The Ultimate Music Guide to Surviving Road Trips

There have not been any educational posts in a while and I feel like DPC needs to lay down some knowledge for all of you. We all win in these "educational posts". It makes me feel smarter (really, it does) and you guys feel more enlightened and take away some very valuable information.

Exhibit A: How To Survive a Work Day after Dance Partying All Night
Exhibit B: Dance Party Education
Exhibit C: How To Find Music

Right now, we're all traveling to festivals, shows, beaches, and vacations. We're all moving and shaking and hopefully bringing along our own dance parties as we go from point a to point b.

The issue at hand is I've got a pretty limited catalog when it comes to mixes whilst traveling. I have my "go-to" mixes, forcing anyone and everyone to listen to in my car. By the end of the trip, they probably want to kill me. So... after racking my brain for more ideas, I decided to take a different route with this. You guys already know I love disco dance parties. You know I love deep house. You know I freaking like to get weird. Maybe you even know I occasionally like to blast, "Call me, Maybe." Basically, I'd just bring the same dang thing to the table, and what's the fun in that? So for the last few days I've been polling different sources to put together the ultimate "Music Guide to Surviving Road Trips".

I don't want to insult your intelligence (or maybe I'm just saying these things because I've done the same thing), but let's get one thing straight when you're on a road trip: you need to have the necessary equipment while traveling. That means you should probably have some or all of the following to ensure your road trip does not completely fail. This also means that you’ve successfully found a way not to talk to your passengers most of the trip - because who really wants to do that?

• Some type of mp3 player (Smartphones are also good if you can stream SoundCloud)
• CDs (To play in your car - yes, some of us have to do that because we own shitty cars. And by some of us, I mean me..)
• Auxilary cable to hook up mp3 player
• Headphones
• Charger for said player
• Red Bull, Coffee, anything caffeinated
• CANDY (i.e. swedish fish, anything chocolate, sour gummy worms, skittles...)

Below you'll see two categories; there are only two because as I was "researching" I found that people either recommended a mix that was for either:

AFTER THE JUMP...

How to Find Music

If there is one post you should definitely read. It is most definitely this one.

Please, have a cup of coffee. Sit down. Stay awhile? Learn things.***

It's time to learn fun stuff; like where to find the DDPs, how do we find the DDPs, and how do we keep track of all the DDPs. This has been a long time coming because it's one of the reasons why DPC was started. We wanted to archive the music we'd been emailing around for the last year (seriously, over a year - thousands of mixes probably. it hurts my head thinking about how many I still want to post), and for the last 4 months, we've done a good job at sifting through what we enjoy, and posting it. New stuff. Old stuff. Hipster stuff. DJ stuff. Disco stuff. Deep stuff. House stuff. Baking stuff.

Lately, I've found myself "Following" more people on SoundCloud, and digging through tracks and mixes to find "the good stuff". If there's one thing that you need to do that you haven't done already:

Get yourself a SoundCloud account.

Upon checking it, you'll notice an "Incoming" on your Dashboard with all of the people you follow. New mixes, tracks, and EPs can be found here.

Do it. Get a SoundCloud account now - it's free! Stalk your faves, thank me later.

You can also "comment" at sections of mixes and get track ID's - subsequently leading you to other artists and potential mixes (!!!) Some people get annoyed by commenting, or think it's "dumb" and you should figure it out yourself. Trust me, save yourself some time and just ask around - usually someone will answer in the comments and it really isn't that painstakingly awful for others - they're just assholes. There. I said it (//rant).

Moving along to some blogs and websites (!!!).

There are a few that I have been following for quite some time, and really enjoy. And there are some that I think suck. I'll leave out the latter and let you figure that out as I list some that I believe are a great source of information and music. With thousands upon thousands of blogs out there - I have a handful that I reference on the reg because. There's never enough time to catch up on all the good music, but if you go to a few good sites, you'll find what you're looking for. (Feel free to click the links now as they will open up a new tab).

1. SlothBoogie
   
2. La.Ga.Sta
   
3. UhOhDisco
   
4. Beats in Space
   
5. Blisspop
6. Golden Scissors
7. Click this and find a goldmine
8. Click this and find a goldmine (p2)
9. White Light Mixes
10. The Ambitious C
    

There is also this wonderful thing called, "Google".

