Summer Dance Jams

I'm not sure what it is about the summer, but this time of year the only way I feel comfortable doing chores or barbecuing in the back yard is with some serious dance jams on in the background. Here are three of my recent favorite albums for movin' and groovin', guaranteed to make you forget you're scrubbing the toilet or mowing the lawn.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The first track, Lisztomania, is such sweet sunshiny goodness, I heard when Kevin Bacon heard it, he stopped what he was doing, kicked his car and just broke out dancing right there in the middle of a field...wait...that was, nevermind.

Anyway, it starts there keeps on going until track 4, Love Like a Sunset (Parts I & II), where it slows down a little bit, giving you some time to catch your breath. Lasso follows that though, and brings the bpm back up and continues through the final song.

Matt & Kim - Grand

I met Matt & Kim at the Doug Fir a couple of years ago when they were opening for somebody (Whoever it was couldn't have been that good, cuz I remember Matt & Kim, but not them). They're a super energetic duo with Kim rocking (and I mean rocking) the drums and Matt on the keyboard and running some digital loops.

I'd forgotten about them for a while until the other night I was watching tv and caught a voice I recognized on a Bacardi commercial. Sure enough, it was Matt of Matt & Kim. The song was Daylight, and it's track 1 on their new album. This might be a little too experimental for some folks out there, but I promise if you give it a chance, you'll be glad you did.

PS - they'll be playing the Hawthorn Theater on September 2nd and I'm definitely going to put my dancing shoes on and check it out (a sight not too be missed, I assure you).

Discovery - LP

The keyboardist from Vampire Weekend and a guy who plays something in Ra Ra Riot put together a sound that's a mix between techno, today's R & B hits and something else I can't really figure out. I like it! It's like if the Postal Service added T-Pain (of "I'm on a Boat" fame, for all of you non hip-hop peeps out there) to the production crew.

If Matt & Kim was a little too much discovery for you, Discovery will be way too much...but c'mon folks, let's get outside of our comfort zones a little here and get our groove on!!!