MP3s not to miss
Moving sucks. I didn’t get phone service until a few days ago and I still don’t have internet access. And no internet access means no free MP3s. Therefore, I present the below list with not a small amount of bitterness, unable to share in all these musical spoils:
Lemon Red www.lemon-red.org/blog
Lil’ Flip, “What it Do” (produced by Mannie Fresh) – Take it from me: those Mannie Fresh beats were wasted on the Cash Money Millionaires. So it’s nice to know Mr. Fresh is branching out, supplying beats to Southern powerhouses like T.I. and now Lil’ Flip. I’m not a huge Flip fan, but compared to other Houston alum Mike Jones or Paul Wall, he’s freakin’ Rakim.
Lou Reed, “Street Hassle” – One of the coldest songs in existence, this tale of a threesome, an overdose and a quick disposal of the body is one of the best things in Lou Reed’s often-spotty post-Velvet Underground catalog.
Soul-Sides www.soul-sides.com
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “Superrappin'” – It’s old school rap. Everybody loves old school rap, even your grandparents. Because rap nowadays is nothing but grumble grumble sex grumble grumble guns grumble grumble.
Moistworks www.moistworks.com
Cam’ron, “Come Home with Me” – One of the best cuts on Cam’s Roc-A-Fella debut, the song isn’t a lame come-on to groupies as you might imagine, but instead a gritty cinema-verite tour through Killa’s homestead, Harlem, New York. This track is also noteworthy because Juelz Santana, the man famous for often rhyming the same word four consecutive times, actually delivers a decent verse.
Said The Gramophone ﾌ_?” www.saidthegramophone.com
Broadcast, “Before we Begin” – I love Broadcast. They remind me of cabaret from the future, where robots and jetpacks have vastly improved a once-weak musical style.
Fluxblog www.fluxblog.org
The Fiery Furnaces, “The Wayfaring Granddaughter” – Know why this Rehearsing My Choir tracks rules? Because it doesn’t feature Olga Sarantos, the Cookie Monster-voiced grandmother of Matthew and Eleanor.
You Ain’t No Picasso www.youaintnopiccaso.blogspot.com
Iggy Pop, “The Passenger” – Posted because it’s featured in the trailer of the new Nicholas Cage movie “The Weatherman,” this Iggy-Bowie collaboration off Iggy’s brilliant Lust for Life never gets old. Download this now and then go buy Lust for Life, one of the most slept-on albums in rock history.
Music for Robots http://music.for-robots.com
Animal Collective, “Grass” – I’m not really feeling a lot of the new Animal Collective songs, including this one, but I’m recommending this and other tracks off the band’s new album Feels for anyone who found last year’s Sung Tongs too weird. Playing down their experimental/noise tendencies, the foursome has moved more towards an avant pop sound that’s more accessible than anything they’ve done before.
Checkerboard Chimes http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com
Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon, “Kilos” – I know this MP3 entry is dated last week, but this song is crazy, utilizing a sample from a children’s record meant to educate kids about the metric system. So if you can put up with DJ Kay-Slay yelling over the middle of the song, this track is a serious find, not to mention a hint at what the Only Built for Cuban Linx sequel will sound like.
