Pitchfork said something a while back about the difference between Spencer Krug & Carey Mercer: the former simply pretends to be a beast, while the latter actually is. They nailed that fragile vs. outright insane dynamic in a big way, & it's a comparison that stays relevant with shifting trends. Faced now with a loud avalanche of noise pop bands drenched in wry poseurism, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend the fine compliment of "actual beast" to King Khan, exemplary gorilla of garage rock. We've swept through punk revival in a hurry, & while it was entertaining, I was never really convinced it came from an organic place. Enter the remedy: King Khan & The Shrines. These guys could stand toe to toe with Iggy Pop without flinching, and that's no exaggeration.

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For some insight into the highly scientific selection process that goes into our presentation of killer new music, check this text I got from bProp staffer Caleb today: "You Hear Colors should be the song of the day because it is the jam of the year." If Caleb decrees it, it is so. Actually, I wouldn't call CFCF's latest track a "jam" - more of a wicked slow roller, a sonic smooth feeling that accumulates around jazzy bass and springs of reverberation latched onto a deep-tom drum march. Best thing about this song is I have no idea how to categorize it: is it electronic? Is it jazz? Is it the best fucking elevator music you've ever heard? It's mighty calming but undeniably fresh at the same time. Download, send to your favorite music player, serve with lemonade and friends on a sunny day.

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"Shinelight" by Ras G triggered this thought: it'd be kind of disappointing if we encountered intelligent lifeforms on another planet, only to discover that they've evolved along a path basically parallel to ours. Wouldn't that be a letdown? I bet they sit on their asses watching television all day, just like humans do, watching sci-fi specials about what's out there in the great beyond. And when they're twiddling their intergalactic antennas, I bet the static sounds something like this song. It's like Flying Lotus' blippy space beats, but minus the beats - just a beam of ultrastellar connection to other worlds. And no, fuck you, I'm not high. I've just been watching too much NOVA in my free time. Props to Ras G for a fitting soundtrack.

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