essential: "I'm a Lady" - Santigold

This song has made a smashing return to my playlists recently. It makes me so happy. It's introspective, relaxed, and self-indulgent in all the healthiest ways. It's kind of like a recovery Sunday morning after a night that may have got a little bit too crazy.

I'm really excited for new Santigold. She's pretty damned talented, and deserves to rise to the top on her own merits. Anyway, if you don't have this, here's your chance...

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"We Are The Drums (Fear of Tigers remix)" - Le Kid

As someone of Swedish lineage (have you read my last name?), I always get excited when I hear something good come from IKEA Proper. Of course, everyone knows my long-past-borderline obsession with Robyn, as well as my great appreciations for Lykke Li, The Hives, The Knife, Teddybears, The Sounds, Caesars, Fever Ray, Miike Snow, Kleerup, Shout Out Louds, Millencolin, Peter Bjorn & John, ABBA, The Cardigans, and (lest we forget) Roxette! Can Sweden get any better, musically?

In any case, the constitutional kingdom of meatballs and allen wrenches produced Le Kid, a dual-female led synth rock band with a lot of spandex and sass. This Fear of Tigers remix has been out a few months, but is new to me, and that's all that matters. Hopefully you dig at as much as I do. Hooray!

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Here's a lovely video of them performing the album version live.

"Stupid Hoe (Aylen remix)" - Nicki Minaj

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Nicki Minaj is... special. (Thanks to my friends at KickKickSnare for posting this, originally.) I'm not a huge fan, but this bitch has some balls. And, honestly, if Madonna loves her, I'm fickle enough to agree to a degree (says McGee in a tree). In any case, I'm not high, don't worry. But, I do dig this track enough to post it. So, get on some quality remixed Nicki Minaj and enjoy some big bass.

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I'm pretty excited for this...

Rodney Jenkins and Nelly Furtado talk about the energy behind her upcoming album!

"Don't Hurt It" - Dev ft. Timbaland

This song screams of both Dev's and Timbaland's style. You can hear touches of the latter's old production of Missy Elliot tracks. The only draw back here is that this song gives an uneasy feeling that Dev's new album is going to feel a little too homogenous. Hopefully I am wrong, as I think she has a great chance to be a big deal, and probably deserves it, as she's yet to sell out like a talentless sex kitten (I'll let you fill in that blank).

I do love the breakdown here, but only because it doesn't quite fit with the song, but then blends seamlessly back into it. She manages to sound understated and sexy, simultaneously, and I heart that.

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fresh: new Miike Snow!

Check out this brand new track from the group of producers, Miike Snow. It is nothing short of interesting. I really enjoy some of their songs, but am by no means a die-hard fan. I do love how fascinating some of the sounds they use are, and I hope this is the beginning of a deeply produced and lush record.

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Paddling Out by Miike Snow

fresh: Santigold returns!

Santi White, the NYC-based and wonderfully talented songstress returns with this new single, Big Mouth. If you like Santigold, you will like this track. What I really enjoy about her is that she had every opportunity in the world (at least one would think) to popularize her sound and drown it out with production and big studio money, but she instead has stayed creative, rooted, and raw in her delivery... and I hope the rest of her new album keeps my ears just as happy.

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For the casual listener, it is easy to notice that Santigold is an acquired taste. But, for those that appreciate the depth of her sound and the diversity of her style, you are greatly rewarded. Indulge:

weekenditty: "Disco Heaven" - Lady Gaga

A lot of people never got the "Deluxe Edition" of The Fame. But, if you did, you know that this next track is a priceless little bitchin' gem. If there was ever a signal that Lady Gaga's sound has changed, it's the kind of tracks you hear in her B-sides from The Fame. In any case, here's my favorite track of those. In Disco Heaven, you hear a young, hungry, fun-filled Gaga... which by today's standards is pretty hard to conceptualize. Now, I'm not saying her head has inflated so large that she's overstated her relevance... but I am. Ha. Enjoy:

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essential: "Remember" - Sneaky Sound System

This is my favorite song off the recent/new Sneaky Sound System album, and you should own it. It's beautifully done and what electronic music should be, in many ways. God bless SSS. I can't wait until they eventually infiltrate the U.S. This song builds like an orchestral piece and shakes me up like a British nanny.

Case closed.

Remember by Sneaky Sound System

"Shady Love (MAJR club edit)" - Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters are back, and (for once) I'm happy with the result of their latest reinvention. I didn't hate their last album nearly as much as I did Ta-Dah, but I definitely think it was nothing compared to their self-titled debut record. Here, they return to what they do best: fusion of different styles of dance with more than a hint of amorality. Hooray!

This is not my best work, ever, but still a lot of fun to make and mix between tracks. I am a big fan of this song (especially the 2nd verse), and simply wanted to make it mixable for the bars. It deserves to be popular on many levels, and hopefully will take off accordingly. I do know one thing: my followers will hear it often.

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Shady Love (MAJR club edit) - Scissor Sisters