The Blender Bible — April 2008

SONG OF THE MONTH
1. Erykah Badu, “The Healer” Universal Motown
Our favorite batty R&B beauty soars gorgeously off the deep end yet again—this time proclaiming that “hip-hop is bigger than religion.” Amen!

2. Ryan Leslie feat. Kanye West, “Diamond Girl” (Remix) NextSelection
A feather-puffing marriage proposal, set to one deliciously squelchy electronic beat.

3. Dame Shirley Bassey, “Get the Party Started” Lock Stock and Barrel
Pink’s girls’-night-out hit gets a brassy treatment from the “Diamonds Are Forever” dame. And it works! Daniel Craig, we see you!

4. N.E.R.D, “Everybody Nose” Virgin/Star Trak
Pharrell and Co. serenade yayo-sniffin’ ladies over some raucous jazz-hop (cribbed from a Panamanian dance-­music group).

5. Jody Breeze feat. Rick Ross “Work” [online]
A Georgia tough and a Miami heavy serve up a menacingly lo-fi bragfest.

6. Clipse, “20K Money Making Brothers On the Corner” Re-Up Gang
Drug-rap heroes compare their slinging prowess to yoga, pole-vaulting and golf—this one goes out to all you Olympian New Age PGA hustlas!

7. Kanye West feat. R. Kelly, “Flashing Lights” (Remix) [online]
The Pied Piper hijacks ’Ye’s stroboscopic breakup jam with his trademark madman suavity. 

8. Excepter, “’Burgers” Paw Tracks
NYC odd squad celebrates fast food, cheap synthesizers, spooky kiddie voices and, beneath it all, a catchy bass groove.

9. Radiohead, “Bangers and Mash” [online]
From the In Rainbows bonus disc, a fuzzed-out hard-rocker.

10. Hercules and Love Affair, “Blind” DFA/EMI
Artsy-ass Brooklynites deliver some unstoppable disco, featuring trilly voiced androgyne Antony.

11. Gnarls Barkley, “Run” Downtown/Atlantic
Another up-tempo freakout—this time about monsters and beasties—from the odd couple of disco-soul gangsta rock.

12. Teyana Taylor, “Google Me” Star Trak/Interscope
Pharrell’s new rap kitten has a message for all who doubt her star status: Check the Web, bitches!

13. Foals, “Mathletics” Sub Pop
Oxford dance-punk smarties debut with a jam for all you long-­division lovers.

14. Adam Green,  “Tropical Island” Rough Trade
A chillaxin’ Caribbean idyll from indie rock’s oddball lounge lizard.

15. Panic at the Disco, “Nine in the Afternoon” Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen
Cuddly emo boys get a Beatles makeover and sing about lazing the day away—possibly on drugs.

16. Counting Crows, “You Can’t Count On Me” Geffen
A mellow acoustic ballad with an important moral—never trust a white dude with dreads!

17. The Kooks, “Always Where I Need to Be” Astralwerks
The Brighton crew bop their way through this celebration of … punctuality, or something.

18. The Mountain Goats, “September 15 1983” 4AD
An indie warbler offers up the groovin’-est song ever about former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

19. Cat Power, “I Feel” Matador
From the deluxe edition of her new album, Chan Marshall covers a song by Lil Wayne’s Hot Boys. Gloomily gangsta!

20. Jay-Z, “Ain’t I” [online]
Jigga brags about his $1,000 sneakers and the Basquiats in his foyer on this recently unearthed Timbaland banger.