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Singles Roundup: Junior Senior, Gogol Bordello, Simian Mobile Disco, The Black Keys and The Magic Numbers

We've got some poptastic sounds cued up for you this week, from the cheesy disco stylings of Junior Senior to the breezy Britpop of Just Jack to the rousing indie-pop sounds of The Magic Numbers. Without further ado...

Junior Senior - "Can I Get Get Get"
This delightful little slice of synth-cheese came out pretty much everywhere except the U.S. over two years ago, but it still sounds fresh as ever—no surprise, really, since it could've been recorded in 1985. It's good to have this goofy Danish duo back.

Just Jack - "Starz in Their Eyes"
This was a huge hit in England, which probably means it will be ignored in America. But it's the perfect anthem for a world in which a girl with a few YouTube videos gets signed by Justin Timberlake. Dig those jangly disco guitar licks, too.

Gogol Bordello - "Super Theory of Super Everything" [video]
No song about superstring theory and Bible studies should be this much fun. The only thing weirder than hearing Eugene Hutz sing "accelerate the protons" in his thick Ukrainian accent is the idea that these guys have actually worked with Madonna.

Simian Mobile Disco - "3 Pin Din"
"Intelligent dance music" or IDM used to be a euphemistic way to describe electronic music no one could actually dance to. But this London production duo's dense, twisted breaks are actually funky enough to induce both booty-shaking and chin-scratching, maybe even at the same time.

Need More Sources - "Sun"
This spare instrumental unfurls slowly but gets progressively more gorgeous as it goes, adding layers of strings and electronics until it's a shining celebration of its namesake.

The Black Keys - "If You Ever Slip"
Ethan Hawke is a good fan to have: For his latest movie, The Hottest State, he got songwriter Jesse Harris to write 14 original tunes, then got a who's-who of living legends (Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris) and indie cred magnets (Cat Power, Bright Eyes) to record them. Everything we've heard so far is good, but the primal blues-rock of the Black Keys particularly stands out.

The Magic Numbers - "Take a Chance"
This sibling four-piece—two sets of brothers and sisters—can often be too cute for words, but this song from their sophomore album, Those the Brokes, is pure power pop goodness.

Mocean Worker - "Shake Ya Boogie" [video]
Mocean Worker's cut-and-paste, jazzed-out breakbeats—somewhere between Fatboy Slim and St. Germain—fit this clip's Betty Boop vibe so perfectly, you'd swear this is what they were listening to back in the 1930s.

--Andy Hermann
07.20.07

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