Boys Like...

Girls is now among my favorite things to come out of San Francisco sharing the honor with recreational inline skating and pride parades. They've got a sound reminiscent of the Beach Boys with a vocal sound comparable to The National and lyrics fit for Conor Oberst. "Lust For Life" is a dancier song of theirs bringing energy to their airy, harmony driven vocal. "Hellhole Ratrace" is a slower, melodically driven song that drives straight to your heartstrings. "Headache" is a down tempo song that lazes along to the beat of a warm, sunny day, which we could all use a little bit of in this cold. If you're into these clips, the whole album, cleverly entitled "Album" is worth a listen. Pitchfork has given it an impressive 9.1, and the blogosphere is drooling over it, so any budding music enthusiasts would be wise to get familiar quickly and pride themselves on early discovery of this great new band.

Girls - Lust for Life

Girls - Headache

Better than the River

Mr. Hudson is Kanye West's new project, and when Kanye's paying attention, you should too. It's definitely a sound evolved out of West's 808s records, as Mr. Hudson's consistently auto-tuned clean vocal sounds like a mix of The Fray with a touch of David Bowie's panache played over Kanye West's immaculate beats. "Supernova" is a potential hit with a Coldplay-esque, emotionally charged chorus. "White Lies" is reminiscent of "Coldest Winter" off 808s, while "There Will Be Tears" provides a nice change of a pace to an Imogen Heap/Frou Frou inspired production quality while the lyrics show a more emotional, raw side (while still auto-tuned). Look for Mr. Hudson to blow up within the next few months, his sound is begging for an audience. Won't you be his?

Mr. Hudson - Supernova

Mr Hudson - White Lies from MrHudson on Vimeo.

Mr. Hudson - There Will Be Tears

For Those Who Like It Ruff...

Born Ruffians are the best thing to come out of Canada since the word "eh" (sorry, Drake...better luck next time). They bring enthusiastic, charmingly-boyish folk-infused indy rockpop. Yeah, those are a lot of adjectives, but they've earned them. "Badonkadonkey" is the funnest of the fun with a nice lil' nonsensical set of lyrics guaranteed to combat any morning blues. "I Need A Life" is anthemic, ready to party, and the perfect little indian-summer-of-a-song antidote for this obnoxious early cold. "Little Garcon" is a cute, folk acoustic number that's a great change of pace and showcases their folky, adorable vocal harmonies and yelps reminiscent of Fleet Foxes crossed with a less annoying Landon Pigg (in real life, not Whip It! in which, I'll admit, he was pretty effing endearing). For a good time, call Born Ruffians...or you know, spark a j. Whatever works.


Born Ruffians - Little Garcon

This La Roux-lz

If you haven't heard of English group La Roux, you're definitely not British or an overzealous music nerd, because overseas, they're huge. And with good reason. Ben Langmaid's blend of synth-heavy, über-kitsch electro pop with Elly Jackson's ethereal tone boasts some of the catchiest hooks on the alt scene since Lady Gaga was relatively undiscovered (not to say I told you so). Their sound is a one-off of The Gossip with more mainstream sensibilities. Admittedly, their lyrics can fall into the trap of easy rhymes and trite imagery, but their hooks hit where it counts. Off their self-titled, major label debut, "Bulletproof" is the clear standout. It has one of the better chorus lines I've heard all year as Jackson croons, "this time, baby, I'll be bulletproof." Other noteworthies include "I'm Not Your Toy," which features a heavy 808 sound and calls out, over an uppity, video-game-esque synth line, "you don't like me you just want the attention/I'm not your toy." "In For The Kill" is one of the more solidly produced, pared down tracks with an airy, synth-light arrangement that leaves room for the vocals to harmonize and intertwine beautifully within. My personal choice (it's a grower, not a shower) is the unassuming "Armour Love" that weasels it's way into your brain and won't let up with it's epic, gorgeous melody and raw lyrics. For some solid, soon-to-be-mainstream pop, La Roux delivers in spades. As an added bonus check out Elly Jackson's acoustic version of "Quicksand."

Quicksand (Acoustic)

Get Your Topsiders On...

