Lately, because I’ve been home a lot during the day, I’ve actually been going out a lot in the evenings – usually to free things, like lectures, because I’m trying to save up cash for my impending departure to grad school. (I won’t dwell on this, but about me: yeah, am still working for the soon to be ex-employer into the summer, but have managed to secure myself a funded space in a masters’ program in Canada in the fall. So off I go. I’m not thrilled about leaving New York, which feels like it’s the love of my life, but I’ll certainly be happier having more time getting writing off the ground.)
But the funny thing about that is that when 5 or 6 p.m. rolls around, and it’s time for me to start getting ready, some kind of evening nesting impulse kicks in and I often have to fight the impulse to just stay home and watch television. So I’ve turned to a college time-tested energy-raising strategy: going-out music. You know, something you might dance alone in your apartment to, goofily, as you awkwardly throw mascara on lest you offend people at the event you’re attending with a less-than-one-hundred-percent beauty-2.0-compliant appearance.
So here are a few favourites of mine for this purpose – please link to others, or even just name them, in the comments! I’m always looking for new tracks to add to my “Get Off Your Ass” iPod playlist. I don’t claim to have any real taste in music – I hate music snobbery, and can’t abide much music criticism, but that’s probably because I know they’d all consider me to have no taste whatsoever. So I’m wary of wading into this territory. But I guess haters gonna hate.
First up is always Hedwig – and if you haven’t seen this movie, get thee to Netflix post-haste:
I don’t really like the sound of most Top 40 pop music, but here’s a version of “Single Ladies” I can get behind:
Rilo Kiley is one of those bands I feel like I liked before everyone else did. Here’s one of their less common tracks:
I’m convinced the Stars wrote this about me and my Transfuckingformers ex:
Add your own guys!
Hm. I always liked 90s era gangsta rap to get me ready for a night out.
-Aint Nuthin But a G Thang
-Gin and Juice
-California
are some favorites…
THE FRUG! Thanks, Harpies, for the perfect musical start to the weekend (it’s 5:30 pm here now
).
Head Automatica – “Beating Heart Baby”
And for my 8 year old self that used to bust out moves on my front yard to this:
Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
Saving Jane! Either album (Girl Next Door or One Girl Revolution). One Girl Revolution is full of Kiss My Ass music too.
Here are a few of my fave going out songs/bands/CDs:
Me Gustas Tu – Manu Chao
Anything by Rebirth Brass Band
John Boutte’s Jambalaya CD
Suavemente (actually, that’s currently my cellphone ringtone!)
Thievery Corp – esp. Lebanese Blonde
Ozomatli’s eponymous CD
Girl-Power music (for going on a date, interview, etc.):
Bitch – Meredith Brooks
Don’t Call Me Baby – Madison Avenue
I’m with bluebears. Rap all the way. My current favorite is “Breathe In, Breathe Out” by Kanye & Ludacris.
Also, Prince has excellent going-out jams that are suitable for every occasion. Sexytime date? “Darling Nikki”.
Wild party? “Let’s Go Crazy”.
Wild sexytime party? “Gett Off.”
“Wig in a box”!!!! first, last and always.
And then some Manu Chao.
Congrats on grad school plans!
Hi. I’m a lurker. And male. And older than you. So our tastes may not match.
But for me, nothing beats “Mdlwembe”, the theme song from the movie Tsotsi.
Also “U Don’t Know Me” by Basement Jaxx, though the latter might be because of the video of the Queen rampaging through London.
I saw this little dude live, and he’s awesome. Think Beck meets Dudley Moore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boIOY5HjbFM
…and pretty much anything by Gorillaz.
I like “Out Tonight” from Rent. Also, “Here We Go” by NSync is the perfect Friday morning song. And, of course, “This is How we Do It” by Montell Williams.(?)
Can you tell I’m a child of the 90′s?
