Friday, August 10, 2007 | by nathan

Summer Nights #3: Su-huuuuuuummmmer Niiiiiii-hiiiiiiiights

This playlist is for the Summer Nights Party, the single best way of enjoying the company of loved ones while waiting out an apocalyptic summer. This is all music that is wonderful for parties, especially when said parties happen in a backyard, with pitchers of gin fizz and beergaritas. As ever, click on the album covers to purchase or listen.

This is quite possibly the best party CD ever; do you own it? You should own it. It’s some of the best classics of the Motown Era, remixed with crazyfunkycool hip-hop beats by some of the best DJs of the era, including King Britt, DJ Green Lantern and DJ Jazzy Jeff - yes, that DJ Jazzy Jeff. It makes me squeal with delight to hear how well these songs of yesterday stand up to - even lend themselves to - being reformed into hip-hop tracks, like they were written with that express purpose in mind. Danceable, laughable, it’ll keep your feet moving and your party guests smiling.

Another wonderful semi-mellow, very dancey record from several years back, but which holds up well against anything out today. August isn’t the time for oomph-oomph dance music; this is anything but that. It’s wonderfully upbeat, instrumental rock-hop, wonderful as background music while everyone is sitting and eating, but also fine to move around to once the beergaritas start doing their thing.

Yes, okay? I admit it; I only checked this album out because of that really stupid Geico commercial. Butcha know what? It’s a fantastic album; again, mellow, kind, unaggressive dance music that’ll afford party guests the freedom to chill out and talk or to shake their stuff - whatever they choose.

This is one that’ll start the party amping up. People will start making new drinks, finishing their food, getting a little nuts. This cabaret-rock stuff is exactly what gay people need to be listening to more of, and the Dresden Dolls are cabaret-rock at their best.

Ohhh, so it’s not that kind of party, eh? Things starting to get a little more amped up? Now the food’s all gone and you’ve just mixed up a couple more pitchers. Great! Just make sure you have a good veggie plate and some chips and dip sitting out so that people can drive home at the end of the night, and turn up the volume with stuff that’s sure to get people moving:

Dame Shirley’s new album is a wonderful mix of new and old material. The new material, including the title track, a fantastic, diva-licious reimagining of Pink’s 2001 hit, is the most fabulous thing I’ve heard in a long time, something drag queens will be doing for centuries. The first single, "The Living Tree," sounds like one of Dame Bassey’s countless Bond songs with a modern twist, but my favorite track is NorthxNWest’s remix of Dame Shirley’s 1963 hit "I Who Have Nothing." For when the cheese really gets turned up on your party, the last track is "I Will Survive."

Okay, now. I won’t hear a word spoken against Madonna; she’s as good now as she’s ever been. Possibly better. This album is great for amping up the party action a little bit, just like it’s great on the treadmill at the gym. This one is a personal favorite because it recalls so much of where Madonna came from: the post-disco era of early 1980’s New York City, where the rock kids were getting down to ABBA after their Alvin Ailey dance classes, but it also sounds current and robust. Fuck it, you know what? It’s got a beat and you can dance to it. If you’re too cool to shake your thang to a little Madge, then you might not enjoy my party.

This one is for when the party’s starting to wind down, when people are retreating to dark corners to make out, or to recover. The best way to listen to this album? Rip it to your computer, delete the dreadful, career-killing single "One of Us," and listen to the rest of the album from beginning to end. It’ll bring everyone back down to earth while still giving them a great blues-rock album to groove to, with Joan’s indelible voice grinding down their buzz like sandpaper, until it’s something smooth and they’re thanking you for a great party.

summer nights, iPod