New York DJ

Over many years of DJ-ing non-traditional weddings in New York City and the surrounding area, we’ve seen that the increasingly popular phrase “indie wedding” - like the “indie music” aesthetic it’s largely derived from - is a wide-ranging idea that encompasses all kinds of different styles. But in general, it often eschews much of the feel of “grandness” of traditional ceremonies and receptions - from the fussy long dresses to the large catering hall to the cake cutting.

The more stripped-down and often eclectic indie wedding concept seems to partly a reaction to this traditional kind of fancier-looking wedding experience, and how it has seemingly throughout the last few generations become a one-size-fits-all package of assembly-line luxury that’s incessantly marketed and promoted from storefronts to television to the internet. Many of the couples we work for have told us that this style doesn’t appeal to them because of its generic feel, suspected insincerity on the part of its sellers, or often simply because its “blinging out” every aspect of the celebration doesn’t reflect a vibe that these couples want to portray to others, or be surrounded with.

Therefore, many couples who want an indie wedding will make things more personal (and often more inexpensive) - they’ll have a ceremony in the backyard of one of their parent’s homes instead of a chapel, or have the reception in a historical society museum instead of a “wedding factory”-style hall that schedules multiple weddings at once, or they’ll have cupcakes instead of a formal cake cutting moment. To some, this might sound reductive - and handled the wrong way it certainly could be. But to so many couples in the city we have worked with, these couples see a bit less as a lot more - more, in that their wedding will feel a lot more reflective of their spirit, as well as more fresh and less predictable to their guests.

Of course, these couples usually want music that reflects their mostly non-mainstream tastes. (Over the years we have put together a large amount of blog posts of recommendations of songs for all components of indie weddings and weddings of a more eclectic style; go here to read them.) While most couples going for the indie wedding vibe won’t go completely esoteric on their dance playlist as not to alienate guests, for the earlier parts of the wedding, they generally want to use music - especially at the ceremony - to establish their more simple and/or eclectic vibe.

But simply-constructed or obscure songs don't mean the music for an indie wedding ceremony has to feel small or unelegant - there are plenty of tunes out there that don't use orchestras, or even a ton of schmaltzy production effects, and yet still conjure a magical or expansive mood. A perfect example of this is the song “Walk With Me” by the Toronto duo Memoryhouse (from their recent debut album The Slideshow Effect, pictured above). "Walk With Me" begins with a soft, dreamy sound that chimes along for a few moments until airy but clear female vocals deliver a mix of visually concrete and emotionally reflective lyrics - skylines and heads resting on shoulders are mentioned alongside remembrances of youth and leaving behind old ways. Then, as the chorus kicks in and increases the energy and sweep of the song, the vocals center on the idea of walking together into a new, better life. The mingling of the tangible with the more abstract, as well as the ethereal atmosphere of the tune, give the song a distinct cinematic feel, as if it's meant to accompany a flashback scene from some art house film.

Have a listen, and if you enjoy the mood the song creates, I think you’ll find it quite easy to picture a wedding processional starting for the quiet but evocative verses that introduce the tune, and then the bride entering on the chorus, when the pace gets faster, the sound bigger, and the lyrics poignantly applicable to the moment just before marriage as the vocalist sings: This life could be / grace with symmetry / walk with me / do you walk with me?

Also, as a bonus, there’s a quiet break toward the end of the song, and then it picks up again and repeats the chorus to the end - a moment that could be played on a couple's kiss or an officiant’s pronouncement, so as to use the chorus' lyrics of walking together to capture the joy and festivity of a ceremony recessional.

Memoryhouse - Walk With Me

 
On July 24th, New York State’s law allowing same-sex marriages went into effect. Throughout the state, and in New York City, a huge number of couples waited to take their vows in the early morning hours at various marriage bureaus. From the start of the day it seemed every news report on television, the internet, and in newspapers that you came across all remarked strongly on the intense feeling of thrill, giddy disbelief, and often the joyful release of emotions long-held inside.

We feel great that same-sex couples have finally won these new rights, but also, for a company like us that loves to plan and spin at all kinds of unique weddings – be  it same-sex marriages or those “other” kind – and has been doing it for years, this is also exciting for us professionally as well. Recently, Dan and I were interviewed for UK radio, on BBC Radio 1 (and featured in their on-line article), in which we talk about our enthusiasm for same sex weddings. The interview is below, and you can read the article here.

