What are some good swing songs to dance to, like Zoot Suit Riot?

Answer 1

Well, it all depends on what you mean by "good songs". Are you looking for High Engergy? Are you looking for Fast Songs? Are you looking for Slower Tempos to practice your foot work?

Basically, you're probably into "Neo-Swing", which has a lot higher energy stuff. Here's a list of some songs you might like, although you should look up more songs by the artists:

(Band Name - Song Title)

Neo Swing:

Atomic Fireballs - Man with a Hex
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Big Time Opperator
Big Six - We The Boys Will Rock Ya!
Brian Setzer - Jump Jive and Wail
Buster Poindexter - Wadaya Want?
Casey McGill - Rhythm
Cherry Poppin Daddies - Brown Derby Jump
Flying Neutrinos - Mr. Zoot Suit
Jive Aces - Planet Jive
Lavay Smith - And the Tears Flowed Like Wine
Lee Press on and the Nails - Caldonia
Phat Cat Swinger - Phat Cat Swinger
Red Prysock - Hand Clappin
Royal Crown Revue - Hey Pachuco!
Stray Cats - Rock This Town
Steve Lucky - Jumptown
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Put a Lid on It (more Charleston, but fun)

Now if you like some of this stuff, you should look into some of the classic jump blues artists and later swing, that really inspired some of the Neo-Swing Sound (like Louis Prima who wrote Jump Jive and Wail) Here are some more suggestions:

Jump Blues & Later Swing:

Bette Midler - Stuff Like That There
Big Sandy - Have Love, Will Travel
Bill Haley - Burn That Candle
Colin James - Safronia B
Louis Jordan - Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Louis Prima - 5 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days
Peggy Lee - Fever (slower, but an essential swing song)

Now, you may prefer a lot of this "high energy" sound, but it's always good to come back to the origins of swing and listen to Big Band Music. I don't consider most big band to be high energy becaus 1) Big Band is always better live and doesn't record well and 2) a lot of the best song were recorded in the 30's and 40's when recording technology wasn't as strong as it is today. Never the less, here are some "Must Have" big band songs:

Big Band Songs:

Andrews Sisters - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Artie Shaw - Traffic Jam
Artie Shaw - The Man From Mars
Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing
Benny Goodman - Swingtime in the Rockies
Bill Elliott - Bills Bounce
Bill Elliott - Camp Hollywood Special
Count Basie - Jumping' at the Woodside
Count Basie - Swingin the Blues
Duke Ellington - Rockin' in Rhythm
Fletcher Henderson - Christopher Columbus
Gene Krupa - Drum Boogie
Glenn Miller - Bugle Call Rag
Glenn Miller - Jeep Jockey Jump
Ella Fitzgerald - Too Darn Hot
Lionel Hampton - Flying Home
Slim Gailard & Slam Stewart - Palm Springs Jump
Tommy Dorsey - One O'Clock Jump
Tommy Dorsey - Well, Git It!


Anyways, if you are into swing dancing, you should check out these amazing movies on YouTube from the 40's. The style of swing show in the videos is "Lindy Hop"

Groovie Movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aITg-r5SwTE

Hellzapoppin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olrL12XZuq0

Answer 2

Listen to The Stray Cats and you'll find a large variety. You can also go back to some of the originals like Benny Goodman and have a ball - my personal favorite is "Sing sing sing".

Answer 3

You can't go wrong with anything by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy or Cherry Poppin' Daddies.

Answer 4

Anything by Glen Miller, anything by the Dorsey brothers, anything by Woody Herman.

Answer 5

glenn miller band is another good one. they're an old band, but they've got classic swing songs like "in the mood".

Answer 6

squirrel nut zippers has some good stuff

Answer 7

owen's right that song sounds cool!