NPR’s Scott Detrow chats with the administrators of All Issues Thought-about concerning the music they listened to essentially the most this yr and why.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The administrators of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, they do rather a lot behind the scenes. They have the very highly effective job of being the one that tells me when to speak and when to not discuss. And past that, additionally they decide the fantastic music breaks that you just hear each single present. We’re taking a while on this system on the finish of the yr to speak with our present administrators about among the music they listened to essentially the most in 2023. Give it some thought as ALL THINGS CONSIDERED Wrapped. And this weekend, we’re speaking to producer Elena Burnett. Hey, Elena.
ELENA BURNETT, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.
DETROW: OK, so on this collection, each director has had a theme. And your theme, I’m informed, is dance events.
BURNETT: Sure. So this began for me firstly of the pandemic. I stay and I nonetheless do in a small studio condo. And to type of hold myself sane, I made a decision that each single day, I used to be going to bop to a tune.
DETROW: So this began as one thing you probably did round your condo. Does this imply the dance events are coming with? Does this imply you are simply breaking out into dance everywhere?
BURNETT: Yeah, it’s. It’s.
DETROW: Oh, OK.
BURNETT: After which, like, an enormous a part of this, I ought to preface, is I am actually dangerous at conserving monitor of fashionable music – like, actually dangerous. So I get very excited and I begin dancing when a tune that I truly know performs on the radio.
DETROW: Is sensible.
BURNETT: And that occurred rather a lot this yr with my most listened to band, Lake Avenue Dive.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “AUTOMATIC”)
LAKE STREET DIVE: (Singing) I am strolling blindfolded.
BURNETT: They’re all over the place – in D.C. grocery shops and Albuquerque out of doors malls and Edinburgh stationary shops. And, I imply, these are all locations that now have been graced by an Elena Burnett dance occasion.
DETROW: How far did you prolong this? Like, what was the outer restrict of a spot that you just had been like, you already know what? I am simply going to bop.
BURNETT: I imply, you already know, it received fairly – I used to be within the U.Ok. rather a lot this yr, and I danced my method by means of it. However, you already know, typically you do not actually really feel like dancing in public. Typically you simply need to have it only for your self. That is the place working is available in for me. It is sort of like a socially sanctioned dance occasion. It is sort of like all people round you is listening to the identical tune, like a silent disco. And so I believe that is why The Head and the Coronary heart’s “Each Shade Of Blue” was my prime tune this yr.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EVERY SHADE OF BLUE”)
THE HEAD AND THE HEART: It has been a protracted yr, the incorrect yr to be left alone.
BURNETT: Then the beat kicks in and there is this type of like, da, da, da, da, da, da (ph) that simply, like, zaps proper by means of you, and the drums are simply working proper together with you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EVERY SHADE OF BLUE”)
THE HEAD AND THE HEART: (Singing) You, you.
DETROW: I wish to level out that I really feel like I am dancing to the music greater than you might be throughout this interview, and I really feel like that is ironic. And I simply need to deal with that and see if we will repair it.
BURNETT: (Laughter).
DETROW: You talked about you traveled rather a lot this yr. How did the music observe you?
BURNETT: Whereas I used to be away, I missed quite a lot of live shows that I’d have liked to see. And essentially the most devastating one which I missed was Sammy Rae & The Pals. Their music is simply so infectious. It is like fireworks. However fortunately, they launched a live performance album of their tour, “If It All Goes South,” and that album turned what I listened to on repeat each aircraft trip I took this yr. And the stay simply added this nice factor to it. Listening to them riff collectively, it is an precise occasion on stage. The truth is, there is a tune actually known as “Let’s Throw A Occasion.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LET’S THROW A PARTY”)
SAMMY RAE AND THE FRIENDS: (Singing) Let’s throw a celebration. Someone’s turning 30.
BURNETT: And it sort of crescendos into this, like, superb, joyful, chaotic magnificence. And it is simply the precise go-for-broke vibe that you really want from an excellent dance occasion. However, I imply, the dance mantra is go put a smile on someone’s face, go inform someone they have a spot on this world, go inform someone you need to be pals with them. And that’s simply the sort of pure human pleasure and connection that their music makes you’re feeling. And I additionally assume that is what these bursts of dancing have been for me, sort of a approach to be a good friend to myself and make myself smile and, this yr greater than ever, to attach and smile with family and friends and even strangers.
DETROW: I actually like this method.
BURNETT: Thanks.
DETROW: That’s ALL THINGS CONSIDERED producer and director Elena Burnett. Thanks.
BURNETT: You are welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LET’S THROW A PARTY”)
SAMMY RAE AND THE FRIENDS: (Singing) Let’s throw a celebration. Someone’s turning 30. Ooh, and we ain’t appeared this good since we do not even know since when. Let’s throw a celebration.
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