"Count Contessa" by Azealia Banks
Are you, an Azealia Banks fan, ready for the debut album from the hip-hop firebrand by now? Well that's tough luck, because new track "Count Contessa" is part of her forthcoming EP "Fantasea II: The Second Wave," which itself won't be released until July 2014 (her debut "Broke With Expensive Taste" is expected to drop in January). The track samples English producer Lone, creating a vibe reminiscent of the beach levels in "Mario Kart." Not hurting the sandy sensations are the sounds of waves and gulls that continue throughout. The eponymous Count refers to a jacked female who was, according to Banks, "the dyke who won the fist fight with Muscle Mike." We haven't found any references that suggest such a person ever existed, but hey.
"Over Your Shoulder" by Chromeo
Disco is seeing a comeback this year, thanks largely to Daft Punk and "Get Lucky," and production duo Chromeo are looking for a piece of the action. If you know what we mean. David "Dave 1" Macklovitch butters up a potential companion with smooth crooning, and a band of background singers jump in to add soulful punctuation. Guitar and bass are 100 percent disco, but synthesizers pop up to fill Chromeo's "electrofunk" identity. Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel handles the latter instruments, and creates a warbling ambience similar to that of Broken Bells' 2010 single "The High Road." The group's album "White Women" doesn't have a set release date yet.
"You Don't Get Me Twice" by Sleigh Bells
The new song off of forthcoming album "Bitter Rivals" seems to be about, logically, Alexis Krauss telling a guy off for betraying her trust. And the song certainly opens that way. From there on out it explores a number of topics ("the weather's boring" and "It's a terrifying thing, the American dream" for example) in between the overarching themes of mistrust. The instrumental aspects shift just as rapidly, opening with thumping bass and heavy riffs from guitarist Derek Miller, before stopping on a dime and becoming a pleasant acoustic melody. At the risk of offense, this is a girlfriend experience that we have before. Still a fun track if you can shake the feelings of ADHD. And if you're a Sleigh Bells fan, you can shake the feelings of ADHD.