We anticipate there will be a huge increase in same-sex couples wanting to marry, and just like the other couples who tend to be attracted to our approach, gay and lesbian couples are going to want it to be a wedding personalized to them, and not some generic, cookie-cutter party with tired music and over-long or obnoxious MC announcements. We’re excited to what the future will bring, and to get to know what each of these couples see as their vision or vibe for their special day. Whether a couple envisions a celebration that’s more traditional, or wants a large-scale bash at a huge space, or prefers an eccentric, low-key lounge vibe, or desires a cozy gathering at an old converted brownstone – whatever the case, this kind of customization is what has been our specialty for a long time. We’re looking forward to working with more same-sex couples in this way – while also looking forward to integrating new ceremony or reception moments for these couples that may emerge as being popular crowd-pleasers at same-sex weddings

As a DJ company that is already experienced in planning and spinning at same-sex weddings, it’s really going to be fun and special for us to take that experience and match it with the joy and enthusiasm that we know so many gay and lesbian couples will have for planning their wedding, now that they are, after a long wait, official.

BBC Radio 1 Interview with djnyc

When we meet to talk with clients about music for their event, often the first thing we notice is that they've already dejectedly decided the music they really like and want to hear won't be able to be played at their event.

It may be a designer in a fashion show thinking that the music she wants to use for her fashion line will be too ethereal a sound to keep the audience interested. Or a couple who loves moody acoustic indie pop but thinks it would be too much of a downer to play a little at their wedding Or an organizer of a corporate party who worries that the employees won’t dance because they tend to like raw Southern hip-hop and their bosses wouldn’t. Whatever the case, whatever the event, it seems this kind of unfortunate premature musical censorship is everywhere.

It often comes from a good place of common sense or consideration, like an organizer at a art opening knowing that prospective buyers might not want to hear his beloved deep cuts of ‘70s classic rock all night long. But some of our clients’ decisions that their favorite songs or genres won’t work comes not from a good place at all, but instead from having met with conventional, unimaginative DJs that tend to work for bigger, more cookie-cutter DJ companies. We’ve heard from these clients that some of these DJs have told them straight up that the only way to get a party movin’ is to play disco all night.

Whatever the reason for clients' doubts in the music they love, one of the first things we tell them – no matter what their event –  is to open up their mind, revisit their CD collection or iPod, and make their “dream list” of songs they want to hear, with no censoring allowed. Put anything in you would love to hear. Not only does it make the process of selecting music easier, but also more fun. It will get you excited about the possibilities of hearing this music, as opposed to nixing songs right away and feeling frustrated that the soundtrack to the event is already not what you would like.

Now, will all these "dream songs" end up making the cut when the event arrives? Sometimes many of them do, sometimes they don't. But what always happens is that when we see these “dream lists” and talk a bit with the client to see what music is most important to them, we can then use our experience in knowing what of these songs will work given the mood that is wanted at the event, as well as what kind of guests will be there, and what kind of structure the event will have. Then we can suggest which songs to keep, which to think about not using. For example, a pair of melancholy indie songs at the more sedate moments in a wedding can feel absolutely right and even moving. So can a set of obscure hardcore punk during the more boisterous moments of a corporate party. And even a little experimental progressive rock can enhance the feeling of an art opening, if played at the right time.

By far, many more of the songs you really want at your event then you ever think you can play are actually able to be fit in, but not only that, they can be made to add to the atmosphere of the event. But to do it, you have to begin by letting the DJ know what you really want to hear. And if that DJ looks at your list, smirks, and says something about how you can't have a party without having "the Y" on your list, well, you know the time has come to find a different DJ.

As we’ve said before on this blog, one of the best things about being a DJ in New York City and the surrounding area is that often we spin for clients who, for a number of reasons – cultural or religious background, personal style, their guests’ music tastes, or a combination of these – want a mix of music at their events that’s very unique and personalized to them. Not that this doesn’t happen to DJs in other cities; it’s just that because of the sheer number of people and cultures and attitudes living here, the new and different in New York is a asked for and expected a lot more.

