New York DJ

Along with champagne, the countdown, and kisses at midnight, a staple of New Year’s Eve celebration is hearing or singing the song “Auld Lang Syne.” Over the years many singers, bands, and probably many a bad cover band playing a New Year’s Eve gig  have tried to update the sound of the song by grafting onto it a modern style like jazz, rock, hip-hop, and many more.

But in the past several years, two artists put a really unique and striking twist on this old holiday staple, and they did it by being old school about the style – really old school, in that they recorded the song much like it was performed when it was written in the late eighteenth century by Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Each of these recent versions have kept the original melody (the poem was originally set to one), most of the original lyrics, and have given the song minimal instrumentation. Both arrangements are quite elegant and beautiful, and each brings out the melancholy of the poem more than typical more modern renditions of “Auld Lang Syne.” But also, because of the unusual sounds of the old English words and the near-acapella of the vocals in these two versions, there’s a cozy, storytelling-around-a-campfire quality to them that’s hard to not to like – whether you’re at a small dinner party or at a huge New Year’s Eve bash and decide to suddenly cut the high-energy party anthems for a moment at midnight and play one of these songs.

The first version, by Mairi Cambpell and David Francis (together calling themselves The Cast), from their album The Winnowing, was originally recorded in 1993 and in 2008 gained some popularity by being featured in the movie version of Sex and the City. This version features the more authentic and imtimate feel, from using only a simple acoustic guitar over Campbell’s vocals to not altering any of the words for modern ears.

The second version, by popular (but sadly rather unheard of in the U.S.) Scottish singer Eddi Reader, and is from her 2004 album Eddi Reader Sings the Songs of Robert Burns. This version is a bit more user-friendly in that it alters a few words of the poem for easier understanding, and also gives the tune a more sweeping, cinematic touch, due to Reader’s lush voice and to the violins that build throughout.

Have a listen to both below, and, because this song often confuses the heck out of people, here’s the rough modern English translation (the chorus is sung after each verse, and the title basically means “for old time‘s sake”):

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup
and surely I’ll buy mine
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
                                                               
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend
And give us a hand o’ thine
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

Mairi Campbell & Dave Francis – Auld Lang Syne

Eddi Reader – Auld Lang Syne

When the usual stable of Christmas pop songs are dusted off and hauled back out to the world around early November, many people complain they’re sick of hearing these same tunes over and over on the radio, in stores and at holiday parties. But when it comes to making a playlist for a Christmas party, most of us will simply throw on the radio stations that play this (at times) mind-numbing mix of Christmas classics, or we’ll make a mix CD that may include a few lesser-played or quirky Christmas songs but overall mostly contains the familiar takes of singers from Sinatra to Diana Krall on “Silver Bells,” “Let it Snow,” “Silent Night” and the like.

It’s understandable – at a Christmas party it’s hard to be a music snob. As a host, it makes sense to give your guests a fun atmosphere that’s accessible and upbeat, and, unless it’s an announced “theme” Christmas party involving a more offbeat selection of music, too much sad acoustic indie-pop or experimental noise-rock covers of Christmas songs might not add to the festiveness much, or could take away from it. And new Christmas songs, of whatever genre or style, rarely tend to be memorable, at least in a good way.

An exception to this rule that can add a little freshness to your Christmas party music playlist is the album Snow Angels by the alt-countryish band Over the Rhine. (We’re a big fan of theirs, go here for a post I did about a great song from an older album of theirs that can be used for a first dance at a wedding, or just in general as a nice addition to a wedding dinner music playlist.)

On Snow Angels, first released in late 2006, Over the Rhine has created a sturdy, cozy collection of jazzy, acoustic, and slightly bluesy pop songs about Christmas and/or winter that feel impressively like covers of classic Christmas songs but are all (save for a few actual covers) their own. There’s striking melodies of all moods in their original songs, from the melancholy remembrances of “Snow Angel” to the playful sweetness of “Snowed in With You” to the sultry slow-burn of “North Pole Man.” All these tunes, too, have lyrics that take a cue from American Songbook pop standards in that they’re sentimental without being treacly. Also, the production is clean but always kept simple and not too polished – much like vintage mid-century holiday classics – and the versatility of singer Karin Bergquist’s warm voice is able to convincingly sell the feel of the songs, whether they’re concerned with longing, promise, sexiness, playfulness, or anything else.

Of all these great songs, though, the standout is “(Darlin’) Christmas is Coming.” With its old radio-like echo of the word “darlin’” throughout, its gently bouncing verses rising into a sweetly soaring chorus, and its inclusion of charming lyrical detail like the ringing of Salvation Army bells, or beautiful images like snow “falling like forgiveness from the sky,” this is a tune that does a most difficult thing – it connects with the spirit of those long-ago Christmas classics but doesn’t sound at all derivative of them. I think Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby would be impressed.

Unfortunately, because there only seems to be room for superstar artists’ covers these days when it comes to new Christmas music being heard by the general public, this song will probably never reach a wide audience and become the classic it should be. So if you like it, help it out a little and let the world know about it.

Over the Rhine – (Darlin’) Christmas is Coming

Over the past few years, we’ve noticed that some clients whose events we’ve been hired to perform at during the holiday season are telling us to not just abstain from playing Christmas music, but to not play any holiday-themed music whatsoever. The reason for this is a well-intentioned one – clients are being more sensitive to those guests who do not celebrate Christmas. While most of the events that I am referring to have been corporate parties, some have been weddings, too.

