Don’t have time to search out this week’s essential MP3s, streams and viral videos? That’s why we’re here.
The Long Blondes “Here Comes The Serious Bit”
Kate Jackson is the best Debbie Harry throwback we’ve heard in a long time. So it’s kind of a good thing her stylish Sheffield, England band has Blondie’s primitive new wave sound down pat on this standout track from its second album, Couples.
MP3: “Here Comes The Serious Bit”
(via Insound)
N.E.R.D. “Everybody Nose”
The leadoff single from N.E.R.D.’s forthcoming Seeing Sounds is exactly as crazy you want it to be, complete with clunky Space Invaders beats, a new jack swing breakdown and ape-shit lyrics shouted at top volume.
The Submarines “You, Me & The Bourgeoisie”
Blake Hazard of Los Angeles’ The Submarines has the kind of pure pop voice that won’t make you cringe when she sings things like, “Everyday we wake up, we choose love/ We choose life, it’s too easy just to fall apart.” On this track from the group’s sophomore album, Honeysuckle Weeks, her husband and musical partner John Dragonetti provides the requisite gloss.
MP3: “You, Me & The Bourgeoisie”
(via Insound)
Martina Topley-Bird “Valentine”
Tricky’s former smoky-voiced muse returns with her second album, The Blue God–produced by Danger Mouse–and this beautiful late-night meditation of a single. Watch for the fleeting slide guitar solo in the middle. It will melt your heart.
MP3: 07Valentine.mp3
Tim Fite “Yesterday’s Garden”
Brooklyn’s Tim Fite is on the same label as Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Lyrics Born, which makes a lot of sense. His third album, Fair Ain’t Fair, is a thoroughly eclectic affair, as this crackpot ballad confirms. Fans of Randy Newman, any of the above, or, really, music in general will not be disappointed.
MP3: “Yesterday’s Garden”
(via Insound)
Beck is about to do something sneaky. Having spent the past few months holed up in the studio with producer Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, he’s getting ready to drop his 10th studio album, Modern Guilt. But since there isn’t a release date attached to the project, fans can pretty much expect the album that Rolling Stone claims has “an overall 1960s British vibe” to hit digital outlets guerrilla-style in the coming weeks, much like recent releases by Gnarls Barkley and The Raconteurs. So while we wait for the big day, we thought we would look back at some of the 37-year-old’s career highs via magical YouTube technology.
“Loser” (1994)
The handmade quality of his debut video nicely matches the freewheeling lyrics and slack guitar chords of its accompanying breakthrough hit. While Beck’s white-suited high-kick is pretty impressive, we’ve got to admit that however many years later, this clip pretty much just looks like a lunatic’s home video.
(Watch on YouTube)
Director Mark Romanek did an incredible job with this widescreen clip, portraying Beck as a mysterious boombox carrying urban cowboy. He’s probably never looked this tough, before or since this clip was made.
Beck as a used car dealer? Cheesy lounge singer? Country line-dancing MC? Sure, why not?
From the Beatles homage at the beginning to the Austin Powers studio scene, and unexpected nods to Motley Crue and Kraftwerk, plus the girls dancing with lawnmowers–it’s hard to imagine a more lucid insight into the mind of the artist.
The frankly under-appreciated Midnite Vultures included a bunch of gems, but the ridiculousness of this video quite possibly destroyed the whole thing. We would like to explain, but we don’t even know where to begin–the tassles, the capes, the pirates?
Beck’s most low-key gets Beck’s most low-key video, a color-saturated clip that basically serves as a slow motion light show for artist Jeremy Blake. Psychedelic!
In this brilliant Al Jaffe tribute, Beck is set loose on downtown Los Angeles with predictably weird results–and perhaps some subtle Scientologist sloganeering?
“Think I’m In Love” (2006)
This one looks like it was produced in a booth at the local mall, using whatever wigs/props were at hand. It also looks like there’s some cross-dressing going on, we’re just not sure in which direction.
(Watch on YouTube)
The fantastic Michel Gondry made this high-contrast, high-concept clip. What more could we possible say, other than watching it will most likely feel like your head is floating off your body.