Like any other San Franciscan, I claim to abhor Los Angeles and all it stands for. Its sleazy, overtly sexualized, and full of plastic looking waiters trying to be actors. While trying to not enjoy the perfect weather in Venice Beach last weekend listening to a borrowed ipod, I stumbled upon a playlist called Songs to Get Down To. Naively, I thought I’d be bouncing through traffic to some dance hits. But as it turns out, the owner of the ipod is a Los Angeles Casanova, and what I got instead was a bunch of slow jams.
I was originally going to give this list a little feminine mystique and some sort of demure title hinting at what these songs are for. But in the spirit of the sleaziest city on the West Coast, I give you 6 Songs to Get Down To.
Infinity – The xx
Its no wonder The xx dropped out of university. These kids (emphasis on the kids part- they’re all under the age of 20) sure can write a low fi song that really hits the spot. The back and forth between the female and male vocals are extremely sultry and smoky. Add the slow twang of the guitar over a pulsating and understated bass line and you’ve got a free pass to first base.
Stillness is the Move – Solange
The Dirty Projectors knew there was something in R&B to be explored when they wrote Stillness is the Move. The girls even choreographed a few dance moves for the video as a tribute to old school R&B music videos. But it was Solange Knowles who really took this track to new heights. When her cover was released on Pitchfork last week, everyone and their band mates tweeted about it. Within a few hours, Pitchfork had to take down the free download- probably the responsible thing to do considering that there are too many hipsters out there, no need to encourage them to procreate with such a smooth track.
Straight Fucking – The Transitions ft. Gator
This is the most straightforward panty dropper. Ever. I first heard this in-between sets at a Good Life concert. I’m 99% sure that this is on Tim Kasher’s playlist too.
Holidays in France – Nestor Amaral And His Continentals
I have a thing for accents and for this reason alone I make sure to visit my friends in Europe every year. The one place I have to stay away from is France where the men are sleazy and the accents far too alluring. If I were to be whisked away to Paris, there is no telling when I’d return. So instead of actually going to the city of love, I throw on this record.
Blondfire – L-L-Love
This brother and sister duo of Erica and Bruce Driscoll sounds a little like the Cardigans if they were from Brasil. Erica’s vocals sweetly breathe out confessions of flirting with disaster and being taken under the spell of love. There is a definite influence of bossanova artists to their pop-electronica sound. L-L-Love is off the band’s debut EP Don’t Whisper which was released under the band name Astaire. The rest of the EP is equally seductive, nothing at all like Fred Astaire (whose estate made the band change the name).
En Particulier – Blonde Redhead
This song was already sexy enough when Blonde Redhead first recorded it for Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons but then they had to go ahead and record it French. I’ve already described how I feel about French accents. Please do not use this knowledge against me.
Don’t abuse this information; I haven’t finished writing my 6 Songs for Break-Ups yet.
Maxwell’s-Bad Habits is also a good, as you say, “panty dropper.”