I'm kicking myself right now for not posting this 3 weeks ago when I first heard Yacht's new album, See Mystery Lights, as Pitchfork has now beat me to the punch (damn you, Salazaar!!), but this album is too perfectly happy and summer-encapsulated to not fawn over publicly. Jona Bechtolt (you know him as an ex-member of The Blow) is the driving force behind Yacht, and deserves a trophy or a cookie (or at least a stroke on the ego from a Miss September) for the triumph that is Yacht's sophomore effort, See Mystery Lights. And what of the other half of Yacht, you ask? Well, Claire L. Evans' vocal recalls the spacy, assured timbre of The Knife's Karin Dreijer Andersson, with a vibe much closer to that of The Blow crossed with other Swedish faves The Tough Alliance and JJ. "I'm in Love With A Ripper," features a dubstep backbeat with an overall sound that rivals "I'm In Love With a Stripper" for pop appeal. "Summer Song" features a much richer, deeper arrangement complete with funk tinges, such as a cowbell and choppy, rhythmic guitar hits, and shouty interjections that make it a guaranteed hit with any block party and/or friendly neighborhood hipster kiddo. "Psychic City (Voodoo City)" has a hook so repetitive and catchy it'll tear a hole in your brain and have you lapping up the excess. As long as you're making tracks this juicy, Yacht, what's mine is yours. mmm brains.

I'm In Love With a Stripper - T-Pain f. Mike Jones (to prove my point)

YACHT - Summer Song from Jona Bechtolt on Vimeo.

YACHT - Psychic City (Voodoo City) from Jona Bechtolt on Vimeo.

A Good Lott

Don't be fooled by appearances, this blonde lil' lady (she's 18) who goes by the name of Pixie Lott has more than a couple surprises up her sleeve - the first and foremost being a powerhouse vocal that can hold its own with the best of 'em. Seriously, powerhouse. Already popular in the UK with her lead single "Mama Do," Pixie Lott is like a better version of Duffy and a poppier (a little worse musically, a bit better, albeit less-unique- vocally) version of Amy Winehouse. Her cover of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" initially caught my attention - a stripped down, acoustic take that showcases her incredible control and a musical sensibility well beyond her years . Keep an eye out for this one, with material this solid, Mercury Records promoting her album, and voice that commands attention, it should only be a matter of time before she's getting major airplay in the US. (Just because this post is a few hours late, please enjoy the lovely clip of Tyler Hilton and with Alexa Dirks singing a gorgeous cover of Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather." Good looks, Wisots.)

Use Somebody - Pixie Lott

Boots of Spanish Leather (Tyler Hilton and Alexa Dirks)

I Like It Dirty

Though I was absent from the blog for a hot minute, there's nothing like the release of an unexpectedly incredible art-pop album to get me back to it. The Dirty Projectors, Dave Longstreth's rock collective from Brooklyn, on their new album, Bitte Orca, have released some of the best new music I've heard all summer. The distinct vocals of Longstreth and his female guest singers wind comfortably through harmonies, synth blips, vocal compressors, and the strum of guitars that sound like they might hail from a basement in Williamsburg or the top of Mt. Fuji. "Stillness Is The Move," kind of sounds like a white, indie rock take on an upbeat song that Aaliyah could have released. "No Intention" takes a cue from Swedish indie pop with a steady, slow beat reminiscent of The Knife, Cleast Eatwood, and (vaguely) the Tough Alliance, while successfully throwing in an impossibly catchy guitar lick behind a simple male vocal that accounts for an overarching sound most akin to that of The Shins. "Cannibal Resource" recalls early Of Montreal with its arrangement and singer's vocal timbre, with a guitar sound borrowed from George Harrison and his trusty Beatles. And that's just for starters. The album is a pleasure from start to finish, no weak spots, just great music. A truly worthwhile album for any music fan. Hey, Dirty Projectors, well played.

Oh, Boy...Boy

Man Man is one of those groups that you either love or hate. They're weird, they're noisy, they're kind of a clusterfuck, but also kind of awesome (if you're into weird, noisy clusterfucks). Straight out of Philadelphia, they're riding in on the coattails of Zappa but marching to the beat of their own drum (or more likely with them, pots and pans). So far they've released 3 albums, and though it's not particularly prolific as a body of work, there are little slices of heaven to be picked away, and one thing is for damn sure: the bearded men of Man Man know how to bring the fun...fun.

Engrish Bwudd - Man Man

Top Drawer - Man Man

Doo Right - Man Man

Catarac Coup de Ville

Lisping and lame French punning aside, if you haven't heard of the Bay Area kids known as The Cataracs, get familiar. Take a little bit of Chromeo, a little bit of Flobots, with just a smidgen of Hyphy flare and you'll get something close to the sick sound of The Cataracs. They switch comfortably between auto-tuned melodies on tracks like "Baby Baby (The Lover's Anthem)," old school flow and sampling on tracks like "Rich Girl," and hyphy swagger on tracks like "Marshawn Lynch (Feat. The Jacka & Mistah F.A.B.)" for an impressive set list, to say the least. Any hip hop or pop music enjoyer will for sure enjoy this. Tighter than leather spandex. yeeeeeeeeee!

Baby Baby (The Lover's Anthem) - The Cataracs

(sketchy video for) Rich Girl - The Cataracs

Marshawn Lynch - The Cataracs

Heads Up

In honor of it being Sunday morning, instead of heading to mass, today I'm going to feature a band with soul. The Duhks, from Winnipeg, Canada, are a five-piece outfit that churns out some of the least hick-tastic, most genuinely listenable Appalachian-inspired roots music. Though the arrangements are more traditional, Sarah Dugan's vocal has a youthful, clear alto timbre of Feist with the control of Fiona Apple. "A Mighty Storm," "Toujours Vouloir," and "You Don't See It" are my personal favorites. N-joi.

A Mighty Storm - The Duhks

Toujours Vouloir - The Duhks

You Don't See It - The Duhks

Oscar Worthy

I'm gonna go ahead and ignore the weird white fog swirling around my window that may or may not be the sign of a nuclear apocalypse and focus all my energy on the yummy new album Actor just released by St. Vincent, aka singer/songwriter/guitarist Annie Clark. The New York Times is officially in love with her, but I found her first, so back off, yuppie scum. Now that that's settled, down to the brass tacks. Actor delivers more of the simple, delicate melodies first introduced on Marry Me, but explores deeper arrangements with more variation. The real kicker about St. Vincent's swagger, particularly on this new release, is her ability to convey the subtle nuances of complicated emotions with poise and non-chalance. "Actor Out Of Work," "Laughing With a Mouth Of Blood," and Just The Same But Brand New" are my personal favorites. Also included is St. Vincent's Black Cab Session of Dig a Pony. 'Cause it's that awesome. ¡Happy weekend!

Actor Out of Work - St. Vincent

Laughing With a Mouth Of Blood - St. Vincent

Just the Same But Brand New - St. Vincent

Dig A Pony - St. Vincent Black Cab Session

Pure.

Not to get all naus-talgic, but nothing puts a smile on my face like great music coming straight outta home sweet NYC. I guess that explains why I've been particularly smiley ever since The Pains of Being Pure At Heart released their self-titled debut. They've got a bit of Peter, Bjorn, and John, a bit of Blur in the edges, but a sound that seems to supercede any singular comparison. The only all encompassing remark that seems fitting is that their melodies have a way of melting into a fuzzy pop oblivion of distorted guitars that sounds like awesome and feels like summer. Guy/Girl vocal fans should pay particular attention. Ch-ch-check it out.

Young Adult Friction - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Stay Alive - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

This Love Is Fucking Right - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Mmmm Morphine-oasty.

Today, I thought I'd do a fun commemorative issue of one year and half of metal-rod-in-my- leg-dom. Staring down the barrel of a 9:00 am surgery, I'm confident the following playlist will guide me safely through those sterile hallways, send the painkillers straight to my brain, and make sure I stay the hell away from the white light. Happy hump day. (I'm probably not using that correctly, but doesn't it sounds like something that might help hammer home the point? Or drill it in? Apparently idioms aren't my thing.)

Saturday Night - Blitzen Trapper
Club Love - 99allins
Brigitte Bardot - Creature
Boys Wanna Be Her - Peaches
Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley
No Substitute Love - Estelle
Rabbit Hole - Cleast Eatwood
LoveGame - Lady Gaga
Amazing (Thin White Duke Edit) - Seal
I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses

