The Bjork Has Landed

BJÖRK, ''Earth Intruders''
Björk was weird even for Björk on her last true studio album, 2004's Medulla, creating sparse, beautiful music comprised almost entirely of vocals and vocal samples. But if her new single ''Earth Intruders'' is any indication, her upcoming album Volta, due May 8, will be a return to her dancey, poppy (by Björkian standards) stylings of the past. The hypnotic beat is reminiscent of her 1993 hit ''Human Behavior'' and anchors the moody ambiance and unusual melody to something even us earthlings can comprehend. (Buy it on iTunes)

HOT CHIP, ''My Piano''
The good folks at DFA have done a lot to blur the lines between dance and indie rock (not to mention nerdy and cool-as-hell), and Hot Chip's song ''Over and Over'' was a perfect match for their remix efforts in 2005, which in turn helped make these London boys bona fide indie stars. Hot Chip followed in 2006 with their LP The Warning, which featured a mixture of skittering beats and something closer to straight-up indie rock with Alex Taylor's warm, effortless vocals keeping it all together. Similarly, ''My Piano,'' from their upcoming DJ-Kicks release, is peppered with mellow piano plinks and a sweet, mellow pop melody, but it's driven by a steady, pulsing beat that shows that Hot Chip hasn't lost the taste for throwing an old-school New Order-style party. (Listen to it on MySpace)

BIGGIE SMALLS ''Party and Bullsh—'' (Ratatat Remix)
Most of the posthumous Biggie Smalls material that's been thrust upon us has been a blatant attempt to cash in one more time on one of the greatest pop MCs of all time without much regard to quality or the artist's legacy. Ratatat's remix of this banger for their Remixes Vol. 2 collection, however, is another story entirely. The New York duo launches Biggie's hyped-up rhymes with their trademark funky/smooth blend of guitars, synths, and beats. Big's mic skills adds another layer to their usually instrumental fare, and it also serves to remind of us the MC's greatness rather than relying on it to cover up lazy, mediocre production like so many other takes on Big do. The end result is one of the finer hip-hop moments so far this year. (Listen to it on MySpace)

THE HONORARY TITLE, ''Untouched and Intact''
This Brooklyn duo doesn't rely on gimmicks or indie cred to sell their pleasing blend of folk, emo, and alt-rock. What works about it is they can get you singing along with catchy melodies, gritting your teeth with driving guitars, and wiping away tears with heart-wrenching lyrics — sometimes all at once. This single, from their upcoming third record Scream and Light Up the Sky, is more bouncy Dashboard Confessional than introspective Jeff Buckley, but even as you pogo around your house singing the chorus with a grin, you can't help but feel a tiny little lump in your throat when Jarrod Gorbel promises, ''I will always watch over you... over you...''. (Listen to it on MySpace)

ARCTIC MONKEYS, ''Brainstorm''
These sneering Brits didn't quite meet the next-big-thing hype surrounding their Stateside debut last year, though it's hard to imagine how anyone could've been too disappointed with the explosive punk energy and infectious alt-rock hooks on their first record, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Sure, you can accuse them of being little more than the Libertines on speed, but that speed and energy makes these guys a lot more fun. This cut is the first single from their highly anticipated follow-up, Favourite Worst Nightmare, which is due out next week, and it shows the Monkeys kicking up the intensity a notch. The video puts a group of gals in front of cheesy nightclub lights sweating it out to the song's jaw-clenching machine gun rhythm, and it's a reminder that these Sheffield boys are children of the Madchester dancefloor scene as much as they are disciples of Oasis or the Clash. (Watch the video at Domino Records' website)