April's Hot List

My top ten favorite music releases this month.

1. The Raconteurs - "Consolers of the Lonely" The title track for the group's new album takes listeners on a wild ride with a multitude of tempos and guitar riffs topped off by Jack White's familiar gritty wail.
   
2. Black Keys - "I Got Mine" Collaborating with Danger Mouse on their new album Attack and Release didn't completely change Black Keys' raw bluesy sound - especially still notable on this minimalist, garage-y track.
   
3. The Roots feat. Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk and DJ Jazzy Jeff - "Get Busy" ?uestlove's drumming and the background distortion on this hot release definitely make the song - further complimented by Black Thought's angry rapping style.
   
4. Estelle feat. Kanye West - "American Boy" This is what Jamiroquai would sound like if he were a woman. The single also features a memorable cameo from Mr. Kanye West and a danceable beat - a sure recipe for airplay.
   
5. Tokyo Police Club - "Your English is Good" TPC's energy bursts out the seams of this upbeat, smartly composed track. The drumming is tight and the chorus is motivational, shouting "Oh give us your vote if you know what's good for you."
   
6. Lil Wayne - "Lollipop" This single finally makes me understand why all the kids these days are so obsessed with a rapper who sounds like a dead ringer for Froggy from the Little Rascals. The superproduced tune is sexy, catchy and a tad slowed-down compared to Lil Wayne's usual creations (if a bit lyrically uninspiring).
   
7. Robyn - "Konichiwa Bitches" This YouTube fave is a bit of a departure from Robyn's "Show Me Love" days. It kind of sounds like a British Pokemon theme song with a dash of Mickey Avalon-ish sass for a naughty edge.
   
8. Phantom Planet - "Raise the Dead" This track is eerily familiar to Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" in the beginning, but it quickly makes a left turn and finishes riotously as a great song that The Killers or The Strokes wished they would have made.
   
9. Kylie Minogue - "Nu-di-ty" While Kylie is no Mariah or Whitney, she definitely takes advantage of the abundance of producers at her beck and call and can always deliver us a spectacular, sexually-tinged techno track like this one.
   
10. Mudcrutch - "Crystal River" Tom Petty's pre-Heartbreakers band straight jams on this nine-minute country-rock track. The whole album is a winner, but I especially like the pretty other-worldliness that this particular song offers.