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There are plenty of things we can recommend you do during this period of social distancing, but if your plans mostly consist of stripping down to your underwear to bleach your entire house in a panic, you're gonna need a solid soundtrack. And you might as well use this time to discover new music or revisit old ones you've forgotten. We asked the most popular Dallas DJs for recommendations. Some were inspired by the theme (like Christy Ray's pick "Toxic," or JT Donaldson's choice of "Lonely Room"), but most are just great songs that'll keep your spirits up.
Adam Pickrell:
"What a Fool Believes," The Doobie Brothers"B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)," GZA
"Monsters Under the Bed," Nilüfer Yanya
Blake Ward:
"The Difference," Flume, Toro y Moi"Design Guide," William Doyle fet. Brian Eno
"Famous Monsters," Chromatics
"Bonbon," Lou Rebecca
...and his Cosmic Dance Floor Mix, which he updates regularly.
Christy Ray:
"Toxic," Britney Spears.
"Sunshine," Tom Misch
"Things Are Getting Better," N.E.R.D
JT Donaldson:
"Stay Inside" (Extended Mix), JT Donaldson ft. Liv.e"Me and My Lonely Room," Marvin Gaye
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
"Who Can It Be Now?" Men At Work
"Lonely Room," The Smile Rays
Matthew Urbanic
"Truth" (Live at WFUV), Kamasi Washington
"I Get Lifted," George McCrae
"All This Love That I'm Giving," Gwen McCrae
"Omae/Wagamama," Ryu Tsuruoka
Willie Trimmer
"Anything by Purple Disco Machine..."
"Smiley Face," Duck Sauce
"Rock With You" (The Reflex Revision), Michael Jackson
Sober
"A Little Bit of Love," Brenda Russell"Love's Coming at Ya," Melba Moore
"It Ain't Easy," Hidden Spheres
"Is it Any Wonder?" Durand Jones & The Indications
Sudie
"Some Things Last a Long Time," Daniel Johnston"Sound &Color," Alabama Shakes
"Soy Lo Que Soy," Monogem
"Believe," Okay Kaya
Ursa Major
"Evan Finds the Third Room," Khruangbin"Nite and Day," Al B. Sure!
"Communication," Arin Ray (feat. DRAM)
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Wanz Dover "Standing on the Verge of Getting It On," Funkadelic
"It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," R.E.M.
"My Favorite Things," Alice Coltrane
"There She Goes, My Beautiful World," Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Music for 18 Musicians," Steve Reich