New York DJ

A common concern that clients have for us about their playlists are questions about a songs’ lyrics or overall meaning. Often these clients think that even though a song is loved by them and/or their guests, the lyrics spoil it somehow, in that they’re too dirty, too downbeat, or are appropriate and great, but they wonder if anyone will notice them if the song is rather unknown.

In having DJ-ed the variety of events we have over the years, we can say that sometimes these concerns are valid, sometimes they aren’t, and sometimes when planning an event’s playlist we run into concerns with lyrics and song meaning that clients haven’t even thought about and we need to at least make them aware that they think about. Here’s some basic – but often not obvious – guidelines to think about when considering the impact of lyrics and meaning of songs for your event.

As far as a song’s lyrics being too dirty, unless you as the event organizer know for sure that there will be all adults there and they will not be offended by coarse lyrics, there’s really no problem. Hearing the original version of, say, an explicit classic hip hop song when your party is in its heaviest groove is quite sexy and fun for crowds. The tough thing is, clients we talk to usually will have someone attending that they figure could object to dirty lyrics, so they’ll usually choose to have us spin the clean version. Don’t worry – guests will be able to use their imagination and fill in what the “real” lyrics are.

When it comes to songs that clients believe are too downbeat in their lyrics or meaning to include at their event, we’ve found that a few don’t “kill” the vibe. Unless the song is a “showcase” song and is meant to be listened to by a crowd to inspire liveliness – like first dances at a wedding, runway songs at fashion shows, or introductions of keynote speakers at corporate events – in public, songs go by quickly, and they’re not as noticed as it would if you were listening on headphones. (In this way, a few songs sprinkled throughout an event that are festive but in a foreign language can work, too – what the guests will notice is the mood, not the lyrics.)

So, unless you want to play say, three melancholy indie pop songs in a row, or a seven-minute bittersweet vintage samba number, putting a song on the playlist that is special to you but a bit downbeat during a cocktail hour or a dinner is not going to affect an overall upbeat vibe. Just keep these downbeat songs limited,and make sure they’re kept at a reasonable three- or four-minute length. Also, there are downbeat songs that are we’ve found work surprisingly well for dancing. Many know the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by the post-punk legendary group Joy Division as a poetically-written tune about an impossible relationship, yet because the song is a classic, and because it happens to have a driving beat, it can get crowds moving – even at a wedding, when it’s the antithesis of the mood. (Just make sure it’s played later, when the crowd has has loosened up and had a few drinks.)

Other songs that clients often want to choose are favorites which have lyrics that they think will go with an upbeat vibe, but the clients aren’t sure if guests will notice or appreciate the songs since they are more obscure. We especially find this with clients in the New York City area, as they have such a varied group of cultural and musical backgrounds and therefore often come to us with all kinds of great but rather unknown gems of all genres on their playlists. If an obscure song is played as strictly background music, these clients are often right – again, people at mixer-type events are often mingling, drinking or eating, and not paying attention to the song as single-mindedly as they would in private. So, if a client really wants the song to be appreciated, we suggest making the songs a showcase – for example, if the event is an a art opening, use a special song as the background to an artists’ retrospective slideshow, or if it’s a wedding, use it as a processional for a wedding ceremony, or as a first dance song.

And lastly, regarding a song’s lyrics and meaning, we find it’s great to spin songs whose lyrics go with that portion of the event, or that have a message appropriate to the event in general. This is something that clients don’t often consider much, but done here and there it can boost the lively feel of an event, and make it feel more festive. The important thing here though is the songs should by subtle or sly references to the moment, not ones too out in the forefront, or things will feel too forced. At a corporate cocktail party, it’s great to play a vintage jazz tune about having a good time like Ray Charles “Mess Around” but it’s just lame to play BTO’s “Takin’ Care of Business.” The same goes for a wedding, in that it’s great to throw in newer pop songs like “Say Hey (I Love You)” by Michael Franti & Spearhead that puts the vibe of festiveness and romance in the air, but it’s not advised to play Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage” as it’s so obvious that it will simply appear unimaginative and lazy.

