New York DJ

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

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

Many of the couples that hire us to DJ their weddings in the New York City area choose us because we see eye-to-eye with them in their insistence on lowering the cookie-cutter factor and a boosting the uniqueness of their celebration. Therefore, we know that a couple’s first dance does not always have to be a schmaltzy, obnoxiously positive, or familiar song. Many couples we’ve worked with over the years have chosen subtle and obscure songs that manage to capture the joy of the moment of a first dance, but in a more unexpected way.

A song subtle in its hopeful lyrics and melody but straightforwardly beautiful all the way is Nick Drake’s “Northern Sky” from his 1970 album Bryter Layter. Now, because Drake has an image as an artist whose songs are usually melancholy acoustic tunes with wispy vocals, some might think any song of his would be silly for a first dance, even if a couple is trying to choose a tune that’s a bit more offbeat. At least the song needs to be somewhat optimistic, right?

Well, “Northern Sky” is a definite exception to the moodiness that pervades many of Drake’s songs. While the song still has a haunting quality, it’s actually not hard at all to hear its positive feel. No, it’s not going to hit you over the head with life-affirmingness like a Celine Dion hit, and no, it’s not as cuddly and coffee-house ready as a song by a contemporary acoustic artist like Jack Johnson. That said, “Northern Sky” is a strikingly pretty-sounding acoustic guitar-and-piano tune, with insightful lyrics about a person becoming open to the small wonders of life (“I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea / I never held emotion in the palm of my hand”) after meeting someone whose presence brings warmth to his bleak environment (“Now you’re here / bright in my northern sky”). While most wedding planning websites with first dance songs ideas rarely feature one offbeat song like “Northern Sky,” we’ve found, at least in the New York City area, there’s plenty of couples who crave a song like this – one that has more of a complex meaning to its happiness – for a first dance.

A memorable cover version of “Northern Sky” was released in 1991 by a little-known English band called Faith Over Reason, whose sound echoed that of female-fronted jangle-pop groups like The Sundays or Sixpence None the Richer. While still subtle, Faith Over Reason’s version of the song, from their collection Eyes Wide Smile, sounds a bit more more hopeful than Drake’s original, due to a touch of electric and slide guitars, but mostly to the innocent exuberance of singer Moira Lambert’s vocals. It almost sounds that by the end of the song she’s breaking into a smile.

Though Drake was likely referring to his cold northern skies of England in his lyrics, as a first dance this song gets an added dose of meaning for couples getting married in the New York City area (especially those those getting married in the fall and winter) because of the cold northern skies here. This might sound like a too-small detail, but we’ve found if a couple is having trouble deciding between first dance choices, sometimes it’s little sentimental things like this in a song that help them make up their minds.

Nick Drake – Northern Sky

Faith Over Reason – Northern Sky

Though indie pop and rock artists tend to have a more offbeat sound than those who dominate the mainstream pop and rock charts, one aspect of recording indie musicians have in common with even the most bland bar bands out there is having at least a couple of cover songs they like to perform. However, if an indie band or singer is at all worth its weight in quirkiness, they better well bring a memorable take on the classic (or, sometimes, more obscure) tunes they choose to play.

This iTunes mix of cover songs by indie pop artists (also included are a few bands that were called “alternative” not so long ago) contains unexpected but yet fun and accessible takes on a wide range of mostly well-known songs that can do a lot to enliven many kinds of events. These covers will hopefully leaving you remembering them when you come across the original the next time – which is perhaps the best sign of a great cover.

This mix includes indie bands and singers not only performing a diverse selection of song genres, but also doing covers that are performed in a large variety of musical styles. As far as genres, there’s jazz standards (Over the Rhine’s crisp, smoky take on “My Funny Valentine”), bluesy soul (Feist speeding up Nina Simone's famous version of the song "See Line Woman" and changing the title to "Sea Lion Woman"), ‘80s pop favorites (“In Your Eyes” is given a strikingly pretty stripped-down treatment by Matt Ketteman and Cameron Mizell), innocent girl-group '60s pop made a bit badass (The Raveonettes’ sweet yet more raw version of “My Boyfriend's Back”), and even well-known indie songs from several years ago (“Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service is done by Iron & Wine in its usual hushed, acoustic folk style).

As far as musical styles, the artists here are all over the place – here, a good thing – in their approach to interpreting their cover songs. There’s some once-popular but now-forgotten songs that are pleasantly resurrected (“Holiday Road” from the ‘80s film National Lampoon’s Vacation, made shimmering and pretty and completely "de-cornified" by Matt Pond PA), electronic pop re-imagined with gentle acoustic treatments (“Take On Me” as done by A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers), classic rock performed with a danceable electro beat (Scissor Sisters’ version of “Comfortably Numb”), ‘80s hard rock given a sleek electro-samba feel (Sixth Finger’s take on Guns ‘n’ Roses’ “Patience”), and dancier tunes downshifted into unlikely but lovely ethereal dreaminess (David Bowie’s “Modern Love” as done by The Last Town Chorus).

The great thing about well-done cover songs – whether by indie artists or others – is that they can be played at so many kinds of events, and they can be played at almost any time during events which have different components that call for different energy, such as fashion shows, corporate parties and weddings. We’ve found in our years of experience DJ-ing throughout the city and the metropolitan area that covers are great to play because they offer both the familiar and the unfamiliar at the same time – your guests get something new and fresh, but built on a tune to which they know the beat or lyrics. Hearing a well-chosen cover song done in a fun style adds a playful touch to background-music atmosphere that can boost the energy of guest arrivals, cocktail hours and dinners without being too overpowering, or calling too much attention away from the conversation. And some of the songs in this mix can even be placed into a dancing set to add a rather un-risky fresh surprise into a group of songs of an appropriate genre or style of music your guests are dancing to at the time. As for smaller events like dinner parties or barbecues, playing a few of these songs here and there is almost sure to kick-start a few conversations, or even turn your guests onto new indie bands.

The first half of the mix contains mostly bouncy acoustic songs that would work well when guests are just getting to your event or having some cocktails, as well as faster songs that have a more electronic feel and can be used for dancing. The last half of the mix features more sentimental and/or quieter music, appropriate for dinner or smaller, more intimate gatherings.

Many of you might be fans of the indie bands on this mix, but you might not have heard these covers, simply because many times covers are left off of albums in favor of original songs, or because the covers were recorded for tribute compilations or were featured on movie soundtracks. Hopefully you’ll find some songs here you didn’t know existed from bands you like, and also be able to use some of those songs for events you’re planning, or for events for which you want to contribute to the music playlist.

Listen to the mix here.