In Hear This, A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, we’re talking about the songs we like most when the weather gets warm.
2 Many DJs, As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2, “Track 18” (2002)
There are a lot of songs I like when it’s warm out, from anything LCD Soundsystem to Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life,” which I maintain is one of the best “driving with the windows open” tracks of all time. It all depends on what mood I’m in on any given warm day. Lately, with spring—er—springing, I’ve been revisiting old 2 Many DJs mixes. I’m particularly partial to As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2, which finds DJ brothers Stephen and David Dewaele mixing everything from The Stooges to Nena together. A few tracks are especially inspired, like the duo’s blend of Destiny’s Child “Independent Women Part 1” and 10cc’s “Dreadlock Holiday,” and the 3:30 mix of Skee-Lo’s “I Wish,” Maurice Fulton’s “My Gigolo,” and The Breeders’ “Cannonball” really is legendary. For my money, though, there’s no better mix on the record than “Track 18,” the two-and-a-half-minute blend of a Röyksopp track, “Eple,” and Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5.” Granted, I’m an avowed Parton fanatic and “9 To 5” is already a relatively perfect song, but 2 Many DJs’ addition of “Eple” takes “9 To 5” to a special and spacey place. It’s particularly perfect now, as the weather gets warmer, since it’s one of those tracks that makes you want to strip off your coat and get strutting. The whole mix is well worth a listen—as are all 2 Many DJs’ other Soulwax mixes, and there are a bunch—but start with Dolly and Röyksopp, and work from there.