Another Plea for Chinese Democracy

Come on, Axl. It's worth a special mix of 23 ingredients to all Americans.

Big Boi feat. Andre 3000 and Raekwon - Royal Flush

Back in '98, when I rocked Mecca, rolled one pant leg up and rocked Timbs to my suburban private academy, I damn near collapsed when I heard rap super powers Wu Tang and Outkast were collabing on a cut (Skew It On The Bar-B, new jacks). So you can imagine the frenzy our early morning blog scouring threw me into when I came across Big Boi's new single Royal Flush featuring Andre Three Stacks and Wu resident chef Raekwon. This is vintage Dungeon Fam gumbo funk that made Speakerboxxx my go to album for cruisin-with-the-windows-down purposes. Big gets all circa southernplayalistic flow on us, Rae drops gibberish gems, and 3000 continues his streak of immaculate cameos, dropping a verse chock filled with talking rodents and metaphysical musings. Incredible.


Big Boi feat. Andre 3000 and Raekwon - Royal Flush

Soul Brother Number Two

I just heard the new Spiritualized single, "Soul on Fire," and it just blew me away. Although it has been a part of the setlist for the duration of this last tour, oh, yay, to finally hear a studio version in all its lush grandeur. Oddly enough, in spite of the prominent orchestral presence (and the fact that the version I got was a radio rip), it's got more of a sing-along feel than any of the stripped-down live versions I've heard. Kinda like "Hey Jude."

A new album, Songs in A&E, is expected around late May, and it will be the first since 2003's Amazing Grace. Bold prediction: this will be the first album I purchase this year.

Spiritualized - Soul on Fire

Two more months to think about a new album cover, fellas.

Crash Course

For a nice mix of blogosphere-approved artists, check out the feed to Spinner.com's Interface. Each artist link usually includes a full set in both audio and video download formats.

Tear it up, and let me know if any particular artist stands out.

While you're at it, take a look at the massive list of SXSW shows available online. Largehearted Boy, who is a king among music bloggers, will continue to update the list as the festival goes on, so feel free to check back every day or so.