[wavedash]

I listen and dance to a lot of house music, these days. My music preference of choice, but that still doesn't mean you can't/shouldn't practice to something, like rock or rap.

[benjaminlibl]

Where do you get your house tracks?

[Fishbelly]

Originally Posted by snowy someone told me this is the best locking song...

See, the funny thing is that I love that song because I'm a huge The Big Lebowski fan, LOL... but I wouldn't try locking to it.

Originally Posted by benjaminlibl The funk doesn't move you? The funk should move everyone.

I know it _should_... but I just don't feel it, with the exception of a very few songs. And I'm not even sure if those are appropriate funk songs for locking! Okay, quick list of the ones I liked enough to three-star on iTunes (literally I listened to over 250 funk songs and these were the only ones I even remotely felt):
Brass Construction - Changin
George Clinton - Atomic Dog
Pleasure - Let's Dance
The Time - Wild and Loose

Edited to say: I also had these two in the above list, but have since found them on "good for locking" lists, so I know these two are good.
Mass Production - Groove Me
Vernon Bunch - Get Up

Are any of those good for locking?? They all seem slow to me when I listen to them. Maybe I just feel slower music more than faster. o_O

I keep trying to tell myself that it's just a matter of training my ear. I mean, when I started bellydancing I hated Middle Eastern music. But I had to listen to it over and over and over and eventually I started tolerating it. I never got to a point where I _liked_ it, but I got to a point where I could choreograph to it. (Improvising to it, though, was a no-go. I have to have something move me to be able to improvise. So if I was improvising, I'd dance to Western music.) The problem is that funk is already at the point where it's okay - it doesn't sound discordant to my ear or anything, I'm fine with it. But it generally doesn't make me go OH HELL YEAH I GOTTA GET UP OUTTA THIS CHAIR!

Originally Posted by benjaminlibl I don't object to you using it for practice, but there's funk tracks just as slow that you could use to practice to.

Any suggestions? *hopeful*

Originally Posted by 61!/V9 If this doesn't move you, give up on the funkstyles in general.

I actually do like that one, LOL! Because it reminds me of being at the Pride Parade. But I do like it. So I guess there's still hope. *snerk*

Of the other four you posted... well, I can't stop giggling whenever I hear "Brick House" and I can't even explain why that song is so funny to me, but it is. Which is a shame because otherwise I like that song, but I can totally envision trying to dance to it and I'd have to keep suppressing my snickering. And shock of shocks, I actually do like the Jackson 5 "Life of the Party" one! That makes it the first non-annoying Jackson 5 song I've ever heard. o_O

I give you an internetz award for finding a couple funk tracks that sound good to my ears! Woohoo!

Originally Posted by wavedash I don't care what anyone else says, but generally speaking you should be able to lock to all types of music.

I suppose it's just a matter of modifying the speed at which you do them and which moves you use. Although if I want to have my practicing translate over into being able to do proper traditional locking - say if I should ever want to compete or something, and would therefore have to use funk music - I should keep it as close as possible.

Originally Posted by wavedash I listen and dance to a lot of house music, these days. My music preference of choice, but that still doesn't mean you can't/shouldn't practice to something, like rock or rap.

My electronic music collection is pretty much limited to happy hardcore and trance. Any suggestions for particular house tracks that work well?

[Fishbelly]

Effin' Limewire isn't coming through for me tonight, and I haven't found a downloadable copy through searching the forums. Anyone have the Parliament - Flashlight one in mp3?

[benjaminlibl]

I must honestly say I haven't heard some of those songs, however these (Mass Production - Groove Me, Vernon Bunch - Get Up) are good.

Just lower your expectations.. One day it might hit you. Locking and funk in general is an aquired taste, like it was for me. Don't expect every song to make you feel like dancing. If you wanted for that to happen I don't think you would be practicing much.

I uploaded the Flashlight song for you and here it is:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/1/...flashlight.mp3

Here is a thread where I uploaded some locking songs, hopefully you'll find something there that you'll like.

Locking Music Download

Peace.

[snowy]

i gotta post one more.... hehe!...
((please dont get mad))
Well if you dont feel like dancing when listening to this... then youre gotta have something wrong with your ears

[Fishbelly]

Originally Posted by benjaminlibl Just lower your expectations.. One day it might hit you. Locking and funk in general is an aquired taste, like it was for me. Don't expect every song to make you feel like dancing. If you wanted for that to happen I don't think you would be practicing much.

No, the problem is more that I'll be listening to these songs over and over and over while practicing. For me, if I find a song "meh" to begin with and then hear it a bunch of times, I start gradually hating it. (Rihanna's "Take a Bow" is a good example, heh.) On the other hand, if I like a song and then hear it a bunch of times, usually it grows on me and I start loving it. So the key is to find songs that I like to begin with.

Originally Posted by benjaminlibl I uploaded the Flashlight song for you and here it is: Here is a thread where I uploaded some locking songs, hopefully you'll find something there that you'll like.