Now, I'm not some grouch who spouts negative grandiosities like "Christmas is under attack in America," or thinks that Christmas music always should be played at holiday parties and those who are bothered by Nat “King” Cole singing “The Christmas Song” should just zip their lips and let everyone else enjoy hearing about the damn chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I’ve said many times in this blog that one of the best things about DJ-ing in New York City is how it exposes you to so much great music of other cultures, and this makes me get to know those other cultures a bit. And I’ve found that with only a little more familiarity comes a lot more appreciation. When you preview and get to know a client’s Arabic or Panjabi or Korean song requests before an event, and then see when you play them at the event how the songs make the crowd so happy and euphoric, or witness the special or intricate dances that the guests will often perform to the songs, these other cultures become less of a stranger, and, at least to me, something you come to enjoy and care about more.

That said, playing absolutely no holiday music at a wintertime party whatsoever – like even banning songs simply about snow, such as “Winter Wonderland” – can often make guests feel there’s something missing. At events where we’ve been told to not play any holiday songs, guests have approached us and asked when we’re going to bust them out. When we tell them we're not allowed to, these guests either look baffled or a bit angry. And these aren’t all people who want Christmas songs; some just want a few "wintery" songs sprinkled throughout the party, like the jazz standards "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” or "Baby, it’s Cold Outside."

So, to help you acknowledge the time of year but also be sensitive to those who celebrate traditions other than Christmas, here’s a few suggestions:

1) Play Winter Songs, Not Christmas Songs – There's a lot more of these than you think out there, like "Let it Snow," and the aforementioned songs "Winter Wonderland," "Ive Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," and "Baby it's Cold Outside." These songs are jazzy classics that most everyone knows, and if you think they're too tired and familiar, all you need to do is go to iTunes to see that these songs are also performed by many different artists, and often played in many different styles other than the jazz vocal style, such as reggae, soul, indie pop, and even electronica-ish DJ remixes. I've recently put together a mix of songs on iTunes that showcases some of these alternate versions of winter songs. To hear the mix, go here.

2) Ask Your Guests How they Feel About a Few Christmas Songs – If there's only a few of your guests that coming that don't celebrate Christmas, just simply ask them if they mind if a few Christmas songs are played. Holiday parties don't mean Christmas or holiday-themed music is going to be played constantly – that would sickening, and many of those who do celebrate Christmas don't want to hear more Christmas music then they already are bombarded with during the season. The trick here is to be friendly and open about the way you ask. Don't imply a judgment or a negative consequence by asking something like, "Hey, you're not going to spoil the party for everyone and be a real drag and object to a few harmless Christmas songs, are you?" Ask the question in a more neutral way, like "What do you think if a few Christmas songs are played during the party?"

3) Make It a Multi-Cultural Holiday Party – If you know there are more than a few guests from other cultures coming to the event, why not ask if all guests are up for a party that includes a bit of Christmas music, but also music from other holiday traditions that those from these other cultures celebrate. Then you're turning hoilday-themed music – which many clients see as a potnetial alienating element to the party – into one that can become an interesting, educational, and even bonding experience. True, the bonding might be over how both Kwanzaa songs and Christmas songs remind guests of wintertime visits to their annoying relatives homes, but, hey, it's a start.

It’s a few days after Thanksgiving, and, like most everywhere else in the country, in New York City the usual Christmas songs are starting to be played at establishments everywhere there's a sound system, from the tiny bodegas to the biggest department stores.

We know there’s plenty of you out there who don’t want to hear that same old, one-size-fits-all mainstream radio template of holiday songs that essentially boils down to a heavy dose of mid-century crooners with a splash of Paul McCartney or Mariah Carey thrown in now and then. So, we’ve put together an iTunes mix of about 40 excellent Christmas songs, most of which you likely haven’t heard at all. While some of these tunes are traditional Christmas songs that have been covered by newer artists and others are original Christmas songs that have received little or no mainstream radio airplay, taken together, all these songs cover a very  wide range of genres. The only criteria for the mix was that the songs be memorably well-performed, rather unfamiliar or underplayed, but also accessible. In other words, this mix is comprised of music you might hear at a party where the DJ is playing fresh Christmas songs to satisfy all kinds of musical tastes.

To that end, we’ve arranged the mix like you’re arriving at the start of a party: We begin with some ambient tunes, then things pick up from there, building intensity as we move through alt-country, indie pop, loungey electronica, jazz, soul, reggae, soca, salsa, meringue, Latin pop, hip-hop, and rock. Hopefully, after you’ve listened to the mix, you’ll feel good that there’s a lot of fresh Christmas music out there of many styles, and by artists you might not have known had risked potential embarrassment to record Christmas songs!

Some highlights of the mix include the Cocteau Twins' dreamy take on "Frosty the Snowman," which manages the difficult task of sounding ethereal and otherworldly while remaining faithful to the song's simple melody; a remixed version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" that uses thick beats and well-placed horn samples to do a great job of sexing up this often-played song (featured on the album Merry Mixmas that's pictured); and Soca General's "Santa Bring de Soca," a quick, happy burst of tropical-sounding festiveness that will surely get you to look for a place to put your winter coat if you hear the song while anywhere near a dance floor.

So, throw some of the songs from this mix on your iPod, and you might even be able to get through the whole season without even hearing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

You can listen to the mix here.