Heavy Rotation: Os Mutantes, Tommy Roe, Linval Thompson + More!

We've got everything full of sunshine and wonder this week: tropicalia, super-sweet psych-pop, an old school ganja anthem and Jay-Z. Hit it up on our homepage as per usual!

Tommy Roe, "Moontalk"
Once, when I was working at a secondhand children's shop in Brooklyn, someone sold us a Cold War-era Golden Book about a little boy who dreamed of becoming an astronaut. My boss and I sat behind the cash reading it aloud to one another; we both gasped at the book's closing sentiment: "My dream," said the boy, "is to go to the Moon. No man has ever set foot on the Moon, but one day soon, America will!" or something similar. It really was a "trip," in the truest sense of that word's colloquial usage. "Moontalk" by Tommy Roe is the bubblegum pop equivalent of that pre-Apollo kid's book; hearing people from the past talk about the future is always brilliantly uncanny. This song positively drips with synthy molasses-esque sweetness, and is so catchy it makes "Dizzy" sound like David Banner. (Laura)

Os Mutantes, "Baby"
Did I mention that I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall? It's true! My favorite musical components of the movie were those performed by Jason Segel, especially the extemporized angry piano ballad about his needing to see a psychiatrist, but the rest of the soundtrack's pretty all right too. For one, there's this sweet little flashback montage of lovey moments set to "Baby" by Os Mutantes, everybody's favorite Brazilian tropicalia band from the 1960s. The problem with me and Os Mutantes is that, whenever I remember they exist, I get wicked excited and play Everything is Possible till I'm SO SICK of it and never want to hear it again. I'm trying to resist that this time. Anyway, I've always loved "Baby" most for its oddball attempts at lyrical seduction: "You must try the new ice cream flavor," "Look here, read what I wrote on my shirt." Those sound like things I'd say. (Liz)

Calla, "Stealth"
Do you hear that evil laugh? That's me -- now that I've outed my crush on Calla, I feel suddenly liberated to spread the gospel of their music everywhere. This jewel of a track is actually one of their more obscure bits, but it's got all the prerequisite elements of their music that I love: intriguing soundscapes, twist-y song structure, sinewy guitar work that's super-subtle but super-hot, vague yet suggestive vocals, and a penchant for mysterious one-word titles. It's kind of like if Can did a really sexy film noir or spy movie soundtrack or something, which is just about the most perfect thing I can imagine these days. (Kat)

Linval Thompson, "Jamaican Colley (Version)"
You know how the weather gets all nice and all the college kids decamp en masse to the quad to sit in the grass and play hackey sack? And you know how there's always that one dude who brings out his acoustic guitar to play Bob Marley? Well, if that guy were really cool, he'd play Linval Thompson instead, who was way more hardcore and trippy than Marley. I mean, just listen to the passion and conviction beginning with the first line of this song! This guy really loves marijuana! Shit is crazy! (Kat)

Jay-Z, "U Don't Know"
There's a lot of Jay-Z energy in my life lately, which is never a bad thing. On the contrary, it's probably one of the best things in all the world. I'm getting re-obsessed with The Blueprint right now and "U Don't Know" is maybe my favorite track - I like to put it on my headphones and pretend that Jay-Z is either my financial advisor or spiritual mentor or some hybrid of the two. Also, last week I received news that made me feel less than powerful, and "U Don't Know" is always great at making me feel totally mighty all over again. (Liz)

Ananda Shankar, "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
If I were trapped alone in a recording studio for two weeks, forced at gunpoint (or not at gunpoint) to arrange, produce and engineer my own solo album, I'd probably end up with fifteen songs that sounded exactly like this, only with stupider lyrics and scuzzier bass. It would be the most important album ever made. This is the best song to listen to at an obscenely loud volume when you're getting ready in the morning. It actually provides its listener with an adrenaline rush akin to how you might feel after your longest-running rock star crush just asked you for your hand in marriage. It hypes me up so bad that I end up doing things like running across the length of my apartment at full-speed and then taking a flying leap into the front door and injuring myself. Totally worth it. (Laura)

Posted by Kat, Liz and Laura in Heavy Rotation
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