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Listen Up! The Singles Roundup - March 23, 2007

Spring is in the air, and there's a bumper crop of music goodness to get excited about this week. So turn it up to 11 and tune into tracks you best be aware of...

The Besnard Lakes - "And You Lied to Me"
If mournful trio Low were dragged out of their slowcore stupor and given a hit of acid in the middle of the desert, they might start to sound something like this darkly spiraling, reverb-laden jam.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony & Akon - "I Tried" [video]
A surprisingly raw and honest ballad about keeping the faith even as you continue to spin your wheels—Akon's nasally croon is used to excellent effect.

Elvis Perkins - "All the Night Without Love"
With an overall feel somewhere between Dylan and the Beatles, this folk-pop song projects an insta-classic sound even as it evades predictability with the incorporation of fiddle and a nice upright bass line.

Jamie T - "If You Got the Money"
The ying to Lily Allen's yang, this British newcomer is inevitably compared to Mike Skinner of the Streets, and rightly so. Jamie T's scrappy, DIY dubby talk rap is irresistible even when he just doing la-dee-dee-dee-das.

Chromeo - "Tenderoni"
We may be basing this assessment on kitsch value, but there's something undeniable about a synthed-out, electro-funk dancefloor burner that choruses "You're my tenderoni." Just wait till the cowbells come in...

The Morning Benders - "Dammit Anna"
Sitting somewhere along the continuum from the Byrds to the Shins, the Morning Benders have crafted a retro-leaning radio single with just the right amount of jangle, thump, and sunshine.

Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"
The driving beats and sing-song "hey hey, you you" accusation of the lead single from Lavigne's forthcoming album suck you in immediately. And if for some reason they don't, you'll surely be charmed by the time you arrive at the bratty, handclap-and-shouty-vocals breakdown.

Talib Kweli - "Say Something" feat. Jean Grae
Riding along an alluring hollow, echo-y beat, Talib takes it back to Brooklyn circa 1975 for this step-to song. Rapper Jean Grae has always been at her best in cameos "basking in confrontation," and this is a perfectly barbed fit.

Devin the Dude - "What a Job" feat. Snoop Dogg & Andre 3000
Devin identifies weed as a "hidden fee" of songwriting as he kicks out this appropriately slow-moving rap jam with an uber-catchy li'l falsetto sample.

- Jocelyn K. Glei
03.23.07

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