THE SPIN MIX
Songs You Must Hear Now!

Micachu & the Shapes “Lips” This lo- London trio throws Slinky guitars and rhythm glorp into a bag, kicks it down a ight of stairs, and then pulls out a pop gemlet.

2. The Streets “Trust Me” The best of Mike Skinner’s tweeted tracks (Original Twitter Material?) is like a stoned, cooped-up blogger taking a summery pop-funk stroll.

3. Blacklist “Flight of the Demoiselles” New York quartet’s bell-ringing guitars and dark-overcoat charisma transport you back to the Chameleons’ anthemic heyday.

4. Kurt Vile “Beach on the Moon (Recycled Lyrics)” Vile (his real name!) strums a

hauntingly hazed-out bedroom rumination about success being like a snake slithering up a spiral staircase. Testify, brother!

5. Deerhunter “Rainwater Cassette Exchange” The Atlanta enigmas’ latest nulli cation lullaby, with a squishy arrangement that suggests Phil Spector in a Lexapro fugue state.

Telekinesis
“Calling All Doctors”
A.C. Newman, the competition
is gaining, and his lyrics actually
make sense.

7. Nina Sky “On Some Bull…”
Over Salaam Remi’s snare-
skipping ourishes, these
butta-smooth twins kick

scrubs to the curb like TLC’s little Nuyorican nieces.

8. Starfucker “Medicine”

Portland party planner Josh Hodges takes you on an indie-electronic balloon ride that discusses the philosophical underpinnings of science (really!).

9. Nicki Minaj “Beam Me Up Scotty” Intro’ing herself as

“a multiple-personality bitch,” the rst female MC on Lil Wayne’s label ashes sassy accents and punch lines.

10. Cymbals Eat Guitars “Wind Phoenix” The raggedy loose ends yelp “indie rock,” but this Staten Island foursome’s poignant, widescreen songwriting feels boundless.

11. Basement Jaxx “Raindrops” The Jaxx’s most pleasurably disco ed moment since, like, 2002 (!) bursts into the chorus like a uorescent geyser and never lets up until you’re properly soaked.

12. TV on the Radio
“Stork & Owl
(Gang Gang
Dance Remix)”
This ethereal
clash of Brooklyn
scenesters

weaves together drum-machine smacks, layer-cake vocals, and rainstorm chatter.

The Strange Boys “Woe Is You and Me” Garage-rock garbage-pail kids explode a cracked sock-hop tearjerker built o a melody that Daniel Johnston and Buddy Holly’s ghost would scrap over.

14. Dum Dum Girls “Jail La La” One-woman girl group (a.k.a. Los Angeles mysterioso Dee Dee) nods to Vivian Girls’ fuzzy, lo- harmonies and creates a tin-can symphony all her own.

15. Tijvek “Air Conditioner” Detroit’s premier shitbags drop a beyond-janky drumbeat before powering into a wall-of-guitar growler with Bo Diddley interludes and desperate quips.

Micachu & the Shapes

Home base: London Began:
2008 Influences: “I don’t know,
really,” says singer-guitarist-violinist
Mica Levi, who’s also produced
grime mixtapes in her spare
time. “Lately I’ve been listening
to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and El-P.”
Sounds like: “It’s quite poppy
and electronic.” Latest release:
Jewellery (Rough Trade)

Telekinesis

Home base: Seattle Began:
2007 Influences: “The Beatles,
Donovan, and the Kinks,” gushes
singer-drummer-mastermind
Michael Lerner. Sounds
like: “Power pop. I couldn’t
write a gloomy song if I tried.”
Latest release: Telekinesis!
(Merge), produced by Death
Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla

The Strange Boys

Home base: Austin, Texas Began:
2003 Influences: “Stax Records
and Jack London stories,” says
frontman Ryan Sambol. They’ve
also backed the Mighty Hannibal.
Sounds like: “Literary rock’n’roll.
The album is a lot of rst takes,
but we’re serious about lyrics.”
Latest release: The Strange
Boys…and Girls Club (In the Red)

FROM LEF T: OLLY HEARSE Y; COURTES Y MERGE RECORDS; AUBRE Y EDWARDS

50 JUNE 2009 WANT DO WNLOADS? GO TO SPIN.COM