Last Friday your friends here at Flavorpill served up some epic metal riffage, childlike psych-pop, brain-frying indie-rap, and a generous helping of danceable Yoko Ono on what was perhaps our most eclectic Viva Radio program yet — but who knows what kind of wanton disregard for genre homogeneity might occur in the future. Until we find out tomorrow, get your mix fix with the latest round-up of the finest new MP3s the blogs have to offer. Click through for downloads from our last Viva Radio playlist, and be sure to check back and listen to the show itself — we update every week.
1. Deer Tick – “The Ghost” As always, Deer Tick mastermind John McCauley’s moans are like paved-over gravel — their slicked surface a thin cover for the jagged edges below. [Download MP3] via Obscure Sound
2. Children – “Power Spirit” Children’s thrash-riffing and breakneck lead work could pass for any of the “Big Four” if overheard emanating from a pair of leaky headphones on the subway. [Download MP3] via Local Vertical
3. The Fiery Furnaces – “The End Is Near” Everyone has their opinion on this polarizing sibling duo, but “The End Is Near” is the kind of tune we all can agree on, sounding like a classic radio staple that you somehow only just heard for the first time. [Stereogum
4. Dirty Projectors – “Useful Chamber” Songs can be both fun and informative, just check out the chorus to “Useful Chamber,” where in one of the undeniable high points in music so far this year Dave Longstreth and crew rock out while simultaneously instructing us on the correct pronunciation of the album’s title, which, admittedly, we were saying all wrong before. [Download MP3] via Knox Road
5. Mos Def – “Twilite Speedball” Almost everyone agrees that Mos Def’s latest, The Ecstatic, is the long-awaited return to form we’ve been hoping he’d drop for years, full of exotic beats, like this one supplied by Chad Hugo, and assured, composed performances from Mos himself. [Download MP3] via Too Much Happiness
6. BLK JKS – “Molalatladi” BLK JKS/m/Johannesburg, South Africa. Likes: psych-tinged art-rock mixed with traditional African grooves, rainbows. Dislikes: band names with too many vowels. [Download MP3] via I Rock Cleveland
7. Nurses – “Caterpillar Playground” Nurses subscribe to the Olivia Tremor Control theory of production, substantially weirding up their conventionally catchy tunes by folding in dense layers of whimsical instrumentation and deploying crucially timed electronic bleeping to great effect. [Download MP3] via MUSiC SNiTCH
8. Anti-Pop Consortium – “Capricorn One” When they reunited in 2007, Anti-Pop Consortium stated that they planned to release a new album, and now two years later the first track has emerged, featuring their trademark dexterous, stream of consciousness lyrics over a minimalist, sci-fi inspired beat. [Download MP3] via Pitchfork
9. Discovery – “Swing Tree” Discovery, a collaboration between members of Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot, wield the same tools employed by top 40 producers, simultaneously embracing and parodying the clichés of mainstream pop music like auto-tune and vaguely hip-hop inspired call and response vocals. [Download MP3] via We All Want Someone To Shout For 10. Florence and The Machine – “Cosmic Love” Kate Bush’s brand of ingratiating cheesiness is once again in vogue, and Florence and the Machine are perhaps the best of the bunch. In a year populated by several Bush-influenced artists who fail to bring much more to the table, Florence takes Kate’s epically corny greatness and runs with it, adding soul and garage-rock influences along the way. [Download MP3] via The Mahogany Blog
11. Yoko Ono – “The Sun Is Down (Cornelius Mix)” It takes a little while to take off, but this track rewards your patience, with Yoko Ono’s repetitive declaration looped endlessly amidst a swirl of robotic squelches that work themselves into an awesomely oddball house burner. [Download MP3] via Blouse