RollnSmokeRecords Presents: Best New Songs Released in Past 60 Days

1) “Morning After Dark” – Timbaland featuring Soshy and Nellie Furtado [10-26-09]. Any time you combine Nelly Furtado with Timbaland you’re going to get smokin’ R&B dance rhythms, but throw in newcomer Soshy on this track, and you’ve got a full-on dance party.

2) “Ride to California” – Paper Tongues [8-25-09]. Rock track with a pumping backbeat and gritty vocals as its core by new 7-member band out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

3) “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.

4) “Fight for You” – Morgan Page [9-9-09]. Electronica dance track with pop female vocals by Vermont native and UVM radio disc jockey.

5) “Valium” – MuteMath [10-13-09]. A spacey, organic jam by New Orleans-based quartet that appears on the latest 90201 Soundtrack.

6) “Mrs. Cold” – Kings of Convenience [10-20-09]. A Euro-version of Simon & Garfunkel, these (Bergen) Norwegians lay out a mellow beach-groove a la blended harmony duets and spinning acoustic strings.

7) “Looking for Paradise” – Alejandro Sanz featuring Alicia Keys [9-22-09]. SPAIN. The most commercially successful Spanish singer of all time pairs up with American R&B songstress to cue up an alternating acoustic duet sung in each performer’s native tongue.

8) “Revolver” – Madonna featuring Lil Wayne [9-18-09]. Hidden in her latest two CD set, nestled in among smash hits spanning her 25 year career, is this dance duet featuring your Queen of Pop and the King of pop hip-hop.

9) “Meet Me on The Equinox” – Death Cab for Cutie [9-14-09]. A typically haunting, alt-rock track with an eerie sensuality appropriate for a teen vampire love story (the track was produced for the New Moon (Twilight) soundtrack) by indie, Bellingham, Washington natives.

10) “Do You Dig U” – Q-Tip [9-15-09] A long, ephemeral and inventive hip-hop track off long-delayed album that combines jazz fusion with contemporary hip-hop.

11) “Horchata” – Vampire Weekend [to be released]. Lots of xylophones and percussion on this peppy track that extols the virtue of drinking “horchata.”

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

13) “Can’t Hardly Wait” – N’Dambi [9-15-09]. A phat, soulful groove to get the love monkey off her back by contemporary R&B singer from Dallas and her yummy soul-sister background singers.

14) “Baby” – Devendra Banhart [10-23-09]. Spare and easy alt-track by indie-rocker who grew up in Caracas and L.A.

15) “Slow Poison” – The Bravery [leaked 9-8-09]. Post-punk revivalist band out of New York City (and Vassar College) churns out 80’s, Cure-like sounding track.

16) “Hell” – Tegan & Sara [10-2-09]. Canadian indie-rock duo and twin sisters release pumping lead track with bouncy bassline and anthemic chorus.

17) “Let’s Go Surfing” – The Drums [leaked 9-21-09]. Upbeat, retro track off debut indie LP by Brooklyn quartet who sound a little like a new millennium Haircut 100.

18) “Feel it in My Bones” – Tiesto featuring Tagan and Sara [10-6-09]. HOLLAND. A euro-pop chic track from notable Dutch electronica DJ’s latest album, loaded with guest appearances and produced by Timbaland.

19) “Come Back Clean” – The Crystal Method featuring Emily Haines [10-20-09]. L.A. Electronica dup teams up with female vocalist to make this sprawling dance club track that warns “don’t play with drugs in your bloodstream” a la floating female vocals.

20) “Uprising” -- Muse (9-11-09]. High drama mixed with a little Queen and Radiohead = this loud alt-rock track by three childhood friends from Devon, England.

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

1) “Low Rising” – The Swell Season [10-27-09]. A Van Morrison-inspired, bluesy-rock track by former-lover duet (Dublin/Czech) that smacks of 60’s folk harmonies.

2) “Sun is Shining” – Bebel Gilberto [9-29-09]. A sexy cover of Bob Marley’s classic – ½ Portuguese and ½ English -- by Brazilian beauty descended from fine musical bloodline.

3) “Love” – Air [10-6-09]. Chill, ethereal, melodic chanting (of the word “love”) over gauzy, synth-pop electronica.

4) “Spaceship” – Puddle of Mudd [10-26-09]. With the aim of getting clothes off and gettin’ to it – ‘let’s get it over and just get naked” – this four-piece alt-rock track lays down heavy guitar riffs.

5) “Stone Cold Sober” – Paloma Faith [un-released in U.S.] Often compared to Amy Winehouse, this emerging talent from the U.K. marries upbeat R&B arrangements with jazzy, soulful lyrics on her debut album.

6) “Angel on the DanceFloor” – Dave Matthias featuring Natalia Flores [9-15-09]. A good beat, ambient dance club track by DJ and constantly evolving dance media mogul.

7) “Bogota by Bus” – Jesse Cook [9-29-09]. Canadian musician lays out big percussive beats and rumba flamenco guitars that harken this instrumental track’s Spanish roots.

8) “Down in LA” – People Under the Stairs [10-13-09]. Old-skool sounding hip-hop track glorifying the southern Cali-vibe by underground hip-hip outfit out of L.A.

9) “Wake Up” -- Sliimy [9-8-09]. Wacky pop-club dance number off debut album by young frechman from Saint Etiene.

10) “Good Friends, Bad Habits’ – Owen [9-29-09]. Easy, alt-indie acoustic guitar track hailing friends who are “petty thieves and addicts” by Owen (who is Mike Kinsella) out of Chicago.

11) “Swing” – Zero 7 [9-7-09]. More pop-sounding than their usually downtempo mode, this track is lifted by steel drums and features two new, lilting female vocalists.

12) “Sunburn” – Owl City [10-13-09]. Shameless, happy pop with nothing but flaky, cute lyrics and a beat -- appearing on most recent 90201 Soundtrack -- by electronica guru out of Minnesota.

13) “Free Me” – Joss Stone [10-20-09]. The UK queen of retro-soul is at it again on this lead single from her new album.

14) “That Year’ – Brandi Carlile [10-6-09]. Mellow songbird track from young singer-songwriter out of Washington state who shows spectacular range of voice off third album produced by Rick Rubin.

15) “Things Fall Apart” – Built to Spill [10-2-09]. A chill, near-psychedelic jam that meanders into synthed horn and guitar solos from popular indie rock act out of Idaho.

16) “Love Suggestions” – Will Downing. Brooklyn classic urban R&B composer offers a late-80’s, Jeffrey-Osborne-like cool touch in this jazzy-groove track.

17) “Get Out” – Mario [10-13-09]. R&B track, heavy on synths and backbeats off latest album by vocalist out of Baltimore.

18) “Who Says” – John Mayer [10-13-09]. New, laid-back and upbeat stoner tune from pop sensation from forthcoming album.

19) “What?” – Rob Zombie [10-13-09] Pulsing metal rock with more of a pop edge by frontman for metal superstars White Zombie.

20) “Pa Pa Power” -- Dead Man’s Bones – [10-2-09]. Brain-child of Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields, this new band provides Halloween-like alternative track featuring full Silverlake Children’s Music Choir for background power.

21) “Darkside of the Sun” – Tokio Hotel [2009]. Bangin’ alt-rock track from emo-quartet out of Germany.

22) “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.