SwingDJs

I doubt the girls interest in Buble has much to do with his music.

As an aside, Bria Skonberg from Vancouver (51st Eight/Big Bang Jazz Band and Mighty Aphrodite) who is popular with swing dancers in the Seattle and Vancouver, BC areas put out a solo album this summer. It's in a similar vein to Bulble's albums. Apparently Bria's current manager was Buble's before he made it big. One of the tunes, Won't You Come Out and Play makes a nod to Buble. Bria is a way more talented.

Here's a TV interview on youtube where Bria talks about her influences and her new album.

A few more clips of Bria in her element playing swing and jazz:
Bria's Hot Five
Seattle Balboa Festival - Bria Skonberg and Evan Arntzen
2009 Camp Jitterbug - Lindy Couple Finals Spotlight

Bria is great, and most of what she does for swing dances is fun and energetic...not worthy of this thread I'd say, unlike her Buble-esque tracks.

Her album "Fresh" and it's relation to Buble, however, are not all that indicative of her dance bands, thankfully, as seen in those links Dave posted.

Mr Awesomer wrote:

Surreal wrote:I'm not really a fan of Michael Buble... I can play any song of his...

Not really a fan... yet you bought some of his music?

It doesn't matter what I like. I just have to keep them dancing. There are plenty of artists I don't really care for, but I have some of their music anyways.

Surreal wrote:

Mr Awesomer wrote:

Surreal wrote:I'm not really a fan of Michael Buble... I can play any song of his...

Not really a fan... yet you bought some of his music?

It doesn't matter what I like. I just have to keep them dancing. There are plenty of artists I don't really care for, but I have some of their music anyways.

i dont think that keeping people dancing and only buying music you like have to be mutually exclusive ideas

falty411 wrote:i dont think that keeping people dancing and only buying music you like have to be mutually exclusive ideas

Hmmm ...

falty411 wrote:i dont think that keeping people dancing and only buying music you like have to be mutually exclusive ideas

The hell you say!

I never said it was *shrug*

Haydn wrote:

falty411 wrote:i dont think that keeping people dancing and only buying music you like have to be mutually exclusive ideas

Hmmm ...

thanks for your addition to the conversation, im sure that "Hmmm" will keep us all thinking for a while.

Surreal wrote:I never said it was *shrug*

if you don't think that keeping people dancing, and buying only music you like are mutually exclusive, then why would you buy music you don't like and then try to defend it by saying you need to keep people dancing and it doesn't matter what you like?

falty411 wrote:

Haydn wrote:

falty411 wrote:i dont think that keeping people dancing and only buying music you like have to be mutually exclusive ideas

Hmmm ...

thanks for your addition to the conversation, im sure that "Hmmm" will keep us all thinking for a while.

It's a pleasure Mikey

I often look forward to DJing so that I can play some exciting new music I've just found. When I do play it, the reaction is often disappointing. So I find myself reverting to playing music I'm not as enthusiastic about myself, but which goes down better.

Haydn wrote:I often look forward to DJing so that I can play some exciting new music I've just found. When I do play it, the reaction is often disappointing. So I find myself reverting to playing music I'm not as enthusiastic about myself, but which goes down better.

Is the style that you enjoy listening to really that disparate from what your dancers enjoy? Are there not songs and artists that play close enough to what your dancers like that you couldn't find music you like to play?

If your interests are really that different, maybe starting a new night focused on that sort of movement and music would let you accomplish both playing music you're passionate about AND getting people to move in different ways.

keither wrote:Is the style that you enjoy listening to really that disparate from what your dancers enjoy?

It's partly the style - my favourite music is usually faster and older than what I play. It's also that my favourite songs often aren't the same as those the dancers like most. I think what I mean is there's a difference between what I play on my headphones or at home myself and what I play at a dance. I do play some of my favourite music, just quite a small percentage. I think if I worked out a list of my personal favourite 20 tracks, there would only be a few that I play regularly at dances. Most of what I play at dances is music that I think will go down well that night. * But if people like dancing to it, then I enjoy that - even if's not music I would play at home for my own enjoyment. I hope that makes sense

falty411 wrote:

Surreal wrote:I never said it was *shrug*

if you don't think that keeping people dancing, and buying only music you like are mutually exclusive, then why would you buy music you don't like and then try to defend it by saying you need to keep people dancing and it doesn't matter what you like?

Er... what? Okay so it's 2am and I am way too tired to process that sentence, and I think maybe we're misunerstanding each other.

As a dj, I play music for people to dance to. There are some songs/artists that I don't care for, but they're good for dancing/requests/whatever, so I play them anyways. Is there something wrong with this?

Haydn, when I've danced somewhere you've DJ'd at, I've always liked your stuff so keep it up.

From my point of view, it is important for DJs to mix it up a bit. A dance I went to in London just before Christmas had several DJs taking turns across the night. In general it was a great night, though 5 versions of "In The Mood" got played!!!!
The best ones chose tracks that were of varied tempo and varied sound.
The worst one played one track after another at the same tempo, which all sounded the same and became really tedious after about 6-10 tracks.

On other nights, there are the DJs, who play fast tracks one after another (mainly 50s numbers), which not only sound too similar, but risk someone having a coronary from over-exertion. These tracks might be great to listen to for the energy, but as a dancer, give us a break once in a while!!!

I think that varying tempo and style and not playing a boring set is a different issue from feeling like you have to play music you don't really enjoy to keep the dancers happy.

(Unless, of course, you only like one style and tempo of music, which would be kind of sad since there's so much awesome music out there.)