Autostraddle Roundtable: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

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jess-rothschild-iconINTERN JESSn7

Blackstreet, “No Diggity” The first drag king troupe I saw choreographed a whole routine that ended with this song and it was the slickest.thing.ever.
Salt & Pepa, “Push It” I’m a child of the 80s. Alice Pieszecki. Do the math. Also, is it me, or is this song in perpetual rotation at gay bars in nyc?

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ROBIN:

Number One Classic that I Always Forget About But When I Hear It I Get So Happy I Want to Cry Song.

I Ran(So Far Away) – A Flock of Seagulls: I have a lot of memories associated with this song, some awesome and some just weird. For sure, I heart the 80s. This song came out in 1981 which happens to be the year of my birth. This reminds me of my friends from Ithaca College, it reminds me of driving across California that week with a Republican dude in the Coast Guard I dated for a hot minute AFTER college (which makes me LOL), and it reminds me of summer. Its also just an amazing song.2003_mtv_video_music_awards_b

Number One Song to Sing to in the Shower:

Womanizer – Britney Spears: I actually sing AND dance to this song in the shower which is both problematic because my tub is slippery (obvs) and disturbing. I work by myself most days, what do you want? This is actually not my most favorite Britney song, but I can’t really pick one. Radar, Toxic, or Break the Ice probably are my actual faves. Also, this is my default song because I dunno, maybe the lyrics are easy and its in my vocal range, ok? Who knows. I love Britney Spears. I do. Her concert was part of my Christmas present (Thanks Carly!). Happy Birthday Jesus!

Number One Song to Sing in my Car:

Smile – Lily Allen: Yup, I fake the accent. This song is just adorably fun and bitchy. I love what the British ladies are putting out there recently. I love Lily Allen and KT Tunstall and Duffy and Lady Sovereign and that Winehouse character and Kate Nash… love em. Last time I saw Lily in concert she was a little too messed up, swaying up at the mic with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. To be fair, I was on my 5th red bull vodka.

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ebradshaw-iconINTERN ELIZABETH

Oh sweet holy jesus. I’ve never been drunk enough to dance/freak out at a party. I’m more the head-bopping, toe-tapping type. I’m happy to see that Journey, Salt N Pepa and such already made peoples lists. So I’ll have to go with…

1. Bon Jovi- Dead Or Alive because it’s fun to belt out at bars.

2. Eminem- Without Me because… inside I’m an angry male?

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jessica-keller-iconINTERN JK

“Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey
No matter where I am – driving around, at work, at a party – you will always hear me yell, “MAH SONG!” as soon as the first few chords play. Not only is this song in my Top 5 Favorite Songs EVER list, but apparently I become about ten times more excited over this song when intoxicated. Totes known to air-bass play (best. rock. bass. line. ever.) while I sing along.

“Doin’ It” – LL Cool J (feat. LeShaun)
This one had to be my other pick for three reasons:
1) Jess R. snagged “No Diggity” already;
2) It’s been a jam of mine for over a decade;
3) I do a better LeShaun voice than LeShaun herself. I’m a sucker for female rap sections in songs, and my LeShaun impersonation never fails to draw looks of awe/amazement/bewilderment.

(I couldn’t let you guys in on my Barry Manilow and Fergie obsessions, otherwise “Copacabana” and “My Humps”/”London Bridge”/”Fergalicious” would’ve been listed here.) ;)

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RIESE:

I Want You Back – The Jackson 5: It makes me want to dance like a gumball or something shiny and young and new.  

Umbrella – Rihanna: I don’t have that many super-light purely-fun memories from 2007, but many of the ones I do have are of this song. It’s one of those “why pop songs exist” songs and your heart is warmed by osmosis when you are hoodwinked into belting “when the sun shines we’ll shine together …”

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Shout! – The Isley Brothers I can get a lot lower now. Jumping up and down and screaming is one of my Top Ten dance moves.

Unwritten Law – Up All Night: These were the first “rock” concerts I went to. The singer always went balls to the walls, drunk as a fucking barechested skunk, he’d always take off his shirt and everyone played in a way that made you feel like anything was possible, despite the fact that you were inevitably surrounded by 15-year-olds with so many feelings they had to wear little collars and put their feelings on their t-shirts.

Then I just have a massive tie that includes a lot of Britney Spears, a lot of Jay-Z, a lot of Madonna and a lot of music from the 50’s and 60’s back when people knew how to dance. And Footloose.

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emily-choo-iconINTERN EMILY

Earth, Wind, and Fire – September I love this ‘cause it’s old school and I feel like you could just dance crazily, like arms thrashing and legs kicking but it’s okay ‘cause everyone else is doing it. And it’s super fun to sing and generally just be a fool for 3 minutes.

The next one was super hard to pick but I’m gonna have to go with my gangster side and say T-Pain – Church ‘cause this one really gets me going. This is the best when there are lots of people around and you can mosh around together and then clap at the “clap on clap off” parts. I’m like a woman posessed when I hear this song and I usually don’t go for this genre of music.

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heidi-iconINTERN HEIDI

Michael Jackson”Billie Jean”– why?becuase as soon as I hear that little bass intro I immediately stop what I am doing and want to dance.I wish I could dance like MJ..but that will never happen.Also its funny to watch others try to dance like him when this song comes on.

