We were introduced to the disco kitchen many years ago, and it has never failed us.
It was at the end of a 6-course dinner party that had trailed on into the wee hours of the morning. Conversation had finally begun to fail and everyone was belly-full and half-asleep, at the bottom of a wine- and caffeine-fueled arc that had sailed us through a desert course that started at midnight.
The host was a great cook but unfortunately the kind who does not put things away as he cooks, so the kitchen, visible from the table, was an amazing wreck. And no-one wanted to clean.
Nor did anyone want to be the first to leave without offering. So we all just kept sitting there, and every now and then someone would try to rev the converation, and meanwhile the hours ticked by and it was all getting a little ridiculous.
Finally, another guest suggested Disco Kitchen. We looked at her blankly. She got up, went over to the stereo, and turned on James Brown's "Make It Funky." Within seconds we were all up on our feet, clearing plates and scrubbing pots. And dancing.
That kitchen was clean in no time.
We tell this story because it applies to other messes besides the one in the kitchen. If you're procrastinating the spring cleaning tasks still ahead of you, know that we can do no better in our quest to support you than to offer up a sampling of our own (disco and beyond) "get-it-done" soundtrack.
Add your own tunes ...and then go finish your cleaning.
&bull Bongo Bong, Manu Chao
&bull Mr. Big Stuff, Jean Knight
&bull The House That Jack Built, Aretha Franklin
&bull Hey Ya!, OutKast
&bull The Magic Number, De La Soul
&bull Galang, M.I.A.
&bull Rudie Can't Fail, The Clash
This is great. Music is such a motivator. When I am feeling in a funk and resentful of the mess, I put on Nikka Costa's "Everybody got their something" and bam! I'm dancing, singing and cleaning.
So funny! When I was in college, I lived in a house with four other people and we only had a turntable in the downstairs common area. We had picked up a pretty motley assortment of records at garage sales, including the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The morning after parties, we INVARIABLY turned to the Beegees to help us get through the process of mopping up the nasty beery floor and putting our furniture back into place. Even today, the smell of beer on a sticky floor reminds me of that album. It's like Proust's madeleines.
Music is a very important motivator in our house. We make separate playlists for cocktail hour, dinner hour(s), and then after party clean-up. A few that are always on our after party list -
-James Brown
-The J.B.s
-Hank Williams III
-Soul Coughing
-Al Green
Woo-hoo! More playlist fun.
Here's my #1 suggestion the disco kitchen after-party: "Horny as a Dandy" by Mousse T. vs. The Dandy Warhols. Mousse T.'s own late '90s house song "Horny" mashed up with The Dandy's "Bohemian You." Not yet licensed in the States (I give it about 5 minutes before some music supervisor places it in some commercial) but available for legal download at eMusic.com. (If you want to hear a 1 min. snippet, it's up on the streaming player on Mousse T.'s site: http://www.mousse-t.de/lang/en/main.php ) This is one fun ass-shaker. Trust.
Music makes everything more fun:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96179754@N00/154712850/
I made that for you guys. I obviously need a hobby.
Dang. One of these days I'll have to get a stereo of some kind.
Couldn't resist the lure of another playlist, and woke up with these tunes buzzing in my head...
Cha-Cha Kitchen: WWHGD
Faced with the same daunting dilemma of another post-soiree clean-up, a girl is left to wonder: What would Holly Golightly do? Probably throw on some latin/jazz nouveau lounge music and tackle the task with skinny cigarette in-hand. (Note: Much of this music is on smaller, indie labels; and can be found on eMusic.com, if not on iTunes.)
1. Mastered the Art (Nicola Conte Jet Sounds Remix) Greyboy
2. Sofisticata (Nicola Conte Mix) Montefiori Cocktail
3. Je TAdore (Daniele Luppi Mix) Montefiori Cocktail
4. Sacre Francais Dimitri from Paris
5. I Love FPM (Readymade JBL Mix) Fantastic Plastic Machine
6. Sunny Cha Cha Cha Sunny Face
7. Beatbox Cha Cha Ursula 1000
8. Omerta Bossa (Nicola Conte Version) Isabelle Antena
9. La Segretaria (Readymade Mix) Montefiori Cocktail
10. Une Very Stylish Fille Dimitri from Paris
11. Night Over Manaus Boozoo Bajou
12. Ma Recontre Bertrand
13. Tu Sai Chi Sei (Sunaga T Experience Remix) Montefiori Cocktail
14. Crickets Sing for Anamaria Emma Bunton
15. Surround Me with Your Love (Mental Overdrive Mix) 3-11 Porter
16. Mambuloo Mo Horizons
17. Quiet Nights (Nicola Conte Out of the Cool Version) [re:jazz}
18. Simplesmente (Tom Middleton Remix) Bebel Gilberto
19. Natural High (S.U.M.O Rebounce) Ive Mendes
20. Prisonera de tu Amor (Soul-o-Matics Sweet Sweep) Seductive Souls feat. Charo
You woke up with TWENTY songs in your head? None of which I know. I've had a medley of B-52's stuff in my mind.
Okay, someone looked at ToxicDisco, I'm taking it down.
Sirius' "The Beat"* gets some of the most serious credit for my taking back my apartment from clutter!!
(*with an occasional detour to Sirius Broadway...)