^{THE SPIN MIX}

Songs You Must Hear Now!

 

Zee Avi “First of the Gang to Die” You Tube ingénue o ers a tropically dreamy take on Morrissey’s gangland tragedy, accompanied by soothingly plucked guitar.

rock troupe leaves blood on the nightstand.

7. Raekwon, feat. Ghostface and Method Man “The New Wu” The ol’ scrappers strap on the gloves and e ortlessly air out fools over RZA’s crackly 45 boom.

Bowie and friends on this beautifully meditative 1973 workout.

Kraftwerk’s “Computer World” and beyond.

4. Pete and the Pirates

2. Modest Mouse “Satellite Skin” Non-album track that’s raw-boned Isaac Brock at his best—gnarled guitar, wounded heart, and dyspeptic growl: “Happy fuckin’ congratulations!”

“Blood Gets Thin” Tense, terse Brit-rock ri fuels a deadly tale of boyish obsession. Kids today and their hook-ups!

 

5. Major Lazer, feat. Santigold and Mr. Lexx “Hold the Line” A madly micro-edited collage of James Bond guitar, horses whinnying, glasses breaking, phones ringing, lips smooching, and basso dancehall babbling!

8. I Was a King “Norman Bleik” A ’90s alt-rock afternoon idyll— at on the musty carpet, staring intently at Breeders and Teenage Fanclub records, wishing you were nowhere else.

11. Julian Plenti “Fun That We Have” Way more “fun” than Interpol’s airtight last e ort, Paul Banks’ louche alter ego debuts with a refreshingly abrasive electro-rock head trip.

14. Boy Crisis “Dressed to Digress” Unrepentant indie-electro bootyhounds gulp Stellas and say absolutely anything to get some: “You can do me up like Woodrow Wilson!” But of course.

3. Broken Records “If Eilert Loevborg Wrote a Song, It Would Sound Like This” Inspired by Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, with accordions and cellos awhir, this Scottish

12. The Phenomenal Handclap Band “15 to 20” New York funkestra fricassees a blaxploitation groove while Lady Tigra raps about wasting time riding the bus to visit some schnook. Appreciate!

15. Kid Cudi “Man on the Moon (Nosaj Thing Remix)” L. A. glitch-dub whiz Jason Chung gives Cudi’s unmoored introspective musing the hypnotic panorama it badly needed.

6 Miike Snow “Burial”

9. Cornershop “The Roll Off Characteristics (of History in the Making)” Tjinder Singh returns with a rollicking sitar/ guitar, wistful piano, and cryptic political smirk. He’s been missed.

A deceptively twinkly
relationship postmortem,
with the chilling kiss-o :
“Don’t forget to cry / At
your own burial.”

10. Mor Thiam “Ayo Ayo Nene” From the recent Spiritual Jazz reissue, Akon’s percussionist dad (!) teams with Lester

13 Rubies “I Feel Electric” Feist tags along for this alluring, zero-gravity, synth-pop frolic through

Zee Avi

Miike Snow

Rubies

Home base: Los Angeles Began:
2007 Influences: “I listened to
a lot of jazz standards when I
rst started writing music,” says
the Malaysia-born strummer.
“The simplicity of those
melodies and lyrics had a big
e ect.” Sounds like: “Acoustic
folk with jazzy singing.” Latest
release: Zee Avi (Brush re)

Home base: Stockholm Began:
2007 Influences: “Deerhoof,
Booka Shade, and Cluster were
our starting points,” explains
vocalist Andrew Wyatt of his
collaboration with Swedish pop
hitmakers Bloodshy & Avant.
Sounds like: “Soul, melodic
punk, and the Velvets.” Latest
release: Miike Snow (Downtown)

Home base: San Francisco
Began: 2005 Influences:
“California ’70s folk and far-out
Swedish dance stu , like the Knife,”
coos singer Simone Rubi, who
partners with bassist and backing
vocalist Terri Loewenthal. Sounds
like: “Disco music made for
your bedroom.” Latest release:
Explode From the Center (Telle)

FROM LEF T: AU TUMN DE WILDE; MAGNUS MAGNUSSON; MARY ROZZI

50 JULY 2009 WANT DOWNLOADS? GO TO SPIN.COM