Using the excuse of being a dj for grade school dances, I like to occasionally listen to KissFM.  It’s a convenient excuse when your manhood’s in question for having C’est La Vie (or say levie when spelled/texted by a drunk Kelly) by B*Witched on your ipod.  Having just dj-ed a grade school father-daughter dance party last weekend, I thought it would be fun/appropriate to have a post about what the kids are listening to.

Taylor Swift is by far the crowd favorite.  Every other request was for a different song by her.  You know when you are getting older when you and everyone around you has almost no clue who the fuck the best selling artist of previous year was.  “Isn’t she one of those American Idol girls?” “Shes gotta be one of those Disney Channel singers.” Nope.

Other popular requests at a Catholic grade school dance include songs that aren’t appropriate at Catholic grade schools.  For a long time, songs like Big Butts and Shake ya Ass have not been able to be played at the schools for their obvious and raunchy lyrics while songs like Get Low and Crank That fly underneath the radar due to either being rapped too quickly for teachers to understand, using slang like “skeet skeet” or “superman that ho” (or “laffy taffy”) that no white person over 20 knows without internet research, or just that its the radio edit.  Some of the new songs obviously can’t be played even when you have the radio edit:  Ludacris has a song with the chorus saying “If I take one more drink, I’m gon’ end up fucking you.”  All American Rejects have a song with the chorus that goes “I hope it gives you hell” and says damn a lot. 3Oh!3 have a songs that are hilarious and raunchy yet aren’t popular enough to have radio edits for lyrics like “tell your boyfriend if he’s got beef, that I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fucking scared of him.”

Here are my favorites that were played at the recent dance:  Lady Gaga‘s Just Dance has been around for awhile and is now getting some other songs on her disc some radio play.  Good songs if you don’t mind bad lyrics.  Flo-Rida has a new song with some signer called Kesha (doing her best Katy Perry impression) that most kids don’t know is basically a cover.  I can’t decide if I like T.I. or not, but radio has played his songs so many times that I now find myself enjoying Whatever You Like and Live Your Life.  This stupid song by V.I.C. has been stuck in my head for whatever reason.  Lil Wayne can get annoying, can’t deny that he can be pretty clever with songs like Ms. Officer, A Milli, or La La.

I have linked to Doctor Mooney before, but songs from a recent post have been stuck in my head for a while.  Give them a listen here.  Buddy Miles is the shit.

Ever watch re-runs of Saturday Night Live and have no idea who the host or musical guest is?  Does that ever happen with the new SNLs?  Does anyone still watch SNL?  A couple weeks ago, I had no idea who Jon Hamm of Mad Men was.  The musical guest for this week is the Fleet Foxes, who I had never heard of till about three weeks ago.  White Winter Hymnal was stuck in my head for a while and then Neil got the entire cd to listen to.  You have to be in the right mood to enjoy them, but they are worth a listen.  Rollo & Grady have a whole show from them here.  Or you can myspace ’em or Hype ’em.  If you like that, check out a performance they did in the Grand Palais in France.

Neil just pre-ordered the cd from Dan Auerbach and after listening to whats been released already, I am excited to hear the rest of that cd.  Dan is one half of Rachel’s new favorite band, The Black Keys, and is coming out with a solo cd, Keep It Hid, on February 10.  Its not as good as the Black Keys stuff, but still great.  Hype it or Myspace it.

Also exciting is who he is touring with because the other great thing about Dan is his involvement with other great bands.  If you like the Keys stuff, please listen to Hacienda and Those Darlins (Wild One is pretty addictive).  Though she isn’t touring with him, also listen to Jessica Lea Mayfield.  He produced her latest cd that has had a place on many people’s year end top album lists.

The Talking Heads may not still be around, but David Byrne is still as active as ever(but without the shoulder pads) making music worth listening to.  His latest cd with Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, has been getting attention on WXRT and some year end top-ten lists.  I haven’t been able to get their single, Strange Overtones, out of my head.  He also did a song with The BPA and Dizzee Rascal, Toe Jam, that made Rolling Stones top songs of the year.  Check out David Byrne and BPA at Hype Machine.