Top Ten Best New Music : Released in the Past 60 Days

1) “Fences” – Phoenix [5-26-09]. Original alternative sound from French indie-rock band who recently gained pop cred a la recent SNL appearance.

2) “Panic Switch” – Silversun PickUps [4-14-09]. A heavy-rocker with a boomin’ bass line featuring Brian Aubert’s vocals from the Los Angeles-based rock quartet.

3) “Heartless” -- The Fray [4-7-09]. Denver-based band churns out a more dramatic alt-indie cover of Kanye Wests’s pop hip-hop smash hit from last summer.

4) “Angel on My Shoulder” (EDX’s Belo Horizonte at Night Remix) – Kaskade [3-24-09]. A classic dance-club/house track featuring smooth pop female vocals over cleanly produced-synths produced and by re-mixed by DJ and San Fran transplant Ryan Raddon

5) “Aint No Rest for the Wicked” – Cage the Elephant [4-13-09]. With initial chart success in England, this indie-alt rock band is actually from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and this is the lead track from their self-titled debut album.

6) “The Hazards of Love 1” – The Decemberists [3-24-09]. The title track from this Portland, Oregon alt-band features dramatic vocals with acoustic background for a sweeping “folk opera-like” narrative track.

7) “When I Grow Up” – Fever Ray [3-31-09]. An astonishing new experimental solo project debut by young Swedish artist filled with icy electronica atmosphere.

8) “I’ve Got Friends” – Manchester Orchestra [4-21-09]. A harder indie-rock sound from young band out of Atlanta.

9) “If I Know You” – The Presets [3-23-09]. Club dance track that mixes disco with electronica from avant garde Aussie duo.

10) “Black Wedding” – Meg and Dia [3-3-09]. Big pop sound from high energy five piece band but really driven by two sisters, all from Draper, Utah and all Warp Tour veterans.

… The Best of the Rest …

11) Kid Cudi – “Day and Nite” (3-20-09) – Spooky R&B single from Midwestern hip-hopper whose melody you can’t shake once you’ve heard it.

12) “Love, Etc.” – Pet Shop Boys [3-24-09]. A come-back single on recent E.P from the iconic post-modern 80’s British dance band who’ve been rockin’ the mic for over 25 years.

13) “French Navy” – Camera Obscura [4-20-09]. A retro-sounding alternative track with a pop sensibility from the sextet from Glasgow, Scotland.

14) “Goodbye” – Kristinia deBarge [4-7-09]. Her own mid-groove soul circles back to the all-too-familiar stadium chant of na,na,na,na – hey,hey,hey -- good-bye.

15) “Sugar” – Flo Rida feat.Wynter [3-17-09]. Like all of his tunes this one is danceable, upbeat, and this time around in duo on top of a ripped backbeat.

16) “Don’t Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)” – Noisettes (un-released). A disco-flavored track by UK pop-rock band from their forthcoming sophomore album to be released this summer.

17) “Champagne” – Cavo [3-17-09]. A mainstream rock jam, heavy on big-sounding riffing guitars by and up-and-coming modern rock band.

18) “Hey You” -- 311 [4-12-09]. The first track off forthcoming album extols virtue of music-as-friend from band out of Omaha, Nebraska, who traditionally mixes reggae with rap-metal.

19) “Help, I’m a Alive” – Metric [4-14-09]. A pop-rock, new-wave sounding lead track from the Canadian quartet’s latest album with new wave, Blondie-like vocals a la Emily Haines from Broken Social Scene.

20) “Meddle” – Little Boots [3-24-09]. Electro up-and-comer from U.K. plays catchy futuristic pop-disco and will release her debut album this fall.

21) “Chillin’” – Wale featuring Lady Gaga [4-18-09]. From the self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Rap for The Capital” (pronounced Wall-ay) teams up with a very-M.I.A.-sounding Lady GaGa for a hip-hop track plastered over na,na,na,na, hey-hey, good-bye.

22) “Life is Good” – DJ Deckstream feat. Mos Def [MySpace] – A positive message from Japan’s infamous DJ featuring easy duet hip-hop harmonies on top of melancholy jazz piano.

