Cannibal Cheerleader

BLOC PARTY REVEAL “MERCURY”
Yesterday we posed the question ‘what do our favorite Gang of Four indebted dance-rockers Bloc Party have up their sleeve?’. Today we have our answer as Bloc Party’s radio announcement was for a new single entitled “Mercury” (the video for which you can view below). Reports are vague as to if this is a one-off single or the first cut from their as of yet untitled third LP but either way we’re digging the new, techno-infused ‘Flux-ish’ sound, even if its lacking some of Russel’s driving guitar-parts. Can’t wait for the next countdown from these guys.

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TRYOUTS: NAS’ UNTITLED
It must be hard to capture a moment in time on record, when all the feelings, the culture, the zeitgeist of the moment coalesces on one singular album. Nas‘ Untitled however, a fantastic followup to 2006’s Hip Hop Is Dead and perhaps his best post-Illmatic album, genuinely captures the fear, the hypocrisy, and the madness that is today’s America, and in doing so has crafted perhaps the best record of the year. Whereas his collaboration with DJ Green Lantern produced tracks of great bombast and excitement, Untitled is a calculated affair, placing intellectual verses over smooth, thoughtful beats with an air of critical thought and perhaps a hint of impending sadness. While The Nigger Tape was fantastic, Untitled transcends such accolades, not necessarily because it’s a better album outright but more so because its political statement is so bold as to suggest the message outweighs the medium. Nas has outshone even his own career-path on this defining album. Makes the team and is first in line for captain.

Nas – “You Can’t Stop Us Now”
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TRYOUTS: BECK’S MODERN GUILT
The good news about Beck’s new album Modern Guilt is that cuts like “Chemtrails”, so haunting and ethereal as to remind listeners of the artist’s magnum opus Sea Change, are peppered throughout the record. Tracks like “Orphans” (featuring Cat Power!) and “Youthless” transcend the middling territory of the past few Beck efforts and really standout as fantastic testaments to the power of the Odelayer’s freaky-folk ballads. However, the album, for all its effort to sound spare and stepped-down sounds at times a bit sleepy. Still, an award goes to Danger Mouse for recapturing the slacker nature of Beck’s lo-fi recordings. Makes the team though expect this one to get kicked from the team when the principal catches him under the bleachers making those special ‘Chemtrails’…

Beck – “Chemtrails”
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STARS’ BEDROOM UP FOR POLARIS AWARD
According to this Stereogum article Stars‘ album In Our Bedroom After the War is up for the preeminent Canadian music prize the Polaris Award, given to the best Canada-produced album regardless of sales. Definitely a great break for one of our favorite albums of last year which nonetheless continues to pop up this year. Great work Stars, we’ll see you at ACL!

Stars – “Window Bird”
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KANYE NEEDS ANGER MANAGEMENT?
Can’t a brother catch a break? Even Kanye’s management thinks he needs anger management according to this Rock Daily report. Sounds to me like a publicity stunt to help change the erroneous public opinion that a black man shouldn’t speak unless spoken too. Personally I like West’s outspoken nature but we’ll see how everyone feels when he’s Uncle Tomming it on your TV screen all night. Keep up the fight Kanye I say!

Kanye West – “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”

Comments people?

MADVILLAINY 2 ON ITS WAY?Our favorite underground rapper MF Doom has a new album/torrent circling the Internet music drain entitled MF Doom meets SF Perkele: I Still Hear Voices (Prelude to Madvillainy 2). Exciting news to be sure, but it begs the question, as no official news has been released from the Doom camp, is this a real release?

In short, the answer is N-O. Sadly, it seems this creation is the work of SF Perkele alone, a Finlandish electronic artist with a clear taste for Doom’s mush-mouthed flow. The rhymes over the admittedly Madlib-esque beats are old Doom tracks purloined from the Metal Faced One’s extensive back catalog and laid over new instrumentation and beats. With some clever labeling and placing the album on all the right torrent sits, SF Perkele almost pulled this one off. More details here.

Sadly, it seems that Madvillainy 2 is to remain imprisoned in the land where all Chinese Democracies go and will probably never see the light of day. Still, we always have the next Doom release to look forward to, whenever that will be (you’ll hear it here first!).

MF Doom meets SF Perkele – “Fishscale”
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NEW BAND CHEER: MUSCLES
Not so much new again as new to us at Cannibal Cheerleader, Muscles is an Australian electronic artist with a penchant for referencing early 90’s house music with just a whiff of irony and playfulness to make the listener unembarrassed to jam out. Tracks like “Ice Cream” cut like a knife with their unhinged beats but provide enough experimentalism and lyrical wordplay to keep even the most jaded vinyl collector satisfied. Stereogum recently posted the new video for single “The Lake” and it’s as kickass as the song, check it out below.

Muscles – “One Inch Badge Pin”
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BECK’S MODERN GUILT TRACKLIST/COVER ART
Finally, a release date for what’s sure to be one of the top albums of 2008! Beck’s Modern Guilt is coming out July 7th (though we can trust we’ll be receiving it a little earlier than that wink wink) and check out that sweet minimalist cover art up above. Seems to match perfectly with the wispy, 60’s dreaminess that new track “Chemtrails” seems to be sporting (you can hear that one over at Beck’s website). Tracklist below:

“Orphans”
“Gamma Ray”
“Chemtrails”
“Modern Guilt”
“Youthless”
“Walls”
“Replica”
“Soul of a Man”
“Profanity Prayers”
“Volcano”

Comments on this one? See everyone next week!