[mix tape] IndyHall’s Alex Hillman Knows Karaoke

Now, I’ve never met Alex Hillman but, when you do anything tech/web/creative community-related in Philly, you’re bound to know his name.  To mere peons like me, he’s pretty much a demi-god.  Actually, as much as I respect/look up to him, I’m not even sure that I want to meet him in person.  Most likely, my palms would get all sweaty and I’d trip over my words or say something totally ridiculous.  I’d definitely ask for his autograph.  (See?  Ridiculous.)

What is it about Alex that intimidates me so?  Although he does write at http://www.dangerouslyawesome.com, it’s not his URL.  Scratch that.  Maybe it is his URL.  Or, what his URL says.  He is dangerously awesome.

For example, he takes his knack for problem-solving and offers to unstick you.  I’d totally like to be unstuck.  (When I can afford it, I’m scheduling an appointment.  I wonder if he can unstick me over the phone?  My sweaty palms would be less of a liability.  Something I’ll have to look into….)

He also does other things, like karaoke, which you’ll hear more about below.

If you don’t believe me or Alex’s URL about his awesomeness, I’m sure you could ask any one of the “designers, developers, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, small business owners, telecommuters, marketers, videographers, game developers,” who make IndyHall their home (er, office).  And, what is IndyHall exactly?  Well, I’m glad you asked, Dear Reader.  It’s a co-working space inspired by Citizen Space in San Francisco.  If your town doesn’t have one, sucks for you.  Just kidding.  Alex and Geoff DiMasi (another one of my demi-gods), IndyHall’s co-founders, are approachable resources – well, unless you’re me – and are willing to offer guidance.

So, as I explained, I’m already wowed by Alex Hillman.  Can you believe my reaction when I received his mix tape?  I expected to be blown away and he managed to surpass my expectations.   Just read on below…

When Melissa asked me about putting together a Mixtape for Nonpretentious, I jumped at the chance. Having been a DJ while in college, and a general music lover, I thought this would let me relive some of those good times. When it came down to it, I was having a hard time putting together a great playlist…and I realized it was because I didn’t have a theme in mind.

After hours and hours of brainstorming, it finally hit me: Karaoke.

I’m a notorious karaoke lover, having founded the Philadelphia chapter of TechKaraoke every Tuesday at National Mechanics in Old City. I competed, and placed 3^rd, in Happy Cog’s Cog’aoke competition at SXSWi09. I karaoke in nearly every city I visit, given the chance. And this week, on July 15^th, I fly to San Francisco only to turn right back around…and start driving an RV across the United States celebrating Karaoke and spreading Whuffie as we celebrate Whuffaoke, a 15 day cross country karaoke road tour with 3 of my best friends. I encourage you to look and see if we’re coming to your city, and to join us, either singing on the 27’ Winnebago we’ve decked out with a karaoke rig, or in whatever local bar we take over that night.  (Editor’s note:  Interested in Whuffie?  See: Tara Hunt’s book, “The Whuffie Factor,” available at Amazon.)

This playlist is a tribute to some of the best karaoke songs I’ve sang or seen sung. This clearly doesn’t cover all of the best tracks, but I also had to account for the fact that this was supposed to be a playlist. In my mind, a playlist tells a story, and that arc in this case is the story of a totally epic party night in your favorite karaoke bar. These songs are chosen for personal preference, as well as crowd-please-ability and placement in the night. Along with each track is some commentary, suggestions, and even a rating scale of difficulty, how likely people are to sing along, and how likely you are to dance. All ratings are on a scale of 1-5, 1 being the least and 5 being the most.

Are you brave enough to step up to the mic and take this trip with me? Here we go!

