mixtape maestro (2.0)

Ten months after being honored with a Pitchfork BNM tag for their contagious semi-politi-dance-rap juke anthem “Chi Don’t Dance” (memorable for it’s brow-arching line “MTV gave me ADD/ BET taught me to hate me” and a rowdy, Goodie Mob-referencing hook), Chicago trio BBU (Bin Laden Blowin’ Up) try to prove that they’re no one (blog-)hit wonders with the release of their cleverly-titled mixtape, Fear of a Clear Channel Planet.

Out of it’s thirteen-cut tracklisting, the one that’s sure to earn them even more Web-hype in the coming months is set highlight “Black n’ Plastic”, a dishing of occasionally cutting “What’s happening to us?” cultural commentary (“Do you really love yourself?”, they ask to all the “GQ magazine, coke fiend cover girls/ And all them other girls that wanna look like other girls”) and potentially beef-starting digs at LMFAO, Asher Roth and Lil’ Wayne, served atop a surprisingly winning mix of sparse-ish Dirty South production tricks blended with an endlessly looped sample of Aqua’s ’90′s hit “Barbie Girl”.

Yeah…you read that right, they’ve sampled “BARBIE GIRL”…and the beat rocks (or, in their case, we guess jukes) somethin’ tough.

DL: “Black n’ Plastic” (alt)

We fully understand that when it’s all said and done, just as with that other song, the amazing new clip for OK Go‘s “This Too Shall Pass” single will far surpass the actual record in terms of public appreciation (especially for anyone that grew up playing Mouse Trap), but let’s give the Chicago act some credit: beyond being masters at making killer, on-the-cheap music videos, OK Go can also do brain-sticking pop (whether of the power-, alternative-, psychedelic-, or Prince-influenced variety) very well.

In the nanosecond it took to re-play the “Pass” vid for the hundredth time, we were just as excited to peep the complex, two-story Rube Goldberg contraption featured in the clip as we were to have our ears swallowed in the song’s densely layered, sunny triumphance.

Featuring tender piano plinks, soaring harmonies mixed slightly off in the distance, singer Damian Kulash’s pinched falsetto yelps spewing a spirit-raising message of positivity, and drummer Dan Konopka having a raucous good time underneath it all, the record carries a fetching jollity that’s just impossible to easily dismiss.

From OK Go’s latest album, Of The Blue Colour of The Sky.

BONUS DL: OK Go “This Too Shall Pass (Passion Pit Remix)” (alt)

BONUS DL: OK Go “The Lovecats (The Cure Cover)” (alt)

Most of the fun in Milwaukee/ Chicago rapper/ singer Gerald Walker‘s new mixtape, Evening Out With Your Girlfriend, can be had in just reading the titles (samples: “You Don’t Pay A Prostitute For Sex…You Pay A Prostitute To Leave When You’re Done”; “Your Mother Made Me Change The Name of This Song So Your Father Wouldn’t Realize Who It’s About”) or figuring out the source of his backing beat choices (production “swipes” include tracks from Matt & Kim, Arctic Monkeys and Will.I.Am), which is probably why we can’t get enough of “Half of Life Is Fucking Up…The Other Half Is Dealing With It”, a featured cut set to the tune of Amy Winehouse’s “He Can Only Hold Her”. But before you get to thinking that we’re completely losing it, know that there’s more appeal to the song beyond the entertainment value of it’s title and sample.

A charming, and occasionally witty, ditty that finds his conversational flow rested well atop Mark Ronson’s retro-hued soundbed, “Half of Life…” follows Walker coming clean to his “love ‘em and leave ‘em” ways. “They sayin’ that I’m ruthless/ I’m just addicted to the newness/ Of a chick/ So after the first couple weeks of us dating/ They all get dismissed”, he confesses at one point, elsewhere cruelly finding humor in how he leaves women feeling like “whores”, or the way they “try to block my retreats” when only a short while before they “resisted my advances”.

His heartless braggadocio is probably not a laughing matter to the long line of women he’s left confused and emotionally bruised over time, but for us, it’s definitely a hoot to listen to over and over.

Check it out below alongside what’s become our second favorite Girlfriend entry: “Get Your Money”, one of two great whole song-jackings from will.i.am’s 2007 solo flop Songs About Girls. Honestly, we don’t know where will’s voice ends and Walker’s contribution begins on it, but it’s festive celebration of strippers over a sample of M.A.N.D.Y. & Booka Shade’s 2005 Ibiza staple “Body Language” definitely gets us anxious to hit the closest strip joint armed with pocketfuls of single bills every time.

Pick up the rest of Evening Out With Your Girlfriend here.

