The beat is movin, just shuckin and jivin, with this unintelligible bass-y vocodered vocal sample, and here comes the melody line, all over the place in a good way, and OH MY GOD Big Boi is rapping over this beat and he is BACK y'all. Keep your ears to the streets for Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (currently due 7/6/2010) because this is a smokin hot dance jam with classic Outkast vocals and you can't help but cut a rug to this shutterbug. Play it loud and for the love of god with a subwoofer.
Big Boi - Shutterbug
LCD Soundsystem drop another song from the upcoming This Is Happening, more in line with previous work than party piece "Drunk Girls" and channeling a bit of Bowie if you ask me.
LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change
Canadians Stars (of the Broken Social Scene collective) nailed their soft, swooping sound two albums ago with Set Yourself On Fire but failed to suck me in with their last full-length (In Our Bedroom After The War). "Fixed" is the first advance track from the upcoming The Five Ghosts (due out 6/22), and while it's not a lighter-raising anthem, it promises that at the very least they will be doing some solid song-writing in their comfort zone.
Stars - Fixed
GROUP are young and under the radar, but very talented. "Colours" is the LA quintet's first song to see daylight and bodes well for them - cop this wonderful piece (with snatches of Isaac Brock-like vocals and soaring hooks and bridges) and be the first on your block to champion these future stars.
GROUP - Colors
I fear I'm somehow venturing into co-writer Amanda's territory here, as this music feels like it fits some of her check-boxes (low-profile, big hooks, 'ebullient' sound, British), but I can only speak for myself as far as opinions on Wolf Gang. He is good. Very good. The below pair of singles (released in second half 2009 and early 2010) are well-written, busy, and yes, ebullient, with an ear-candy sticky underside that demands repeat plays.
Wolf Gang - Pieces of You
Wolf Gang - The King and All His Men
Poet and American treasure Gil Scott-Heron (who we analyzed extensively in my Contemporary American Poetry class in undergrad) is back. He sounds weary and defeated here, and Nas joins him in a condemnation of New York's exhausting pace and lifestyle over a beat that clicks along snappily.
Gil Scott Heron - New York Is Killing Me (remix f/Nas)
The David Byrne (of Talking Heads) and Fatboy Slim collaborative album, Here Lies Love is out and it's... interesting. I'm not inclined to give it a particularly strong recommendation, but take a listen below to hear one of the more fun patches, featuring a personal favorite - trip-hop holdover vocalist Roisin Murphy.
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim - Don't You Agree (f/Roisin Murphy)
Oh Robyn. After lending your excellent vocals to Royksopp's "The Girl and the Robot" last year, it is so coldly, calculatingly logical of you to write song called "Fembot." On the plus side, it's a totally robo-funky party jam with slightly messy feminist undertones, boding well for her upcoming Body Talk Pt. 1.
Robyn - Fembot
THROWAWAY SYNTH-POP OF THE WEEK
I am fairly confident that Hey Champ read Daydream Station, discovered that I sometimes feature a Throwaway Synth-Pop act or song, and decided to form a band to write music for the express purpose of filling that slot. True or not, they certainly fit the bill - low-profile act drops a couple of free preview tracks to attempt to build blog hype, and this is round-peg-in-a-round-hole synth-pop. Catchy melodies, slightly icy synths, pretty but unremarkable vocals, completely lacking a sense of adventure in their songwriting. Wayyy too catchy for anyone's good, follow the links for free downloads.
Hey Champ - Cold Dust Girl
Hey Champ - Neverest
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