Stuck Between My Shadow And Me

Jamie Lidell “Multiply” – One does not reasonably expect great modern soul music to come out of Warp Records (home of Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Prefuse73) , but here it is, possibly the best soul record of the year and it’s by a white guy from England. Jamie Lidell’s songs are clearly reverential of 60s/70s soul music, but are arranged and recorded under the influence of hip hop and electronic dance music. The modern touches are not heavy handed or glossy, and are mainly textures and flourishes that add an unexpected bit of color to a familiar genre. This track is particularly inspired and catchy, enough so that it seems as though it could be a long lost Otis Redding single. (Click here to pre-order it from Warp Records.)

Ricky Wilde “I Am An Astronaut” – This is the 12 year old brother of Kim Wilde singing a glam rock song about the power of imagination that essentially fuses the aesthetics of Mott The Hoople and The Muppet Babies. It’s kind of astonishing, actually. God bless England and their insatiable appetite for bizarre novelty singles. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)