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Chromeo - Tenderoni.

Chromeo has quietly (quietly?) been in the studio laying down some solid jams. This one squeaked it's way into my itunes this morning and I didn't hesitate to get it up here. I mean, I don't think this is the way it'll end up like on the album, but who knows. It's all i could get. Combine this with the track off the Dj Mehdi album and Chromeo is straight killing it right now.

I can see a lot of people hating on this stuff. But I'm the type of guy who likes Ice Cream Castles with no irony. So there. They just make solid dance music that gets me moving. Who can complain about that? So, I'm told that this is not going to be the single, and just an album cut. I have no idea when the record drops (sometime in '07).

So, do yourself a favor and download this bastard. Slip this in the mix with the TigerCity and get after it. Lord knows I'll be.

Look, there's no reason this should be any good. In my opinion, children's music, with some exceptions (mainly They Might Be Giants and any decent version of "Puff the Magic Dragon") is an awful thing to encounter. It can be done really well, but more often than not, you want to stab yourself after hearing a few seconds of the Wiggles.

Blag Dahlia - Rockaway Beach.

I think the idea of doing a kids' Ramones album - called Brats On The Beat, no less - is genius. They're such simple, fun, bouncy songs, full of energy and everything else that kids love. And while this song isn't nearly as good as the original, that's not the point. It's for kids to sing along to. And maybe, just maybe, the idea of kids singing Ramones songs can take away the bad things in the world. I have hope for future generations.

If you're curious about the whole record, why not buy it? Some proceeds from record sales benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospitals. You can order it from Go-Kart Records.

The Knife - Christmas Reindeer

'Tis with a dark and spooky "ho ho hooooo" that I send you some merriment, courtesy of MFR's favorite Swedish brother & sister electronic act, the Knife. I know this has already showed up on a handful of blogs and aggregators, but I still want our people to know about it because it is quite good - it is an alternate version (let's call it "x-massed up") of "Reindeer" from their debut album.

Their Silent Shout was one of my favorite albums of 2006, which, thanks to Mute did make it over here towards the end of the summer. In fact, both of their previous albums (2001's self-titled album and 2003's Deep Cuts) were re-issued in the US by Mute last month, so no more import copies needed - hooray! All very highly recommended.

Well, enjoy this, and don't get too creeped out.

The Knife has a free Christmas song on iTunes Store for download. “Christmas Reindeer” is basically a shorter edit of their song “Reindeer” off their 2001 debut — but with an added jingle bell effects for some extra Christmas joy. Aw, jingle bells or not, The Knife can even make Christmas a wee bit creepy.

Listen: iTunes

I assume link works for US customers only. Sorry.

Oh. If you don’t make it to the comment section, the mp3 is up at The Knife’s website.

Ruff Club has been throwing one of the best weekly parties in NYC. I’m not the only one to think so… Ruff Club was recently voted best party of the year by Paper Mag at the Nightlife Awards.

This Friday is Ruff Club’s first party with NME… with guest band We Are Scientists. Enjoy if you’re in NY. Flyer below…

Paparazzi replaces the Neptunes’ stale drum kit on “Yummy” with “Knockout” and creates a club ready track. “Yummy Knockout” feels a bit like a rough draft… BUT it is a direction that I wish Stefani had explored on The Sweet Escape. Hell, Stefani’s rap in Paparazzi’s take doesn’t sound like she’s totally tripping over herself. And the fact that we don’t have to suffer through the same Pharell and Chad Hugo production that has dominated the Top 40 charts is enough to replace the album version with Paparazzi’s track. Biggest regret is the last minute of the original “Yummy” wasn’t totally amped up, integrated and abused.

DJ Paparazzi - “Yummy Knockout” (mp3)

Youth Group - Sorry.

I like to be surprised. I like to give the benefit of the doubt to a promising band. Youth Group's last record, produced by Chris Walla, sounded a little too much like a Chris Walla record for me. This new one, Casino Twilight Dogs, is something else entirely. It reminds me of the best elements of James, which is a good thing. It's one of those commercially loaded albums that still somehow sounds perfect to me. A great crisp weather driving record.

I'm glad that I gave them a second chance, because I love the new album and it's quickly made its way into my regular rotation.

This song is one of the standouts, and I think Anti made the right decision in laying this out as the first single. It's a nice little jam, showcasing the singer's stellar voice, and with a nice string arrangement. I'm a fan. The guitar work is also subtly explosive - especially on the band's cover of Alphaville's Forever Young, which is a stone cold jam.

It should be noted that 2006 was the year in which I rethought all my stereotypes about Australia. If you know me, you know what this mean. If you don't, you're clearly better off.

At any rate, the new Youth Group record comes out in 2007 on Anti records. Highly Recommended.

The wispy, Imogen Heap-like vocals; the moody keyboard intro; the insistent and jangly beat - this could only be a track from ... Blue Note Records?

Yes, the home to John Coltrane, Art Blakey, and Kenny Burrell has put out the new EP from The Bird and The Bee.

The Bird and the Bee - Again and Again.

Not only is the Bird and the Bee the only Blue Note act to have Built To Spill in their MySpace top 8, they're only one of a handful to even have a MySpace page. They're not the only ones - Blue Note has signed Norah Jones and the blandtastic Amos Lee in the past couple years - but this certainly seems like a strange move for the label. But hey, why the hell not?

The Bird and the Bee consists of Inara George and Greg Kurstin, respectively the bird and the bee of the duo. George was a solo artist and Kurstin was a member of Geggy Tah (!), and their paths crossed when working on George's newest record.

Though I really like this song, I can't say I'm crazy about their new EP, again and again and again and again. There's something about it that's just too wispy - it's so transient that it doesn't leave much of an impression. But there's certainly potential here, and these two seem to know what they're doing, so I'm holding out some hope for their full-length due Jan. 23.

You can order the EP on Amazon.

Pink Skull - The Return Of the Second Avenue Phantasmal Poison Arrow Band (DJ Mix)

Ahh... so my buddy Julian, from Pink Skull, dropped me a line via Myspace last week to tell me he and some friends had just finished a new DJ Mix that I had to hear. I say 'he and friends' because he told me "it features live sax from Billy Blaise (of Man Man) and percussion from Jeremy Gewertz (Jai Lai Savant) and keys from yrs truly" - awesome right?

The flavor of this mix?

Well, if you remember the last Pink Skull mix I posted (and have picked up on my own taste in general), it features similar styles: trashy disco, electro, variations on acid, and a variety of experimental dance musics. In other words, it is wild stuff. It features Goo, Can, Hawkwind, Nick Chacona, Popeye vs. Sylvester, Oorutaichi, Third Face, Les Rockets, Barfly, Emperor Machine, Skatt Bros., Chicken Lips, Black Dice - I don't have an actual tracklist for it, but if you ask nicely, I may be able to get one for you.

Hopefully this will start your week off right, by which I mean freaky - thanks go out to Pink Skull!

Visit their Myspace page for additional info, and visit their website for more music & downloads.

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-Rbts.