Chemical Brother's "Midnight Madness"

Holy crap, Manchester 90's are back and better than ever. In what alternate universe would the Verve, Oasis, and the Chemical Brothers ALL have music coming out around the same time? Aside from my obvious bias, I think I objectively love this song (at least as objectively as anyone can love a song).
Rather than release an entirely new album, the Chemical Brothers/Astralwerks decided to boost a little extra life (and perhaps sales) into their new single "Midnight Madness" by bundling it with remasters and exclusives of their best music across the past decade. What I love about this "best of" packaging is that by the time you get to "Midnight Madness", you're thinking "Fuck yeah! Chemical Brothers!!!" which is exactly right, because they're the kind of artist that you can get that enthusiastic about.
Though the band delves into new territory pairing (quite succesfully) with Spank Rock on "Keep My Composure," the duo is unafraid to do the exact same thing that they were doing ten years ago, which makes the single a huge success. Teetering on the edge of deep house,the Chemical Brothers take you on what is undoubtedly meant to be a journey guided by ecstasy (though quite likely the majority of their fans no longer take ecstasy and prefer their music at the gym.)
Pleading synths and stuttering drum machines create a dreamy soundscape that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, like getting a hug from a neon clad raver. And then instead of punching you in the face with their rapping, rocking dance, the brothers drop a friggin disco beat for a (dare I say it) loved up approach that the children are just picking up on now, though these veterans have been pushing since their Hacienda days.

The Kooks - "Tick of Time"

Typically, the acoustic song on the album is not my favorite. Sure, I can appreciate the raw, intimate quality of it, but I tend to be wooed by the grandeur of the finished, produced track. And I certainly am not impressed by coughs (especially not phlegmy ones) and laughing, simply because they make the track feel "real." Except for on "Tick of Time," the last song on the Kook's sophomore album "Konk."
Unlike many acoustic versions found on albums, "Tick of Time" is not a version. It is the actual song, consciously recorded to be a simple and pared down track, which, yes, does allow for intimacy, and in this case, rightly so. I happen to find all the Kooks song intimate and pulling off a charmingly unfinished quality that I find best listened to in the privacy of my car.
What really does it for me with this song is that its form follows it's function - the yearning characteristic of the lyrics are mirrored in ever so slightly raspy voices straining to harmonize with each other. The overall effect is more one of an inner monologue sung out loud than a song meant to be performed, and I that's fine with me.

Friendly Fires' "Friendly Fires"

As a frequent, and almost abusive music listener, I'm constantly looking for an artist to fall in love with, or at least develop a serious crush on. I can honestly say I haven't been this excited about an artist since Lykke Li, and I haven't been this excited about an indie band since Hot Chip, which is saying something. Being well into my singles, it's rare I get into an album, but I liked so many of the songs on Friendly Fires' self-titled debut (XL Recordings) that I thought the whole album earned itself an entry. I was initially grabbed by "Jump In the Pool", their atmospheric but surprisingly energetic single rampant with buoyant percussion (bongos maybe?) They bear many similarities to fellow Brits Bloc Party, the main difference being that Friendly Fires are far more interesting. All their songs are well structured and layered, neatly bound in some meticulous production, which has to be done when you're flaunting disco beats. "Strobe" has that softer sound that might be found in Bloc Parties "Blue Line", but it is tracks like the compact, stuttering "On Board" with its raw vocals and punchy beats that remind me of what excited me about this band. And last but not least, there's "Skeleton Boy". The disco takes a back seat to heartfelt indie rock croonings; though emotive enough to be a ballad "Skeleton Boy" is too textured and jagged and ends up sounding more like a child of the Cure, which is definitely a good thing. The band is on tour with Lykke Li, and most likely about to blow up.

Check them out at their myspace: www.myspace.com/friendlyfires
Or just buy the record, you'll love it.

