Who's in the mood to dance? I am.

I've been pondering how to start this blog, and I finally decided to put aside the question of "am I important/knowledgeable/interesting/sexy enough to blog about music?" and just start writing about things I like. So here we go. [Note: no need to answer the question above...I'll figure it out eventually.]

So this week I've been listening pretty much non-stop to music that would make me want to dance, if I was the type of person (I'm not) who would ever actually get up and start dancing to music that made me want to do so. The good news for my pride is that despite the killer beats, the 2 songs that have been making me the most dance-crazy (I believe the Brazilians call this "lambada on the brain") are both by indie rock bands! Phew. My street cred almost took a serious hit there.

So, do you need some cheering up? Are you ready to start this party while you rock that body? If so, start with "One Pure Thought" by Hot Chip, off their album "Made In The Dark." Ignore the opening 32 bars or so, that mopiness is just to rope in the indie kids. Once you're roped in, keep an eye on your feet. If they start tapping spontaneously, you're listening to it right. At around 49 seconds in, they drop one of the catchiest, most repetitive choruses I've heard since the Macarena (which they actually reference at about 1:29). I find it's nearly impossible to stay in a bad mood when I'm listening to this song. I'll leave it to Pitchfork to tell you why the album is great or terrible or why you would be so much cooler if you'd been listening to them for 5 years already and how they've already peaked and how really if you like them you should know they're just ripping off these 8 bands you've never heard of, and just say that I think this album is great. This song in particular is a blast, and I defy you not to turn that frown upside-down by the time it's over.

Still in a funk? Life got you down? Depressed that Kucinich, Edwards,
Never stop in the middle of a ho-down!Richardson, and all your other "you're voting for who?" candidates are out of the race? Try this on for size: "No Satisfaction" by Black Mountain, off their 2005 album "Black Mountain." This song makes me want to dance, but more in a ho-down kind of way. Not like "G's up, ho's down," more like Lisa Simpson blowing into the mouth of a liquor jug. I mean, check out the beard on that one dude. You know he knows how to trap a raccoon and fry it up with a side of moonshine. And even if he doesn't, that's OK because his band is awesome. While you're here, check out track 1, "Modern Music," to hear the best song that Lou Reed never wrote. For some reason this one makes me want to dance too, and even sing along. Maybe it's just me, but this shit cheers me up like a cupcake in a rainstorm. [Editor's note: wtf does that mean?]

Do we have time for one more? OK, my producer's telling me that we do. So let's talk about LCD Soundsystem. After winning me over a few years back with the brilliant track "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House," I promptly forgot about them for the next several years. That is, until Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2007 featured 2 awesome songs from their latest album. My personal favorite is "All My Friends." Though "Someone Great" is also fantastic, if a bit more of a downer. They both feature something I love in music, which is a droning repetetive background that never really varies (no, I'm serious). Underworld made me a fan through this technique. Maybe it's my brain chemistry, but I just find that sort of thing simultaneously relaxing and stimulating, like a massage chair.

Anyhoo, that's all for now. Thanks for reading/listening/whatever. Before you go, take a moment and post a comment about what makes you dance. What do you listen to that just makes you move your feet, bob your head rhythmically, and occasionally jump up and down?


Amanda said...

Songs that make me dance (most of which are decidedly uncool):

-Chunari Chunari from the Monsoon Wedding soundtrack
-Pop by N'Sync
-Butterfly by Crazy Town
-So Pure by Alanis Morissette

John Das Binky said...

I only dance to songs by REM. Finest Worksong be rockin.

Lucy has memorized most of the first verse of End of the World as We Know It, and it developing her own pre-ballet coreography to it. It's bizarre.

I'll also nominate Spice Girls and Fountains of Wayne as bands with tracks I dance too. Oooh, and Meatloaf!

As you know, I am also a "by god I'm not going to dance unless you make me" type, but I've also discovered that when I'm holding a guitar, 3 beers is the threshold at which I become the Lambada Meister. Much to our lead singer's dismay.

Unknown said...

I'll only dance if you play some music with any sort of vaguely-dancable beat. But of that music, the ones I've been listening to lately:

* Solta o Frango by Bonde do Role - It's Brazilian!
* Swimming Pools by Thao - c'mon, you know you want to listen to her.
* About half of Kala by M.I.A., particularly Boyz.
* Anything that Timbaland has produced, co-produced, co-performed, looked at, etc.
* Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves - just for good measure. I love that song.