RollnSmokeRecords Presents: Best Songs Released in Past 60 Days

1) “Sweet Disposition” – The Temper Trap [10-13-09]. Choirboy vocals combine with U2-influenced guitars on this dreamy lead track off debut album from band out of Melbourne, Australia.

2) “One Love” – David Guetta featuring Estelle [8-25-09]. French DJ combines electronica with dance beats and here features the soulful R&B songstress Estelle who carries the dance beat.

3) “I Am” – Mary J. Blige [11-22-09]. Soulful R&B lead track from forthcoming album with big back-up singing for this new pop track by the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.

4) “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.

5) “Gold Guns Girls” (acoustic) – Metric [12-1-09]. Alternative rock track from band out of Canada with special props to lead singer – brassy, sexy, Emily Haines – and this acoustic EP version, is especially stellar.

6) “Beach Comber” – Real Estate [11-17-09]. Breezy, easy rock ballad with plucky strings and a laid-back beach vibe by indie band out of New Jersey.

7) “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.

8) “Give it Up to Me” – Shakira and Lil Wayne [11-10-09]. Typical R&B dance grooves from Latina teaming up with hip-hop master and monster producer Timbaland with a splash of Lil Wayne.

9) “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.

10) “Livin’ It Up” – Shwayze featuring Snoop Dogg [11-3-09]. From his sophomore album this Malibu hip-hopper teams up with rapper vet Snoop Dogg to lay out the price he’s had to pay for fame.

11) “This is War” – 30 Seconds to Mars [12-8-09]. Alt-indie emo-rock charged track with the undercurrent of service to war and fighting to the death.

12) “Soldier of Love” – Sade [un-released]. A slightly different but the same old sound for the melancholy soul singer, smoking-hot in the 80’s, with angular percussion and discordant back-up vocals.

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

14) “I’m Not Gonna Cry” – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings [11-24-09]. Old school soul and groove sprung from the church.

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

16) “The Moon is Made of Gold” – Rickie Lee Jones [11-3-09]. The same old Rickie, singing an old-school sounding track with just her voice and acoustic guitar.

17) “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.

… 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 Glorious Dawn” – ColorPulse -- Carl Sagan featuring Stephen Hawking. Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking clips from COSMOS are translated by Auto-tune into a trippy ambient, philosophical, universalist track.

2) “Here We Come (Ready or Not)” -- Rod Carrillo & Shefali [11-10-09]. Hot on the electronica/dance charts, this pop rock-dance fusion track is long, repetitive and danceable, featuring a beauty queen from Cleveland and produced by South American DJ out of Panama.

3) “We Belong to the Music” – Timbaland featuring Miley Cyrus [12-8-09]. It’s shameless pop – it’s Miley Cyrus! – teaming up with Timbaland – but it’s upbeat music you can dance to!

4) “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.

5) “Slumdog Millionaire” – Wyclef Jean [11-10-09] HAITI featuring Cindy Lauper. With a vague backbeat similar to the theme song but with its own hood feel, Lauper hits the melodic refrain and a Lucious LuLu solo while Wyclef raps for the meat of the track.

6) “You’re an Orgasm Addict” – Marina Celeste [10-31-09]. Like Marilyn Monroe, this breathy-saucy siren from Paris, sings slightly off-tune and in a sassy French accent.

7) “Freezing Rain” – Hurricane Bells [11-10-09]. A train-like churning backbeat combines with eerie vocals by indie artist Steve Schiltz who writes, plays and records every note on his MacBook.

8) “Killer Life” – Sheryl Crow [11-17-09]. Tacked onto the re-issue of TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB about contemporary violence -- not her best song, but it’s good to hear something new from her.

9) “The Apple and the Tooth” – Biblio [11-9-09]. Downtempo folk meets electronica from self-taught producer/multi-instrumentalist – Stephen Wilkinson – out of England’s West Midlands.

10) “Mess of Me” – Switchfoot [11-6-09]. A hard-rockin’ track from beach town (San Diego) Christian-oriented grunge band-gone-international.

11) “Bodies” – Robbie Williams [11-10-09]. Glam-tastic track for the post-Brit pop generation from U.K. pin-up boy.

12) “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.

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.