By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

Scissor Sisters

1. Scissor Sisters “Lovers In The Backseat” – Elton-style flamboyance made a major comeback with the arrival in 2004 of the self-titled debut LP by Scissor Sisters. Musically a Bowie/Elton hybrid as interpreted via electro, Scissor Sisters’ retro flair is both tongue-in-cheek and extremely chic. I always have fun listening to this album, and I love that there are band members named Babydaddy and Ana Matronic. If you haven’t probed the Scissor Sisters sound any deeper than singles “Take Your Mama” and “Tits On The Radio”, you’ve missed more worthwhile and musically diverse offerings like “It Can’t Come Quickly Enough” and this week’s kickoff track, a subtle and sexy ode to voyeurism and my favorite Scissor Sisters song by far.

2. Mobb Deep vs. Sigur Ros “Shook (Emancipator Mix)“ – Only a true genius would have thought of mixing these two artists together; a commercially beloved hip-hop group from the projects of Queensbridge, NY and an Icelandic post-rock group best known by record store geeks and music critics. Mobb Deep’s best known single from their classic 1995 album The Infamous is given beautiful and ethereal new life as Emancipator wraps it inside of Sigur Ros’ “Untitled #1 (Vaka)”, and the effect on the gritty lyrics of “Shook” is stunning. Suddenly, the “official Queensbridge murderers” are floating on air, as violins swirl and breakbeats hit counterpoints. You’ve really got to hear it to believe it.

3. Chic “I Want Your Love” – Anyone who’s caught one of my Grooveskool parties knows that I have serious love for funky old school pop and R&B; yet, I had completely forgotten about this classic Chic track until my friend and fellow Whiskey Dregs writer William and I walked into Spike Hill in Williamsburg one night, of all places, and stared slightly disbelieving at the hipster DJ as he dropped this track. You can’t help but groove to this song – it was made for the dance floor. Chic is responsible for some of the best loved and most danced-to records of the ‘70s, including “Le Freak” and “Good Times”. I’m all about songs that make you feel good, and this has become a go-to for me when I need to get down in order to get back up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pBJv-hGx4&feature=related

4. MC Solaar “Qui Sème Le Vent Récolte Le Tempo” – Bienvenue a le dopeness, y’all. Known and respected outside of America as one of the most prolific rappers of all time, France’s MC Solaar took an American art form, added dance rhythms and complex French wordplay, and almost singlehandedly launched the French hip-hop scene in the early ‘90s. The original version of this song is from the 1991 album of the same name, but my favorite version is one that was remixed by Gangstarr and features a verse by the legendary, late Guru.

5. Daft Punk “Face To Face (Night Drugs Rework)” – Another French export, Daft Punk redefined electronic dance music in the ‘90s and is often credited with founding the French house music genre. I love their quirky style and man-machine image, and spinning a DP track always brings people out on the dance floor. The original version of “Face To Face” from 2001’s Discovery LP is funky enough on its own, but a rework by hardcore electro-dance outfit Night Drugs adds edge and takes this track to whole other level of funkiness. This version is almost impossible to find, so crank up your computer speakers and boogie down.

6. N.A.S.A. featuring Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santigold and Nick Zinner “Whachadoin?” – This song is like a party on wax, uniting some of the biggest movers and shakers in dance music under an undeniably infectious groove. N.A.S.A. (which stands for North America South America) is a collaborative groove collective led by Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, who managed to corral a huge and eclectic bunch of underground music stars for their first full-length record, 2009’s The Spirit of Apollo. On “Whachadoin?”, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner provides some atypically funky yet atmospheric guitar wizardry, while Spank Rock, whose flow reminds me of a more indie and slightly less X-rated version of 2 Live Crew’s Luke Campbell, offers up some of his trademark high-energy rhymes. Edgy girls M.I.A. and Santigold hold down the choruses, sounding almost indistinguishable from one another. If this one doesn’t get you groovin’, your booty’s broken.

7. The Clash “This Is Radio Clash” – It might seem counterintuitive, but in the early days of punk it was not unusual for punk artists to cross paths with, and learn from, funk, reggae, dub and hip-hop. The Clash was one of the best examples of the synthesis of these genres into their style, spending time in New York in the ‘70s soaking up the emerging hip-hop and graffiti scenes and the musical influence of Afrika Bambaataa and his Zulu Nation. The difference between pre-New York and post-New York Clash music is noticeable, a slight distancing from their politically charged and explosive roots and the addition of funkier grooves, reggae timing and dub-style spacing. Tracks like “The Magnificent Seven” and “This Is Radio Clash” are great examples of the musical influence of these areas on The Clash and what ultimately helped to define their “brand” of punk.

8. Inspiral Carpets “Dragging Me Down” – It’s hard not to bring the playlist back through Manchester every now and again; there are just too many great bands hailing from this British musical hotbed. I remember being away at summer camp in the Pocono Mountains in the early ‘90s and hearing the British counselors listening to all of this great music; it was like nothing I’d previously been exposed to. Soup Dragons, Sugarcubes, Blur, Stone Roses…the list goes on and on. One of my favorites at the time was “Dragging Me Down”, an Inspiral Carpets tune from their 1992 album Revenge Of The Goldfish, and to this day that entire album remains one of my favorites of all time. The Carpets’ sound morphed quite a bit from their neo-psychedelic garage-ish origins to the sound I became familiar with as a teenager; much more dance-driven and clearly influenced by the acid house revolution going on around them in early ‘90s UK. Sadly, Revenge Of The Goldfish is out of print now, but luckily my copy from back then is still spinning.

9. Royal Trux “Inside Game” – It’s a pretty sure bet that every true music lover has seen the brilliant 2000 film adaptation of Nick Hornsby’s book High Fidelity, starring John Cusack as main character and music fanatic Rob Gordon. In the storyline, there are two juvenile delinquent skaters with multi-hued hair that hang out behind Rob’s record store, frequently pocketing items from the store’s inventory. Rob walks into the store one day to find his staff listening in awe to a killer track by the Kinky Wizards – who he discovers are the shoplifting skaters. In the film, that song is called “I Sold My Mom’s Wheelchair”, but in reality the song is actually “Inside Game” by bizarre and experimental rockers Royal Trux. A lot of Royal Trux’ early recordings from the ‘90s are difficult to listen to, thanks to a combination of sonic atonality, lo-fi 8-track recording, the band’s heroin addiction and a complete lack of cohesive songwriting. However, their 2000 EP Radio Video which contains “Inside Game” is actually a fun and quirky listen for those who appreciate the avant garde.

10. Frank Black “Hang Onto Your Ego” – The yowling force of nature that fronted alternative darlings the Pixies moved on to a massive alt-indie solo career after the breakup of the Pixies in 1993, recording under various monikers including Black Francis and Frank Black and the Catholics. Black’s own songwriting reflects his oddball nature and typically dwells on dark territory, offering up tales of everything from surrealism and surf culture to biblical violence, but “Hang Onto Your Ego” was actually written by the Beach Boys and originally intended for release on their classic 1966 Pet Sounds album. Black put his definitive sonic stamp on it and included it on his 1993 self-titled solo debut. My Subkulture co-DJ Scandal has been known to rock this track, which works out for me because I get to dance to it.