The Bestest Best

Because finals, the weather gods, and my penchant for awful decision-making has made today the very worst, it is only fitting that today's post be about The Very Best (which has been solely responsible for getting my mental capacity to half-mast). Malawi-via-London singer Esau Mwamwaya and London production team Radioclit make up The Very Best, a collaboration that has cranked out some of the best remixes in the past year. Based on the positive feedback they received the duo released Are The Very Best in November of last year, an album consisting of remixes of popular songs that use the hooks from popular songs as a backbone to introduce Mwamwaya's Malawi-inspired arrangemnts and vocal stylings. The result is nothing short of brilliant. Standouts include, "Tengazako," an awesome reiteration that is pretty much the only redux of Paper Planes I've heard that's coherent as its own track. "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" cleverly takes Vampire Weekend's calypso-inspired guitar riff and places african drumming and singing over it for a rich sound that feels authentically Malawian. "Boyz" remixes M.I.A. again and throws in Akon's vocal with the help of autotune (shocking!) as well as Mwamwaya's for a really interesting twist on the arrangement that still doesn't stray too far from the original. Interestingly, The Very Best has also included original tracks tracks, which are equally compelling. "Funa Funa" and "Sister Betina" use the same winning formula of Malawian instrumentation/vocals over a western mix, but the production is so spotless you'd swear it was lifted from elsewhere (not to discredit Radioclit). For anybody else in need of an upper as much as me, throw this on with a strong cup of coffee.

Tengazako - The Very Best

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - The Very Best

Boyz - The Very Best

Funa Funa - The Very Best

Sister Betina - The Very Best

Casxi-Me, Baby

Casxio (pronounced Cah-see-yo) is one of the most exciting bands coming out of LA right now as they put on one of the most impressive showings at SXSW. Reminiscent of french indie group Phoenix, Casxio takes funk rhythm guitar and throws a falsetto that sounds closer Mika (oh yeah, they can hit those notes). "Seventeen" has already gotten a lot of blog attention (as well as a great remix) and is well on its way to becoming an underground hit. "Roque Baby" delivers more consistent danceable funk/rock/pop. The band's video for "Boiling Points" directed by Fresh Kill is not for the faint of heart with a bloody plotline that's almost comical in contrast to the carefree music it's promoting. Just in time for the summer, get into Casxio before your annoying friend does.

Seventeen - Casxio

Roque Baby - Casxio

Seventeen (Noel Zancanella remix) - Casxio

Boiling Points - Casxio

Sleepy Heart

I was going to write about one of the numerous fantastic albums released, but the sounds of 2008's Lost Wisdom from Washington band Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire forced my ink elsewhere. Mount Eerie, Phil Elverum's continuation of The Microphones, has created one of the most genuinely beautiful acoustic records I've ever heard. Everything from the lyrics to the harmonies to the melodies is masterfully constructed. Though the sound isn't innovative, it's perfect in its simplicity. Doiron's confident vocal intertwines with Elverum's shaky voice to create a fragile, almost discordant sound that leaves you hanging on every note. The album itself is a coherent unit with every track playing towards the vision of the album as a whole, which makes it difficult to pick standouts. "Voice in Headphones" introduces an electric guitar and a more expansive arrangement with vocal layers to create the closest thing this album comes to a crescendo. "O My Heart" showcases the softer end of the album driven by Doiron and Elverum's vocal interaction. "You Swan, Go On" is a more upbeat track that features Elverum's vocal heavily with a more assured melody that bears resemblance to Sufjan Stevens. There are rare times an album fits a day perfectly, so for anybody lucky enough to be in Boston by an open window, hit play and sink in.

Voice in Headphones - Mount Eerie

O My Heart - Mount Eerie

You Swan, Go On - Mount Eerie

Insectomania

The Bug, one of Kevin Martin's 20 aliases, takes London dubstep, Jamaican dancehall, and grunge and turns them on their face. The Bug offers dirty beats in clean arrangements that dabble in an array of styles for an aggressive sound like nothing you've ever heard before. "Poison Dart" feat. Warrior Queen is a feminist rant with an arrangement that's heavily reminiscent of Santigold. "Skeng" drops quite possibly the deepest bass I've ever heard with Killa P-Flowdan's decidedly flatline vocal giving the track an eerie march quality that listens like a war cry. "Angry" featuring Tippa Irie is the closest thing The Bug offers to straight Dancehall and is an infectuous party anthem that goes out to one of my favorite biddies back home who's always ready to rraaaaage (2 days, Nessyface). For adventurous hip/hop enthusiasts looking for something fresh, look no further than The Bug.

Poison Dart f. Warrior Queen

Skeng f. Killa P-Flowdan

Angry f. Tippa Irie

Batgirl: Redux

Bat For Lashes AKA Natasha Kahn's etherial, haunting music that has (justifiably) earned her comparisons to Bjork and PJ Harvey comes back in full force on her sophomore effort Two Suns. For the first time Kahn's music feels like a complete artistic vision realized, which is particularly apparent on stunning tracks like "Glass," whose arrangement of a faint organ, crashing drums, and electronic backnoise builds and whirls with her vocalizations to create an incredible wall of sound that gives Kahn's vocal room to breathe in the massive space created by the echoing reverb. "Sleep Alone" combines a melody that might as well have been taken straight from Tori Amos's mouth with electronic synth noise and acoustic guitars that play perfectly off each other. The record's single, "Daniel," recalls MGMT with it's airy synth sounds and funk-inspired electric guitars, while a steady drum machine hits brings forth an element of synth-rock à la Yeah Yeah Yeahs on It's Blitz. One of the better albums I've heard this year, Two Suns is definitely worth a listen.

