artists during the early part of events that are lesser-known in the U.S., like Lily Allen and Candie Payne. (In April, I posted an entry here about a great Candie Payne song, check it out.)

And while it’s been fun at events to mix these these new soul singers in with vintage classics by Aretha Franklin, The Supremes or Gloria Jones, it’s also allowed me to bring out a song from the early '90s I’ve always loved and have long thought has been sadly unknown in this country. It’s by the British trio Saint Etienne (pictured above), and the singer’s name is Sarah Cracknell. While the group and Cracknell (who are still playing together) more often release albums of either electronic ambient or dance tunes, once in a while they record a straightforward pop song. I think this one is their best – the subject a simple a pledge of support to a friend feeling bad, the sweet music and vocals sounding like they were recorded two generations ago.

For the three or so minutes of this tune, Sarah Cracknell was definitely the Duffy of 1993!

Saint Etienne – You're In A Bad Way

During early parts of many types of events, we always like to spin a few mellower indie songs, and lately tunes from Phoenix, Camera Obscura and Death Cab for Cutie have been making it into our sets. But this new single from the Australian band Cut Copy might soon be added, as its light dance groove and catchy chorus stuck pleasantly in my head the first time I listened to it. I think once we start playing it, people will be coming up and interestedly asking, “Who is this?”

I think this partly because the song has such an inviting and catchy chorus, but also because the band sounds slightly like about 17 other bands from the ‘80s and ‘90s, both popular and obscure: The debonair-sounding vocals of the verses recall the male singer from the band Human League; the dirgy guitars seem like the Cure’s; a backing vocal that seems piped in from a monestary is reminiscent of The Ocean Blue; the electronic instrumental break that leads up to the first chorus channels Daft Punk; the chorus, with its airy vocals and vague lyrics about a broken relationship, evokes the blissful melancholy of classic New Order; and the synthesizer fills during the chorus sound like those from a Sugarhill Gang single. Others may see different bands from the same era of music in this song, or even more artists than I’ve mentioned, but you get the idea.

The great thing about the song, though, is that out of all these spare parts from (mostly) bands past their prime, Cut Copy creates something that sounds much fresher than it should. I think it’s simply because if you take enough different past sounds, put them together in the right way, and produce them with the right energy, you’re bound to get something that sounds not just like the sum of its parts, but like something quite original.

That said, if you miss the sound of some of these aforementioned bands, you’ll really like this song.

In our years of DJ-ing events, we’ve noticed there are certain songs that you would never dance to when sober at an event, but, given a few hours and a few (or more than a few) drinks later, these same songs – some completely embarrassing, some genuinely good – from a variety of genres become almost orgasmic. Here is a sampling of some of the best:

Lynryd Skynryd, "Sweet Home Alabama" – If played early on in an event, this southern rock classic might result in some head bobbing, or maybe some half-hearted air guitar for a few moments. But when that crunchy lead-off guitar riff comes on much later, it results in all kinds of joy, from cheers to bouncing up and down, from sultry slow dances to extended, note-for-note air guitar (and even sometimes air drum) solos.

House of Pain, "Jump Around" – Before having any drinks, or even after having two, this hip-hop song from the early ‘90s is nothing but a loud, coarse, smirk-inducing jock jam. But after several drinks, the sampled screeches, the terse rhymes, and the barked chorus all begin to make sense, creating a sublime harmony of testosterone-laced celebration that gets everyone (even, at times, grown women) raising their arms and punching the air in perfect frat boy-style.

Neil Diamond, "Sweet Caroline" – It’s no surprise that those who remember this song when it was released in the late ’60s will, after several drinks, dance enthusiastically to it out of nostalgia, but what’s surprising is how, after a few of their import beers or obscure cocktails, even young detached hipsters – born long after the song came out – will unironically shout “so good! so good!” during all the right moments of the chorus.

