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