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)