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CRAZY GOOD

Most people have heard Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" off her 2003 album Dangerously in Love. We love that song - it's so fun, bouncy and flirty, perfect for getting tipsy and dancing with your best girl friends.

But now, the nearly mythical Antony and the Johnsons has made a version that is, simply put, haunting. (It dropped in August 2009 - I'm just embarrassingly late to this party.) Beyonce's once fiercely energetic dance tune has turned into a ghostly ballad of all-consuming, near-crazy love, indeed. And I can't. Stop. Listening to it.

So many pieces fit together so perfectly to create this slightly troubled tune. It begins with an eerie oboe line that hovers over a shy, tiptoeing piano line. Antony seems to be restraining himself a bit, and that all creates this great sense of someone trying to control himself with all his might. But the stress comes to a climax, complete with shimmering strings. The guy really knows how to pull at a heartstring, doesn't he?  I mean, who doesn't remember "Hope There's Someone" off his 2005 album, I am a Bird Now? If that didn't make you cry, then I just don't know. Listen and love, people.

Group to Love: Chiddy Bang

Have you heard of Chiddy Bang? They are a hip hop duo, made up of Chidera Anamege & Xaphoon Jones (um, could their names be any cooler?) who've been making addicting rap tunes since 2008. What's their allure?  Well, CB sample riffs from MGMT to Sufjan Stevens, Gorillaz and Passion Pit.  Then Anamege raps over them with a unique, fast-paced, nearly perfect flow - you will be deadly hooked after listening to their free mixtape, The Swelly Express.  Beware! 

The Game's New Single Will Be in My Head for a Week

Seriously. If you haven't heard "Shake" yet, then it's time you listen. Game samples the refrain from Sam Cooke's "Shake" to drive this proud/angry song forward. The beginning starts with him waiting impatiently for some Mickey D's: "Yo, give me some fries and an extra large SHAKE!" Produced by Dr. Dre, it's got tons of horns and trash talk. Get ready for some beef with 50!

Check it!

Preview Time!

Holly Miranda's The Magician's Private Library is set to be released in the US on February 23. This album is simultaneously luminous, gritty and totally addicting. Read my preview on Ear Farm here. And buy the album when it comes out!

Bands to Love: White Denim and Safe

White Denim (made up of James Petralli, Joshua Block and Steve Terebecki from Austin, TX) makes the best type of garage rock: gritty and peppy. Think Black Keys, but with more a bit more funk and optimism. "I Start to Run," off their self-produced 2009 album Fits (out under Downtown), is a rollicking joyride of a song that races in circles through your brain, massaging neurons into fitter states than they've ever been.



Safe is artist Chris Edley from East Bay, CA (not sure what's up with the chicken). According to RcrdLbl, he's been tied to MGMT and has also worked with Aaron Pfenning of Chairlift to produce his debut album, which is due out soon under Greedhead Entertainment. (I smell a Wesleyanian...Wesleyanonian...Wesleyaner?) His voice is like a mix between Tunde Adebimpe of TVOTR and Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields: sweet, subtle and haunting. His music has a gentle, bubbly electro vibe, with undercurrents of dissonance, every now and then. There are hints of video game beeps and blips which adds a delicate layer of innocence/mystery. Listen to his single "Twenty Years On" here.

Also Just in Time for Valentine's Day...

A mix of the best break-up songs of the aughts (for the indie connoisseur)! Plenty of people soothe their way through a break-up in different ways: booze, crying, moving; but I think we can all agree that music is a common bond when it comes to grieving the end of a relationship. Listening to someone else's pain helps to put your own into perspective: "Hey, that girl also got her heart broken." We're all connected, aren't we?

Check out my article in Flavorpill here and pass it on to anyone who might need it this Valentine's Day.

Just in Time for Valentine's Day

Why is it so wonderful to listen to Stephen Merritt sing about love? Maybe it's because Valentine's Day is almost upon us, but I do love listening to his deep, sighing voice singing about the topic. Those familiar with The Magnetic Fields will remember his amazing 1999 album 69 Songs About Love. "The Book of Love" is a pretty song about being in love. Listen here. Also, check out the band's newest release, Realism (on Nonesuch Records), which dropped last month.

What are some of your favorite songs about love?

Zef - South Africa's White Rap

Have you heard of Zef yet? Translated, the term means "redneck" in Afrikaans. The Guardian calls Zef South Africa's version of the Brit's white, working-class rap; North Americans might recall Eminem. No matter, Die Antwoord (Afrikaans for "the answer") has got my attention. Their song "Zef Side" features front man Ninja rapping over a great beat with slightly filthy, unintelligible lyrics. Check out the video. It's all tongue in cheek, but definitely worth checking out.

