New York DJ

Off the Beaten Track First Dance Songs: The School, “All I Wanna Do”

No, this is not a cover of the Sheryl Crow tune about “the sun going down over Santa Monica Blvd.” or a version of the pop-country hit by Sugarland from a few years ago we’ve all heard in supermarkets with the semi-annoying “ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh” chorus . This “All I Wanna Do” is by a new-ish band from Wales named The School. But because the song’s sound and production is so evocative of orchestral girl groups of the mid-‘60s (think any band from that time which had a “-ette” suffix at the end of their name and you’ve got the idea), the tune at times seems like a long lost gem from 45 years ago.

The School isn’t exactly breaking new ground with their sound or lyrics, but in re-creating a sweet, innocent mood that isn’t heard by wide audiences anymore, this song seems quite fresh. But more important is simply that this group has both an ear for a great melody as well as great production choices that wring every last bit of adorableness they can out of this quick and simple slice of vintage-sounding pop. (The School's other songs are pretty good as well; go here to check out their website. Another song of theirs, "I Want You Back," made our "short list" of indie rock & pop favorites of 2009; go here to check out that post. And no, that song is not a cover of the Jackson 5 classic.)

Anyway, if you’re not the retro girl-group sound, “All I Wanna Do” might not be your thing. But the whole point of these “off the beaten track” first dance song posts is to bring you tunes for a first dance that you won’t find recommended anywhere else, regardless of the genre. So if you’ve here and read this far, you’re probably looking for something new – even if that new thing is a sound that harkens back to the days of girl groups performing in beehive hairdos and matching outfits on The Ed Sullivan Show.

So, why is “All I Wanna Do” a great first dance song, and a outstanding song overall? Well, first, with its innocent, teenager-in-love-like lyrics about needing to leave the world and its troubles behind for a while and escape to be with your sweetheart, it captures a sentiment that no doubt many couples who have a youthful spirit about their relationship and/or a lot of mid-century modern retro furniture in their apartments will love. Second, it’s,short and sweet - but not too short to be over just like that, and not too sweet to be cutesy.

But the best thing about the song is the vocal melody; it gives wings to, and makes memorable, a song with a sound and a subject done countless times before. If you’re at all into vintage-sounding pop, it’s quite hard to resist the airy, clean voice of singer Liz Hunt and the tune’s uplifting chorus, especially since each time it repeats it becomes more orchestral and lush, as layers of angelic vocal overdubs, gentle backing “aaahhs” and soaring strings are added in just the right amounts to build things to a big, exhilarated-sounding near-finale that will make couples feel like spinning each other around like goofy teenagers.

Okay, so you might not actually go that far in front of a reception of your guests, but if you’re a couple that tends to wear your giddiness on your sleeves, it certainly is nice to have a song that gives you the option.

The School - All I Wanna Do

DJ NYC Indie Pop & Rock Song Favorites of 2009 to Enliven All Kinds of Events

These days, if you’re not that familiar with indie pop and rock, and only see and hear the bands or singers at the more popular end of the indie spectrum, it’s easy to think all this kind of music falls into one of two types: either, 1) quiet, mopey acoustic folk sung by skinny white guys with thick beards, or, 2) spastic, nervy pop songs sung by skinny white guys (or girls) wearing tight jeans. 

That may be a little simplistic, but judging from the covers of Spin or Rolling Stone for the past couple years, that conclusion doesn’t seem complete hyperbole because these are the two type of indie music that tend to be most hyped. Many who don’t know indie music much might think then that indie is either only for private listening, since the quiet folksy stuff is too sad to play at the mellower parts of an event like dinner or cocktail time, and the dancier pop stuff is just too obscure for all but a few to know.

But as a dj in nyc who is exposed to so much new music of all genres each year both new and old, both obscure and mainstream, trust me – the world of indie pop and rock is much more wide-ranging than simply the sounds of what grabs the most media attention. (If you're looking for a general and expansive list of all kinds of indie songs from the '60s until now, check out our indie playlists on iTunes by typing in "iMix", then searching "djnyc", as well as looking at the indie categories on this blog and at the dj nyc news & music blog located here.) In our list below, and playable on iTunes here there’s a huge diversity of sound and level of media visibility in terms of the artists: There’s fun, upbeat indie music great for cocktail time that looks back to the sounds of early Prince (Empire of the Sun’s “Walking On a Dream”, MGMT’s very recognizable “Electric Feel”) or the pop soul of 1960s era girl groups (The School’s “I Want You Back”, Camera Obscura’s “Honey in the Sun”); there’s melodic dance grooves that look to the future by creating fresh, lush electronic soundscapes (Annie’s “Bad Times”); there’s lovely, sentimental songs of a folksy-country mood (Laura Cantrell’s cover of New Order’s “Love Vigilantes”, The Avett Brothers’ "I & Love & You”) that will probably be the talk of your dinner party for a bit. 

In fact, the “indie” label that has become so popular and rather thoughtlessly thrown around in the past decade or so has become such a catch-all that it’s almost without meaning in terms of defining a specific sound; to many people it means a lot of different sounds. About the only thing the term is useful for is alerting you to the likely presence of a certain sensibility – being somehow new and fresh and adventurous, and going against the grain of the mainstream in a variety of ways, even if at times that newness is a retro sound that’s been off the map for awhile.

And don't think indie music can only be used here and there as an occasional filler; it often can be showcased. There’s some indie songs on our list we played this year for important signature moments, like wedding first dances: The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Hysteric (acoustic version)”, a strikingly simple and tender song about love enduring after difficult experiences that features a beautifully crisp female vocal, and the quite close-to-mainstream Ray LaMontagne, with “You Are the Best Thing”, a bouncy, smoky tune that echoes ‘70s Rod Stewart, from that time long ago when his music had a gritty, rough-edged sexiness to it.

