10 DJs Spinning

Local crate diggers make the ultimate holiday mix.

by Andrew Parks

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Published: Dec 6, 2006

Drop that Christmas with Colonel Sanders record and step away from the turntable — the last thing your guests wanna hear is some chicken-shillin' dead guy crooning about sleigh rides. Here are 10 great ways, as told to us by some of Philly's best beat jugglers, to get down holiday-style.

Black Sabbath, "Nativity in Black"
"It has 'nativity' in the title and a wicked bass intro," says Pink Skull frontman and Making Time DJ Julian S. Process. "It's like a Christmas gift — from Satan."

Fishbone, "Slick Nick You Devil You"
"Only in Fishbone's world would a 12-year-old Angelo Moore observe Santa's love for Jack Daniels, clove smokes and punk rock," says ?uestlove , drummer for The Roots. "I [once] spent all of December silently chuckling to this Christmas classic."

John Denver & The Muppets, "Christmas Is Coming"
"No holiday party is complete without dropping a beat from A Christmas Together," says Slit Jockey co-founder Starkey . "I'm particularly feeling 'Christmas Is Coming,' a banger featuring Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Scooter and Robin."

Rotary Connection, "Silent Night"
"Produced and arranged by Charles Stepney, this slice of psychedelic funk warms up my house every year," says King Britt. "A 19-year-old Minnie Ripperton kills it with the vocals. Pure bliss."

The Kinks, "Father Christmas"
"From the twin-engine roar of the opening guitars to the bells wrapping Ray Davies' voice during tender parts, this song manages to be both hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time," says Carolyn Chernoff, aka Miss Meow, of the Girls' DJ Collective. "And it inspires me to do the Snoopy dance."

Wiliam S. Burroughs and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, "The Junky's Christmas"
"This always reminds me of the holidays for people other than jolly whitebread shoppers," says Plastic Little DJ Michael "Squid" Stein . "The ominous beat is winter fresh."

Average White Band, "School Boy Crush"
"Why?" quips RJD2 . "Because anything with that much sleigh bell qualifies as holiday music, regardless of topic."

Jim Jones, "Ballin' on Christmas"
"A Dipset Christmas album?" asks Dev 79 of Seclusiasis. "Sounds crazy, but considering their penchant for rhyming about 'snow,' it sorta makes sense. This track is over the beat from Run-DMC's classic 'Christmas in Hollis,' an odd pairing of old and new that really makes it pop."

Rotary Connection, "Silent Night Chant"
"This is a fuzz-saturated, psychedelic-soul plea for peace during the Vietnam War," says An Albatross singer and Immediate DJ Edward B. Gieda III . "Somewhere between the Manson Family recordings and Sly & The Family Stone, it's got an eerie, stoned, distant groove that's unforgettable — and unlike 99.9 percent of holiday music, it's a great listen any time of year."

Anything Bing
And for Diplo ? "Some really cheesy Bing Crosby stuff that used to play on my parents' stereo or on TV during the nonstop Turner Classic Movies holiday times."

(a_parks@citypaper.net)

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