Tuesday, March 11, 2008

A weekly playlist for the listener with a one-track mind.

Andrew W.K.: "McLaughlin Groove"

Issue 1: Why did the already-plenty-strange Andrew W.K. record an entire song of verbatim dialogue from "The McLaughlin Group" and set it to what sounds like discards from a mid-'70s Queen album? Actually, we have no idea. But he did.

Megasoid: "JTMyLoveMegasoidRmx"

Between his drippy Madonna collaboration and his underwhelming appearance in the new Gnarls Barkley video, you might be wishing that Tyrannical Entertainment Overlord Justin Timberlake had sat this week out. But wait! The latest remix of "My Love," by Quebec knob-twiddlers Megasoid, will remind you why you used to love him. Hint: Judging from the ominous bleeps and thunks, it involves robots from the future.

Thao Nguyen: "Bag of Hammers"

Sometime D.C.-area resident Nguyen has been making underrated indie pop for years, but nothing so bubbly and seductively nutty as this. Because everything's better in Claymation, check out the video on YouTube.

Annie: "I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me"

This thin-voiced Norwegian pop sensation has been waiting an eternity for stateside success, and it's tough to see why: She's mean like Avril, sassy like Robyn and tough but wise, like Hilary Duff after she broke up with Joel Madden. Her latest and almost-greatest track flogs her favorite theme: the mechanized kiss-off.

Tragedy: "Stayin' Alive"

The only heavy metal Bee Gees tribute band you will ever need.

-- Allison Stewart