Glass - Bat For Lashes



Sleep Alone - Bat For Lashes

Daniel - Bat For Lashes

Cage Your Children...

Cage the Elephant, straight from Bowling Green, Kentucky, is the kind of group that makes me happy the south exists. After a week of enough club music to make my ears bleed hair gel and fake tanner, Cage the Elephant's modern take on southern blues/rock that combines the sound of British rock groups like Arctic Monkeys with the grit of Black Keys is the magical glass of cold sweet tea that has the power to ease my mental hangover and hold my hand for the come-down. Don't be mistaken, these kiddies go hard every step of the way. Their self-titled debut came out last June, and the tinges of brit-rock favorite Arctic Monkeys in their distorted, frenetic sound can be held accountable for the fact that they've caught on quicker overseas. "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked," the song that turned me onto them initially, is a sure favorite for any Black Keys fans and won these gentlemen the 32nd spot on the UK Singles Chart. "Tiny Little Robots," on which lead singer Matt Schultz's vocal sounds crazily similar to that of The Kooks's leading man Luke Pritchard veers away from the guitar slide and takes on a harder sound closer to that of The Hives and Be Your Own Pet with great success. "In One Ear" throws in some southern white-boy rap à la Kid Rock (but infinitely less annoying), and combines it with some skillicious guitar licks that are easily the song's main attraction and a chorus that's catchy enough. As a whole, the integrity and quality of this southern rock is something I haven't heard since Kings of Leon's Youth and Young Manhood back in 2003. Cage the Elephant is definitely a band to watch out for in the future and enjoy now with a healthy dose of sunshine or whatever else you can find.

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant

Tiny Little Robots - Cage the Elephant

In One Ear - Cage the Elephant

Meiko

It's been a few months since the release of Meiko's eponymous debut on Myspace Records, but her gorgeous rasp brought forth by the shuffle function on my iTunes placed her back into the foreground of my attention. Though she's being marketed similarly to a Colbie Caillat, Meiko's songwriting is, in my opinion, prolific enough to make that comparison slightly offensive. Her breakout single is the fun, "Boys with Girlfriends," and as solid as it is, doesn't do her justice. Meiko shines brightest at her darkest and weirdest. The uncomfortably lagging drum hits and minor chords behind Meiko's scratchy vocal on "Hawaii" is the kind of artistic achievement that make some of the glamour shots featured on her Myspace page merit a firm punch in the nose for the people responsible for her image marketing (I blame you, Myspace Tom). "Said and Done" is another track that perfectly showcases her quirky charm and reveals her to be more than just another face in the mess of generally-pleasant-but-mediocre singer-songwriters (yes, Josh Radin, I'm talking to you). "Reasons to Love You" and "How Lucky We Are," the two tracks that initially caught my attention, feature gorgeous stripped down arrangements and hummable melodies. Truth be told, Meiko's vocal is the main selling point and her material is worth checking on that basis alone. Fingers crossed that she won't sell out on her sophomore effort, cause I think she's got some soul power (and you ain't got no soul power).

I LOVE (santi)GOOOOLD

After seeing Santigold this weekend, I am pretty much sold as her biggest fan. (This may or may not be due to the fact that she gave me a shout out from on stage for having the same sunglasses on - by divine coincidence - as her backup singers and I can now die happy...see above as evidence.) In honor of her killer set I've decided to feature a thr-oh!-back to her old punk band, Stiffed, which offered some pretty great samplings of their own with her snazzy vocal, particularly this little gem, "Radio." And so long as I'm giving in to self-indulgence and rrraggeeyyy times, I'm gonna throw in a great mash-up of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and Usher's "Love in This Club" that my friends and neighbors are sick of hearing due to the fact that I've had it on repeat for the past two weeks(credit/blame on you, Sarah Sull, of whose voice Swift's vocal, by the way, is eerily reminiscent), as well as a Calvin Harris Hervé edit, and some M.I.T.C.H./Uffie/Feadz magic. It's a rainy day in B-town, so why not. Enjoy.

