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

1) “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.

2) “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.’

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

4) “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.

5) “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.

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

7) “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.

8) “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.

9) “Bonfire” – Third Eye Blind [8-18-09]. Latest alt-rock song from late-90’s pop post-grunge band out of San Francisco.

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

11) “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.

12) “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.

13) “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.

14) “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.

15) “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.

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

17) “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.

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

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

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

1) “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.

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

3) “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.

4) “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.

5) “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.

6) “Di Alma” – Sara Travares [8-11-09]. CAPE VERDE. Peaceful, tropical percussions float in the background of this exotic and flowing vocal feast by native Cape Verdian-trasplanted-to -Portugal musician.

7) “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.

8) “Turn You Out” – Baby Bash [8 –23-09]. A sexy, foreplay R&B groove by Latino rapper out of Cali, well-known on the Houston Latin rap scene.

9) “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.

10) “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.

11) “Don’t Ever Leave Me Alone” – Smile Empty Soul [8-25-09]. A heavier electric guitar sound from alt-rock trio that formed in high school in Santa Clarita, Cali.

12) “Twice” – Pink & Noseworthy [8-11-09]. A continuous down-dream-groove from indie neo-folk trio out of Los Angeles.

13) “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.

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) “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.

16) “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.

17) “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.

18) “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.