The Very Best‘s new album MTMTMK will be out on 17 July. This infectious slice of afro beat (originally performed by just M.I.A. and Santigold) entitled “Get It Up” has gotten a terrific re-imagining from Esau Mwamwaya and Johan Hugo (Johan who is half of production team Radioclit). Ebede?

Laetitia Sadier, late of Stereolab and Monade, is delivering what is called her “first true solo album” entitled Silencio, due July 24th from Drag City. If this song, “Find Me The Pulse of the Universe” is indicative of what’s to come, we’re definitely looking forward to hearing the full record.

Laetitia Sadier – Find Me The Pulse of the Universe

Brooklyn duo The Mast have released a new remix EP for their latest single entitled UpUpUp as a “pay what you will”-priced download via their Bandcamp page. Calling themselves “post-dubstep”, the pair rely heavily on early IDM influences to generate their complex and lush yet lugubrious sound. Check out the video for “UpUpUp” which features LA performance artist & dancer Pandora Marie.

The Mast – UpUpUp

Brand new from Top 40 sensation Ellie Goulding comes a stirring Xaphoon Jones-produced cover of The Weeknd‘s “High For This”. Yep. _{(via Neon Gold Records)}

Sometimes it’s the simplest of remixes that can turn a party inside out, and this one doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It’s not really as if Grand Am did something that far out of the box here — they sampled a chunk of “Love and Happiness” by Al Green (and Willie Mitchell), reworked it, added a banging house beat to it, and there you go. I figure this is going to rip up a few dance floors now that it’s been uncovered.

Derrick? I think this should go to Croatia with you.

On first listen, if a song makes you get that scrunched up – something stinks – squinty eyes – head shakin face… and its uncontrollable, you might have a banger on your hands.

For the second installment of his Mockingbird Mondays series, Preauxx releases “Puttin’ Work” on which we hear him pick up the pace a little from his previous work. He flexes all over this new track from producer Alexander O’dell. Preauxx is one the of the most talented up-and-coming MC’s in Memphis.  Expect the New Orleans native to drop his new album, When Caged Birds Sing, soon on his Bandcamp.

S’not a mixtape.

Preauxx – Puttin’ Work

Chromatics have released yet another video today from their ambitious and widely-acclaimed album Kill For Love. “These Streets Will Never Look The Same” was directed by Alberto Rossini, and make sure you wait around for the very end for a very subtle tribute to the late Donna Summer.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to download and listen to the drumless version of Kill For Love available by clicking here.

Finally!! A Foster The People remix!! We have been waiting soooo incredibly long for one of these to come along, haven’t you? Feel free to call this what you want, but it’s obviously a remix of a Foster The People song. The duties were performed by Ron Flieger who appears in that extraordinarily stupidly large photograph above these drawn out phrases and descriptors that validate the purpose of the process.

Uh, well, actually, it’s the same size as all our pictures are, but I’m not sure who Ron Flieger (hi Ron) is but I think he’s a really great German songwriter/producer guy. But…ok, look, I’m not feeling Googly this Memorial Day Weeeknd.

I digress — the remix… In the wee hours of the morning, this really swell remix was delivered to me under secret cover…via Soundcloud, of course. Without further ado, dance and be merry.

Have there been very many songs as infectious as Chromeo‘s now-classic “Tenderoni”? Reimagining Dave 1 and P-Thugg inna Big Boom stylee is one of BK’s finest up-and-coming remixer/producers, Codes. No matter what I came here to do, at least originally, I am now gonna post up this remix. You do the rest, playa.

A brand new instrumental track from SBTRKT appeared today, entitled “gamelena”. A note from the super producer states, “back in the studio. working towards eps/ album/ etc…. something new – no plan for it – just thought id share”. Check it out below.

Having been barricaded in a library for the last week with headphones glued on my head I have noticed a few tracks which rarely fail to cut through the gloomy murk of frazzled concentration. IntotheNorthSea wrote one of them.

“First Flight” is the bonus track from the self-titled debut which these local youngsters released in October last year. The lyrics dance from the beach to the sea where held hands and eye contact all linger in a way that only a teenager could write about, subtley filtering through the sense of feet leaving familiar ground. All these lyrical images overlap and run into each other via the dynamic vocal style which goes from wavering lows to whispered falsettos and combine fantastically with the simple synth melodies, crackling beat and the final melodic guitar riffs.  These all create a mood of anticipation, nerves, relief and countless others — the perfect 3 minute break from finals.

You can download the whole album for free from http://intothenorthsea.bandcamp.com/ , find them on Facebook here. _{– marcus}

IntotheNorthSea – First Flight (bonus track)

LA-via-Detroit hip hop/producer/beatmaker DJ House Shoes, aka “One Who Does Not Fuck Around”, is back to represent. Shoes comes at us today with a new track from his EP The Time featuring a predictably out-of-control flow from that beast master Danny Brown. This is that type of shit guaranteed to keep delivering pain for your dendrites that won’t let them spark right. Sit tight, listen keenly.

The video to accompany the by-all-accounts mega-popular song from Brookyln’s MS MR has arrived.

New. Santigold. Diplo. Ok. Go.

The Junkyard Band was Def Jam’s only go-go signing that I personally know about (there might have been others, but I have too much going on today to properly sit down and research it). The 12″ they dropped way back in 1986 of “The Word” b/w “Sardines” is a blisteringly crunchy track you’ll hear pop up from time to time in mixtapes, random live DJ sets or that you might just stumble over. It’s funky, progressive, and extremely political; this is music that was meant to talk shit about the quality of life poor people experienced in D.C. during the Reagan years.

Listen carefully to the lyrics: “The Word” was never a huge record maybe because it got its groove on while lodging a complaint against the Reagan administration, but it demonstrated Rick Rubin’s awareness of other music scenes bubbling up outside of NYC.. As you might have heard alluded to earlier in the week, that administration had a habit of cutting programs to the poor while spending money on making bombs. More than once you’ll hear that refrain, “Reagan makin’ bombs, Reagan makin’ bombs”.

Turn the clock back & let’s get on down.

The Junkyard Band – The Word