Radio - Stiffed

Club/Love - 99ALLins

I'm Not Alone (Herve edit) - Calvin Harris

Fais Rentrer Les Euros (F. Feadz and Uffie - Feadz vocal mix) - M.I.T.C.H

Alley-SHOOP!

SHOOPS is a name any fan of Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Crookers, or good music in general should commit to memory. Self-described as "Your only source for sex-pop," Dave and Yury make music that's dance/trance/popgenius/auto-tunemadness/deepbass/puresex. Their album should be dropping later this spring and will no doubt be heard on every dancefloor from LA to London. Hipsters and club fiends alike will be able to get down to these amazing tracks. "Do me, Work it" is a remix of Thunderheist's Jerk It, and my favorite of theirs. "King of Bongo" is an incredible cover/remix of Manu Chao that is sure to carry any and all through the Rastifarian xmas that is 4/2o. "Control (Me)" is a slower track that showcases the 808 side of Montreal geniuses Dave and Yury. The haze induced by the sudden rush of dopamine to the face may impair judgment. Be sure to hit the little paper clip looking button on the right side of the play bar to download any track that strikes your fancy!

Do Me, Work It (Dear Isis "jerk it" Remix) - SHOOPS

Coming to Town (Remix) - SHOOPS

Dance For Me (Remix) - SHOOPS

Control (Me) - SHOOPS

King of Bongo (Manu Chao cover) - SHOOPS

Club Bangerzz...

I've been on Uffie's music for the past year or so, and I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for Ed Banger to give this girl the full length she deserves. Many will recognize her vocal from Justice's "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy," but I can promise she has bigger things up her sleeve. One of the most exciting rappers to hit the scene (read: my earspace) since Mickey Av, she's got the white girl slow spit of Lady Sovereign with the swagger of Peaches. Crunchy beats, 3 parts filth, 1 part glitter. Check out "Pop the Glock" to whet your palate - Choose Your Own Adventure: Little Boots fans head two spaces forward to "Steroids," Househeads go straight to "Robot Oeuf."

Pop the Glock - Uffie

Steroids - Uffie

Robot Oeuf - Uffie

What's Your Fantasy?

Metric has never been the band to churn out album after album. 2003's Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? brand of in your face rock -with-a-message-and-a-backbeat reflected the title perfectly and gained a cult following, but not mass appeal. While 2005's Live It Out delivered more consistent rock, the hiatus didn't show the band making strides. This time, Metric left a four year hiatus between records, which placed me in nervous anticipation of either a lackluster junior effort or an epiphany. From the very first listen it is apparent that Metric that has finally honed in on their sound. Fantasies commits fully to the synth-driven aesthetic hinted at on tracks like "Combat Baby," but is conscious to maintain the catchy guitar licks and snarky lyrics that won the affection of die-hard fans initially. The real draw of their new material is its absolutely infectuous hooks that could easily give tracks like "Help, I'm Alive" airplay on mainstream radio. Metric incorporates this melodic brilliance as they weave in rawer, more etherial tracks, too, like "Gimme Sympathy" that allow Emily Haines's piercing vocals to give her confident, thoughtful lyrics room to smack at your heartstrings. With a record this top notch, it should only be a matter of time before Metric becomes a household name. Standout tracks include "Help, I'm alive," "Gimme Sympathy," "Sick Muse," and my personal favorite, "Satellite Mind." One of the strongest records released this year, not checking Fantasies out would be a mistake.

Help, I'm Alive - Metric

Sick Muse - Metric

Gimme Sympathy - Metric

Satellite Mind - Metric

Help, I'm Alive (acoustic)

You know what small feet mean...

