Podcast Summary: "Time For A New 'New York Anthem'?"

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Koosha Navadar (filling in for Alison Stewart)
Air Date: August 23, 2024

Overview

In this vibrant and energetic episode, guest host Koosha Navadar and producer Simon Close dig into the perennial question: What song truly deserves to be called the New York anthem? Prompted by the Democratic National Convention’s use of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ "Empire State of Mind" (yet again) for New York’s roll call, the show explores why just a handful of songs seem to dominate as symbols of the city and state—and why it might be time to update the shortlist.

Listeners and colleagues weigh in with their favorite, sometimes surprising, alternatives—spanning hip hop, salsa, disco, punk, jazz, and more, drawing a musical map of both city and upstate, all while celebrating NYC's boundless creativity and quirky spirit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DNC Playlist Kick-off and "The Usual Suspects"

• [01:02] The conversation starts with a reflection on the DNC state roll call, specifically how New York yet again got “Empire State of Mind”—and the desire for more variety in how New York is sonically represented.
• [02:41] Simon lists the “usual suspects”:
  • Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys)
  • New York State of Mind (Billy Joel)
  • New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
• Koosha: "So we put a call out to some of our colleagues and listeners to come up with suggestions for alternative New York anthems." (02:48)

2. Hip Hop Representations of NYC

• [04:30] Hip hop’s deep resonance with NYC is immediately tapped, with borough-specific shoutouts:

  • Brooklyn: Beastie Boys “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” Mos Def “Brooklyn,” Shabazz the Disciple “Red Hook Day”
  • Queens: Pharoahe Monch “Queens,” Tom Browne “Funkin’ for Jamaica”
  • South Bronx: Boogie Down Productions

• Nas – “New York State of Mind” is featured as a transcendent NYC hip hop anthem.

  • Notable quote:

    “Sleep is the cousin of death, which makes sense for the city that never sleeps.” – Simon, quoting Andrea Duncan-Mao (05:12)

  • [06:01] Clip played

• Cam’ron, Jay-Z & Juelz Santana – “Welcome to New York City”

  • Noted as a "post-9/11" anthem reflecting early 2000s NYC attitude and resilience. (06:31)

• More recent voices:

  • Princess Nokia’s “ABCs of New York” (09:56)
    • “[This] just is a great... perfect anthem to the city.” – Simon (09:28)
  • Pop Smoke’s “Dior”, unofficial modern NYC anthem (09:13)

3. Songs from (and about) New York Musicals

• Listener texts highlight the importance of musical theater:
  • “Try New York City” (Annie) and “New York, New York” from On The Town (08:15)
  • Don Henley’s “New York Minute” gets a nod.

4. Disco, Salsa & Genre-Bending Classics

• “Native New Yorker” by Odyssey (Disco)

  • [11:39] “You grew up riding the subways...”
  • “Everyone in this studio is dancing right now.” – Koosha (12:26)

• Salsa: “Un Verano en Nueva York” by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

  • [13:02] “If you want to have fun... all you got to do is live in the summer in New York City.” – Simon
  • Sheldon: “70s is the rise of hip hop and salsa.” (12:40)
  • Simon personalizes the song’s Hudson Valley reference: “This song mentions Bear Mountain, La Montana del Oso.” (13:17)

5. Listener Call-Ins & Crowd Favorites

• [16:18] Peter from Queens:
  • Suggests “New York Groove” (Ace Frehley/Kiss):

    “When you’ve missed New York, you’ve been away, you come back... There’s nothing like it.”

• Howard, Forest Hills: “New York City” (John Lennon), “Take The A Train” (Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington)
• Natalie, California: Vampire Weekend songs (esp. “Mary Boone” and “M79”) as 80s NYC snapshots.

6. The ‘New York, New York’ Franchise: Alternatives to Sinatra

• Grandmaster Flash - “New York, New York” (19:15)
• Nina Hagen - “New York, New York” (19:53)
• Duke Ellington – “New York, New York” (20:39)
• Debbie Harry & Moby – “New York, New York” (21:14)
• Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly – “New York, New York” from On The Town (21:54)
  • Koosha: “Congratulations on assembling that beautiful bouquet of New York, New York,” to Simon (22:12)

7. Rock, Punk, & Indie NYC

• Artist shoutouts: Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, New York Dolls, Talking Heads, Lou Reed
• Hyperlocal songs:
  • Lou Reed’s “Egg Cream” (shoutout to Brooklyn egg creams)
  • Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”
• Le Tigre – “My My Metrocard” chosen for punk spirit and timely NYC references, prompted by a listener (23:56).
  • Simon: “It speaks to, unfortunately now, kind of a certain time and place in New York City history.” (23:56)

