Sophomore Disc Jockey!

"Gut Feeling"—Devo

Easy to know my reason for this—your opener track has to be killer. You also have to be into it, and if it's a performance, you want to get people a little pumped! If you're into it, they're into it! And I'm really into Devo.

"Heart of Glass"—Blondie

Like I said, if you're into it...they're into it! And I'm also really into Blondie plus Heart of Glass is both a post-punk disco classic and really fits with Devo as the starting track.

"Running Up That Hill"—Chromatics

It was this song's year (but boy boy boy I have so much to say about Hounds of Love) but I wouldn't be honest if I said that the original was the first version I heard. No, it was Chromatic's "Running Up That Hill" I first heard, and it had become an ex's favorite song...so in my head, I showed him the song, but to make it less intimate (don't break my heart) I shared it with everyone at the fair instead.

"Under Your Spell"—Desire

A great side B to Chromatics is Desire. They are, what do they call it...yes, label mates! It allows me to bring the mood to a more somber yet still danceable beat plus the lyrics are some of my favorite:

Do you think this feeling could last forever?

You mean like forever ever?

Forever ever

Forever ever

Forever ever

Sure

God, I hope so

Me too

"Disconexion (Spanish)"— La Femme

it's always La Femme time up in this bitch.

ALSO WE ARE SPEEDING UP THE BEAT...AND GOING INTO OUR NATURAL GENRE: le french music. 

"She Brings the Rain"—Ruth

Ruth's Polaroid//Roman//Photo is one I've known to play but also recently acquired the vinyl of the entire album and have become a frequent listener of this song. It's my cool kid ace in the hole. 

"Progress"—Stars

I feel to have two stars vinyls and not use on a live show is just...a disservice to Star, baroque pop incarnate. I love progress; it's like a love song for the entire world.

"Game and Performance"—Deux

Deux is a classic coldwave/post-punk dance band that that inner francophile just adores, and sometimes I get awfully melancholic about it. "Game and Performance" is a dance song that's aggressive, challenging, and also somewhat raw.

"Polaroid/Roman/Photo"—Ruth

I'm allowed more than one sing per artist...sorry.

"When I'm Small"—Phantogram

Again, throwing back to the indie dance days of early 00s to late 2000s. This one is nice because it's another melancholic dance song which allows me to segue into...

"Black Cat"—Broadcast

I had just adopted my cat, so this was for her, but also for me..."Black Cat" was the first song I heard by Broadcast, a hauntology-psychedelic-dream-popsicle of a beautiful band. 

"Smalltown Boy"—Bronski Beat

My swan song after Q club shootings. It kept skipping. It kept SKIPPING. Go listen to this then comeback.

"Walking in LA"—Missing Persons

A perfect side A for "Smalltown Boy" and maybe a little funny to end the set, but like "Gut Feeling", the closer has to be as deliberately picked like the opener. I picked this one as a little shout-out to my friend who likes walking, lived in LA, and I think it's an 80s song that gets played enough to be recognized but not too much that's overplayed.

xoxo