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Singles Roundup: Talib Kweli, New Pornographers, Jesca Hoop, Lily Allen

Maybe it's the summer heat, but we're all about the breezy vibes this week. Let's cool off with a little will.i.am-produced soulful hip-hop, some backwoods Pennsylvania psych-rock, Lily Allen's reggae-tinged pop and David Byrne's sunny collab with a Brazilian folk ensemble.

Talib Kweli - "Hot Thing"
This summer slow jam has a great hook and a smooth '70s soul sample that almost upstages Kweli's equally smooth flow—all par for the course for producer will.i.am.

Peel - "Oxford"
This Austin quartet makes raucous power-pop that manages to sound tightly constructed and anarchic all at once. Totally mid-'90s, totally awesome. J Mascis would approve.

The New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours"
This track from NP's forthcoming new album starts in a contemplative mood before building into one of AC Newman's trademark jangle-pop confections.

Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Sun Lips"
Any band with a name that trippy had better deliver the psych-rock goods, and this smalltown Pennsylvania five-piece doesn't disappoint. Fire up those fuzzy analog synths and set your controls for the heart of the sun, guys.

Jesca Hoop - "Intelligentactile 101"
This California singer-songwriter has been getting tons of buzz, and it's easy to see why—in a single track, she traipses breezily from Beatlesque pop to freak-folk to shout-along indie rock and back again.

Lily Allen - "LDN" [video]
Worth watching for the hilarious intro alone, this video and the song it accompanies perfectly encapsulate the mix of sweetness and cynicism that make Lily Allen so likeable—when she's not shooting her mouth off in the press.

Forro in the Dark feat. David Byrne - "Asa Branca" [video]
When David Byrne does world music on his own, it's usually a little off somehow. But backed by the shimmering Brazilian folk of this New York six-piece, his wide-eyed vocals work perfectly. The animated video is a hoot, too.

Hilary Duff - "Stranger (Vission vs. Aude Mix)"
Hilary Duff—house diva? It's hard to believe, but this track is a bonafide floor filler. Credit Dave Aude, who's worked the same remix magic on Britney Spears, and Richard "Humpty" Vission, one of the most underrated hard house DJs in the business.

—Andy Hermann
06.29.07

Click here to read last week's installment of the Singels Roundup.