Little Boots is the blogosphere's newest darling, and a personal favorite of Dame Perez Hilton. She's been all over the lips of the oh-so-trendy and frankly, until yesterday, I was unimpressed. Despite this, it's impossible to deny that her brand of catchy electropop isnt a tad infectuous, as evidenced by the fact that it has earned second place in Brit's Critics' Choice award (behind another personal favorite of mine, Florence and the Machine). She's working with one of my favorite producers, Greg Kurstin (one half of the Bird and the Bee, as well as producer for Lily Allen, Ladyhawke, and Britney Spears among others), so you know her sound is going to be semi-legit, at worst. Her leadoff single, "Meddle," features her trademark dance sound with a vibe that's creepy in the foreign-gu-down-the-hall-whose-gaze-might-linger-a-few-seconds-too-long-but-is-generally-harmless kind of way. Don't get me wrong, "Meddle" is good, but after hearing it, I wasn't jumping up and down. Then I saw her stripped down cover/home video viral success of Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite," and she began to win me over. Then yesterday came, oh, glorious yesterday, and I heard her cover of Freddie Mercury's "Love Kills." The minute those glittering beats hit my ears I began shouting her name across the rooftops (read: dancing embarrassingly alone in my room). Is she pop's next darling? Debatable. Is she at the top of my pregame playlist cleverly entitled "rrrraaageeeee?" Absolutely. Homegirl goes down easier than a red-headed slut (1 part peach schnapps, 1 part cranberry juice, 1 part jager, 10 parts multiple mouthgasms). Git some.

Meddle - Little Boots

Day N Nite (Kid Cudi Cover) - Little Boots

Love Kills (Freddie Mercury Cover) - Little Boots

Get Stoned

Move over vegemite, cute fuzzy creatures, and belligerence, Angus & Julia Stone are officially the best thing Australia has to offer. This brother/sister duo's debut album A Book Like This holds the type of quiet, broken-in indie folk music that feels like summer in your ears and lives up to their last name. There's nothing particularly innovative about their sound, that is to say followers of Calexico and Vetiver are not going to be knocked sideways, but there's something about the combination of Angus's sweet, lulling voice and Julia's scratchy, Joplin-esque vocal that just goes perfectly with Great Lawn(s) and lazy days. "Paper Aeroplane," the standout track, features a gorgeous guitar line with a melody you won't be able to stop singing. "All the Colours" is a reggae-inspired track that embodies its tagline, "I'm so wasted on you." "Bella" is a triumphant whisper of a love song that would serve as a perfect complement to a note reading, "Do you like me? Check yes or no." With music this soothing, it's impossible to say no.

Paper Aeroplane - Angus & Julia Stone

All the Colours - Angus & Julia Stone

Bella - Angus & Julia Stone

HOrchestra?

That astoundingly clever bit of wordplay on his Orchestra, my obsession du jour, may or may not be irrelevant, but this music is good enough to stand out through the mess of my 8 am delirium. Straight out of Los Angeles, they're a little bit Ben Folds, a little bit Rufus Wainwright (sans annoying oversinging), a little bit The Magnetic Fields, and their debut album, Field Guide to the Wilds, is a feast for the senses...except mainly just the ears. The beautifully simple "Attached," features a smooth male vocal backed by a chirping chorus of ethereal female voices worthy of St. Vincent comparisons resting comfortably over a bouncy piano chord progression. The minor chords of "Black Coffin" recall Badly Drawn Boy as its cello and violin sections lend an eerie quality to the gorgeous, unassuming ballad that, in the right light, might give you a little shiver. "Hibernation," my personal favorite, sounds like the music that children's singer Raffi and Edward Scissorhands would make if Raffi had a smidgen of LSD and Edward Scissorhands didn't have scissors for hands. 100% organic 'aw, shucks' goodness.

IT'S BLITZ!

I'm going to go ahead and skip over the fact that Soulja Boy Tell 'Em (official name)'s new album iSouljaBoyTellEm (could not make this up) and absurd new single "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (yes, it's every bit as stupid as the title suggests) are racing up the charts, and begin my frenzied, ecstatic rant about the fact that Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third album, It's Blitz, has leaked...and is glorious. On account of the leak, the savvy YYYs have pushed forward the release date until March 10th, but obviously I'm impatient, so here's the review a week before it officially drops. I love Lady Gaga (as I have reiterated one too many times) as much as the next closeted hipster music fanatic, but if you want to name one woman currently recording who has most successfully dialed in on the magic ratio of subversiveness to artistry to good fucking music, there is none other than Karen O. That being said, and although I'm a big proponent of anything Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I must admit that I, like most, have always been very aware that while their live performances are, as one of my friends described, "like seeing jesus and having sex on e at the same time," their EPs tend to make promises of a sound revolution that their full lengths have not yet cashed. I say this tentatively, as Fever to Tell was nothing short of miraculous, and Show Your Bones wasn't half bad, but they were certainly not the cohesive, life-changing albums that many had hoped and prayed for after hearing The John Peel Sessions, per se. It is this very reality that has garnered Yeah Yeah Yeahs the incredible cult following they enjoy, but have kept them a few shy of Radiohead status, if you will (longevity excluded, evolution excluded, in retrospect...a very sketchy analogy, but you get the point).

