BBBreak-It-Down: This Is How WE Do It, Montel.

Most days, the environment at Brand Building Communications might be described as, well, intense. We’re juggling journalists who need an interview in the next hour, stylists who need diamonds in LA yesterday, client calls for advice on Facebook, locating 100 copies of a book for an upcoming event, eating at least one square meal a day, drinking water, taking a trip or two to the ladies room and the such like. You get the general picture.

So, being the masters of our own destinies that we are, we enjoy playing music at the office whenever possible to at least provide an appropriate soundtrack to the madness (if not a little respite from it). Here are some choice tid-bits of our musical stylings.

1. Pandora—We have group-sanctioned stations on this Godsend of a Web site ranging from Lionel Richie to Hot Chip, from Lady Gaga to Common. I think we’ve held sing-a-longs to Lionel’s “Hello” twice just this week. The interns are slightly afraid and we like it that way.
2. Laura’s French Music—Whenever we have an editor event in our fabulous turquoise Penthouse, without fail someone emails me or corners me in the kitchen to borrow the “Musique” list on my iPod. It features all my faves: Paris Combo, Eartha Kitt, Nina Simone, Ann Savoy, Charles Trenet, Carla Bruni, Coralie Clement, Soko, Serge…C’est un mélange délicieux superbe, if I do say so myself.
3. Lux Team Theme Song—Each week there inevitably comes a moment when the proverbial record scratches, the music comes to a halt, and we all look at each other and say, “I feel like we need to make even more happen for the clients RIGHT NOW.” That’s when we YouTube Ms. Janet Jackson, take it back to 1986 and play “What Have You Done For Me Lately.” It’s supremely motivating. Trust.
4. DesiHits!—DesiHits! is a new old friend (former client that left—sniff, sniff—and just came back on—hurray!). It’s undeniable how much Desi culture has made its way to the States since “Slumdog Millionaire” madness swept through last year. The site is a great fushion of South Asian and Western culture that even a New York City-based nerd such as myself can understand. And when the team can’t take another Black Eyed Peas or Rhianna jingle, DesiHits! always helps us spice things up a bit.
5. imeem—So, we love Pandora, but our friend Melissa just put us on to imeem. It’s Pandora 2.0 to put it bluntly—as if Facebook and Pandora had an illegitimate love child at Lollapalooza last summer. It gives you more control over how your playlist (in Pandora terms this is the “station”) shapes up.

Now, please. Go out and boogie BBC-style.