8. Less-Sung Corners: French, Jazz, Upstate, and Bossa Nova

• French: “Je voudrais voir New York” by Daniel Lavoie (Caller Dwight from Canada) (24:52)
• Jazz:
  • “Manhattan” by Blossom Dearie (Caller Kit, 26:01)
  • “Autumn in New York” by Billie Holiday (Listener text)
  • “Washington Square” by Marilyn May (Listener text)
• Upstate Anthems:
  • “My Old School” by Steely Dan (27:24)
  • “The Erie Canal” (Pete Seeger)
  • “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (Harold Arlen, Buffalo native); “Maybe the most popular song to come out in New York State, if you think about it.” – Koosha (28:20)
  • Fun fact: L. Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz author) inspired by Peekskill, NY (Simon, 28:37)
• Alternative/Indie:
  • They Might Be Giants, “New York City” (29:18)
  • LCD Soundsystem, “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”—lauded for its bittersweet, complex relationship with the city (31:13)
    • Caller Luna: “If you’re a sad teen in the city, you hear that song and you’re just like, New York is letting me down. But I love you.” (31:10)
  • The Pogues, “Fairytale of New York”: a seasonal (holiday) anthem (32:21)

9. Memorable Quotes & Observations

• “I have heard the words New York sung so many times this morning that they have ceased to mean anything to me.” – Simon Close (02:58)
• “Culture is a great export of New York City. We're happy to share it.” – Koosha (04:18)
• “If North Dakota wants Alicia Keys, they can have that song. That's great. We got a lot of options, as I think we're about to hear today.” – Simon (03:57)
• “Maybe we gotta do this segment again to hear some more recommendations. Suffice to say, there's a lot of great music coming out of New York State.” – Koosha (34:58)

Notable List of “Alternative New York Anthems” Suggested

Hip Hop:

• Nas – “New York State of Mind” [06:01]
• Cam’ron, Jay-Z & Juelz Santana – “Welcome to New York City” [07:14]
• Fat Joe & Ja Rule – “New York”
• Princess Nokia – “ABCs of New York” [09:56]
• Pop Smoke – “Dior”

Disco/Soul/Salsa:

• Odyssey – “Native New Yorker” [11:39]
• El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico – “Un Verano en Nueva York” [13:17]

Rock/Punk/Indie:

• Ace Frehley/Kiss – “New York Groove” [17:02]
• John Lennon – “New York City”
• Le Tigre – “My My Metrocard” [24:20]
• Lou Reed – “Egg Cream,” “Walk on the Wild Side”

Alternative/Eclectic:

• The Moldy Peaches – “NYC’s Like a Graveyard”
• Vampire Weekend – “Mary Boone,” “M79”
• They Might Be Giants – “New York City” [29:53]
• LCD Soundsystem – “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” [31:34]

Classic Standards & Jazz:

• “Try New York City” (Annie)
• “New York, New York” (On The Town) [21:54]
• “Take The A Train” (Ellington/Strayhorn)
• “Autumn in New York” (Billie Holiday)
• “Manhattan” (Blossom Dearie/Ella Fitzgerald)

Upstate and Beyond:

• Steely Dan – “My Old School” [27:24]
• Pete Seeger – “The Erie Canal”
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen)

International/Newer Additions:

• Daniel Lavoie – “Je voudrais voir New York”
• John Roseborough – “I Took the L” (2024, bossa nova)
• Marilyn May – “Washington Square”

Seasonal:

• The Pogues – “Fairytale of New York” [32:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:02] – Discussion of DNC and “Empire State of Mind”
• [04:30] – Hip Hop alternatives introduced
• [06:01] – Nas “New York State of Mind” played
• [07:14] – “Welcome to New York City” played
• [09:56] – Princess Nokia “ABCs of New York” clip
• [11:39] – Odyssey “Native New Yorker” clip
• [13:17] – El Gran Combo “Un Verano en Nueva York” clip
• [17:02] – Ace Frehley “New York Groove” clip
• [19:15-21:54] – The “New York, New York” medley
• [24:20] – Le Tigre “My My Metrocard” clip
• [27:24] – Steely Dan “My Old School” clip
• [29:53] – They Might Be Giants “New York City” clip
• [31:34] – LCD Soundsystem “New York, I Love You...” clip
• [32:44] – Pogues “Fairytale of New York” clip

Tone & Style

The episode is eclectic, playful, and full of affectionate New York pride—with an undercurrent of wry humor and musical nerdiness, driven by the rapport between Koosha and Simon and enthusiastic listener participation. The mood is community-driven and democratic: New York’s story is told best not by a single song, but by its many anthems across genres, languages, and boroughs.

Memorable Moment

• Listener Luna, on LCD Soundsystem:

  “If you’re like a sad teen in the city, you hear that song and you’re just like, New York is letting me down. But I love you.” (31:10)

Conclusion

The episode concludes with the realization that New York, in all its diversity, can't and shouldn't be captured by just three or four songs. The “anthems” are as vibrant and plural as the city and state themselves—spanning disco to punk, uptown to upstate, English to Spanish and beyond.

“I love them all,” reads a final listener text—a sentiment clearly shared by the hosts.
“Maybe we gotta do this segment again.” – Koosha (34:58)