KILLER COVERS || Ra Ra Riot: "Valerie" [feat. Delicate Steve]

As if the original rendition didn't tip you off (see below), the Friendly Fires remix of Ra Ra Riot's "Valerie" update - yes, the Steve Winwood classic - makes it clear that Ra Ra Riot were definitely inspired by Eric Prydz' super gay club version from a few years back. The latter (also included after the jump) has the distinction of being possibly the hottest heterosexual video ever made for a blatantly homo-oriented tune. Respect.

Sleep ∞ Over: "Romantic Streams" [CFCF Remix]

In between covering bands from Portland and Brooklyn to the point of near exclusivity, I sometimes like to squeeze one in from some homegrown Austin bands... what with being the Live Music Capital of the World, which to many just means we get a crap ton of touring acts and to some is just straight up bullshit one way or the other. "Romantic Streams" isn't exactly new, but since there's no such thing as an album cycle anymore Montreal's CFCF is just now getting around to remixing it. Anyway they're called Sleep ∞ Over because they make drowsy, somnolent music that's kind of like a lullaby... get it? Yeah they could afford to be a little more obtuse... agreed. I'd tell them myself except their website is damn near unnavigable.

Digitalism: "A New Drug"

Digitalism is coming hard with their new tune, "A New Drug", one of six previously unreleased songs (+ two remixes) that will appear on the duo's DJ-Kicks mix CD. At 21 tracks total Digitalism obviously dominate the setlist, but in between showcasing their own goods they also insert jams by electronica-friendly pimps such as Whomadewho, Alex Gopher and the ubiquitous The Rapture. Full tracklist is here.

Kitty Pryde: "Okay Cupid"

Apparently named after the longtime X-(wo)man, Kitty Pryde is like a cross between Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean (the latter of which is name checked in the song). "Okay Cupid" would probably be thoroughly incipient with a different type of production - see most of Gambino's ballads - but the hazy, narcotic beat re-contextualizes the adolescent, book cover poetry of the lyrics into a more sinister, drug-induced form of daydream.

THROWBACK 1987 || The Proclaimers: "The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues"

These Throwback entries have fallen by the wayside big time. Don't get me wrong, they were always intended to be a secondary aspect of the site, basically something to fill in the cracks during lulls in notable new releases. The problem with that is that there's been a fairly steady influx of quality tracks that have been coming out in the - oh - eight months since Throwback was last updated regularly.

Josh Abbott Band: "My Texas" [feat. Pat Green]

Josh Abbott is not the most gifted singer out there, but he's got a flair for writing some decent country tunes. Aside from drinking, the next best thing I want to hear a redneck troubadour sing about is my home state of Texas, and if you didn't get a proper hint from the title "My Texas" is in the vein of Gary P. Nunn's "What I Like About Texas", basically a to do checklist about everything that's great about the Lone Star State.

By the way, according to Wikipedia "My Texas" was released as a single in 2011, but the album containing the song - Small Town Family Dream - just came out two weeks ago on Pretty Damn Tough Records, so I'm shoehorning this in as a new release anyway. Maybe that's cheating, I don't know, but it seems to me that giving a shit just ain't country.

Saitam: "Union"

Big up to Ad Hoc for finding this. For those of you who haven't heard, Ad Hoc is basically a retooled MP3 arcana aggregator from the folks that ran the ill-fated (Pitchfork-associated) site Altered Zones, which went kaput somewhere around six months ago (this information could probably be researched and verified if WKMR had any kind of editorial guidelines... we don't).

2:54: "Creeping"

If 4:20 is when you smoke a joint does that make 2:54 when you pop an Ambien?

[UPDATE 5/29/12: adding music video]

Cut Chemist: "Outro (Revisited)"

When people think of "speed rap" - not really a thing but that's another argument - they usually consider guys like Twista or various Bone Thugz alumni, but why can't the beat itself have a sort of disco-punk propulsion to it? That seems to be the question Cut Chemist is asking himself with "Outro (Revisited)", which is pretty much a direct answer to all the screwed & chopped / crunk shit even if it wasn't intended to be.

Whosane: "The Legacy" [feat. Lindiwe]

Whosane is currently a Brooklyn resident - isn't everybody? - but he hasn't forgotten his Capetown, South Africa roots. His flow may be straight New York but by incorporating "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", the national anthem of South Africa, into new track "The Legacy" he manages to bridge those two worlds together. With hip hop becoming more and more of an international phenomenon it's no surprise to see the Motherland represented. Produced by the inimitable Ski Beatz.
(via Okayafrica):