Guns n’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle”– I love GnR and this song makes me wanta drink a lot of jack daniels and have a crazy kick ass time. It also has great potential for air guitar! (axl’s another fun one to immitate his dance moves)

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brookeBROOKE:

1. I recently heard the song Ego” by Beyonce on a JetBlue flight from NYC to Fort Lauderdale on one of their in-flight radio stations and have since become obsessed. I don’t know if I could dance to it, but if I heard it playing in a club, I would sing. I enjoy all of the lyrics and here’s a sampling: “I walk like this ‘cause I can back it up,” and “I talk like this ‘cause I can back it up,”. Those are some of the hottest words I’ve heard sung in quite some time. And having confidence and knowledge when it comes to who you are and your worth, aka an ego, is the sexiest and most attractive attribute one can have.

brooke-beyonceIn the spirit of our upcoming Disco Rodeo party (which sadly will not feature country music), I’ll throw some country out there. These songs would be my jam if we were at a crowded square dancing club or an awesome barn party:

2. Something Like That – Tim McGraw: Because it got me into country music. Hell yeah.

3. And speaking of hell yeah, “Hell Yeah” by Montgomery Gentry is a decent country song too. However, outside of the chorus, it’s a little “my dog died, my truck broke down and my wife left me” countryish. But if it started playing at one of the above mentioned events/venues, I would absolutely yell out, “That’s my jam!”.

4. The Devil Went Down to Georgia – the Charlie Daniels Band: This song is self explanatory.

5. The Hokey Pokey

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TINKERBELL:

I See Tinkerbell – Uh Huh Her: Firstly any song by my number one feeling Uh Huh Her. However I would prefer for the ladies from the band to play live in person, because it is not the same on record albums as it is when they are on the stage with their long hair.

Because of You – Kelly Clarkson: This song is not about me, it’s about your gay mom.

Anything by Snoop Doggy Dog: Especially I enjoy the song Lodi Dodi. I like to party. I don’t bother nobody. I’m a dog. Hit it. Word. Love Tinkerbell.

The Limbo Rock: Because I always win.

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16 Comments

  1. haha tink is I see tinkerbell a hidden track?..or maybe its on the new limited ed. vinyl…

    so happy the ones I almost picked but didn’t made the list somehow!( patience and do you wanta touch were in my top 5)
    Also looking forward to getting”drunkity-drunk-drunk with 220 other girl-on-girls” soon.

    • While putting together the roundtable —

      Alex: “does uh huh her have a song called I see tinkerbell?”
      Riese: “No.”
      Alex: “then what the hell? why’d she pick a song that doesn’t exist?”
      (pause)
      Riese: “Alex, you’re asking me to explain why my stuffed dog that I pretend is a real puppy picked a non-existent song for its top five songs.”

  2. Niiice, I definitely almost picked “One More Time” by Daft Punk as well. That song starts gentle, hits this great pulse, let’s you catch your breath, then brings it up and keeps it in that perfect spot until it lets you down easy. It’s an auralgasm.

    I also really really wanted to pick “Faith” by George Michael (which I may or may not have performed in a drag show back in college…)

  3. i love everything about this roundtable. particularly the parts by carlytron. my suitemate sophomore year of college played missy elliot’s 4 my people every day before she went out. and then we’d do shots…and then we’d make out. she is now happily married, but damn…those were some fond memories.

  4. Oh Carly I LOVE the extended Getting Bodied version! I learned some of the choreography too! I dance my (out-of-shape) ass off to the song everytime.
    My car could be busted, my boyfriends being an ass, my goldfish died, and a sprained ankle; and I will still get bodied!

    • i almost got into a fight all up in the club because someone tried to prevent me from getting bodied. i kid you not.

      • LOL. That’s amazing! I hardly ever dance at the club but this comes on and I show out!!

  5. Had I thought about my list for more than 2 minutes at 1:30am (I thought being impulsive might help me rank something for once…) I may have swapped out the Eminem for some Missy E but now that I see Carlytron has pretty much included her entire catalogue I feel better :D Except my #1 Missy pick/feeling right now would be We Run This (Stick It edit)…

  6. Lots of good picks, I’m so sad that I’ll miss it :( I like that people already suggested Missy, can’t really go wrong with her and Timbaland. As for LL? I’d pick Around the Way Girl myself. Anyways.

    How about something cheesy like I See You Baby (Shakin’ That Ass) by Groove Armada?

    You can’t go wrong with I Touch Myself by Divinyls.

    Add A Little Respect by Erasure for that 80’s feel.

    Another Night by the Real McCoys.

    Suavemente by Elvis Crespo for some Latin flair.

    Finally, this is going to sound odd but I heard a techno version of Jolene by Dolly Parton that was pretty frickin good. I’m not sure where I downloaded it from, maybe Rich at FourFour?

  7. there are a handful of songs i love that are a hit at local bars, but wouldn’t really make it too far anywhere else (think: irish drinking songs) –so, instead here are a couple of other picks:
    pink – u & ur hand (i can’t help myself..)
    yelle – je veux te voir (same reason as katrina’s yelle pick)
    wigfield – saturday night (because it never gets old)

  8. can we just note that my face = carly’s face backwards?

    in addition, this is about to become the greatest playlist my ipod has ever seen.

  9. Ohh good stuff! (:

    Just a susggestion here, but Paul Oakenfold’s Madonna – “Give It To Me” remix is lovely.

  10. madonna’s “intervention” — the dj ander standing remix

    or pretty much any of the “what it feels like for a girl” remixes

    Basically, Madonna, madonna, madonna, forever. theend.

  11. oh my, now I have to listen to “summer love”. this song happened when the summer was hot even where I lived and I’d drink white wine with a friend who was as heartbroken as me.
    sigh.

    also: “like a prayer” when you’re dancing with a lady you like. I’m cheesy when drunk, admitting it here first. (not)

    no diggity is where my roommate and me would simultaneously shout “our jam”. “I like the way you work is” is best said at any occasion whatsoever. actually, there is a really nice cover version/mash-up with “grandma’s hands” (though the “fanvideo” is rather odd here):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeDgUkVMqsU
    so, no diggity is our partysong. the mash-up is the song we listen to when we’re doing 1000 piece puzzles in my room.

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