When I started The Swell newsletter last December, I wanted the bonus culture recommendation to start with Salon’s staff before incorporating other experts, journalists and industry luminaries as guests. Part of this was to introduce the wide range of great writers and minds working behind the scenes in this small newsroom. In doing so, I had a blast discovering the scope of each person’s tastes and background – and even learned that we have a number of DJs on staff.
Having worked closely with Melanie McFarland on the Culture desk for many years, I already knew that she had a punk DJ background, and this came into play when I visited her in Seattle last summer. I attended an indie punk showcase at her neighborhood bar and also a music history exhibit, “Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses,” at the Museum of Pop Culture.
I had only met National Affairs Staff Reporter Russell Payne briefly while I was in New York and have found his reporting essential in understanding the state of American politics today, especially when it comes to the electorate. When I was working with Russell for a recommendation in the Bob Ross issue of The Swell, however, I suspected there was another side of him after reading his thoughts on the “post-Tame Impala mid-2010s psychedelic indie boom.” Ah, this is a true music critic. As it turns out, he was a DJ at his college’s radio station.
Last but certainly not least, “Standing Room Only” host and Senior Writer Amanda Marcotte has made no secret about her love for music and concerts (hello, the theme of her newsletter and show!). In particular, the “Encore” section of her show reveals a hand-picked spin from her partner’s Latchkey Records store in Philadelphia.
And thus, the Salon DJ Collective was born. I tasked each of them to craft an individual curated playlist for whatever occasion or mood they wanted to evoke for the summer. As someone who has hyper-specific playlists to regulate my moods, I appreciate that whether you want to party, chill outside or brandish your middle finger to the world, the Salon DJ Collective has you covered. — Hanh Nguyen
Check out the inspiration for each of their playlists, in their own words:
In the Pacific Northwest, summertime street parties are rare and special tributes to a sun that hides for half the year. Our most famous is the Capitol Hill Block Party. But for me, a beloved friend’s annual end-of-summer event is the place to be. Her pig roast is also part salmon bake and part old-school cookout, a beautiful gathering of nations grooving to an eclectic vibe I’ve tried to replicate here.
To me, a good block party playlist marinates in nostalgia and spicy dancefloor bangers, guiding and riding the day’s energy like a Cameo song: It moves back (back) and forth (and forth) through the decades. Up top are mellow selections made for sipping soda or soju. Then the thumps pick up to tease those rumps to start shakin’. I was raised on a steady diet of house, R&B and hip-hop, so that means lots of dance tracks shuffled with throwbacks, and I’ve included one that, by law, must be played at every large outdoor gathering in Seattle. This list leaves plenty room for drink breaks and requests before winding down to some near-universal pleasures. If people happily complain about waking up the next day with sore feet, then it was a good day.
Russell’s playlist for laying down in a field
Summer’s always been a time for bittersweet music for me. It’s a time when lots of people move, whether they’re going to school or starting a new job. Some of my most memorable listening experiences have been during late-night walks back from work (this is back in my line cook days) or just lying back in a grassy field and enjoying the moment when the weather is warm and all your friends are still in town.
This playlist is mostly a mix of jazzy downtempo electronica like Jerry Paper’s “Grey Area” or the Mild High Club’s “Windowpane,” the latter of which has one of my favorite intros of all time. With that being said, I tossed in a few indie bops, like Radio Free Alice’s “Look What You’ve Done” and Drugdealer’s “Madison,” which capture the sort of instant nostalgia that I associate with the endings and new starts of late summer. The song I’ve had on repeat recently from this playlist is Jockstrap’s “Concrete Over Water.”
Warmer weather means I get a chance at DJing outdoor events like our annual south Philly food festival or Pride. It’s a great time, and not just because Philadelphians are devout day drinkers. You’re at the decks for hours, so it’s a real chance to play a variety of genres: hip-hop, house, pop, even rock.
One thing I can’t play is family unfriendly tunes. A few curse words here and there, sure. This is Philly, after all. But we are living in a golden era for filthy lyrics in pop music. Playing some of these songs in public is rude and perhaps illegal indecency. It’s a real shame, how many hilarious and danceable tracks sit unplayed in my Serato library, because I can’t be educating the Pokémon set about what “W.A.P.” means. Or introduce them to anything Peaches or cupcakKe sing about.
But you, dear reader, have full First Amendment rights to enjoy these songs in your headphones, the privacy of your own home, or if you’re more of a night owl than I, in dark clubs that don’t admit minors. So this is a selection of my favorite songs that will make you blush, but also make you laugh and dance.