Now, onto It's Blitz. For the first time their full length feels like an album. From start to finish, it sounds like a coherent artistic piece, and a prolific one at that. Each track not only functions well on its own, but complements its preceeding and proceeding tracks perfectly, keeping in mind the vision of the album as a whole. Though It's Blitz has got less of a basement session feel than their earlier stuff (Nick Zinner replaces crunchy guitars with a plethora of synth sounds expansive enough to make even the Pet Shop Boys raise an eyebrow), it's not overly-polished. Luckily, this time around the acoustic sound that only half-worked on Show Your Bones exists solely as bonus material on this album.

"Zero," the leadoff single, has a backbone of 150 bpm (or something in that ballpark...) and the heart of a lion. Karen O's snide signature yelping vocal snaps, "You're a zero. What's your name? Noone's gonna ask it." And then she bitchslapped the wanker with her mic stand.

"Heads Will Roll" is a catchy, dance hall anthem gold-plated and covered in glitter. It's what Kanye wishes he could have come up with on 808s. Nick Zinner is a musical genius. It's catchy. It's ethereal. It's 3 am on the Lower East Side. It's indie rock electronica at its absolute finest.

"Soft Shock" is about as close to "sweet" as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are gonna let on. This haphazard tribute to the sadness and awkwardness of reuniting with an ex painted with their undeniable flair is as poignant as it is earnest. Over the lowlit synths, Karen O's vocals are like a suckerpunch to the heart.

"Skeletons" has a quality that I haven't heard in their music since "Maps." It's a stripped down, slow anthem. A snare drum marches in the background and crescendos slowly. Karen O's voice croons without any of its signature yelping strain, while Nick Zinners synth/guitar puts a quiet din upon which Karen O's vocals can soar. And soar they do. Haunting. Gorgeous.

"Dull and Life" and "Shame and Fortune" are a refreshing reminder that the early, hard-hitting,fuzz-guitar fiends are still alive and kicking. Though neither track presents an aspect of Yeah Yeah Yeahs we haven't seen before, they serve as a healthy reminder that these kids can conjure up their signature filthy rock sound on command just as well, if not better, than ever.

"Runaway" is the surprise track of the album, in a similar way that "Gold Lion" was. Though it's not as album-defining as "Gold Lion" was, it's the mark of yet another direction the Yeah Yeah Yeahs can veer into, and master. It's a haunting track that flirts with the border between alt. and pop . It begins with Karen O's voice accompanied simply by a piano and turns into a pleading ballad that is unmistakably Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but will take any die-hard fan a minute to adjust to - after which they, like anybody else, will have no choice but to, as Lennon might say, turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream. Oh no, it is not dying.

"Dragon Queen" deserves to be played in the sleaziest strip club in Chinatown among sordid people doing sordid things. It's creepy, it's weird, and makes you feel creepy and weird for liking it, which you will. You may even experience an aching desire to dance. With a pole. Surrounded only by the sleaziest of people. Do it. Karen O thinks that's cool.

"Hysteric" is another gorgeous slow track that whirls lazily until it stumbles upon it's stunning revelation of a chorus, which, though melodically indistinguishable, pierces like a light through the fog, "you suddenly complete me." Revel. Waver. Lull. It just feels right.

The album closes with "Little Shadow," which is a freak-show gem. It's like two midgets who fell in love at the carnival. It's bizarre. And adorable. And makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. And then the smell of stale candy apples sets in. And you realize you don't belong in this crazy world where everything is fun and weird all the time. And it's time to go. But you'll be back. You always come back.

To say this is the best album I've heard this year is not doing it justice. It is one of the best albums I have ever heard. Maybe it's the fact that it's 4 am, or the fact that I have just spent the past 2 hours listening to Indian Ragas, Kecak Vocal Gamelans and Tuvan Throat Singers (studying for a World Music exam i.e. 2 minutes more of world "music" away from legitimately ripping out my ear drums), but with the help of savior Karen O and her incredible Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I think I'm in love. Learn it. Live it. Love it, too. Hard.

Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Soft Shock - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Skeletons - Yeah Yeah Yeah

Dull Life - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Shame and Fortune - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Runaway - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Dragon Queen - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Hysteric - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Little Shadow - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Acoustic versions of "Soft Shock," "Skeletons," Hysteric," and "Little Shadow" will be available on the 10th, along with the bonus track "Faces."