Shygirl – Fabric Presents: For me, there’s a fine line between electronic dance music and mainstream pop, and I hate it when a DJ crosses that line in the middle of a set. I used to go hear Junior Vasquez on Saturday nights in NYC, but eventually I stopped because I just didn’t need to hear the latest Madonna or Beyonce (nee Destiny’s Child) song on the dancefloor, even if Junior had a hand in creating those tracks. Like Junior Vasquez, Shygirl’s pop credentials are impeccable, and if anyone has earned the right to cross that line, she has. However, on this mix, she favors underground gems instead of mainstream hits and flirts with pop without ever giving in to it. It’s a bit too poppy for me at times, but overall, the set flows wonderfully. Oh, and my excitement was palpable when I opened my package from FabricFirst and discovered they’ve revived the old metal boxes. Very cool!
Eris Drew – Eris Drew’s Raving Disco Breaks Vol. II: Rock The House: I missed the first volume of Raving Disco Breaks so I’m glad I found this. It’s an upbeat and exciting set, though I admit I started getting bored about an hour in. The Zeppelin break feels contrived to me (not surprising, based on my comments above), but I love knowing it will welcome some curious rock fan into the magical world of electronic dance music. Timo Maas did the same thing for me a few decades back when he dropped Quivver’s mix of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” into a live set at around 3am.
Grateful Dead – 9/21/82 (NYC): Dave Lemieux, the Grateful Dead’s archivist, once said he imagines most people can dig into about four Dead concerts in a given year. For the past few months, I’ve been trying to consume these shows at a gluttonous pace, so I’m slowing down and spending some time with each show. I’m glad I’ve approached 9/21/82 with this mindset. I dismissed the concert on my first listen, but the more I listen, the more secrets it’s revealing. “Crazy Fingers” is one of those secrets. It’s a song I don’t know well, but the words and music both remind me of the joy that can emerge when you embrace ambiguity.
Old friends who made it into rotation this week: John Digweed: Global Underground 001 Sydney