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Listen Up! The Singles Roundup - March 16, 2007

From Uncle Neil showing the kids how it's done, to that MIMS kid showing everyone he's no one-hit wonder, there were all kinds of interesting things sucking up bandwidth on our site this week. Let's review...

Neil Young, "Ohio" [video]
Remember when rock stars knew how to write a good protest song? Not even the grainy video on this recording—made in 1971—can diminish the intensity of Neil's performance of his CSNY classic about the Kent State massacre.

Sondre Lerche, "The Phantom Punch"
This Norwegian singer-songwriter continues to prove that, apparently, he can do anything. His last album sounded like a lost Chet Baker album, minus the trumpet. His new one sounds like a lost Graham Parker album, minus the bile. A frontrunner for one of 2007's most underrated records.

The Bastard Fairies, "Whatever"
If Woody Guthrie had written protest songs about how he couldn't get laid, they might have sounded like this. By the way, do a search for this band on YouTube—they've put up tons of homemade videos, and many of them are pretty darn entertaining.

Nine Inch Nails, "Survivalism"
Yes, Trent Reznor can write songs like this in his sleep, but until anybody else can master it, does it really matter? When it comes to mixing industrial's angry drone with sharp pop songcraft, NIN is still the best in the business.

My Brightest Diamond, "Golden Star (Remix by Alias)"
Shara Worden's limpid ballads crackle with new energy on her new remix collection, none more so than this darkly trip-hoppy take on "Golden Star," which could pass for a collaboration between Bjork and Massive Attack.

MIMS, "It's Alright"
Hey, maybe this MIMS kid is for real. You wondered how he could top "This is Why I'm Hot"—this horny (in every sense of the word) bragger track just might be the answer.

Midnight Movies, "Coral Den"
This LA quartet makes noir pop with plenty of shoegazer noise thrown in for good measure. Here, they recall Stereolab in full "French Disko" glory.

Maria Taylor, "A Good Start"
The pop hooks in Maria Taylor's songs kind of sneak up on you, the same way her whispery vocal delivery always just hints at a melody without ever fully fleshing it out.

TV on the Radio, "Province" [video]
The only thing weirder that TV on the Radio's music is their videos. Here, a sexy mama in a military uniform gets shot repeatedly while some snowflakes and white doves float in and out of the background. Maybe it's those white doves, but it just occurred to us that there's definitely a direct lineage between TV on the Radio and Prince.

New Year's Day, "I Was Right" [video]
It's about time an emo band came along that gives the ladies equal time. Plus, Ashley Hittesdorf looks way better in eyeliner than Pete Wentz does. Oh, yeah, this one is an ARTISTdirect world premiere—and yes, that makes us feel special.

--Andy Hermann
03.16.07

Click here to read last week's installment of Listen Up!