Yeasayer's New York playlist

As part of our new online city guides, we asked music experts to compile a playlist to their city. Here Chris Keating of Yeasayer cues up the tracks for New York City? As featured in our New York city guideWhile compiling our new online guides to the major cities of the world, we thought it would be a good idea to serve up a soundtrack of songs associated with that city - something to nod to as you sift through all the recommendations of places to stay, restaurants, cafes, bars, galleries ... to transport you there, aurally.All the recommendations in the guides come from writers and bloggers based in the cities, so it made sense to ask a local musician or artist to compile the playlists.So, we asked Chris Keating, singer and keyboard player of Brooklyn-based Yeasayer to cue up a list of tracks that capture the heart and soul of New York City for him. Here's what he gave us ? from Bobby Womack's classic soul anthem Across 110th Street to Jay Z's first NY tribute via Steely Dan and Talking Heads.Of course, this is just the tip of the Big Apple sound cart, and we're sure you'll have your own playlist already to go. So let us know what tracks you'd have in your London soundtrack, and sling us a link ? or a mix ? after the jump. Happy listening.Cam'ron and Jay-Z ? Welcome to New York CityThis was the first really awesome, anthemic New York song that Jay-Z made before the most recent, bigger hit, "Empire State of Mind". I think this one's better because it's grittier.Steely Dan ? Black CowThey ended up making most of their music in LA but a lot of their music was about how they missed New York. A black cow was a specific soda that they had as a kid - I think it's ice-cream.Suicide ? CherieIn terms of punk and the post punk movement, these guys are still influencing a lot of things today. They're a band from the mid-Seventies who never really were big at the time but it's a very New York sound ? gritty and lo-fi and in your face.Gang Gang Dance ? God's Money VII This is from their first album, God's Money, that I listened to in New York. I always associate them with Brooklyn and I think they're great, one of the best contemporary bands, really progressive. It's also nostalgia ? I saw them play a lot when I first moved here.Bobby Womack ? Across 110th StreetThis is kind of a definitive 70s New York urban soul track. It's also the theme from the movie starring Yaphet Kotto so it kind of sums up that blaxploitation era.Barry De Vorzon ? Theme song from The WarriorsThis is an instrumental track but has connotations of the subway, it's the title song from the movie and I remember seeing that movie when I was six years old and seeing all New York in it from the Bronx to Manhattan to Coney Island. The soundtrack is really 1980s New York City, like cocaine-disco.Mobb Deep ? Up North TripThis is about going to Rikers Island or any of those penitentiaries up north. This was the New York hip-hop sound of the early nineties that really defined an era.Dillinger ? Cocaine In My BrainThis is kind of a reggae-type jam but there's one specific line in it: "A knife and fork, a bottle and a cork, that's the way you spell New York." I don't know what that means but it's a cool idea and it's a cool-sounding song.Krzysztof Komeda ? Theme to Rosemary's BabyThis is a creepy song by a Polish composer and it kind of sums up the way I feel about the Upper West Side. Once you go uptown it's kind of empty and cold and very fancy, but also witches live in these old buildings, so it's kind of perfect.Talking Heads ? This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)It's such a great song. I don't know its particular relevance to New York other than them being such a New York band. "Life During War Time" is specifically about Alphabet City but I think "Naive Melody" is one of my favourite songs of all time.New YorkCity breaksYeasayerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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