might be the quintessential New York act these days. An eight headed collective – led by the producers and DJs Daniel Colls and Sean Marquand – that melds the sounds of prog rock revivalism, proto disco, psychedelica, soul rave-ups and the occasional hand clap into a heady mix that transports the heritage of the Big Apple’s dancing days into the here and now.
D: It’s the version I heard way before I had even heard of Big Star. My friend’s older brother had that first Squire album, the one with «It's A Mod Mod World». It was heavy stuff to us at the time. Whatever happened to Squire, by the way?
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
S: My bus driver in 1st grade would sing along with it. Later I realized it didn’t have a vocal chorus. What a huge step (or misstep?) for pop music.
best Beatles song
The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry
S: Or the entire second side of Abbey Road? I don’t know.
best concert you ever attended
Crash Worship
S: Crash Worship is my favorite ever. Roman candles aimed at the audience, a band wearing only white powder, a sousaphone bell connected to an electric guitar, and a bunch of red wine poured over the audience. It was a descent into hell.
Daft Punk
D: At Coney Island, summer of 2007. Without question.
your boozed up anthem
Dexys Midnight Runners - Tell Me When My Light Turns To Green
D: I’m gonna go with «Tell Me When My Light Turns To Green». It’s not like I put that on every time I get drunk, but it is great, and it wouldn’t really fit as an answer to any of these other questions.
a song guaranteed to make you feel depressed
Lulu Santos - Hey Hey, My My
S: This has made me cry countless times.
record you were looking for the longest
João Donato - Quem é Quem
S: I still don't have a copy. AND it’s one of my favorite albums ever.
a record you fell in love to
Donna Summer - I Feel Love
S: I was convinced it was a new song and it sounded like the love I was feeling for a girl I was dating. I played it for her and she thought it was just okay. The relationship was doomed.
first record you remember
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
S: When I was little I was really bummed that the record didn’t have a spoken story. The images in the album were so incredible and perfect for a child and the fact that it was just music really disappointed me. But as a consequence of having this be my first album, «Blue Jay Way» is not a throwaway song for me as it is for many a Beatles fan. It’s actually one of my favorites.
the song to be played at your funeral
Derek Warne - Comes The Cajun
D: I actually had one ready for this. «Comes The Cajun». It’s this obscure sound library piece I found on a Trunk compilation.
a song that evokes the greatest summer of your life
Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer
S: I was 12! The song seemed to really stick though because I remember hearing the song at a church sleep over where a girl surprised me in the middle of the night when she got into my sleeping bag with me. Jr. High scandal!
Little Sister - Somebody's Watching You
D
your guilty pleasure song
Britney Spears - Toxic
S: This is incredible. I don’t feel too guilty about it though.
your ultimate heartbreak song
The Nazz - Hello It's Me
D: I would have to say «Hello It’s Me». It’s way more fragile and plaintive than Rundgren’s later solo version.
perfect anthem for New York
Joe Bataan - Special Girl
D: I have this feeling he was singing about this city as much as he was singing about any woman.
People's Choice - Do It Any Way You Wanna
Dillinger - Cocaine In My Brain
S: It really reminds me of «Do it Any Way You Wanna» by People’s Choice.
your party anthem
Todd Terje - Eurodans
D
first record you bought
ELO & Olivia Newton John - Xanadu
S: The «Xanadu» Soundtrack. The photo of her on the back elongates her legs to cartoonish extremes. I stared at that one forever.
The Selecter - On My Radio
D: «This Are Two Tone». It’s this great compilation that has The Specials and The Selecter and even Madness and The Beat, while they were briefly associated with that label. Life changing stuff. I was 12. I still have it around here somewhere. «On My Radio» by The Selecter is still one of my favorite left-field disco cuts.
a song you would use as a ring-tone
Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
S: The phased out bridge from «Life’s Been Good To Me So Far» by Joe Walsh. Runner up: the intro to «Benny And The Jets» by Elton John.
Elton John - Bennie And The Jets
S: The phased out bridge from «Life’s Been Good To Me So Far». Runner up: the intro to «Bennie And The Jets» by Elton John.
Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love
D: I had this old phone that had these great digital instrumental versions of «Genius Of Love» by Tom Tom Club and «Good Times» by Chic. It got to the point where I didn’t want to answer my phone because it sounded so good. Later on, the phone eventually broke and I tried to download the same ringers to my new phone, but it just wasn’t the same.
Chic - Good Times
D: I had this old phone that had these great digital instrumental versions of «Genius Of Love» and «Good Times». It got to the point where I didn’t want to answer my phone because it sounded so good. Later on, the phone eventually broke and I tried to download the same ringers to my new phone, but it just wasn’t the same.
your sunday morning song
João Gilberto - Undiu
S
a song you wish you'd written yourself
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown
S
Questions answered by: Sean Marquand (S) and Daniel Collas (D)
Mystery Jets
you have to spend a night in a spooky hotel? Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat
are finally back. After their very promising debut they took some time to come back with an album that finally shows the full potential of what Johnny Jewel & co is capable of. Where «In The City» left off ...