MORRISSEY, ''A SONG FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS''
With dreary lines like ''I am angry, I am ill, and I'm as ugly as sin/ My irratibility keeps me alive and kicking,'' this song seems to be yet another tragic tune penned by mope master Morrissey. It's not. Though the lyrics are suitably glum, the song was actually originated by post-punk group Magazine on their 1980 album, The Correct Use of Soap. Moz offers a stirring tribute while putting his own theatrical stamp on the obscure tune — still, its fierce, angular melodicism remains intact. Buy the track — an Internet-only B-side from the ''The Youngest Was the Most Loved'' single — on iTunes.
OH NO, ''T. BIGGUMS''
This progressive West Coast MC-producer pays tribute to Dave Chappelle's infamous crackhead Tyrone Biggums with this track, which considers the ugly flipside to that character's hobbling drug addiction. ''Lord knows I'm tryin' to go legit,'' he raps, ''No girl, no job, sometimes have to rob, dressed like a slob.'' The sobering account is featured on his ambitious upcoming concept album, Exodus Into Unknown Rhymes, which offers beats exclusively made of samples from the music of composer Galt MacDermot, best known as the man behind the Broadway hit Hair. The pairing may seem incongruous, but it works. Download the song for free courtesy of eMusic, and watch the video on YouTube.
DA MUZICIANZ, ''POP THAT''
This trio, led by the Ying Yang Twins' D-Roc, could be the most literal act in pop music history. They're called Da Muzicianz; they make music. Their self-titled debut album is in stores now, and the cover of their self-titled debut album features a black paddle with the words ''in stores now'' emblazoned on it. Their first single was about camera phones — it's called ''Camera Phone.'' Such lack of literary ambition can be refreshing, like on this shamelessly raunchy strip-club bouncer that leaves very (very) little to the imagination. Buy the track on Rhapsody.
LOVE IS ALL, ''TURN THE RADIO OFF''
Coming from Sweden, these indie rockers debuted last year with a sound that was all jitters and spastic saxophone led by playful pint-sized frontwoman Josephine Olausson. This wide-open ballad is somewhat of an anomaly on their album, Nine Times That Same Song, which is now available here in the U.S. It shows them aping the grand guitar melancholy of bands from the Velvet Underground up through Jesus and Mary Chain as it provokes a sense of dreamy desperation. Wouldn't be surprised if this one ends up on a Sofia Coppola soundtrack at some point. Download the track for free here.
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