LATEST CHART

SUMMER BEATS

Summer 2010 has been a great one for music, with a triumph from Big Boi, Eminem's return to chart dominance, and Kelis' rebirth as a straight-up disco diva. I'm feeling these and more.

1.  Sleigh Bells - Riot Rhythm [N.E.E.T.] 80s metal riffs, hyper-distorto hip-hop beats, girly vocals. What reads like a hot mess on paper becomes a raucous summer juggernaut in the hands of Sleigh Bells. Unique, utterly disposable and insanely loud, my favorite album of the summer!

2.  Jamie Lidell - I Wanna Be Your Telephone (Tiga's Party Like It's 19909 Remix) [Warp Records] Tiga gives Jamie Lidell's cranky funk single a beat-heavy rework. Nice.

3.  Big Boi - Tangerine [Def Jam Recordings] On top of synth squelches, overdriven guitar and a drumline rhythm, Big Boi urges his girl to shake it like a tambourine.

4.  Duff Disco - Gimme Some Bucks [Duff Disco] The JB's classic You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And I'll Be Straight--with that catchy-as-hell guitar riff--gets a chugging disco rework. Perfect for a late night dancefloor when folks are feeling especially funky.

5.  Kelis - 4th of July (Fireworks) [Interscope] A real departure from her previous left-field R&B hits like Milkshake, this is straight-up house, tastefully and expertly produced to hit all the pleasure buttons just right. In a perfect world, it'd bump Gaga off the charts.

6.  La Roux - Bulletproof (Hyper Crush Remix) [promo-only MP3] LA day-glo party maniacs Hyper Crush crank up the electro to 11. Undeniable.

7.  Milkman - Mucho Fresco [promo-only MP3] Latin hip-hop with those so-hot-right-now martial snares and a bit of digital cumbia. Dope!

8.  El Coco - Afrodesia / Coco Kane (Eddie Tour Edit) [Disco Deviance] From the Disco Deviance collection, Eddie Tour re-edits El Coco into a 12+ minute tribal disco epic.

9.  Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - Dog With A Rope [Tru Thoughts] Title track and lead single off the latest Quantic release. Dub Reggae meets Latin horns in a brilliant tropical soundclash. The soundtrack for your next BBQ.

10.  Minority Band - Live [Peoples Potential Unlimited] Lead cut off the amazing Peoples' Potential Unlimited Family Album, a jaw-dropping collection of unknown/unheard/under-appreciated disco, funk and boogie gems from the late 70s/early 80s. Lovingly and obessively compiled by DC's own Andrew Morgan.

11.  Mynabirds - Numbers Don't Lie [Saddle Creek Records] Like what recording in Memphis did for Dusty Springfield, DC indie-pop songstress Laura Burhenn moved to Omaha and found her blue-eyed soul. The whole album--What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood--feels like a lived-in pop-soul classic.