You may think that these fresh and creative approaches would be expected at events we perform at, like fashion shows, cultural events for city agencies, entertainment industry “wrap” parties, and the like. But you may not think they apply to weddings as much. To many, when they think of music at a wedding, they think of the same old stale combination of songs that often boil down to a mixture of overplayed oldies, disco and a steady dose of often vapid current Top 40 hits. But we’ve found that the opposite is mostly true – the couples that we DJ for always come to us with a unique and fresh vision of the music mix they want. And while this often, yes, includes some accessible “crowd pleasers,” the overall feel of the weddings that our clients demand is one that is highly unique. This can be due to a very specific vibe that the music needs to accentuate, or a component of ethnic songs and dances, or the couple’s insistence on a dance set of more obscure, less “wedding-friendly” genres that they know their friends will love, like hardcore punk or moody indie pop.

This more personalized approach to weddings even applies to what is often the most delicate part of  a wedding – the ceremony processional. Many times couples who meet with us initially think they have to use classical songs here, as that’s what they’ve seen at weddings both in real life and on TV and in the movies. Classical for the ceremony is the default that most all tend to accept – it’s just a matter of which composer or symphony you want to choose from, right? Well, not quite. Over the years, more and more couples are coming to us – and we’re also suggesting to them – music for processionals that in different ways offer a newer, more adventurous take on this moment in the ceremony. (For more on how to add some freshness to your ceremony music in general, and not just the processional, go to our blog post on that topic here.)

These options usually either are classical versions of pop songs, or a pop or ambient electronic song itself. Now, if you are a couple who this appeals to, be careful – you still have remember that the processional songs or song is indeed a delicate and sensitive moment and the music should feel right. The couples we’ve seen use pop songs don’t just throw in any pop song – yes, they make sure it is one they like, but also that it has the correct atmosphere for the processional. And this atmosphere, regardless of the wedding, tends to generally be, not surprisingly, one of calmness and beauty. That doesn’t necessarily mean the song you choose has to be a meek, quiet song, but let’s just say the feedback and dissonance should be held to a minimum, unless it can somehow sound pretty. (Which is rare, but it can be done – current indie bands like The Raveonettes, and ones before them like My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain and the Velvet Underground all accomplished it.)

Below are three examples of songs that can freshen up the processional but still keep it friendly and even make things surprisingly pleasant for those like the grandparents who might not appreciate such non-classical sounds. The first tune, “You Are Beautiful and Amazing,” is by a new-ish group from Austin, TX called  The Candlepark Stars. From their second album Shimmer and Gold, this instrumental is comprised of not much more than piano and a shimmering, U2-ish sounding guitar playing a simple melody line and some slight variations on it. But the melody line is a such a gorgeous one that it quickly draws you into its calm, reflective mood. The repetition of the basic melody also lends itself perfectly to the rhythm of a processional. We’ve got a bride-to-be using this song as her processional for her bridal party and for herself in July, and, like me, both she and her sister were quite moved by the song. The mood of “You Are Beautiful and Amazing” elicits so much more than the sum of its parts – the song sounds dreamy, cinematic, lush, tender, and, most impressively, slightly melancholic but always uplifting.

An example of a more mainstream vocal pop song that we’ve used before for the processional moment and has felt very natural is Bjork’s “All is Full of Love.” This song begins quiet and ethereally, and then gradually and beautifully builds to a more orchestral, sweeping middle and finish, and the calm but intense repetition of the song’s title is ideal for creating a mood of dreaminess and drama that both young and older guests can appreciate.

Finally, if you want a classical feel to your processional but are in search of an original take on it, a group out of L.A. called the Vitamin String Quartet is a perfect fit for you. This group creates classical arrangements to famous pop songs, old and new. One example we especially like and have used at processionals before is their “classicalized” version of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” from their second album of tribute to the band. In addition to being a great choice for a classical arrangement since “The Scientist” has both a reflective atmosphere and an orchestral feel at its core, the great thing about this version is that for the first several seconds, before the melody comes in, guests think it’s just a pretty classical song. Then, when they recognize it, they’re pleasantly surprised that they know it as a pop song, and you can feel them wondering where in the world the couple were able to find it.

The Candlepark Stars – You Are Beautiful and Amazing

Bjork – All Is Full Of Love

Vitamin String Quartet – The Scientist