And remember, the indie music you choose to play today at your event could give you some "cool points" tomorrow for being seen to be the first to break out a song that later becomes popular and loved. Not so long ago bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and singers like Ray LaMontagne were considered obscure, and now they’re on Saturday Night Live.

1. Electric Feel - MGMT
2. Bruises - Chairlift
3. First Train Home - Imogen Heap
4. Walking On a Dream - Empire of the Sun
5. The’59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem
6. Honey in the Sun - Camera Obscura
7. Lisztomania - Phoenix
8. Vanished - Crystal Castles
9. Love Vigilantes - Laura Cantrell
10. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
11. I & Love & You - The Avett Brothers
12. Hysteric (acoustic version) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
13. My Girls - Animal Collective
14. Dominos - The Big Pink
15. This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case
16. You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne
17. I Want You Back - The School
18. Bad Times - Annie

Our Most Well-Received Top 40 of 2008 – and the Place of Current Radio Hits at Your Event

While it’s rare that we spin exclusively current Top 40 at any event, it’s also rare to not play several current Top 40 songs at an event, either. While many of us - especially here in New York City - have our pet preferences for music we’d love to hear at an event, be it in the background over a drink, or that would quickly get us out to the dancefloor, there’s a few genres of music out there where cultures and genders and ages can meet happily. One of the biggest of these is Top 40 – basically, the ubiquitous pop, rock, R & B and hip hop tunes that you hear on the radio, blaring from a passing car on the street, or being pumped down at you from the ceiling of a Rite Aid.

Some people are totally at ease with Top 40 and love featuring it at their events, but, this being a city of many tastes, opinions and cultures, others have a negative or more complex relationship with this music: Some look down on it and think it’s all shallow. Some like a lot of it, but only after a certain number of drinks loosens them into open-mindedness. And some have to firmly emphasize that they like only one or two mainstream artists, but that's it, and the rest, as I've often heard this kind of person say, are crap. Now, I understand. Those who are a bit reticent toward Top 40 have a good point about its disposability and its seemingly cynical focus-grouped origins – many of these songs are quite bland, or, because the songs are often played everywhere, when you hear a good one, you may quickly tire of it from hearing so much.

But, just like Hollywood will often get it right and produce a couple of great mass-market blockbusters every year that most of us agree are very good, there’s always more than a handful of Top 40 tunes from every year that are more than just guilty pleasures or songs you will only let yourself enjoy when you’ve had a few too many drinks. Sometimes, these radio-friendly hits have great dance beats, fresh and catchy melodies, a new and exhilarating sound, a fun or sexy feel, or all of these qualities. Yes, it might be hard for some of the Lower East Side or Williamsburg hipsters to admit, but songs targeted for mass consumption are quite good at times, and their accessibility, simplicity and “bigness” are often exactly what is needed to liven up an event, and bring different types of people together to so willingly share a vibe - whether it’s a song that gets the hips moving at a cocktail hour, provides lyrics to sing along with at a dinner, or makes a lot of people rush out to the dancefloor at once.

Here’s 20 of the songs released in the past year or so that have really proven to excite the crowds we’ve spun for at all kinds of events – from West Village fashion shows to multicultural weddings, from huge midtown corporate parties to smaller, more exclusive private events. There is some variety to the genres here as well - though dominated by R & B, some crunked-out southern hip hop (Lil' Wayne), retro British female soul (Duffy) and indie rock (Ting Tings) also made the list. As a bonus, most of these songs will likely continue to go over well for the early part of 2009, and perhaps some will have a shelf-life that’s even longer. And our winners are (in no particular order):

1) Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) – Beyonce
2) Dangerous – Kardinal Offishall ft. Akon
3) Human – Killers
4) Forever – Chris Brown
5) Disturbia – Rihanna
6) Don’t Stop the Music – Rihanna
7) Got Money – Lil’ Wayne ft. T-Pain
8) A Milli – Lil’ Wayne
9) Shut Up and Let Me Go – Ting Tings
10) Paper Planes – M.I.A.
11) Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
12) Mercy – Duffy
13) Womanizer – Britney Spears
14) Green Light – John Legend ft. Andre 3000
15) American Boy – Estelle ft.Kanye West
16) Whatever You Like – T.I.
17) I Kissed a Girl – Katy Perry
18) Hot & Cold – Katy Perry
19) Just Dance – Lady Gaga
20) No Air - Jordin Sparks

British Female Retro Soul Before It Was Cool: Saint Etienne, “You’re in a Bad Way”

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!

Candie Payne, "One More Chance" (Mark Ronson mix)

This remix is a great example of how production tweaking in the right places can elevate a good song into a great one -- and therefore make me much more confident putting it out there to a crowd at an event.

Candie Payne, a British singer sometimes compared with Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen since all share a similar '60s soul-ish sound in their vocals and song production, released her debut album "I Wish I Could Have Loved You More" last year. "One More Chance" is one of the better tracks on the album, sounding pleasantly like some one-hit-wonder Motown girl group circa 1965, with a dash of Nancy Sinatra thrown in.

I've DJ-ed the album version before, but it's a much better bet to spin the Mark Ronson mix of the song, which is available only on the import CD single (cover pictured). Ronson improves upon the relatively spare and almost plodding guitar intrumentation on the album mix of "One More Chance" by boosting Payne's vocals, adding more violins, a thicker drum beat, and filling the chorus with gorgeous ringing bells to lift the song into the retro stratosphere.