Faith – George Michael
One of the cardinal rules of karaoke is not to start too early in the night. That said, sometimes you need to be the first singer to break the ice and it’s critical to have a solid warm-up song. This song needs to serve two purposes: first, to warm up your vocal chords (since you’ve likely had very little in the line of drinks OR sing-alongs, the two primary vocal lubricants at any karaoke event). Second, and just as importantly, you need a crowd pleaser. Everyone knows all the words to Faith, and let’s be honest: if George Michael doesn’t spell “crowd pleasure”, I don’t know what does.
DIFFICULTY: 2
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 2
DANCE-ABILITY: 4

Jesse’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Crowd’s warm, and so are you. What next? Jesse’s Girl has the perfect of Rick (I mean, you…) practically whispering the lyrics of the bridge, easy lyrics, and an awesome power-chord filled chorus that has awesome sing-along potential. Not screaming your way through the entire song is critical for endurance (there’s at 18 more songs in this list, remember?), and this becomes your first shot to really engage the crowd. Don’t eff it up.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 3

Lovefool – The Cardigans
Hey Juliet, looking for your karaoke Romeo? What better way than singing this seductive track by The Cardigans. What makes this song perfect for the female crooners in the room? Nearly every line ends in a pouty face. C’mon. Listen to the song. It’s practically an auditory striptease.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 4
DANCE-ABILITY: 5

Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Let’s pour one out for the gloved one’s recent passing. Now that we’ve got that out of our way, I don’t think you need me to explain why almost ANY MJ track is critical for the ultimate karaoke trackset. That said, some important notes:

• You think you can’t hit Mike’s falsettos? It’s ok. Try. You might surprise yourself, and the crowd.
• Gratuitous crotch-grabbing will get you past any failed falsettos.
• MJ tracks are a secret weapon for people who are better dancers than singers. Use this to your advantage. If you’ve got any kind of pelvis-thrusting moves, now’s your chance to grab a karaoke microphone and make the most of it.

DIFFICULTY: 5
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 4
DANCE-ABILITY: 5

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Kiki Dee & Elton John
This highly underrated karaoke duet is worth it’s weight in gold. It’s got repetitive lyrics, and an awesome bridge that’s just long enough to bust out some two person choreography. The best part about this duet is how well it allows a couple to share a duet without stepping on each other’s toes. The lyrics, that is. I can’t help you with your dance moves.
DIFFICULTY: 1
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 3

Twist and Shout – The Beatles (Editor’s note: N/A on iTunes.  Will update mix if/when the Beatles rights are approved.)
Speaking of dance moves, this song only requires one; making it an IDEAL song for singers who can’t dance! Just twist…and shout…your way through the entire song. Remember what happened when Ferris Bueller sang this song? He took over an entire Chicago parade with impromptu dance moves. If you can execute this song well, you should be able to end with the entire bar dancing on the chairs and tables, and swinging from the ceiling fans. Just don’t let the principal catch you.
DIFFICULTY: 1
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 5

Piano Man – Billy Joel
Time to take it down a notch with a mellow sing-along. Not much to say about this one, except bonus points if you can learn the harmonica part. If you can, you should probably carry a harmonica in your pocket for the rest of your life, just so you can bust out this song, with or without a karaoke DJ handy.
DIFFICULTY: 4
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 1

Imagine – John Lennon
Piano Man usually results in people putting their arms on each others’ shoulders, and an general sense of “together-y-ness”™, there’s no better follow up than Imagine to keep people in the mood.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 4
DANCE-ABILITY: 1

Kiss – Prince
Rather than explain how to sing this song, I’m going to leave you with this video. You can thank me later for the inspiration.

DIFFICULTY: 5
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 3
DANCE-ABILITY: 5

One Week – Barenaked Ladies
We’re now halfway through our set, and there’s a critical juncture: any songs with technical difficulty are going to start becoming dangerous, depending on how much you’ve been drinking. This song’s technical merit comes from it’s ridiculously fast lyrics. If you’ve been lucky enough to see me perform it, you’ll know that it can in fact be done. Just know that I’ve been practicing this song since I was in the 10^th grade. Don’t act shocked. Perfection takes time.
DIFFICULTY: 11
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 0
DANCE-ABILITY: 0

Fight for your Right – Beastie Boys
Rocking the Beasties is a great way to get the crowd fired up again, since this anthem is more or less a directive for the rest of the night; nobody’s going to get in between us and our party! This song is among the easier Beastie Boys songs to sing, compared to tracks like Intergalactic, but you do get bonus points for singing in all three distinctly different NYC accents. Whatever you do, don’t forget to trounce around the stage and throw your hands in the air a lot.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 4
DANCE-ABILITY: 4

My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
While you’re trouncing around the stage and ruining your vocal chords for the rest of the night, this track from ‘99 is perfect for explaining exactly how you expect your night to end…tomorrow morning. Party anthem all the way, and if you’re not air-guitar-ing during the opening riff of this song, you’re doing it wrong. Even the lead singer of the band used to air guitar to his own song.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 3

Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry
From one high school dance full of air-guitar-ing (mine) to another (George McFly’s), Johnny B Goode allows you to not only bust out some more great air-instrument moves, but to capitalize on the havoc you’ve wrecked on your voicebox. Chuck Berry’s gravelly voice is easily replicated at this point in the night.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 2
DANCE-ABILITY: 5

Like a Prayer – Madonna
A little something for the ladies. If you’re not a girl, it doesn’t matter, since gender-bending is one of the highest art forms in karaoke, and even dudes can kill it with this song.
Things I can’t promise:

• It’ll sound good
• You know all of the lyrics
• You’ll look as sexy as Madonna singing it

Things I CAN promise:

• Every woman in the bar will be singing along with you, so it won’t matter how you sound

DIFFICULTY: 2
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 2

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
You’re coasting into the home stretch, and need to keep your throne. Sing-along is going to be the name of the game from here on out, and the only thing better than a standard sing along is one where people shout out made-up lyrics between the actual ones.
XXX-version or not, it’s SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!
DIFFICULTY: 1
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 3

I Touch Myself – The Divinyls
Speaking of x-rated…this song takes on a whole new meaning depending on how much you’ve had to drink. Everything from lude, masturbatory gestures to the removal of sweat-soaked clothing are fair game during this track. Your only goal should be to not be the only one doing it.
DIFFICULTY: 3
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 3
DANCE-ABILITY: 5 (just make it sexy)

Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
I don’t care if The Sopranos ruined this song for millions of fans, it’s still a crowd pleaser, if not one of the ultimate sing-alongs for our generation. The irony is, it’s really hard to sing well. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever head anyone sing it well except for Steve Perry. That said, if you sing this song, you could mumble your way through the entire thing and it almost wouldn’t matter. Someone else WILL be singing it louder than you. And you can bet that they’re singing it worse than you are.
DIFFICULTY: 5
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 2

*Victory Dance*
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
This song has everything. Beautiful harmonies, headbanging, a call-and-answer. Your lighter will be lit and swaying. Your voice will be ravaged. But it won’t matter, because this is your chance to invite the ENTIRE bar up to the stage to join you. Pass around the microphone. This song is about sharing. About celebrating together. Its your victory lap after completing one of the most epic karaoke nights ever. Thanks for sharing it with me, it’s been a fun time.
DIFFICULTY: 1
SING-A-LONG-ABILITY: 5
DANCE-ABILITY: 5

See you next Tuesday? You can find me singing karaoke in Philadelphia almost every Tuesday at National Mechanics with DJ Joe.

And don’t forget to see if I’ll be in your town during the 2^nd half of July for Whuffaoke with Tara “Missrogue” Hunt, Tony “Tony B Goode” Bacigalupo, and Emma “The Brit” Persky.

For other karaoke tips, see @TonyBGoode‘s IgnitePhilly slides for “How to Rawk Karaoke.”

@alexknowshtml, OUT!

–
http://nonpretentious.com publishes mix tapes every Wednesday in its [mix tapes] column. Our goal is to create a digital version of trading mixes, sharing music, etc. AND also publicize the work of “common people” (i.e. not superstar celebs but celebs nonetheless) who are doing cool things around the globe.

Tags: Barenaked Ladies, beastie boys, Billie Jean, Billy Joel, Bohemian Rhapsody, books, Chuck Berry, Citizen Space, co-working, DJ Joe, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Don't Stop Believing, Elton John, Emma Persky, Faith, Fight for your Right, Geoff DiMasi, George Michael, Happy Cog, I Touch Myself, IgnitePhilly, Imagine, IndyHall, Jessie's Girl, John Lennon, Johnny B Goode, Journey, karaoke, Kiki Dee, kiss, Like a Prayer, Lovefool, Madonna, Michael Jackson, mixtape, My own worst enemy, National Mechanics, Neil Diamond, One Week, Piano Man, Prince, Queen, rick springfield, Sweet Caroline, Tara Hunt, The Beatles, the Cardigans, the Divinyls, The Wuffie Factor, Tony B Goode, Twist & Shout, whuffaoke, whuffie

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