James, "Laid" - This playful, folk-tinged song is one of the few early ’90s cult alternative radio tunes that has aged really well on the dancefloor, provided people have a few drinks in them. What’s impressive is that the song wasn’t even that big of a hit at the time of its release, but it continues to inspire communal dancing silliness from those who remember it, and even from those who are too young to remember it. This could be because a cover version of the song was later featured in one of the American Pie movie soundtracks, or also because of the sexually risque subject matter, which, of course, makes not just songs, but anything more memorable.

Bon Jovi, "Livin’ on a Prayer" – If you loved hair metal in the ‘80s (and a lot of you did, admit it), or if you are under 40 and from New Jersey, I truly think that it is impossible for you not to dance to this song after several drinks. If you loved hair metal AND are from New Jersey, you might even not have time to dance to this song, because you likely will have your arms around your friends as you shout every single one of the lyrics. Yes, every single one.

Simon & Garfunkel, "Cecilia" – If you know this song, you know it concerns a woman breaking the singer’s heart and shaking his confidence, baby. But when people at events have left sobriety behind, this wispy little folk song often creates a surprisingly intense sing-a-long reaction, and suddenly becomes less about a broken heart and more about broken wine glasses, and less about shaking confidence, baby than shaking it on the dance floor, baby.

Sir Mix-a-Lot, "Baby Got Back" – For anyone into hip-hop in the early ‘90s, after 5.5 light beers, Sir Mix a Lot’s ode to women with larger bottoms seems not just fun nostalgia, but one of the most noble and overdue calls for female bodily respect in history. It’s no wonder this rapper is knighted.

Whether it’s a good-bye celebration for the summer interns or a winter holiday party, if you want a good portion of your corporate event to include dancing, you need to make sure you have the right kind of flow to the event to get the crowd movin.’ So to help you in your goal of "TCB" (Takin’ Care of Business) like the Supremes and the Temptations did in their vintage TV special of the same name (soundtrack album pictured above), here’s a few pointers.

A good corporate event planner will want to make sure those attending have a great time, and often this leads to the well-intentioned instincts of planning beyond just having music at the party, and also adding other entertainment activities to make things fun – activities we’ve seen at corporate events we’ve performed at have included raffles, skits, slideshows, a mock game show, and even a casino night. Entertainment like this all offers a great chance for employee bonding experiences, but you need to be careful about 1) 2the amount of activities you include, 2) when you conclude them, and to 3) make sure to technically plan them well so the attendees’ desire to dance isn’t affected. Here’s more detail on each of these three points: 

Don’t be afraid to keep other activities to a minimum. In our experience, we’ve seen the best corporate parties don’t “pile on” the entertainment too much. A single fun entertainment activity – one that’s not too forced, or doesn’t take too much complicated preparation on behalf of the guests – is all you need. That usually should be there, as it brings people together. Besides that, though, a nice thank you speech from a boss, plenty of drinks, some good food, and great music are the only other things you need for an excellent event. Actually, it’s probably even simpler: Most employees will simply be in a good mood when they hear the words “open bar.”

If you do plan many, or more elaborate activities, however, make sure that you plan to conclude them definitively before you want people to begin the heavy dancing portion of the night. Otherwise, the competition between the activities and the music will confuse the guests, or divide them. Often, when those at the event are still involved in another entertainment activity – like a mock poker game, or trying to decide which raffle item drawing they want to enter their tickets in – it doesn’t matter if you play a great dance song or announce that the dance floor is now open – many people’s attention will not on be the music, but the other entertainment.

Finally, make sure to not run your other activities too long, and make sure you are they are technically prepared to pull them off if they are more elaborate. Raffles and game shows can be really fun, but only if they don’t drag on with long raffle drawings, or if the electronic game show scoreboard keeps shorting out. This will only lead to, at best, less crowd energy, and, at worst, a souring mood. Then, it could be harder to re-gain that momentum of the party on the dancefloor.