Mark “Frosty” McNeil will be spinning at “GIVE UP — stop dancing and cry…,” dublab's regular “dj's-on-a -bummer” night at the Hyperion Tavern this coming Sunday, March 21st. WCS interviewed him this week about this peculiar event.

What is “Give Up”?

Give Up is an exploration of the sadder side of sound.

We appreciate the entire spectrum of music and how it reflects human emotion. Most folks love listening to sad music and home but rarely hear it in social environments other than live concerts. It's a fun opportunity for us to get together with friends and hear some heavy tunes.

Who should come? In what frame of mind?

Anyone who loves to feel their heart strings being tugged with heavy audio anchors.

Although we try to share the most epic soul-shattering jams, it is all presented pretty tongue-in-cheek. We don't expect or want a bar full of people sitting around crying–thought that would be awesome.

[More of this heartbreaking interview plus Djs Frosty and Dntel's Top Five Sad Songs of All Time, EXCLUSIVE FOR WEST COAST SOUND, after the jump.]

Frosty: It's usually a really fun atmosphere with the background of super sad songs and films mixed live by the Masses.

How did you come up with the idea?

We used to host a night called Megamix way back about 7 years ago. Each Megamix session was themed and Jimmy Tamborello aka Dntel brought a set of sad songs. He couldn't really play them though because the environment wasn't well suited. He kept getting requests for dance music. “Hey it's my friend's birthday. Play some 50 Cent!” We both bemoaned this obligation of djs to always make people dance and decided to swing the opposite directions and create a night called “Give Up – stop dancing and cry.”

Who's gonna be DJing?

This time around it will be Dntel, frosty, Sodapop (Anticon) and Suzannne Kraft. Matt Amato of the Masses will project sad films throughout the night. Maybe we should add that this is the seventh season. It's always only in the fall and winter.

Would you feel like giving us a totally non-binding TOP FIVE SAD SONGS EVER (or BOTTOM FIVE, since we're so down and out)?

Surely.

FROSTY'S FIVE FAVORITE DOWNERS (exclusive for West Coast Sound!):

 

Neil Young – Oh Lonesome Me

Nina Simone – Wild is the Wind

Vincent Galllo – So Sad

Michael Hurley – Werewolf

Max Richter – Written On the Sky

Barry Gibb famously asked “how can you mend a broken heart?” Answer Barry in 5 words or less.

Give it a melancholy workout.

Anything you wanna add?

P.S. turn that smile upside down!

BONUS TRACK!: DNTEL's TOP FAVORITE DOWNERS (also exclusively for WCS)

1. Big Star – Holocaust [RIP, Alex Chilton!]

2. Arvo Pärt – Pari Intervallo

3. Richard & Linda Thompson – Never Again

4. Kate Bush – This Woman's Work

5. Jackson C Frank – Blues Run The Game

Dntel adds: “this is definitely not overthought 🙂 also lyrical content isn't always a factor for me, it's more about how it sounds in a bar- the mood of the music and the way it's sung…”

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