Listening Post

Another brilliant as hell video from Gorillaz, only this time they're joined by James Murphy and Andre 3000. I swear, if this isn't the inspiration for one of the houses this year at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, I'll be sorely disappointed.

Here's DoYaThing.

Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010 (7-5)

7. Gorillaz -- Stylo

Almost a full ten years after their debut, Damon Albarn's exhilaratingly indescribable cartoon band project just keeps going strong -- and they've never sounded more inspired than on the first single from 2010's damn fine Plastic Beach album, Stylo. Adding the almost otherworldly flow of Mos Def and the powerhouse voice of the great Bobby Womack to Albarn's characteristically laconic drone, the song sounds like the work of an old school Brooklyn DJ, maybe circa 1980 or so, who happened to be on mushrooms. It's a slickly evocative track, and it just oozes cool with every beat.




6. Vampire Weekend -- Giving Up the Gun

Music critics from every corner of the landscape spent at least part of this year looking for inventive ways to say that Vampire Weekend had overcome not just the dreaded sophomore slump but the burden of all the hype that had been heaped -- justifiably -- on their debut album. The band's Contra record wasn't just as good as their first; it was actually quite a bit better. Rather than trying to branch out, reinvent themselves or fix something that wasn't broken, Vampire Weekend doubled down on the qualities that made them the subject of intense idol worship by many and aloof dismissal by a few. Giving Up the Gun sounds like exactly what it is: four Ivy League guys remaking Paul Simon's Graceland-era sound, updated and syncopated, for the hipster generation. And while that seems like it should be an insult, it's anything but.




5. The Black Keys -- Tighten Up

One listen to the sixth album from the Black Keys and you immediately ask yourself two questions: 1) How the fuck do two guys get such a massive sound? and 2) why haven't they been the biggest band on the planet for the past nine years? Tighten Up is their second collaboration with Danger Mouse, and the name of the song couldn't be more appropriate; DM's production feels like a gravitational singularity in space that compresses every note and beat played by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney into a kind of pinpoint, making their already unyielding sound really draw blood. It's bluesy, it's funky, and it's the song that finally -- and much deservedly -- broke the Black Keys wide open.



Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010: 8. Arcade Fire -- Ready To Start, 9. The Heavy -- How You Like Me Now, 10. Tame Impala -- Lucidity

Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010: 11. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby -- From Above, 12. Kanye West (Featuring Bon Iver and Gil Scott-Heron) -- Lost in the World, 13. M.I.A. -- Born Free

Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010: 14. Sia -- My Love, 15. Middle Class Rut -- New Low, 16. The xx -- Islands

Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010: 17. John Legend and the Roots -- I Can't Write Left-Handed, 18. Blonde Redhead -- Not Getting There, 19. The National -- Bloodbuzz Ohio

Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010: 20. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti -- Round and Round, 21. P!nk -- Raise Your Glass, 22. Drive-By Truckers -- This Fucking Job

Listening Post: The 25 Best Singles of 2010: 23. Best Coast -- Boyfriend, 24. Anberlin -- Impossible, 25. Fences -- Girls with Accents

Tomorrow: 4, 3 & 2

Listening Post

A damn cool cover, from the perennial home of damn cool covers, the BBC Radio One Live Lounge. Here's Damon Albarn and Gorillaz doing the xx's Crystalised.

Listening Post

This one doesn't have quite the mind-blowing element of surprise that Stylo did (it's also not as good a song), but it continues the trend of brilliant videos from these guys in general and this album specifically.

Here's Gorillaz -- On Melancholy Hill.

Wakey, wakey, gerbils. It's off to the little spinning wheel with you for yet another week.

Listening Post

Because there's nothing like an epileptic seizure to start your day.

Here's Gorillaz -- Rhinestone Eyes.

Listening Post: Bonus Edition

Because I just can't wait around to put this thing out there, here's an early candidate for Video of the Year.

It's the latest from Russel, 2D, Noodle and Murdoc; otherwise known as Damon Albarn and Company; otherwise known as Gorillaz.

This single features Bobby Womack and Mos Def and the video stars none other than Bruce Willis.

Go here to watch Stylo.