Song of the Day: Classixx - All You're Waiting For (feat. Nancy Whang)

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, selected by Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole, is “All You're Waiting For" (feat. Nancy Whang) by Classixx from the 2013 album Hanging Gardens on Innovative Leisure.

Classixx - All You're Waiting For (MP3)

Classixx have been building energy on the West Coast dance scene for four years, and this year, they are set to explode. Their early singles like “I’ll Get You” and “Into The Valley” put them on the scene as a contender immediately. Their signature combination of nu disco, house, and dance funk explosion has given their singles a one-of-a-kind quality, but with full length Hanging Gardens, Classixx have proved their worth goes far past the four minute mark. Hanging Gardens plays like a dream, keeping the tempo and interest up consistently, and never letting the listener lose focus. While the album’s singles burn bright, the consistency of the record makes it one of the best dance releases we’ve seen in recent years. Classixx are set to explode this year, and you’d best pay attention when they do.

Today, Classixx give us “All You’re Waiting For” as a free release, and it is all that it promises to be. The groove on this track may be the best Classixx has ever put forth. Better than pre-Hanging Gardens releases, and even more moving than the lead single “Holding On”. “All You’re Waiting For” blends a disco attitude with a rave drive to make for a delightful dance track with more history and more finesse than most anything on the market. Classixx lend their vocals out on the regular, and on this track, we see Nancy Whang, formerly of LCD Soundsystem, join the band to sing. Classixx have excellent taste in vocalists – Jeppe of Junior Senior lent the vocals to their breakout single “I’ll Get You”. But on “All You’re Waiting For”, Whang serves as both a smart and a trendy choice, rather than sacrificing one or the other. As the instrumental track grooves on, Whang seems to give an effortless sensuality to the track. Her playful attitude, mixed with all the swagger of a dance goddess, makes her guest spot one of the highlights of the record. And with a sultry synth line behind her chorus line and a killer hook to follow, “All You’re Waiting For” is just that for any dance fan out there.

Although Classixx's current tour with The Presets and Dragonette took them to the Northwest, they didn't perform any Seattle dates. Maybe next time. For now, you can read more about Hanging Gardens when we reviewed it here, follow up with the band and hear more music on their website and Facebook page, and watch this video for "Holding On", another song on the new album: