So as I head off for my weekend in New York for the Sex and the City movie and to see my friends and indulge in other things about NYC that I love (my new favorite eyebrow threading place, which is way better than the other place I used to go to; having Sunday brunch at Cafeteria, then getting a mani-pedi at the place across the street; a trip downtown for some Century 21 bargain shopping, if time permits) I bring you the SATC- and NYC-themed rotation. It’s longer than usual because the trip to New York will take at least 3.5 hours, so I need enough tunes to keep me occupied (when these run out I’ll just listen to Mary J. Blige – the quintessential strong New York woman):
Fashion, David Bowie. Perfect topic, and I love Bowie. Love him. This song is 28 years old but it sounds like it could have been released yesterday. Brilliance. We are the goon squad and we’re comin’ to town – beep-beep!
Canned Heat, Jamiroquai. This is the song playing on my Walkman (yes, I said Walkman) as the bus I was riding on crossed from the Bronx into Manhattan the first time I went to live there. I really felt like I was filled with canned heat, I was so full of excitement about moving to a new city and all the adventure that would ensure. It’s one of my happiest moments in NYC memory. And I’m glad my first memory from this song is not from Napoleon Dynamite (although the is a great scene).
Crazy in Love, Beyoncé. Ok, I know this song is beyond played, but it reminds me of the second time I lived in New York, and one of my favorite things about my nearly 2-hour roundtrip commute was coming home on the West Side Highway, and getting to the part where I could see the Empire State Building and the rest of the NYC skyline, all lit up at night. I didn’t have a tape or CD player in my hooptie of a Nissan Sentra, so I always listened to the radio. And almost invariably, Crazy in Love would be playing. So now I think of New York City every time I hear “Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh-no-no.”
What It Feels Like For a Girl, Madonna. I fell in love with this song in New York. And a perfect song for a girl-focused weekend.
Velvet Rope, Janet Jackson. Ok, I include this song because it reminds me of the time years ago I was in New York with a bunch of friends, and one of the guys (who lives in NYC!) suggested we go to a club called Spa. If you knew this bunch of friends, and if you knew Spa (which was a trendy dance club at the time – long since closed down) you’d know we didn’t belong there. Anyway, we arrive to find this short, skinny, nearly albino doorman wearing cow-print leggings, a fuchsia fuzzy coat and sunglasses. It was about 10 pm. He looks at us and starts to motion us in until he sees one of the guys wearing jeans. “You!” He says in an indeterminate accent pointing to my friend. “Come here. I can’t see you.” Turns to his flunky (Yes, he had a flunky): “Tell him to come here.” Flunky beckons my friend. “What are you wearing?” Weird guy continues in weird accent. “No. I’m sorry. You cannot come in dressed like that.” To flunky: “Tell him he cannot come in dressed like that.” We were rejected from Spa by an albino muppet. Classic NYC moment.
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing, Garbage. The song that got me through some of the not-so-good NYC times.
The Heart of the Matter, India.Arie. Love this song, and it’s in the SATC trailer and on the soundtrack.
Play, Jennifer Lopez. Ok, I know – two J.Lo tracks in as many weeks, but let me explain. I bought the CD “J.Lo” while living in New York in 2000. And I loved it. Listened to it all the time: in the subway waiting for the 1/9 train, at LaGuardia waiting for my flights, everywhere. It was the perfect J.Lo album – catchy dance tunes that didn’t require strong vocals but were fun to listen to. So great. Long before she became Bennifer. I liked her so much back then. *Sigh*
I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever), Stevie Wonder. This song makes me think of Charlotte.
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy), Simon & Garfunkel. I couldn’t wait to move to NYC so I could play this song there. I always listened to it when I went consignment shopping on the Upper East Side.
Bad Girls, Donna Summer. From one of my favorite SATC episodes, when the girls were dancing at the bar in Staten Island.
Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn. From another great episode. This is what was playing when Carrie fell on the runway and Heidi Klum stepped over her, making her “fashion roadkill.”
Native New Yorker, Odyssey. I don’t know if this song was in any of the episodes (I can’t remember it, and I’ve seen them all) but it should have been.
New Shoes, Paolo Nutini. I imagine this being Carrie’s anthem.
New York State of Mind, Billy Joel. This really will be a getaway for me, a holiday from the neighborhood. I’m hopping a (kinda) Greyhound on the DC-NYC line. I’m in a New York State of Mind!
