(c) flickr/walkinline
My friend Maria spent a high school semester in Italy and now packs a bikini and a corkscrew whenever she travels “just in case.” (Just in case she comes upon a sparkling grotto full of hot Roman men and unopened Barolos, I guess.) Then there are those folks who carry beer-openers on their keychains. Well, now that it’s May and full-on party season, I propose a third accessory for traipsing about: a portable dance party.
Lest you think it’s not critically important to have a kickin’ mix prepared for your next fête, think about your single friends, and about how absurd you will look when some women start trying to jam out to Air or Phish or whatever nonsense you’ve put on and then get annoyed by its un-danceability.
So here’s my mix. I brought it to a recent party and if folks hadn’t kept re-plugging in the lights and turning down the tunes, we could have been in full swing, there. (Don’t hate on the Ginuwine. No, he’s no Biz, but he rules.) Do not start this action till 11pm (rest of country) or midnight (NYC). Trust me.
Stevie Wonder, Signed, Sealed, Delivered [your friends will perk up starting now.]
Santigold, Shove It
Phoenix, 1901
Ice cream, Muscles**
Ice cream, New Young Pony Club**
Spank Rock, Backyard Betty [uh, make sure no youngsters are around]
MGMT, Kids
Rihanna, Disturbia
Biz Markie, Just a Friend
The Cars, Shake It Up
Prince, When You Were Mine
New Order, Ceremony
Do You Remember the First Time, Pulp
Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson
Here Comes Your Man, Pixies
Lil Wayne, Mrs. Officer
Spank Rock, Shake That
Jazmine, Bust the Windows*
Sean Kingston, Beautiful Girls*
Band of Gold, Freda Payne
I Have a Boyfriend, The Chiffons
Monkey Man, The Rolling Stones
Man in the Cornershop, The Jam
MIA, Paper Planes*
Missy Elliott, Lose Control
Ginuwine, Pony
Summer Love, Justin Timberlake
Love Lockdown, Kanye
American Boy, Estelle*
Vampire Weekend, Oxford Comma
True Skool, Coldcut/ Spank Rock
The Black Kids, Dance With You
Prince, Kiss
Dance, ESG
** a little electro for my taste, but the topic rules.
* these songs may hit overplayedness this year, so if your buddies are dance music savvy, skip ’em.