News

Listen Up! The Singles Roundup - April 27, 2007

From retro-rock Swedes to a French chanteuse to an albino rapper, this week's picks truly offer something for everyone. Even Ozzy makes an appearance.

Dungen - "Familj"
They sound like a lost '60s psych-rock band, right down the warm, analog quality of the production—and the fact that the lyrics are in Swedish just makes them sound even trippier.

The Clientele - "Bookshop Casanova"
Strings add a nice extra layer of lushness to this London group's trademark hazy dream-pop. And is that a touch of disco we detect in that jangly guitar line? Nice.

Svoy - "Driving Away"
Has anyone coined a term yet for the recent spate of youthful singer-songwriters who sound equally influenced by Coldplay and the '90s rave scene? "Emotronica," maybe? Whatever it is, this Russian kid from New York does it pretty well. Dig that crazy drum 'n' bass beat.

Ozzy Osbourne - "I Don't Wanna Stop"
The title of this song may as well be Ozzy's motto—even if his music is no longer groundbreaking, it still rocks harder than anything by half the young whippersnappers making careers out of ripping him off.

KRS-One - "Kill a Rapper"
Speaking of old-timers, Kris Parker's been doing it since before some of today's bling-slingers were even born. But he's never sounded more fired up than he does on this screed over the FBI's burgeoning file of unsolved rap murders.

Golden - "Elevator Music" feat. Fergie
How does a white rapper from Reading, PA get Fergie to do a guest vocal? By making an irresistibly fun, bouncy track with some nice horns and a little old-school vinyl pop and hiss for added seasoning.

The Basiqs - "Trouble"
More pop and hiss! This duo calls their flavor of hip-hop "legacy music" because of its heavy reliance on old '60s and '70s soul, funk, and gospel samples. We just call it smooth, old-school goodness.

Sage Francis - "Civil Obedience"
Sage's high-strung verbal acrobatics about road rage, horny texting, drug tests, and whatever else catches his short attention span play out like postcards from a very near future that nobody wants—but one that we'll probably get, anyway.

Brother Ali - "Truth Is"
This albino rapper is another angry man with a message, but this reggae-flavored track tempers his fury with a head-nodding groove that just won't quit.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - "The Songs That We Sing"
If the latest Air album fell a little short of expectations, maybe it's because they used up all their best tunes writing music for Gainsbourg's acclaimed solo debut. This one's been making the rounds for awhile, but its haunting strings and chiming glockenspiel merit another listen.

- Andy Hermann
04.27.07

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