DL: “Half of Life Is Fucking Up…The Other Half Is Dealing With It” (alt)

DL: “Get Your Money” (alt)

What’s the hottest R&B sex jam of the moment? Well, that honor would probably have to fall on “Birthday Sex” by Chicago newcomer Jeremih.

It may not be the most original of it’s ilk-R. Kelly, T-Pain or The-Dream could have all tossed this one out in their sleep, and with better, more-outlandish XXX metaphors than “Girl without a broom I might just sweep you off yo feet/ And make you wanna tell somebody how I do”-but the combination of that sensual groove with it’s titular gift theme has enough going for it to get the mood started.

Of course, some horny-minded rapper would have to bless the remix, and while this would probably be the perfect opportunity for another raunchy Ludacris cameo, it’s Fabolous who jumps on board first, kicking off this 2.0 take with a mean-spirited (but kind-of cool) joke we wouldn’t dare say to any girlfriend (“My shorty called me like ‘You know what’s bout to come-come-come-come’/ I said ‘Your friend, shit, lemme come get some-some-some-some’”) as well as lines about “pussy reservations” and, in what’s disappointingly the lone B.J. reference offered here, the “blow”-ing out of “candles”.

DL: “Birthday Sex (Remix)” (alt)

Every music blogger will feel the Maestro’s pain when it comes to the overly-packed in-box.

Filled to the brim with PR’s showcasing that “hot new indie artist” whose bandwagon you just HAVE to jump on early, “exclusive” remixes that have obviously been CC’d to damn near everyone else on the Hype Machine/ Elbo.ws circuit, the endless announcements of new mixtapes and video releases and numerous follow-up artist representatives stressing you out over whether you finally got a chance to listen to their respective act’s material, it’s almost impossible to get through all of it and live a normal person’s life too (Not to mention the fact that a majority of the music just really isn’t all that good).

So in an effort to lighten up the load a bit, check out this jumbo-sized post full of some noteworthy cuts that’s come the Maestro’s way in recent weeks:

• The Constellations “Felicia (Death Metal Disco Scene Vocal Remix)”

Now this is how you do a remix!! The Constellations‘ original (from their Cee-Lo and Asher Roth-featured debut, Southern Gothic) was already a killer track thanks to it’s enjoyable mix of a Southern soul and rock strut with a little hoochie White girl rap sass. But the plastic-funk textures applied on this remix from UK dance remixer/producer Death Metal Disco Scene (Lily Allen, The Verve, Kylie Minogue) takes “Felicia”‘s greatness to a whole new level. Hotter than a firecracker, indeed!

• Beyonce “Diva (Slot-A Remix)”

The hook line “A diva is a female version of a hustler” still sounds dumb, but Detroit producer Slot-A makes that point moot with all the snazzy ’80′s decoration he pastes on the Beyonce banger.

• Drake featuring Peter, Bjorn and John “Let’s Call It Off”

In which Degrassi: The Next Generation actor-slash-singer/ rapper Drake cleverly embeds himself within Peter, Bjorn and John’s sublime 2006 break-up ode, resulting in eleventy-hundred bloggers suffering a collective stroke from excitement. (from Drake’s new mixtape, So Far Gone)

• Jake Troth “Shush”

“This the type of shhh that make the haters stop talking,” drone-raps indie multi-talent Jake Troth through “Shush”‘s devious stomp and suspenseful guitar linger. And since Maestro doesn’t fall in line with that crowd, we’ll proudly go ahead and state that ears need to be firmly set on this one-to-watch in ’09. (from Troth’s upcoming Daydream Big mixtape)

• Jemex “Breathe” featuring Dean Grey

It’s understandable why an artist would want to put out their sappiest stuff now, this being V-Day and all, but with drippy lyrics like “I can hear my heartbeat so carefully/ When I hear that sound it must know you’re around”, “Breathe” (from Brooklyn producer Jemex) edges into being a little too Velveeta-y. If only we could shake off the tenderness we feel inside every time it’s dreamy Prom Dance production smothers the ears, though…

• Wreckx N Effect “Rump Shaker (Jemex Remix)”

…Ah wait, here’s the answer: “Check baby, check baby 1-2-3-4″!!!! Sigh…Macho-ness retrieved.

• Teedra Moses “Weekend Goodtime”

Following an odd slow intro in which Moses bemoans her lack of a husband and white picket fence, the underrated R&B cutie suddenly shrugs off her woes, puts on the instrumental to Snoop Dogg’s summery “Let’s Get Blown” and hits the streets in search for a one-weekend stand. (from Moses’ new album, Lionhearted: Young Hustla, Vol. III)

• The Ting Tings “Great DJ (DJ Jem Mix)”

In which Chicago’s DJ Jem decides that the Ting Tings jam just doesn’t have enough beat sizzle for the jukin’ sect.