Thank you!! And I already did go through that thread last night and had found two others that I liked enough to add to my list. Haha, I should have titled this thread something like "Introduce Fishbelly to funk music she might actually like because she sucks at finding good funk on her own" *snerk*

Originally Posted by snowy i gotta post one more.... hehe!... ((please dont get mad)) Well if you dont feel like dancing when listening to this... then youre gotta have something wrong with your ears

Snowy, I listened to over 250 (!!) tracks and found six that I like (which is like a 0.02% success rate)... and then you've posted just six and I liked 3 of them (50%!) - so you've got major cred with me. Feel free to post all you want! Believe me, I _want_ to like funk music, I just haven't been coming across many tracks that I like on my own. (It'd make this a lot easier, LOL, since funk music is what we listen to in class.) But you're doing a pretty good job so far.

[benjaminlibl]

Try out these two.. But seriously it will be hard to find you more funk songs that may be to your liking. I've been locking for over 1 year and I have about 300+ funk tracks. You already went through 250 and more. It's going to be hard.

[JAQQHC3]

In my opinion, a seldom few current hip-hop tracks have much potential for locking. I went to a party a few nights ago to meet some lockers for the first time. A party I knew would be playing current hip-hop. We met, but found ourselves frustrated with the lack of decent music. Instead of weathering the storm, or lowering our standards, we went to the parking lot and listened to our own music from my friends Trans-Am. Though the concrete limited our knee moves or splits, we had a blast dancing for all the people in the street. It was so much fun exchanging moves and trying each-others combos. We were there long after everyone else had left. I went to that party for the people, those specific people, not at all for the music, or even the atmosphere. Most current hip-hop does not move me. A lot of old-school hip-hop does though. Not N.W.A. old-school, not Snoop Dogg old-school. I'm talkin' Curtis Blow old-school, I'm talkin' Fab 5 Freddy old-school. Anyway...

While we're on the subject of locking to different music I think I'll take the opportunity to present a few songs I love to lock to that you may hear on the classic rock radio station:

Alan Parson's Project - I wouldn't Wanna Be Like You
Alan Parson's Project - Games People Play
Steely Dan - Peg
The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another

[wavedash]

I have about 43 DAYS worth of music, all sorts of genres.

I'm not going to say where I get my house music (or any of the other genres, for that matter), for two reasons:

1) I cratedig like mad, so I figure my sneaky shit is my sneaky shit.

2) Part of the journey in finding things you really appreciate and like is half of weathering dance, and you need to have an open ear not so much of "how does this fit locking?" but "how can locking fit in this?".


If fishbelly finds that he doesn't like funk, that's fine. I do think that fishbelly needs to grow an appreciation for it, because that's where the heart and soul of locking comes from, but I mean, to each their own. And for that matter, fishbelly, what's your music preference?

[snowy]

hiphop today is too much gangsta and to little party

[Fishbelly]

Originally Posted by wavedash I have about 43 DAYS worth of music, all sorts of genres. I'm not going to say where I get my house music (or any of the other genres, for that matter), for two reasons: 1) I cratedig like mad, so I figure my sneaky shit is my sneaky shit.

Ah. Fair enough. That's a lot more effort than just hitting up digital resources. (My husband's a DJ, so I fully understand cratedigging.)

And man, I'm in awe of your collection. My iTunes has 1.5 days of music, LOL. I only keep stuff I really like.

Originally Posted by wavedash If fishbelly finds that he doesn't like funk, that's fine. I do think that fishbelly needs to grow an appreciation for it, because that's where the heart and soul of locking comes from, but I mean, to each their own.

Well, first, I'm a she. Second, I don't _dislike_ funk music. I'm more indifferent to it. But we've now found eight funk songs that I like, so there's definitely hope. It's not like when I hear J-pop and my ears start bleeding or anything.

Originally Posted by wavedash And for that matter, fishbelly, what's your music preference?

Hm.. I'm primarily a rock chick, I suppose. Anything with Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer), Marilyn Manson, NIN, Korn, Linkin Park, Mindless Self Indulgence, The Birthday Massacre... Although with that said, my tastes are pretty varied. I listen to a little of everything; on my playlist you'd find Persian music (Niyaz), Billie Holiday, anime theme songs, happy hardcore (that's what my husband spins, and no, he doesn't play any of the cheesy sped-up chipmunked crap that most people think of when they think of HHC), trance, ska (both 2tone and 3rd wave), RnB, Egyptian music (Hossam Ramzy), new-style rap (I'm partial to girl rappers - been digging on Estelle, Lil Mama, and Trina recently), mid-90's rap (Snoop Dogg, Warren G, LL Cool J), classical (Tchaivosky, St Saens), industrial (KMFDM, Combichrist), goth (Faith and the Muse, Rhea's Obsession), English-style indie (The Hoosiers, Metro Station), drum and bass (Pendulum), alternative (Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, etc)... yeah, I'm all over the place. Hell, there's even some Carrie Underwood in there.

Originally Posted by benjaminlibl Try out these two.. But seriously it will be hard to find you more funk songs that may be to your liking. I've been locking for over 1 year and I have about 300+ funk tracks. You already went through 250 and more. It's going to be hard.