Coming next, Part 2: Melody & Mood

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.

Last Thursday, a recent nationally-syndicated interview aired that we did for NPR’s “Marketplace.” In the interview, we discuss with reporter Jeremy Hobson what makes a great retro flashback song, and how a new generation is becoming just old enough to want to hear nostalgic tunes from their childhood at the clubs, bars and events they attend  – usually after several drinks, that is. Have a look and a listen:

American Marketplace – 03/25/10

Here’s the audio of the interview (It’s a podcast, our segment starts at 23:15 elapsed):

djnyc – NPR

Well, the New Year is almost here and along with midnight kisses, champagne, and Auld Lang Syne often comes the tradition of watching the ball drop in Times Square. So with New York City in many people's mind's tonight, we thought this a perfect time to bring you a mix of great New York City songs for your events to not just feature at year-end events, but throughout the whole year.

Often at events located in or near the city, no matter what time of the year, we find that playing a few songs that reference New York in some way add an extra sentimental touch, both for those who live here or nearby, and those who have come to the event from out of the state or out of the country. The great thing about the city is that there's been so many songs in so many styles written about it, so therefore we've chosen songs are from a wide range of genres – jazz, soul, rock, folk, indie pop, reggae, hip-hop, merengue, and more. The songs are also from a wide variety of moods, some quiet, some loud, some in between, so you'll find many songs here to everything from a small dinner gathering to a huge corporate party. Many of these songs even helped define these genres they come from. Some of these are classics you've heard many times but still love and would want to hear many more times, some are newer and likely completely unfamiliar, some are only songs you want to hear when drunk, but all feature the city as a central part of the tune and capture an essence of the Big Apple in their own memorable way.

Here is the list of the songs included in the mix (arranged in a consecutive order, generally, of rising party-ability):

1. Take the "A" Train – Duke Ellington
2. Let Me Off Uptown – Mel Tormé
3. The Brooklyn Bridge – Mel Tormé
4. Manhattan – Ella Fitzgerald
5. Autumn In New York – Frank Sinatra
6. Spanish Harlem – Ben E. King
7. Brooklyn and Jamaica – Morgan Heritage
8. Take the L Train (To Brooklyn) Brooklyn Funk Essentials
9. Breakfast In NYC – Oppenheimer
10. Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed
11. Going Home – Luna
12. NYC – Interpol
13. Coney Island – Death Cab for Cutie
14. Wintering in Brooklyn – The Last Town Chorus
15. The Only Living Boy in New York – Simon & Garfunkel
16. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) Simon & Garfunkel
17. The City – Joe Purdy
18. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
19. Angel of Harlem – U2
20. New York, New York – Ryan Adams
21. Broadway – Goo Goo Dolls
22. New York City – They Might Be Giants
23. Rockaway Beach – The Ramones
24. Rockin' the Bronx – Black 47
25. Brooklyn – Mos Def
26. South Bronx – KRS-One & Boogie Down Productions
27. New York New York – Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five
28. No Sleep 'til Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
29. Brooklyn's Finest (feat. The Notorious B.I.G.) – Jay-Z
30. Big Pimpin' (feat. UGK) – Jay-Z
31. Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack
32. Native New Yorker – Odyssey
33. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) – Christopher Cross
34. New York Soul – Ray Barretto
35. Funky Broadway – Wilson Pickett
36. 110th St. & 5th Ave. – Tito Puente
37. Un Dia en New York Los Hermanos Rosario
38. Fiesta en el Bronx – Frank River
39. NYC Beat – Armand Van Helden
40. New York City Boy – Pet Shop Boys
41. I Love New York – Madonna
42. I Love NYC – Andrew W.K. 
43. New York State of Mind – Billy Joel 
44. Theme from New York, New York – Frank Sinatra

So, as Frank Sinatra sings in his famous rendition of "New York, New York," let those little town dreams melt away and go listen to the mix here.