Kanye West's "Touch the Sky"

It's funny how a pop song with lyrics like "bottle shaped body like Mrs. Butterworth," can stand the test of time and still make an impact on people three years after its release, but here I am, getting inspired by Kanye. I was at the Nike Human Race last night (not running due to injury), where I saw Kanye performing for the second time (this time with a little help from Common). The last time I saw him (Coachella 06), I remember being underwhelmed, and didn't know whether or not to chalk it up to Kanye or the fact that it was well over a hundred degrees in broad daylight. Maybe it was the fact that it was at night, or that 12,000 audience members had the adrenaline of a 10K run in them, but the concert had a lot more energy. Not having run, it took me a bit longer to get captivated, but what really did it for me was "Touch the Sky."
Purists would say it isn't fair for me to be so moved by a song that so blatantly samples Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up." Fortunately, I come from a land of remixes and mashups, and thus believe no such thing, and can enjoy what some might call a bastardization. What I love so much about "Move On Up" is it's unfailing cheerfulness which resonates with a sense of resolution. If I had a degree in music, I'd probably be able to attribute it to something technical, but I don't, so I'll just go with the warm fuzzy feeling I get. That feeling might also have to do with the association of "Move On Up" and its numerous placements in key film montages and ending sequences. What Kanye did was capture that happy, resolute vibe with lyrics like "For the day I die, gonna touch the sky." Perhaps not eloquent poetry, but it gets the point across and frankly, it's always the simple messages that touch me most.

I was going to post the video, but I'm not that into it. If you can't find this song on the internet, you must live under a rock, and shouldn't be allowed to play with technology anyways.

The Whitest Boy Alive "Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)"

When I saw the title of this song in a club playlist, the first thing I thought was "hooray!!" Shoegazing emo + dance music = emotional dance music, i.e. one of my favorite genres, thanks to New Order. One of the many fantastic projects from prolific Scandinavian Erlend Øye, The Whitest Boy Alive's album "Dreams" never ceases to please me. Its quiet, mellow tones and Øye's unmistakeable soothing voice, always make me wonder why I don't listen to as much indie rock as I used to. Until I remember that I traded in my indie rock and it's associated angst for dance music and the resulting endorphins.

Fortunately for me, producers like Fred Falk exist; the Frenchman knows the ins and outs of that genre that lives somewhere between indie rock and dance music, having remixed the likes of Royksopp and Goldfrapp. Now, two years after the release of "Dreams", he's putting his respectful but recognizable stamp on "Golden Cage," handling the original the way a skilled jeweler would placing a vintage stone into a new setting. This single was unsurprisingly released on Modular, a label which, in my humble opinion, is the heartbeat of 2008, the same way that Because was the pulse of 2007.

In the same vein as Cut Copy, Fred Falke's remix is completely in line with the nostalgic, shimmery, sentimental dance sound that signifies a Modular release. A little bit of disco ball pizzazz, as well as 80's synths give "Golden Cage" a sprinkling of fairy dust to make it shiny and new all over again. And thank God.

Because Music did a beautiful thing - they crafted a sound to reach out to the indie rock kids and remind them that dancing was for everyone, not just the tools with glowsticks (sorry ravers). But after a year of screams, found sounds and distorted vocals, I found that I was missing something from my dance music, and that was a bit of heart. And I don't think I was the only one, which is why there is a sudden demand for this sort of music that hearkens back to the 80s, when everyone's favorite indie rock band became their favorite dance band.

You can stare at a golden cage and hear the tune, or just buy the mp3 off of Beatport.

The Duke Spirit's "The Step and the Walk"

This band is so quintessentially cool it's painful. 1) They are from London. 2) Their frontwoman Liela Moss is a)hot and b) sings with an audible British accent. 3) The band met at ART school and 4) they've been extolled in flavor of the month NME magazine.
Of course none of this is a guarantee that their music is any good, but like the nice popular girl you want to hate but just can't, The Duke Spirit is both pretty AND nice, figuratively speaking. All these cool factors really do contribute good things to their music. The accent is a welcome change from the gentrified American tone that so many Brit bands adopt, art + music = good (think how cool Beck is), and despite being a hype machine, NME has a good nose for sniffing out decent indie bands.
Aside from all the cool factors, their music hits the ear in just the right places. Smoky voiced Moss has that Nancy Sinatra coolness and sass, but distortion and dirt brings a bedhead sexiness with a fantastic 70's flair. Mmmm.

Lykke Li - "Little Bit"

I haven't heard this much sweetness in a song in a long time. Normally, I don't go for music with such girlish emotion, but it has a sweet breathiness that I was instantly charmed by. Maybe because she's Swedish, she can get away with almost embarrassingly romantic music that was created for teens everywhere to lose their virginity to.
The song exposes that oh so relatable new relationship hesitancy and you can't help but be a little touched when she tries to not bare all with the refrain of "I'm only a little bit in love with you."

If you want to fall a lot in love with this song, you can check out MySpace, or buy her EP on iTunes.