Last night I DJ'ed Dance Dance Party Party for the first time in 2014 and I think we all worked up a pretty good sweat. If you like to dance, maybe you'll like some of these songs. And also, on a completely unrelated note, I am sending out thanks to a man named William who got off his bike in Hyde Park this morning and volunteered to help dig and push my stuck car out of the snow. It took about ten minutes and I didn't have much to give him but I am amazed by his kindness because it wasn't an easy job (and I'm really grateful I didn't accidentally hit him.) Thank you to William and all the Williams out there.

Kanye West: "Flashing Lights." This was my warmup. Some celebrities seem to wear their increased popularity and success in a relaxed manner (see: Beyonce, Jay-Z), while others seem to get more tortured the bigger they get. I like to remember Kanye West as a fantastic producer and witty lyricist and not an ever-more-frustrated eccentric. Anyway, this song is pretty and dark.

Karmin: "Brokenhearted."This is a cute song that I used to dance to at my gym dance class. I like the "Cheerio." I don't know much about Karmin but I get a Ke$ha vibe from them, but a little bit more relaxed and less desperate to prove how hard they party.

DJ Lobsterdust: "Stayin' Hot." I think this improves both on "It's Getting Hot In Here" (which has one of the dumbest choruses of all time) and "Stayin' Alive" (which didn't really need to be improved upon, but it's slightly funkier here.) Also, come on: "Lobsterdust"? Yes.

Fitz and the Tantrums: "The Walker." I stole this from my friend Nora, AKA DJ VulGeraghty.

 

Talking Heads: "Life During Wartime." I never thought of this as a dance song until my friend Tracy played it during her wedding reception. Then I watched "Stop Making Sense" and realized that not only is it a dance song, it's a workout song. Do you think you could dance and also sing like the Talking Heads and their backup singers do for six whole minutes?

The Beastie Boys: "Hey Ladies." Just reminds me of high school (in a good way.) I also just realized that the video is an homage to "Saturday Night Fever" which I'd like to say I tied into "Stayin' Hot" on purpose.

Karmin: "Acapella." The song is much better on its own because the video has that silly toast sequence.

Outkast: "B.O.B." This song is fun although after playing it last night I realized it's a touch long for dancing. Live and learn.

Prince: "U Got the Look." I went to a Prince concert with my friend Matt Lurie something like ten years ago and it was one of the best concerts I'd ever attended. That little man leaves everything on the stage.

Robert Randolph Band: "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That."

Icona Pop: "On a Roll." Icona Pop is that band that did that song "I Love It" that was a little hard to avoid last year. I read the AV Club review of the album and downloaded some of the recommended selections when I got a bit tired of that song and this is my favorite. Entertainment Weekly declared this one of the worst albums of last year. What do they know.

AC/DC: "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." I wasn't sure if this would go over well as a dance song but it involved lots of shouting at the ceiling which is typically a good sign.

Adam Lambert: "For Your Entertainment." Everyone knows that the Adam Lambert/Kris Allen season of "American Idol" was the best one ever because the finalists were both talented, cute, likeable and friendly with each other. The lyrics are a little un-subtle but that's all right.

Capital Cities: "Safe and Sound." I would like a music critic to explain to me how this became popular: it seems a little inexplicable to me, but I still enjoy it. The video will definitely make you want to dance. It reminds me of a "So You Think You Can Dance" promo.

Penguin Prison: Lana Del Rey's "Blue Jeans." Cooldown. This remix turned me onto Lana Del Rey, whose music speaks to the tortured, beautiful, misunderstood heroine of an '80's teen movie in me.