23) “Lost” – Gorilla Zoe [3-17-09]. An eerie hip-hop track off the sophomore album by rich-voiced Atlanta rapper.

24) “Bang” – Rye Rye feat. M.I.A [3-31-09]. Spare percussion and vocal dissonance from M.I.A protégé.

25) “Boom Boom Pow” – Black Eyed Peas [3-30-09]. The lead single from their forthcoming album is eerily spare, clubby and synthed-R&B featuring Will.i.Am and Fergie vocals in ways you’ve never heard before.

26) “Virtual Diva” – Don Omar [4-28-09]. On this cross-over smash hit, the Puerto Rican king of Urban Latino radio does it all, combining reggaeton, dance, hip hop and pop.

27) “Heartbreaker” – MSTRKRFT feat. John Legend [3-17-09]. John Legend’s classic R&B vocals are pasted up against the electronic duo’s signature synthetic sound and together make for a bold, post-modern sound.

28) “Daniel” – Bat for Lashes [4-7-09]. Kate-Bush like female British singer-songwriter, Natasha Khan, applies lovely voice to streaming indie-rock track.

29) “Falling Away” – Jupiter Rising [3-17-09]. A pop dance track that rides the scales of harmony from West Coast team featuring chick power 80 Bug and Spencer Nezey (REPLACE WITH FULL SONG).

30) “Now We Can See” – The Thermals [4-7-09]. An indie-rock track with a punk twist from rockers out of Portland.

31) “Jetstream” – Doves [4-6-09]. Twin brothers churn out big, pumping guitar and drum beats that couple with rock band vocals to make for alt-rock track from epic pop trio out of Manchester, England.

32) “Mercy Angel” – Brian Blade [4-21-09]. Jazz musicina from Louisiana – drummer, singer-songwriter and bandleader – is behind beautiful, soulful mellow track from his latest album.

33) “All In” – Gift of Gab [3-31-09]. On this pop hip-hop lead track from their forthcoming album, it’s all about being all in – all or nothin’, baby -- with toe-tappin’ synth-background and a team effort at lyrics, especially on the harmonious refrain.

34) “War/No More Trouble” – Playing for Change [4-28-09]. A cover of the great Bob Marley track, done with a combination of fluid voices, simple guitar scales, bongos and even violin.

35) “Sea of Tears” – Eilen Jewell [4-21-09]. Rising Boston singer-songwriter blends rootsy folk rock and blues on the title track of her newest album.

36) “The Power of One (Change the World)” – Israel Houghton [3-24-09]. An inspiring contemporary Christian track from this southwest soul singer who’s gone solo from his group New Breed on his forthcoming album.

37) “59” – 1990’s [3-24-09]. A retro-pop-groover from Glasgow trio’s sophomore album.

38) “All I Really Want” – Rick Ross feat. The-Dream [4-21-09]. Ross is still rough but here he’s got flow as his hip-hop flows over a re-synthed disco sample.

39) “Love is a First” – The Tragically Hip [4-7-09]. An alt-rocker iterating and re-iterating that “love is a curse” off latest album from Canadian indie group from Kingston, Ontario.

40) “Bl3nd” – Tonex [3-17-09]. A cool Christian R&B track with subtle good will message – don’t blend, you’re unique in God’s eyes -- accompanied by an irresistible R&B backbeat & gospel choir, all lead by rapper-singer-producer-Christian-activist lead singer.

41) “Dancin’ On Me” – Jim Jones and Webstar [4-28-09]. Spare beat with simple synth, filled in with plain duo raps, ready for the grind.

42) “Paranoid Freak” – The Trews [4-7-09]. Off their third album this track by Canadian quartet is a hard-stomping rocker with big energy.

43) “Worm’s Head” – Joker’s Daughter [4-7-09]. Fresh, youthful vocals by London’s Helena Costa ( -- a collaboration with Danger Mouse --) lead through dramatic backdrop of instruments for whimsical lead [ folk] track off debut album.

44) “Swag Surfin’” -- Fast Life Yungstaz (F.L.Y.) [3-24-09]. A (brand new) group hip-hop effort praising the virtues of swag.