Winter can be a strange time. Once that daylight savings time switcheroo happens, people lose their minds when it gets dark out at 4PM (4PM!). They usually call this seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), and most of my friends either drink a lot or use special lamps to fight it off. I’d rather dance it away, and I’d like you to join me. DOWNLOAD: ANTI-SAD DANCE PARTY 1. How to Dress Well - “Suicide Dream 2 (Elite Gymnastics Baptism)” In a lot of ways, the hazy soul of How to Dress Well makes for the perfect winter depression soundtrack. However, it doesn’t seem that way in the hands of Elite Gymnastics, who sound like they’re trying to wire today’s trends into an SNES cartridge. 2. Azealia Banks - “212” Since I first heard this jam, it’s been impossible to escape Azealia Banks if you read a certain set of music blogs. I’m not complaining, since this song slays, and hopefully enough people agree that I’ll never have to hear about Kreayshawn again. 3. Rick James - “Cold Blodded” I have a penchant for playing a lot of late ’70s/early ’80s funk, something my friend Ed refers to as “jheri jams.” If you’ve only heard that one infamous Rick James song, you’ve been missing out. 4. Body Language - “Falling Out” Every year there seems to be one dance band that tries to bring a certain sound to the mainstream, and while Body Language might be that band in 2011, I really can’t resist this track. 5. Storm Queen - “It Goes On” Sometimes I’m waiting for certain parts of dance music’s old guard to stop topping year-end lists, but Metro Area genius Morgan Geist is still absolutely killing it with his Storm Queen project. 6. Motor City Drum Ensemble - “Raw Cuts #2” After playing him non-stop a couple years ago, I finally revisited Motor City Drum Ensemble after he put out his excellent DJ-Kicks mix this year. How can anyone resist a German trying to do his best Detroit house impression? 7. Eliphino - “More Than Me” This is the year the term “dubstep” died for good. This has as much to do with turds like Skrillex as it does certain friends discovering the term and using it like a bitter kid from the suburbs who just learned the word “hipster.” While I’m not sure what to call stuff like Eliphino or the rest of my UK favorites just yet, I’ll simply call them awesome. 8. Benoit & Sergio - “Boy Trouble” A couple years ago I also jammed a song called “What I’ve Lost,” a melancholy synth-pop gem by this group, and then they disappeared only to resurface again with a set of detached, danceable tracks, including this one. 9. Paradis - “Parfait Triage” Listening to Tim Sweeney’s Beats in Space show over the years, I’ve discovered an endless amount of electronic music, and now that he’s released this song on his label, I can thank him doubly. 10. Lali Puna - “Together in Electric Dreams” Jamie XX has grown into one of my favorite producers over the last year and a half, whether it’s his own work or his DJ sets exposing me to an endless amount of magical cuts. Now that the xx have a group blog to document their new album’s recording, I’m finding even more to love, including this little comedown track. 11. How to Dress Well - Here, In Heaven 3 (Elite Gymnastics Cover) You have to stop dancing eventually, and this beautifully understated track will remind you it’s cold outside once you leave the dancefloor.

Winter can be a strange time. Once that daylight savings time switcheroo happens, people lose their minds when it gets dark out at 4PM (4PM!). They usually call this seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), and most of my friends either drink a lot or use special lamps to fight it off. I’d rather dance it away, and I’d like you to join me.

DOWNLOAD: ANTI-SAD DANCE PARTY

1. How to Dress Well - “Suicide Dream 2 (Elite Gymnastics Baptism)”

In a lot of ways, the hazy soul of How to Dress Well makes for the perfect winter depression soundtrack. However, it doesn’t seem that way in the hands of Elite Gymnastics, who sound like they’re trying to wire today’s trends into an SNES cartridge.

2. Azealia Banks - “212”

Since I first heard this jam, it’s been impossible to escape Azealia Banks if you read a certain set of music blogs. I’m not complaining, since this song slays, and hopefully enough people agree that I’ll never have to hear about Kreayshawn again.

3. Rick James - “Cold Blodded”

I have a penchant for playing a lot of late ’70s/early ’80s funk, something my friend Ed refers to as “jheri jams.” If you’ve only heard that one infamous Rick James song, you’ve been missing out.

4. Body Language - “Falling Out”

Every year there seems to be one dance band that tries to bring a certain sound to the mainstream, and while Body Language might be that band in 2011, I really can’t resist this track.

5. Storm Queen - “It Goes On”

Sometimes I’m waiting for certain parts of dance music’s old guard to stop topping year-end lists, but Metro Area genius Morgan Geist is still absolutely killing it with his Storm Queen project.

6. Motor City Drum Ensemble - “Raw Cuts #2”

After playing him non-stop a couple years ago, I finally revisited Motor City Drum Ensemble after he put out his excellent DJ-Kicks mix this year. How can anyone resist a German trying to do his best Detroit house impression?

7. Eliphino - “More Than Me”

This is the year the term “dubstep” died for good. This has as much to do with turds like Skrillex as it does certain friends discovering the term and using it like a bitter kid from the suburbs who just learned the word “hipster.” While I’m not sure what to call stuff like Eliphino or the rest of my UK favorites just yet, I’ll simply call them awesome.

8. Benoit & Sergio - “Boy Trouble”

A couple years ago I also jammed a song called “What I’ve Lost,” a melancholy synth-pop gem by this group, and then they disappeared only to resurface again with a set of detached, danceable tracks, including this one.

9. Paradis - “Parfait Triage”

Listening to Tim Sweeney’s Beats in Space show over the years, I’ve discovered an endless amount of electronic music, and now that he’s released this song on his label, I can thank him doubly.

10. Lali Puna - “Together in Electric Dreams”

Jamie XX has grown into one of my favorite producers over the last year and a half, whether it’s his own work or his DJ sets exposing me to an endless amount of magical cuts. Now that the xx have a group blog to document their new album’s recording, I’m finding even more to love, including this little comedown track.

11. How to Dress Well - Here, In Heaven 3 (Elite Gymnastics Cover)

You have to stop dancing eventually, and this beautifully understated track will remind you it’s cold outside once you leave the dancefloor.

  1. kidpretentious posted this