F@#k You

My full track by track breakdown of Lily Allen's It's Not Me, It's You will be rolling out tonight or tomorrow morning. Until then, here's America's favorite new excuse to say 'Fuck You.' Sometimes there's no other words. And at least through song it sounds so polite...

Lily Allen - Fuck You [mp3]

So you say / It's not okay to be gay / Well I think you're just evil / You're just some racist/ Who can't tie my laces / Your point of view is medieval / F@#k you / F@#k you very, very much / Cause we hate what you do and we hate your whole crew / Please don't stay in touch,
LtK

P.S. There is an actual pic of Lily flipping us the bird out there, but I thought the song was sentiment enough.

Dedicated Follower of Fashion

The Kinks - Dedicated Follower of Fashion [mp3]

Here I am shamelessly following the herd. And who is everyone buzzing about these days w/o fail? Little Boots, AKA Vic Little. Not that I don't get the hype, she has talent and promise in spades. But her material is still few and far between, difficult even to preview, so I've been reserving my ten stars for a full-length release. If there's one thing that's swaying me to hand out premature approval, it's evidence of LB's amazing live performances. Both Sheena Beaston and Tastes Like Caramel have awesome accounts / pics from her live New York show this past week. And if that's not enough to quench your curiosity, check her out quirky performance below, on Live with Jools Holland.

Little Boots - Meddle (Treasure Fingers Remix) [mp3]

Download a Free LB Mix @ her website

Sidenote: That awesome toy she has is supposedly a Yamaha Tenori-On. It looks really similar to a Monome 256, which I was obsessed with for awhile. Check out a live demonstration video of it's crazy beat sequencing skills (Listen for Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger sample). Speaking of Daft Punk, head on over to Amazon mp3 today if you don't already have a copy of Musique Vol. 1 (1993-2005); it's on sale for $1.99 as the daily deal.

Wade In the Water

You should consider this my "How to Love Mavis Staples in Five Songs or Less" post. Don't worry, I'm not allowing Matthew McConaughey anywhere near this one.

1. Mavis Staples - Wade In the Water (Live) [mp3]

Though you couldn't tell from their lifestyle now, both my parents grew up in Church. For my dad this meant every Saturday night and Sunday morning in Catholic Mass. For my mother, it was weekly trips to her local Unitarian Church. It's not really a surprise to me that after years of forced services, catechism class, and nonsecular school, they ditched the big man in favor of atheism.

2. Mavis Staples - 99 1/2 [mp3]

This did mean gospel music was somewhat scarce in my childhood. The genre became a discovery for me in adolescence, and one band I immediately admired was The Staple Singers.

Formed in 1951 by patriarch Roebuck Staples (Pops Staples), and supported by daughters Cleotha and Mavis, as well as son Pervis, The Staple Singers recorded together for decades. Initially signed to Stax records, the quartet later moved on to lay tracks for Curtis Mayfield's label Curtom, as well as 20th Century Fox and MCA. Pops Staples passed in 1994, after sustaining head trauma in a household fall.

3. Mavis Staples - We Shall Not Be Moved (Live) [mp3]
4. Mavis Staples - Down in Mississippi [mp3]

Mavis Staples began recording solo around 1970. She was largely unappreciated as a vocalist however, until her last two releases, Have a Little Faith in 2004 and 2007's We'll Never Turn Back. The latter album, which is chalk full of gospel re-recordings and civil rights era anthems, ended the year on my favorites list. Imagine my joy when Mavis released a live album only months later. Hope at the Hideout perfectly showcases her vivacious spirit and heartwrenching vocals. Though she may never be compared to Aretha, Nina, Ella, or Patti, Mavis is a diva in her own right. It only takes one track for me, but here's to loving Mavis in five songs or less...

5. Mavis Staples - This Little Light (Live) [mp3]

Two Halves: Fav Movie Music Moment #1

Priceless filmmaking meets music supervision perfection. They fall in love and become two halves of LTK's favorite movie moments.

My Morning Jacket - Two Halves [mp3]

Meet Exhibit A: Office Space's unfortunately named Michael Bolton busts Getto Boys' "Damn it Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" on his way to work. This scene speaks to people who have found themselves in a similarily uncomfortable situation singing aloud in their car, especially to a certain genre of music we might be judged for. That, and it's just friggin hilarious. Editor's Note: Whoever made this video messes with the scene after the first take (slow motion, etc.), so all you need is the initial 27 seconds.

Getto Boys - Damn it Feels Good to Be a Gangsta [mp3]

P, L, and Feeling Gangsta,
LtK