Songs

Larytta - Ya-Ya-Ya

Great electronic pop from Switzerland on the Creaked label. It’s more like cutting-edge electronic music than pop though, but there are vocals and there are elements of popular music - it has some loose connection to hip hop and it’s sweet listening. The complex rhythms suggest influences of contemporary music - eg minimalism and also world music. Really great.

MakeUpBreakUp - She’s Always X-Rated

Electro pop band from Providence. A mix of the sweeter sound of Orange Cake Mix and the harsher sound of bands like The Rapture.

Yuppie Pricks - Collars Up

A bizarre 180˚ spin on classic punk rock values, the Yuppie Pricks apparently are very rich – one member alone is worth 30 million dollars courtesy of the pharmaceutical industry. Within the confines of a cookie-cutter classic classic punk/hardcore sound they sing about being rich and all the trappings that lie therein. With snide songs like “Greed Is Good”, “Fraternity Days” and “Fuck You, I'm Rich” the band ostensibly aims to wrong all that is right with the world in typical Republican fashion. There is something highly amusing going on here, perhaps a bit of Brechtian alienation effect. My suggestion is that you steal this record. Do we really want to put any more money in these bastards pockets?

Holly Springs Sacred Harp Convention - Stratfield

Really nice Sacred Harp track from the soundtrack of a new documentary film on the Sacred Harp tradition entitled, Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp. The soundtrack apparently features John Paul Jones, Doc Watson, Elvis Perkins, Danielson, Jim Lauderdale, Richard Buckner, Rick Moody and others doing their own versions of Sacred Harp classics.

The Ritz - It’s The....

I don't know much about hip hop, I just know what I like and this track from The Night of Day, Apoc and Rel’s debut as The Ritz, fulfills that requirement nicely. Chiacgo indie hip-hop is what they call it.

High Decibels - Miss Cindy

Classic old school hip hop from Oakland. Reminds of of old Run DMC and Beastie Boys, even a little bit of De La Soul - back in the days when people were combining huge rock riffs with tradeoff raps and high energy good time vibes. Awesome.

Beau Jennings - Tulsa Sound

Beau Jennings Holy Tulsa Thunder is a phenomenal album. This isn't one of the best songs on the album, but it's definitely got a nice hook. The album is well worth checking out if you like rootsy stuff like The Band, Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Uncle Tupelo.

Parenthetical Girls - A Song For Ellie Greenwich

Orchestral pop. Really great. On Tomlab. Enough said?

Alexander Tucker - Veins To The Sky

Nice psychey acoustic guitar-based stuff

Sepalot - Did It Again

Nice hip hop from Germany on Compost Records. This track features Saigon.