Listen up, young lassies. Throwing a dance party is an art form, and the success of the party lies in the DJ and her selections. You can either have people standing in the corner of your living room, rolling their eyes at the seven-inch on the record player that sounds suspiciously like the neighbor’s garage band…or you can have people up on the coffee table, shaking what their mothers gave them to the hippest releases from the latest dance-punk and new-wave sensations. Now go steal a bell off a cow, learn where all the handclaps are in each song, and thank us in the morning.

Various Artists, "Compilation 2"
DFA
Legendary New York City hit-makers DFA are a must for the budding DJ. This three-disc set includes artists that start dance parties for a living -- LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Black Dice -- and newcomers Black Leotard Front and J.O.Y. Do yourself a favor and take notes, because it doesn’t get any better than this.

Radio 4, "Stealing a Nation"
Astralwerks
Who knew cuttin’ the rug could make a political statement? Radio 4’s third album, Stealing a Nation, combines infectious house beats, pulsating dub bass lines, and scratchy guitar with politically conscious lyrics that will continue to set off dance parties and political rallies in basements across America for the next four years of Bush’s reign.

The Futureheads, "The Futureheads"
StarTime International/Sire
Sunderland, England’s The Futureheads make some of the most brilliant, fun, and exciting new wave since The Jam or Adam Ant. They change up the pop bliss of thickly accented vocal harmonies and hooks mid-stride on their self-titled debut with an a capella track, "Danger of the Water," and a punky cover of Kate Bush’s "Hounds of Love" to give the club kids a much-needed rest.

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