Rockin in the Danger Zone

Hey everyone, Spotify playlists are back like a Bat Outta Hell! (you’re welcome) And after such a great Meatloaf inspired start, we’ll keep it going with a special edition playlist. Marketing Manager Paul DeKams and Managing Director Kristen Martini share an office, and now they’ve collaborated on a mix that is great, yet sadly lacks some hit by this guy.

First off, where is the danger zone and how do you rock in it?

KM: The Danger Zone is our shared office. It’s dangerous getting decisions get made there based on the music that’s playing. You can rock it if you accept and don’t try to change it.

PD: It’s a state of mind and it sounds cool, right? Right?

Is this a combination of songs you both like, and if so who gets the final say on what makes the cut?

PD: After sharing an office for awhile, I think I’ve become qualified to serve as our DJ. but Kristen lets me know when songs are terrible, or have been played one time too many.

KM: Paul is like my personal Pandora. I give the thumbs up or down, usually up.

Do you guys have similar or diverse musical interests, and which one artist on this mix best fits your individual tastes?

KM: We tend like much of the same music, though we almost went to blows when I suggest the Glee Christmas album last winter.

PD: I’ve come a begrudging fan of Nicki Minaj lately. Green Day is probably the most “me” artist.

What’s the best music to listen to while working? Is there a particular genre of artist?

PD: The Beastie Boys help keep things upbeat while working.

KM: I personally like to work to rap music, it gives me the edge I sometimes need. When Paul pulls out an 80’s classic though, he unfortunately needs to hear me reminisce about “that time in my life.”

And how is Kenny Loggins not a part of this playlist?

KM: Unfortunately for Kenny, he’s hanging with the kids from Glee when it comes to The Danger Zone.

PD: All due respect to Mr. Loggins, but the Nice Shoes Danger Zone trumps his.

If you’re ready to fly into the Danger Zone be sure to listen below, or find the Spotify playlist right here.

Posted 3 days ago

Nice Links

Like any office, Nice Shoes employees share a number of “random things found on the internet” with each other.

Some adventurous souls try to take those “random things” up a notch with links that are relevant to our field of post production, or by sharing a link to fine art to help class up the joint a little bit.

Kevin Breheny, our Operations Manager, found a foul-mouthed and funny Tumblr called “I Need This ASAP,” that illustrates the frustrations of assistant editors with animated GIFS.

http://renderplease.tumblr.com/

Human Resources Manager Cate Donovan pointed out some beautiful artwork installed right in Nice Shoes’ backyard (We refer to Madison Square Park as our backyard. Yes, our backyard has Shake Shack in it).

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/things-to-do/calendar/mad-sq-art-orly-genger

Posted 1 week ago

Early 80’s MTV Tracks

Zesternarian John DiMaggio (no, he didn’t start a cult - Zester is the new version of Nice Spots. John has worked with Nice Spots since 2005.) is more than happy to remind us all that MTV ain’t what it used to be. Get back to the good old days of 80’s pop and new wave, inspired by early music videos from MTV with his Spotify playlist. Take a listen here or find the playlist below.

Were these all bands you discovered from watching music videos?

Mostly. Aside from MTV, my musical tastes were influenced by my mother and older brother, Joe. We had some of these records in the house before I saw them on MTV, like Journey, J Geils, Rick Springfield and Billy Squier, but they were much more into traditional Rock than New Wave music. Mom loved bands like Led Zeppelin, Boston and Journey and Joe was into Springsteen and Van Halen.

What are your earliest memories of MTV and the music they played?

I actually remember watching MTV on the day it launched. It was being promoted heavily and I was really excited about it, so I made sure to tune in. We didn’t have a VCR, so I would keep a tape recorder handy and put it in front of the TV speaker to record when a song came on that I liked. I used to record Planet of the Apes movies off of TV the same way, but that’s a different story.

To me “Don’t Stop Believin’” sums up 80’s pop, but of these songs stands out for you and why?

“Don’t Change,” “I Melt With You” and “Change” encapsulate that early 80’s sound to me. Punk had given way to New Wave and New Wave had been around for a few years and was changing. It was the sweet spot where keyboards were becoming prominent, but guitars were still king. “I Got You” holds a special place, because it introduced me to Split Enz and Crowded House (formed after Split Enz broke up) which are still two of my favorite bands.

Where do you listen to this playlist?

Mostly while working. It’s pretty upbeat and I like to sing along. I’ve had a few people stop in my office and start dancing or singing along with me.

What’s the best music to listen to while you are working? Is there a particular genre or artist?

I try to expose myself to new music as much as possible. I had MTV in the early 80’s, I was a DJ on college radio in the early 90s and spent years seeking out new music and going to concerts. Then I got old and out of touch. I like to listen to Spotify at work because I can check out “what’s new” but if I’m in the mood for the familiar, I’ll listen to a playlist from one of my singer/songwriters standbys like Aimee Mann, Bob Mould, Ben Folds, Crowded House or Warren Zevon.

Posted 1 month ago