For the last couple of days, I’ve been sniggering happily while reading (Daily Show star) John Hodgman’s list of ‘700 Hobo Names’. My favurites include ‘#34 Senator Cletus Scoffpossum’, ‘#675 Rocky Shitstain Mankowicz’, ‘#132 Patrick Intergalatic’ and… ‘#209 Nick Nolte’. Check out this website devoted to it and there’s a 50 minute recording of him reading them out with Guitar backing (If you know where to look). While not listening to that, I’ve been listening to this:

Firstly I can recommend the undulating Pianos and clattering Drums of Delta Spirit’s ‘Trashcan’. The vocal is halfway between a piercing Indie screech and a full bodied Soul roar.

DJ B-Stee has taken Daft Punk’s already magnificent floor shaker ‘Robot Rock’ and squeezed in an extra descriptive word and doubled the pace for his remix entitled ‘Robot Club Rock’. It’s a cut with every beat and sound designed to make you move.

MLD: Daft Punk video tribute to Obama – Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland – “Aer OBAMA”

The immense Brass-heavy orchestral sound on ‘Sincerely, Jane’ brings to mind a flavoursome Bernard Hermann score. It’s a delightful backing that makes for a great contrast for Janelle Monáe’s soulful vocals and grimey street level lyrics. Easily gotta be my track of the week.

Janelle Monae – “Sincerely, Jane” (MP3)

If you’ve got a few hours this weekend, I suggest checking out Buffetlibre’s ‘Rewind 2.0′ covers and remixes project. They’ve got together a plethora of artists to cover their favourite songs from the Eighties and Nineties. Unlike similar compilations, the standard is amazingly high so it was agony to choose just one track. In the end I plumbed for Little Pictures’ Funky Electronic reworking of Weezer’s classic Guitar-Pop single ‘Buddy Holly’

Little Pictures – “Buddy Holly” (MP3)

(Download more cuts or even the whole damn thing for free by clicking here).

‘Years Of Refusal’ is Morrissey’s third album since his return from exile and the striking image on the cover proclaims his new confidence. Gone is the whippet thin image of The Smiths, replaced with a vaguely threatening photo of him looking like he’s built like the proverbial “Brick shithouse”. Highlight ‘It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore’ builds in intensity across it’s five minute length, while Morrissey delivers a spine tingling vocal (Naturally!).

New Villager’s ‘Rich Doors’ is part Tribal rhythm, part Chinese Opera, and part Kraftwerk like Electronica. The track leaps between these different genres with gleeful abandon.

‘If My Album Sold A Million’ is from Noah & The Whale’s new rarities compilation erroneously titled ‘The A Sides’. But of course that’s intentional as a track this lyrically and musically catchy could’ve easily been an ‘A Side’.

Passion Pit’s ‘I’ve Got Your Number’ reminded me a little of Postal Service. Mix in a little Flaming Lips silliness and Kate Bush seriousness and you’ve got it.

‘Hot Tips’ sounds allot like Pixies (With a pinch of Punk-Funk) and since Frank Black and Kim Deal don’t seem to have overcome their hatred of one another (And recorded anything else new) The D’Urbervilles are entirely welcome.

The Virgins album is a uniformly great LP packed with ear catching Indie-Rock tunes. ‘Fernando Pando’ is just one example, half toe-tapping Indie-Funk and half searingly emotional acoustic ballad.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A ZIP FILE WITH ALL TEN SONGS

Delta Spirit MySpace / Purchase
DJ B-Stee MySpace / Purchase
Janelle Monáe MySpace / Purchase
Little Pictures MySpace / Download
Morrissey MySpace / Purchase
New Villager MySpace / Purchase
Noah & The Whale MySpace / Purchase
Passion Pit MySpace / Purchase
The D’Urbervilles MySpace / Purchase
The Virgins MySpace / Purchase

Here’s a live performance of Janelle Monáe’s ‘Sincerely, Jane’ featuring a different and fantastic outro (She’s rocking the Grace Jones look):

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