I've Been Waiting for This Album...

Hot Chip's fourth album "One Life Stand" dropped on February 1st, but, according to the band, it's officially available for purchase stateside on February 9th (unless you want to pay for it at the exchange rate). I can be patient, but just to sate your curiosity, check out their single, "Take it In".

Gordon Voidwell Remixes Das Racist's "Shorty Said"

Gordon Voidwell knows how to make people dance. His song "White Friends" has gotten some buzz over the internets - and for good reason. His style is a very unique blend of the highly popular '80s, mixed in with some funky stuff, a la Rick James and early Prince. Very nice.

Now, in addition to his totally danceable tunes, he has taken Das Racist's "Shorty Said" and made it so funky that I can barely stand it (in the best way possible). Listen here.

I Totally Forgot! It's Groundhog Day!

That little rat bastard told us that there's six more weeks of winter. Fine, Phil. More time for me to curl up inside and watch Bill Murray's 1993 hit, "Groundhog Day". What could be better, Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, a groundhog, and polka?!

RENT IT!

So Cold It's Hot

Beach House's video for Norway is out - and it is strange and awesome. I love the fake snow material, it looks like they are on the set of some muppet movie about Antarctica or something. Take a look here and enjoy.

Use Me Up

Yes, folks. Bill Withers--of Lean on Me, Use Me Up and Grandma's Hands fame--is back! A documentary about the singer, how he got started and what he's up to these days is out. It dropped last Thursday and is currently playing at IFC. Check the trailer here.

I gotta say, ol' Bill looks great for his age - and what a voice! Plus, Cornell West makes an appearance! Very looking forward to seeing this film. Favorite quote so far:

"Thoraeu I think, said 'The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.' I would like to know how it feels for my desperation to get louder."

Lean on Me sing-a-long, anyone?

The Tindersticks?

I was a child of the '90s. So today, I am reeling learning about The Tindersticks. How on earth did I miss this band during my adolescent music education, what with Nirvana, Morrissey and the like? The band, which released its first demo in 1992, is now back (I never even knew they'd gone) with their eighth album Falling Down a Mountain.

The Tindersticks' relationship is like a work in progress. After about 13 years together, of waxing, waning and breaking up to do solo projects, the band has found each other again, picked up the pieces, dusted them off to a brand new sheen, and produced what seems to be a really soulful album. Perhaps The Tindersticks have come to a more mature place of understanding of who they are as people and as an operation. I think that's really beautiful. Take a listen and check out this band here.

TWEET!

I just joined twitter! Check me at: victorialebron.

Fashion Party

Fashion Week is almost upon us here in NYC--officially Feb 11-18. I certainly don't feel fashionable right now, wearing 18 layers of clothes, but sometimes the right tunes can make you feel brand new. Take this joint right here.

Its a cheeky collabo between Chairlift and Das Racist and I love it! Now to shed some layers...

New Album Update: Dinowalrus

I'm sure you all remember the Dinowalrus. Well last week they dropped their very first, shiny brand new album, %, on Kanine Records. Sweet! The album features some oldies, like BEAD and Cage Those Pythons, but there are some new surprises, too, like East German Western. Check it out for yourself on the Hype! Also, check out my Ear Farm interview with the band.

?uestlove Explains the Complicated Side of Playing Music

I read different blogs. Sometimes I like to read New York Magazine, too. Today, the mag had a little blurb about all the hullabalooh between the late night shows. Too bad Conan's leaving; but you know he's gonna rock out someplace else while Jay puts all the oldies to sleep (my personal opinion).

Anyhoo, apparently, drummer ?uestlove of The Roots, and now band leader for Jimmy Fallon, was really inspired by the fact that Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg Seven played "Lovely Rita"on Conan's final show. Why? Because of copyright and permission costs. It turns out that playing that one song cost NBC $500K. Wow! Now I realize why I had to study copyright law in music so much in college...

See ?uest's explanation here.

No, please stay

That's the first thought that came to mind when listening to Keepaway's new single "Yellow Wings" off their EP "Baby Style". The tribal/militaristic percussion, which features a strict march tempo mingled with hoots and pitched percussive instruments, gives way to a reverby call and response between the bass and the guitar. Oh, yes! The parts alone are pretty simple, but throw them all together and you've got a delectable, inventive and exciting blend that's like Animal Collective and Yeasayer, among other influences, all rolled into one. Yay!

Listen here, courtesy Pitchfork.