If I am in the mood to listen to a particular band, artist, DJ, whatever - I usually just Google them, and then "mix". You'll be surprised at what you find. Sometimes it's forums or boards that aren't in English but have awesome links, and other times you're not as lucky. And (do this at your discretion), but usually you can also find albums or recordings this way as well - instead, put in Mediafire, .zip, .rar, .mp3 with the artist and you'll find some fun things as well.

Finally - reference your friends, acquaintances, and/or enemies.

People know more than they lead on... and personally, I LOVE sharing what (I think) I know with people, and exposing friends and/or readers to things not so familiar. With the blog, those are my favorite posts; delving into something more than what I had originally thought. Like album reviews, or spotlights on artists. It makes me feel smart, and that's something I like (duh). My friends and I have music threads where we share all kinds of music and fun things, and I highly recommend you do the same thing.

Hopefully you learned something... maybe you found a new website or blog to stalk, or now have a nice SoundCloud account. Please use this knowledge to find some music - then give it to me. K. Thanks!

Your turn - Favorite website to go to for music? We love suggestions, so throw them at us!

And because I can't leave you without music, here's a mix I found via SoundCloud on Friday. I love how it was recorded in 2009, but still relevant almost 3 years later. Plus, he made it for his wife. #swoonworthy #iwantsomeonetomakeamixforme

http://sparkless.promodj.ru/promos/1263107/Sparkless_When_I_see_the_sun_in_your_eyes.html

*Edited to add: Sparkless recently took the mix off Soundcloud, but you can stream from the link above. I promise it's a great one :D

***Side note: if you're trying to figure out what the picture above is it contains a disco ball, musical notes, and a man with a top-hat - looking hard, because he's boss. Duh.

Dance Party Education!

This post is dedicated to tracks I'm loving right now. One of my favorite things (albeit tedious) to do is track out mixes when they don't have a track list. In some weird, twisted way it makes me feel like I've accomplished something (full disclosure: it doesn't take much) when I can recognize a track from an old mix, and then I turn to whoever is standing next to me exclaiming, "OMG. I LOVED THIS TRACK WHEN IT WAS PLAYED _____ by _______ in their ______ mix. REMEMBER?" Seriously. Everyone looooves standing next to me at shows.

I know, I need new hobbies. But it's pretty much the only thing I have going for me. This is how I make friends - I share music I love and bribe people with cookies. You'd be surprised at how many friends you make by simply whipping up some baked goods and turning on some serious tunes.

And at DPC if we can post mixes we truly enjoy, and let you know what we LOVE about a particular mix, it helps everyone recognize more tracks, and gets you familiar with artists, DJs, and producers. It's pretty overwhelming to get bombarded with tons of mixes (hence why we've slowed down a bit), and find yourself wanting more, or loving a certain track but not knowing where to start.

Dance Party Education: Because sometimes you're too lazy to find new tracks to become obsessed with. So yea. Pull out that pen and paper, put on your glasses (I have mine on, too!) and let's get educated. I've listed below where I've heard the tracks, but you've probably seen them in other mixes... enjoy the commentary with the tracks because I can't. shut. up. ever.

You're welcome.

So tell me, what's on repeat in your neck of the woods?
I'm seriously obsessed with the Zimmer track that's posted second. And the Matthew Kyle track. SO. Freaking. Good.

Featured in Magic Tape 16 - le sigh. I'm in love with this. I just thought everyone should know that little bit of information and you should be in love with this track, too.
Gigamesh - Red Light (Goldroom Remix) by Goldroom

Featured in Mirror People's latest mini mix - Such a happy song. Great track to open up a mix with, not too fast, not too slow. Just right. (TWSS?)
Zimmer - Looking At You by Zimmer

Featured in Spencer Lokken's mix comprised of edits - Genius foundation for a mixtape, SERIOUSLY people. Can't wait to see OL throwdown in January at U Hall. It's also 3 days before my 25th birthday. I'm slightly scared, I should probably read this again.
Matthew Kyle - Toni (Night Light EP - HoD002) by Matthew Kyle/In The Woods

Featured in Ichisan's guest mix for DPC - LOVE LOVE LOVE this spacey tune. Give me more.
Royksopp - This Space by Hypetrak

Featured in Magic Tape 7 - One of my fave tracks. Ever. Hands down. And Aeroplane dropped this track at U hall in April this past year and I got so excited I am pretty sure I dropped a full beer on the ground.
Poolside - Do You Believe by Poolside Music

This is the epitome of my happy song. I can't help but get a huuuuuuuge smile on my face and dance parties ensue when this track gets dropped. I loved it when Drop Out did a mash-up between this and the track, "Finally" in their mix for The Ambitious C. Drop Out really can do no wrong. Clearly.


