Hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis rode their smash hit “Thrift Shop” to the top of Billboard’s rap charts, their album The Heist has been one of the most popular in the country, and now, the ultimate honor: they tell our listeners what to listen to.
They serve up a soundtrack that’s perfect for romancers, magic dancers, your Uncle Larry, and anyone who loves a banjo.
Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto – “The Girl from Ipanema”
Macklemore: Dinner party. Close friends, family, relatives, loved ones. They all come over to your house for dinner. The Martinelli’s is flowing. The red wine is plentiful. The egg nog is hot… and cold too depending on how you like it.
The big question is: what are you going to play? What are you going to spin? How are they going to respond? The first song I’m picking is the “Girl from Ipamena, Stan Getz and Gilberto.
Now, you pick a song like this and you really want to see how people react and it can get awkward with this song. It’s a rumba, it’s a slow jazz tune. But you want to just set the mood off right. This is the perfect song.
Sufjan Stevens – “Sister Winter”
Ryan Lewis: Now let’s say that nobody comes to your dinner party. What do you play then? I would go to Sufjan Stevens’ “Christmas Collection” and on that is a song called “Sister Winter,” which is just this brutal intersection of the holiday spirit and the realities of a cold, lonely winter.
Which is not your holiday joy, everything is all good. You’re constantly walking around Christmas shopping and always surrounded by these fun, happy holiday songs. No. Not now. Nobody came. showed up. You’ve cooked an entire meal for nobody to eat. You put on “Sister Winter.” You’re dolo at the dinner table.
David Bowie – “Magic Dance”
Macklemore: All right. So, we’ve covered the grounds. People have warmed up. Your uncle, Larry hitting on your girlfriend. Your grandfather is asleep. Actually, your grandfather is dead. He’s not even at your party. And you want to wake the people up. What do you put on? That’s right. The go to, “Magic Dance” by David Bowie from the “Labyrinth” soundtrack.
“Magic Dance” is one of the weirdest songs ever made by anyone that’s ever made music. You see who knows this song. You judge them off of that. If they don’t know it, they’ve never seen “Labyrinth,” probably not going to invite them next year. You put it on, you get a “Soul Train” line going, you see who can really shake it by the Christmas tree.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “Cowboy Boots”
Ryan Lewis: Now let’s say the only album you have at the dinner part is ours. Let me tell you what you don’t do. Don’t play “Jimmy Iovine.” Don’t do it. People don’t know how to dance to it. It’s going to make it awkward [laughs]. I’d probably hit them with “Cowboy Boots.”
Slow, deep bass in case you’re already shaking your [ass] and also banjos. And what is a better addition to a playlist than a banjo… with the 808s.