OMG, I must have that peanut butter one. It made me laugh so hard. (It also made me ache for peanut butter. I developed a nut allergy two years ago and I miss peanut butter SO MUCH. I actually dream about peanut butter on a regular basis. I'll dream of having a big jar of peanut butter and eating it by the spoonful. I also dream about pecan pie. DAMN YOU MISERABLE ADULT-ONSET ALLERGIES!)

The song itself wouldn't have done all that much for me, but when paired with those lyrics, it becomes awesome. PB FTW!

Originally Posted by JAQQHC3 we went to the parking lot and listened to our own music from my friends Trans-Am. Though the concrete limited our knee moves or splits, we had a blast dancing for all the people in the street. It was so much fun exchanging moves and trying each-others combos. We were there long after everyone else had left. I went to that party for the people, those specific people, not at all for the music, or even the atmosphere.

Aw, now I'm all nostalgic for when we used to have car-side raves during my teenage years, LOL. Clearly I need to make friends with lockers so I can go have fun like that. <3 Hm... I do go to Licorice Lloydd's drop-in classes once or twice a month. In a few months once I'm better at locking (meaning, when I don't _completely_ embarrass myself anymore) I'll try approaching some of the other people in class - they've been really friendly and they've been totally willing to show newbies (me and my friend Cy) their techniques, but I'm a little intimidated because they're all way, way, WAY better than I am.

Originally Posted by JAQQHC3 I'm talkin' Curtis Blow old-school, I'm talkin' Fab 5 Freddy old-school. Anyway...

Interesting... I used to be into a lot of that, years ago (and by "years ago" I mean "10+ years ago". I'll try digging up my old rap CDs and giving them a listen.

Last night my husband also suggested old-style breakbeats, circa 1992-94. Acen, for example. I'll look around for his old breakbeat CDs too and see how those work.

Originally Posted by JAQQHC3 Alan Parson's Project - I wouldn't Wanna Be Like You Alan Parson's Project - Games People Play Steely Dan - Peg The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another

Classic rock doesn't usually do much for me but I'll definitely give those a try.

[benjaminlibl]

WAVEDASH YOU SUCK I THOUGHT WE WERE COMMUNITY AND LOCKING IS ABOUT UNITY AND BROTHERHOOD AND WHATNOT.

Seriously though, whatever, it's your life.

Anyways, bye, I did what I could.

[JAQQHC3]

Originally Posted by Fishbelly Second, I don't _dislike_ funk music. I'm more indifferent to it. But we've now found eight funk songs that I like, so there's definitely hope.

I definitely like this discussion, but understand it's not our responsibility to guide you into funk music.


wavedash, you and I both dig crates, brother! There is so much sweet stuff I've found by actually listening to the music, the album. There is scores of music the internet hasn't heard yet, and it's available for those like you and I, who will dig for it.

[Fishbelly]

Originally Posted by JAQQHC3 I definitely like this discussion, but understand it's not our responsibility to guide you into funk music.

Oh, I do. That's the nice thing about the intarwebz, nobody's obligated to do anything. So when they do decide to help ya out, you know it's out of the sweetness of their hearts. <3 (Yeah, I know that sounds sappy but it's genuine, so cut me a little slack. My four-year-old informed me half an hour ago that he "loves [me] SO SO SO MUCH" and I'm still all warmfuzzy. Y'all are getting some overflow here, LOL.)

And since I _am_ feeling all warmfuzzy, I may as well go on to say that I have been totally loving the locking communities I've found both IRL and here. Bellydancers can be a bunch of cliquey jerks (many of them are lovely people, but some should be sent back to kindergarten to learn how to be around other people without being nasty) and it's been such a pleasant change with locking to encounter (thus far) only people who are being really nice. At the drop-ins when I approach someone and ask if they'll break down a movement that they're doing, I've never had a single person be rude in response. And online people tend to be nastier than IRL (the whole hiding behind anonymity thing) but I haven't seen that here. Maybe it's just really good moderation but in reading a lot of threads in this sub-forum (I've stayed out of the others save for the bboy-beginner and bgirls forums) I haven't come across people slagging people just to be catty or anything like that, and I'm really used to seeing that kind of bad behavior in the BD communities.

Lockers, based on the ones I've encountered so far, rock.

(We now return you to your regularly scheduled cynicism, LOL. I think that paragraph used up the last of the warmfuzzy in my system. *snerk*)

And to move this semi-on-topic... I've started listening to WEFUNK Radio whenever I'm chilling at the computer since I figure frequent exposure will result in me hearing more tracks that make me go, "Yay! THAT one!" I mean, really, even if I only like some terribly small amount like 5% of funk tracks... there's a LOT of funk tracks out there, so even a small percentage will add up as long as I keep exposing myself to more of it.

Of course, if anyone else has modern suggestions, feel free to post. I'm not abandoning my search for lockworthy modern music, LOL. I'd love to have a wide variety to suit whatever mood I happen to be in.

(Edited to add: upon rereading my previous post - was it the fact that I said "we've found eight funk tracks"? I didn't mean to imply any kind of expectation for continuing assistance on y'all, I just used "we" because you guys _are_ the ones that found those tracks and I wouldn't want to cheat anyone out of their props. That's all. My apologies if I made it seem like I expected people to guide me.)