Does anyone remember To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar? At the beginning of the movie Patrick Swayze puts on “I am the Body Beautiful” by Salt n Pepa as he gets ready for a drag show. I love that song for getting ready. Also, anything by Gogol Bordello.
@Becky: oh that Ludacris/Kanya song is amazing.
aaaaand I of course meant Kanye. Don’t write an all-caps screed about it Kanye! I know your name, it was just a typo.
Congratulations on grad school, PSoul!
I’m all about Lady Gaga for going out music at the moment.
Elvis Costello is one of my favorite singers ever, so sometimes I’ll bust out some of his faster stuff too (Oliver’s Army, Radio Radio, Pump it Up, Less Than Zero, Mystery Dance), even though it’s not about going-out-type things.
Oh, and Blondie.
Addendum: that being said, this is the first Friday in a while I’m not going out, and I am SO JAZZED to be able to hang out, eat PB&J for dinner, watch the Daily Show online, eat some m&ms, and read me some Thomas Hardy. Sometimes you need those really lazy nights…
I have a streak of music snobbery, thanks in large part to The Dude, but Getting Ready Music banishes snobbery.
ABBA, Madonna, 80s pop collections of one-hit-wonders… I don’t own a lot of pop music, but YouTube and Pandora and such fill in the gaps.
Becky, I wish I still lived in the US and could force you to hang out with me and get ready to Prince. He has been my #1 since 4th grade when my choreography to Cream won me second prize in the school talent contest. I know, totally appropriate for a 10 year old right?
I also like to listen to Lil Kim while getting dolled up, because it reminds me of being young and hot and in college.
Sadly I no longer get to go out so have no idea what music I would play…
Only joking although equally sadly I’m currently spending a lot of time getting ready to go out to Fairport Convention because personally I find that nothing says I’m going to have a wild and crazy time tonight like a bunch of old electro-folk English hippies from the sixties. But that’s probably just me.
@JD: Our getting-ready music would consist of the following:
Sexy motherfucker shaking that ass!
Shaking that ass!
Shaking that ass!
(horns)
Sexy motherfucker shaking that ass!
Shaking that ass!
Shaking that ass!
@emilyanne: Richard Thompson rules! I know he’s not been in the band for a very long time, but he does do an occasional gig with them, doesn’t he?
I like Prince’s “Seven.”
But also, all Prince, ever.
I also really like 90s music. I have a “Dancey Dancey” playlist that I occasionally listen to that includes such hits as “Da Dip,” “Caress me Down,” “Where My Girls At,” and lots of TLC, Salt n Peppa, and Aaliyah.
This is my favorite Aaliyah, even though most people find the crying baby in the background really creepy.
I really enjoy Sublime.
And I like 90s angry girl music, like “You Oughta Know.” I find that it energizes me, and also prepares me to Be The Bitch that I inevitably need to be (if I’m going out to bars where there will be Men who Want To Talk To Me).
Oh boy, I hope all these embeddings work.
I like a lot of Top 40 stuff (T-Pain!!!) and remixes of Top 40 stuff (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMo5xY4EyZQ) but in the interests of a wider audience, I suggest Bollywood music, especially the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzs1ZoLzwMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwGyI6u_TOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKg50oEdiOk
My dad turned me on to this duo called Rodrigo y Gabriela, who have an awesome upbeat song called Tamacun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=polSjiYQf68
And, just for you, Becky: Amanda at The Sexist posted this today and I’ve listened to it like 10 times so far: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s75WIkQBYzk
Do The Rump by The Black Keys!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=789hicMCwVU
@baraqiel: I totally love that!
This is tot-ally dated, but I love Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke. (It’s gotta be the original, though, with those amazing horns.) That song always gets me off the computer and excited to head out.
@mischiefmanager, he does indeed both rule and still play with them. I love him.
In the video above of “Single Ladies,” she sings, “Don’t make me sing this part of the song, the lyrics are so bad, so we’re going to skip ahead to the single ladies part instead.” Loved it!