Hmm and I just love this deep house remix that Art Department did for this song. My favorite way to listen to this song? When I'm in the midst of a cardio dance party at the gym or outside. Hello, motivation.
Hungry For The Power (Art Department Remix) by Turbo Recordings

How to Survive a Workday After Dance Partying All Night

The subject says it all. Take it from me, someone who has been to their fair share of shows on a weeknight - sometimes it seems impossible to get through an 8+ hour work day after dance partying and drinking all night. Common sense tells you to volunteer to DD, but let's be real: nobody likes to DD, and dance parties are totally more fun if you're drunk. There, I said it. Drinking is fun. Dancing while drinking is even more fun.

And if you're sitting there rolling your eyes at me through the computer screen, I can either guess that you 1. don't like to get drunk or 2. are a better person than me. Maybe all of the above. And while you're rolling your eyes, I'm trying to figure out how the hell we've kept you as a reader considering this entire blog's foundation is on whiskey and dance parties. With a dash of cookies on the side.

Anyway. Here are some tips that may or may not assist you in getting through your work day when you've found yourself taking "one last shot" at the bar the night before and kicking yourself the next morning.

• Take a sick day.
• Okay, I know this is soooo completely wrong, but didn't you know your work has sick days because they know their staff goes out and gets retarded on the regular? Duh. While I haven't done this (seriously, I haven't), maybe you should consider taking a sick day because "your tummy hurts" that morning. It probably does, so really you're not fooling anyone...
• Drink lots of water.
• This one seems like common sense, but sometimes I forget. Especially when I'm super hungover and pretty much want to crawl into my covers and not come out until my head stops throbbing. I'm pretty sure that drinking water is something I also don't want to be doing because I can't move, but water = hydration. And hydration is your friend.
• Eat really greasy food.
• If you don't like Five Guys french fries or some other type of delicious fried thing in your body the day after you drink, I'm not sure who you are. French fries have crack in them and are known to cure hangovers. It's science or something. You should probably wash down the fries with a Trenta from Starbucks because you need caffeine. Nobody wants a zombie staff person either.
  
• Shower.
  
• Duh. You don't want to smell like booze at work. And while you're showering, make sure you wash off the stamps that are on your hands. I repeat, wash the stamps off your hands. I mean it's not like I would know or anything, but I hear that it's something you should do if you don't want to give yourself away completely.
• Don't get so drunk the night before.
• Hm. Okay, so maybe I'm contradicting myself, but there's a fine line between being drunk, and getting blackout. That last shot that you want to take at the bar at 2:30am is probably not a good idea. And neither is that "last beer" at your house before you pass out in your bed - only to wake up with candy wrappers all around you and maybe a huge gummi bear lollipop in your hands. As long as you try to practice some self control the night before, the next morning will not be nearly as bad.
• GChat.
• This little platform of communication is the key to making your day go by quickly. What better way to make the day go by quicker than to reminisce the night before with your buddies and bitch about how awful everyone feels. Better yet, start an email chain. I hear those are fun too and more people to add to the conversation gives you a bigger window of opportunity to waste your day away.
• The Dance Party Chronicles.
• Because you want to keep your dance party going from the night before and listen to awesome music, read awesome stories, and look at awesome baked goods.

Hopefully these tips will aid you in a day of recovery - happy weekday dancing!

Edited to add: Now that you've read my weekday tips, what are yours?!

And because I can't leave this post without any music, here is the mix that had me at "hello". Magic Tape 1 is one of the few mixes I find myself going back to weekly. It reminds me of summer 2010, and when The Magician was first introduced. Such a great Magic Tape, and while some argue it's not the best - it certainly is the most memorable for me.

Magic Tape One by TheMagician