Don't Forget To Dance

February 17

Chicha Libre - Indian Summer

I recently suggested to the boss that we should have a theme week again. This time, local (wherever you may reside) unknown bands. In this case, I’ve chosen a brooklyn band that plays every Monday night at Barbes in park slope. As one youtube critic put it, “This music is like being on a canoe staring at the sunset through the forest in the Peruvian Amazon river”.

“CHICHA is the name of a corn-based liquor favored by the Incas in pre-colombian days. Chicha is also the name of a South American music craze which started out in the late 70’s in the Peruvian Amazon. Cumbias amazonicas, as they were first called, were loosely inspired by Colombian accordion-driven cumbias but soon incorporated the distinctive sounds of Andean melodies, some Cuban son, and the psychedelic sounds of surf guitars, farfisa organs and moog synthesizers.” - CantolaoTV

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August 13
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Guizado - Miragem

Yes, it’s another Brazilian band that I have thoroughly been enjoying recently. Although this tune has no “words”, it is immensely “danceable”. Think Miles Davis meets Radiohead meets drum & base meets Ocean’s 12 Sountrack (which is pretty sweet by the way). Here is what’s written on the interwebs about Guizado, a VERY little known band:

Kaleidoscope of Babylon: Push the play button, and close your eyes: slides of urban landscapes will be projected in your mind in a kaleidoscope of signs and scents of the city, and hearing will unveil the musical nuances of each code, abstract or not, from the daily São Paulo life - the thermic chaos and poetry made out of concrete, a wall of graffiti in any corner, the smell of rain on the asphalt or espresso coffee pulled right away, the ice cold beer poured in short glass, the texture of pollution that tinge the blue horizon … The music of Guizado has this cinematographic effect and his first album, “Punx,” sounds completely drunk of the noisy aura of São Paulo. From a rhythmic gear full of electronic noise, the plant lays the timbres of the background for the sentences of a trumpet almost always disturbed that yells to be heard in the midst of the collective loneliness of the metropolis.

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August 7

Curumin - Tudo Bem Malandro It’s been a while for me as well, but luckily I haven’t been tossed from the site by the admin yet…phew. So, I’ve been listening to a LOT of indie music from Brazil recently thanks to last.fm and came across a few bands that totally get me dancing. One of those bands/artists is Curumin who’s style is sometimes called samba-funk, and it incorporates many jazz, bossa nova, and hip hop elements as well. Curumin and Quannum Projects first crossed paths when Chief Xcel, one half of Blackalicious and one fifth of Quannum, was on tour in Brazil. Happening upon Achados E Perdidos while in São Paulo, Xcel knew immediately that this was a record that could resonate with audiences outside Brazil as well. Oh, and he’s playin the uke, that’s for you matt. Dance like Emilio Estevez.

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July 5

Alright, so there are only 45 minutes left until this July 4th week is officially over. After a great weekend of hanging out with a few fellow DFTD’rs this weekend (spelunking ice caves no less), I was feeling the heat for not having posted yet this week. Due to procrastination, a few of my song choices were posted before I got to them. So, I saved the best for last, The Man In Black. Enjoy.

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June 1
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“Molly” from Datarock’s album Red

So here’s the reason it’s been so long since I last posted. Here it is, this album, this song and others like such as. This has been my top played album for the last month. Datarock is a Norwegian electro rock band. A little post punk. A lot 80s. A little Talking Heads. A lot Devo. This is from their most recent album called Red. Please please, check them out. http://www.datarockmusic.com/

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April 17

Other Lives - E Minor

Yes, I am still alive and no, I have NOT retired my dancing shoes, I’m just applying a little cat string theory on my followers.

In honor of this lovely day in the BK and the freshness of spring, I am posting a song that I just heard for the first time, ohhhh about 15 minutes ago. It came highly recommended by a friend, and so far I’ve heard a few songs that I truly enjoyed. I hope you enjoy this acoustic version.

Get your hippie waltz on.

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March 16

Taraf de Haïdouks - from Tony Gatlif’s movie Latcho Drom

I figured it’s probably about time the education begins. With the recent fascination with bands like Beirut and other “balkan infused hipster indie boogie woogie hoo-has”, we need to go back to the roots…

Taraf de Haïdouks (band of outlaws) are a troupe of Romanian Roma musicians, or Gypsy musicians if you prefer the non-pc nomenclature. No, they are not young’ns that live in New York, or Seattle, or Detroit…they are a bunch of old men that live in a small village in Romania called Clejani. No, they do NOT have all of their teeth, but they still have the biggest smiles when playing their music. I know, because after I saw them at The Town Hall several years ago, the band members walked out of the side door and happily started playing on the street. The police had to shut down W. 43rd street as everyone that had just exited an amazing show was treated to a 30 minute encore outdoors, where they were free to dance to their hearts’ content.

Although not everyone may agree that this is some of the most incredible music EVER, I have to say that if this music doesn’t make you dance, perhaps you should pinch yourself to see if you still feel anything.

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March 5
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Statues


I just saw this song performed for the first time ever, on none other than the incredibly painful Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. If there’s any indie band that makes my feet spontaneously break out in dance, it is CYHSY! If there’s any late night show that makes me want to get my beauty rest, it’s Jimmy Fallon’s.

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March 4

Barbara Morgenstern - The Operator

In dedication to a certain Matt’s love of playing with barbie dolls and other things like such as. I’ll tell you what DFTDers, I have been pleasantly surprised by the Germans’ ability to make me want to dance. I found this song on shuffle on my blackberry (I know, it’s not a f#@king iPhone and takes away some “hipster points”, but keep your fedora’s on!!). I couldn’t help but jiggle in my seat on the J train going through some of the most lovely parts of Brooklyn. Jiggle away.

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March 1

The Raconteurs - Carolina Drama

I have never been a big fan of The White Stripes (although as with most bands that I’m not a “big fan of”, I probably never gave them a fair chance), but I first heard this album by The Raconteurs a few days ago and thought to myself, “this is what the white stripes would sound like if they were cool”. What a fool I was, not realizing that I was hearing the voice of Jack White.

This is a wonderful little tale, reminiscent of Rocky Raccoon, just a little more gruesome. I never realized Jack White was such a good story teller. While this song may allow you to forget to dance, it is too cool to go unmentioned.

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