by Paul V.

Singled Out

Lily Allen “The Fear” (Capitol)

This starts with gently strummed acoustic guitars a la Madonna’s “Ray of Light,” then unleashes its orchestral strings and galloping beats. If people thought Lily was a one-trick pony, this new effort proves that her knack for beautiful melodies and subversively clever lyrics was no fluke. Her second disc—It’s Not Me, It’s You—drops next month.

The BPA - I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat - Southern Fried

Leave it to mixmaster Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) to pluck something this intriguing from up his sleeve. Here—under the umbrella name of the Brighton Port Authority—Cook assembles a motley crew of colorful characters/collaborators for this party-starter collection. While it’s not necessarily a dance album, most of these 12 tracks easily get the toes tapping (if not the rumps shaking). The set kicks off with the go-go thumping beats of “He’s Frank,” featuring Iggy Pop on vocals. It’s a cover of the Monochrome Set’s 1983, post-punk single, and Pop and Fatboy give it a breezy, tambourine-laced makeover. On “Should I Stay or Should I Blow” (featuring DJ/remixer Ashley Beedle), the results gurgle like a banana-boat ska slider that could’ve easily been crafted by the Specials or Madness back in the day. I think my favorite is the gorgeous “Island” (featuring singer Justin Robertson). It’s got a melody laced with beautiful strings, set to beats by Clipse, and reminds me of the swoon-worthy, fey Britpop that Pulp was so adept at. The biggest clubland buzz is over the single, “Toe Jam,” featuring David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal on the mic. Over hip-thrusting beats and horny horns, Byrne does the classic crooning and Rascal drops his rubbery, whiplash toasting. The set closes out with an interpolation of Nick Lowe’s “So It Goes,” sung by Olly Hite. This is definitely the kind of eclectic, tuneful and fun kind of disc we need to kick off 2009.

Artist: Various - The Best Of Bootie 2008 - Digital

If you know me at all, you know I’ve been a huge fan of mashups for ages. I’ve witnessed all this digitally crafted bastard pop graduate from sometimes sloppy and hokey bedroom productions to near-genius tracks that rival anything the big-name DJs get paid bigtime to make legally. Yup, all these tracks are bootlegs and only released online, but they’re all just waiting for you to click “save target as” and have a field day. There are so many highlights within these 20 blends, so I’ll whittle them down to my favorites. My personal nod goes to DJ Earworm’s “No More Gas,” which is a seamless mega-melange featuring Rihanna, the Pussycat Dolls, Madonna, Britney Spears, T-Pain, Estelle and tons more. It’s a flawless roundup that sounds like all these people were in the same recording studio making it. Other standouts include: L.A.’s own DJ Shyboy spinning Diana Ross upside down with Dead Or Alive; France’s Comar pumping some double funk with the Jackson 5 dancing with Justice; Sweden’s Divide and Kreate making Lady Gaga and the Eurythmics pulsate under the strobelight; and L.A.’s Brat, getting the Cure to swoon like heaven with the Commodores. However, the ass-shaking champion is DJ Zebra’s “Roxanne Should Be Dancing,” where Sting gets busy with the Bee Gees. Seriously—try sitting down while it’s cranked! You can download them all separately or as a zip file (with artwork/credits) here—bootieusa.com/bestofbootie2008. Go on, mash it up—and I’ll see you on the Bootie L.A. dance floor!

Kylie Minogue - Boombox - EMI

Speaking of mashups, our girl Kylie was one of the first pop artists to jump headfirst into the underground, making her own combo using “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” vs. New Order’s “Blue Monday.” Problem was, it was only used for a live 2005 TV appearance, and never properly released—until now. And it’s the first track kicking off this jam-packed roundup of dancey remixes covering Kylie’s 2000-2008 output. These makeovers run the gamut from major retellings to hewing a little closer to the original seam. Of the former, “Love At First Sight” revs full-throttle disco with an additional rap section by Kid Crème; “Come Into My World” shifts from breathy pop to swirling, electroclashy throb by Fischerspooner; “Red Blooded Woman” doubles the tempo with a toe dipped in electronic indie rock by Whitey; and “2 Hearts” segues from glam rock sass into a pumping Ibiza anthem. Of the latter, Mylo gives “I Believe in You” extra mirrorball specks ‘n’ sparkle; “In My Arms” goes French tech-house courtesy of Sebastien Leger; and “Your Disco Needs You” sniffs retro disco poppers like the Village People, as mixed by Casino. New kids on the scene—L.A. Riots—help transform “Boombox” into a glitchy, synth-heavy, vocal-stuttered explosion. While some of these mixes are brand new and unreleased, others are older but not as easy to find—so if you’re a Kylie Kultist, buy this and prove just how truly gay you are.

Catch Paul V. spinning at Bootie L.A. the first Saturday of the month at the Echoplex, and Dragstrip 66 quarterly at the Echoplex. Get more info at—myspace.com/neonnoise