Singles Week

No new albums worth purchasing this week. I previewed Foals, but thought better of it. There were a few singles made available this week however that are worth mentioning.

Firstly, Adult Swim gives us a tidbit from the forthcoming Madvillain album. The song is called Papermill. As I mentioned, at less than two minutes this is just a tidbit, but it is good to hear that Madvillain is still working with the same formula. This is an instance where the status quo is desirable. You have a funky Madlib beat with MF Doom doing what he does best. Cannot wait for the album. We should get a more substantial track in the relatively near future.

Tift Merrit released the song Mixtape this week. This song is okay, it does spark a bit of nostalgia for people of a certain age. I mentioned maintaining the status quo with Madvillain, and typically I am openminded, but I really miss the days of Bramble Rose. Tift really strayed from this style right away, but with each new album I hope that maybe she will come back around, but it does not seem to be the case this time. For Amy: I know you are familiar with the song, but let me know if you are not sure what a mixtape is. Cassette tapes were before your time :)

Arcade Fire has let loose the title track from their next album The Suburbs. I am not a big Arcade Fire fan, but I do get the attraction. Seeing the group perform live on Austin City Limits made me appreciate the energy that they put into their live shows, so I was interested to see what they would do next after Neon Bible. The Suburbs sounds like an old-timey shuffle; it does not seem as though they have put their best foot forward with this release. I know that the band has a dedicated fan following, I would be curious to see what a serious fan thinks of the new track.

Finally, an old favorite catches me by suprise. Black Sheep have released a new single called Birds of a Feather featuring Q-Tip (Tribe), Dave (De La) and Mike Gee (JBs). A reunion of the Native Tongues, what could possibly be better? As it turns out, most anything would be preferable to this dull track. Dres has never been the same since the debut album and this beat is simply terrible. Why couldn't Tip or Dave say something; maybe offer a throwaway beat of their own? A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, but sadly those days are gone, along with my interest in Black Sheep. I have to believe that this is one of the stronger tracks from the upcoming album, which is a shame.

What are you listening to this week? It looks like June is going to be a huge month for new releases; let me know what you are looking forward to.