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Music

Someone Take POTUS to Smart Bar

Barry—your Spotify playlist isn't fooling anyone, we know you're a house-head.

Say what you will about his political moves, you can't really argue the fact that President Obama is more in touch with millennial sphere—Twitter, selfies, #YOLOing—than any Commander in Chief to ever sit behind the desk. This morning, he's joined the likes of your uncle Bob, who also just discovered Spotify and now won't stop sending you playlists filled with Steely Dan records, to share two playlists of his own favorite big choons. It's called The President's Playlist, and Vol. 1 is all about those summer vibez.

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Much alike Four Tet's latest album Morning/Evening, President Obama's Summer Playlist playlist is divided into two parts—day and night. After browsing through his picks two things seem surprisingly clear: Barry O'Bomber does not fux with dance music. This is strange (the dance music part), seeing Obama hails from the birthplace of house music, and even wrote a letter giving praise to the memory of Frankie Knuckles. Rumor has it he even used to be a regular at the Chosen Few outdoor picnic party. What gives!

The 'day disc' is a pretty bland selection of dad-friendly tunes filled with classics from The Temptations, Isley Brothers, Bob Dylan and a bit of Bob Marley (stoner). There is indeed one remix to a song by Latin hip-hop artist Mala Rodríguez, but it's hardly something you'd see dropped in a Gilles Peterson set.

C'mon B, everyone knows to probably fuel a rowdy summer BBQ one needs untz—where's the Marshall Jefferson?, the Cajmere?, the THUMP MIXED BY series??? Maybe his 'night' disc will hold the keys to the rave? Wrong.

One might think that a playlist based around the night would suggest a party, but sadly it seems to revolve around actual sleeping. There's Miles Davis' nocturnal anthem "Flamenco Sketches," some Frank Sinatra, and a bit of Leonard Cohen. There is no early morning house a la Crosstown Rebels, nor a single track that's ever been dropped at the Robot Heart art car. There is truly nothing summery about this playlist.

Chances are, an intern put together this playlist from our president in hopes to make him seem even more in touch with technology, but sadly, this attempt has left us wanting more. Mr. President, we know you truly are down with the rave and this farce of playlist curation is not fooling us. When Vol. 2 hits the shelves, we know you'll let your rave flag fly. Don't let us down.