RollnSmokeRecords Presents: Best New Songs Released in the Past 60 Days ...

1) “First Train Home” – Imogen Heap [8-25-09]. The opening track/lead single from her new album is the best shot yet – lyrical, full, gliding like a train, pretty-- for the Lady Brit to achieve radio play.

2) “Johnny Got a Boom Boom” – Imelda May [8-18-09]. Lively, retro boogie-woogie by emerging Irish vocalist.

3) “Change” – Daniel Merriweather feat. Wale [1-30-09]. Roll finally stumbled upon this soulful, pop-R&B off debut album by rocker out of Australia, produced by Mark Ronson.

4) “Young Forever” – Jay-Z feat. Mr. Hudson [9-11-09]. Jay-Z hits the rap and Brit Hudson holds the melody in this R&B track from Jay-Z’s newest star-studded album.

5) “She Wolf” – Shakira [7-10-09]. A huffing, howling, dangerous, shameless pop tune, warning abuot the she-wolf in your closet! -- by Columbian-Lebanese siren. Yoowwwwwoooooooo -- You go, girl.

6) “Feel Like Taking You Home” – Brendan Benson [8-18-09]. The singer/songwriter from Nashville and member of the Raconteurs delivers an alt-rock solo set on Dave Matthews’ record label.

7) “She’s Got You High” – Mumm-Ra {7-10-09] Included on the “500 Days of Summer Soundtrack,” this well-formed alt-indie song gets you boppin’ your to the pop-hook, from now- defunct group of England.

8) “Hold My Hand (I’ll Be There)” – Sean Paul featuring Keri Hilson [8-18-09]. An easy R&B duet featuring the dancehall king from Jamaica with streaming harmonies and an upbeat refrain.

9) “Million Dollar Bill” – Whitney Houston [8-31-09]. In classic Whitney-diva fashion, the lady lays an easy dance groove down on this lead track from her latest comeback album.

10) “Celebration” – Madonna [7-21-09]. The Queen Diva of Pop comes out with guns loaded on this clubby track from her forthcoming Best of Album.

11) “It Don’t Move Me” – Peter Bjorn and John [7-21-09]. A spare, electro- indie pop EP from Swedish trio.

12) “Party in the USA” – Miley Cyrus [8-11-09]. The Queen of teen-pop belts out an irresistible, upbeat pop track stepping out in LA from Nashville.

13) “The One” – Slaughterhouse [8-11-09]. A mix between rough rap and rock with female vocal melody moving the track along.

14) “Be the One” – Jack Penate [8-18-09]. With a Cure-like sound and full of Philly-soul, this British R&B rocker lays it on in this lead single from his latest album.

15) “Heads Will Roll” – Yeah, Yeah Yeahs [7-14-09]. A new favorite in the dance club scene (and therefore with a litter of re-mixes!) with a big, pulsing beat by garage rock revival band out of New York City urging dance, dance, dance til you’re dead.

16) “Vanilla Twilight” – Owl City [7-28-09]. A sweet & sappy pop track with young, hopeful, idealistic vocals by Minnesota electronica project.

17) “Halleluja” -- The Killer and the Star [7-14-09]. An eerie track with electrified vocals from debut alt-rock band out of Jacksonville, Florida.

18) “Girls Were Made to Love” – Sugar Ray [7-21-0-9]. Plain reggae set against a 50’s-sounding melody proclaiming that girls, girls, girls were made for love.

19) “One Day” – Matisyahu [8-29-09]. Typically classic reggae sound from Hasidic Jew out of West Chester, Pennsylvania.

20) “Paradise Cove” – Pete Yorn [6-23-09]. With his most recent album produced by Rick Rubin, Pete Yorn’s got his game back, especially on this pretty, primarily-acoustic, bossa-nova-like track.

21) “Periodically Double or Triple” – Yo La Tengo [7-14-09]. Kooky and retro-sounding issue with groovy organs and smooth percussion from one of indie’s longest-running, most beloved acts.

… The Following Tracks are Among the Best Tracks Released in the Past 60 Days -- currently unavailable on Playlist.com – but worth checking out!

1) “A Star is Born” – Jay-Z featuring J. Cole [9-11-09]. This melancholy hip-hop track re-traces the history of rap – “clap for ‘em!” with commentary and a supporting melody.

2) “She Ain’t Got Shit on Me” – LeToya Luckett [8/4/09]. A girl-power R&B dance track, ruff on edge, just needing to know about this chick “who’s all that” from 1/3 of Destiny’s Child.

3) “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Shanade [8-11-09]. From the compilation album RHYTHMS DEL MUNDO, this cover of the Nirvana 90’s grunge-original is smooth and features sultry female vocals (you can actually understand the lyrics!) and cool background horns.

4) “Bulletproof” – Raheem DeVaughn featuring Ludacris [9-1-09]. With a soulful, old-school, Motown sound, this R&B star sends out another banger that gets to the bottom of contemporary urban society.

5) “Light the Night” – Satellites & Sirens [8-4-09]. An upbeat, harmonious rock track off latest LP from Christian rock trio out of Nashville.

6) “First Time” -- Josh X-An-Tus [7-14-09]. Sweet, spare love ballad off forthcoming debut album from emerging, young R&B artist – native New Yorker, Julliard-trained – discover this fresh, new voice.

7) “Hey Soul Sister” – Train [8-11-09]. A friendly, upbeat pop rock track from indie band out of San Francisco.

8) “Crawl Back In” – Dead by Sunrise [8-5-09]. A big, fat, heavily riffed, Linkin-Park-like rock track by emerging band formed as a side-project by Chester Bennington, vocalist for Linkin Park.

9) “Mean Old Man” – Jerry Lee Lewis [8-25-09]. A plain, honest Johnny-Cash-like single from the septuagenarian with strong country backing and cool guitar.

10) “Bad Blood” – Simian Mobile Disco [9-15-09]. This long-ish electronica instrumental holds the listener’s interest in its dance-oriented ebbs and flows.

11) “Kandi” – One eskimO [7-14-09]. A mellow, pretty lost-love lament from new Brit-indie, Tori Amos opener-band.

12) “Moonlight” – Rebelation [8-4-09]. A slow, romantic pop-reggae love song from laid-back, beach groovers out of Santa Barbara, California.

13) “I Ain’t Hidin’” – Black Crowes [9/1/09]. A great vintage-Rolling-Stones-like-rock number, heavy on guitar riffs, with a disco-tinged backbeat, packed with singular vocals by Chris Robinson.

14) “All of the Pleasures of the World” – The Crayon Fields (yet to be released in US). From forthcoming sophomore album to be released in September by Melbourne indie-pop group, this song moves a mellow flow with plain broad groove-appeal.

15) “Shark in the Water” – V.V. Brown [7-13-09 in UK]. The modelesque English singer-songwriter releases upbeat, pop lead single off debut set by on Island Records label.