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'TOON TUNE Green Day hits Springfield in ''The Simpsons Movie''

GREEN DAY, ''The Simpsons Theme''
Billie Joe and Co. have been in a somber mood the past couple of years, releasing noble-minded, heavy-hearted charity covers for Hurricane Katrina and Darfur. Still, the anarchic goofballs who recorded Dookie haven't disappeared forever just yet. The band cut yet another cover for a brief but hilarious Simpsons Movie cameo — this time spicing up Springfield's instrumental anthem with crashing power chords and Tarantino-worthy surf noodling. Sure, it's just a silly gag, and the tune loses something without the dialogue that surrounds it in theaters. But isn't it cool to hear these guys having a blast again? (Buy it on iTunes)

YEAH YEAH YEAHS, ''Isis''
The songs on the YYYs' brand-new Is Is EP were reportedly written back in 2004, which explains the dangerous energy that they share with the New York art-rockers' early recordings. This quasi-title track is a reminder of everything the trio does best: Brian Chase's tribal rhythms, Nick Zinner's serpentine guitar lines, and Karen O's keening, barely intelligible cries add up to something far more intense than the sum of those parts. (Watch the video on AOL Music or buy it on iTunes)

KEITH MURRAY, ''Nobody Do It Better''
It's been a strong year for NYC's aging Def Squad crew, what with Erick Sermon's EPMD reunion shows last fall and Redman's excellent (if underappreciated) comeback. And now Keith Murray's got a new CD, completing the Squad's surly lyrical trifecta. He spends most of his first single defending his mid-90s hit-making credentials (''For those who don't know or forget/To make you 'Happy' with Mary J., who Puff came to get?''); it's an understandable impulse given his four-year absence from the scene, but Murray shouldn't worry. No matter how much hip-hop trends change, his gruff wit will never go completely out of style. (Hear it at AOL Music)

ICE WATER FEAT. RAEKWON AND BUSTA RHYMES, ''Do It Big''
Just about every professional rapper has a posse of aspiring stars. For a group as large as the Wu-Tang Clan, that means a sprawling galaxy of sidekicks, gofers, and cousins-once-removed who think they can rip mics. That said, Raekwon's current protégés actually seem able to hold their own. On their debut single, the four emcees in Ice Water display a certain hard-bitten charisma that isn't so far removed from Rae's own, and they keep up with a newly rejuvenated Busta Rhymes (who sounds nearly as hungry as he does on T.I.'s latest album). All in all, it's another pleasant Wu-related surprise in a year that's already seen several of 'em. (Stream it from Ice Water's website)

BABY BASH FEAT. T-PAIN, ''Cyclone''
This laidback Latin rapper's new single could be an episode of ''When Ubiquitous Pop Trends Collide'': T-Pain comes through with his ten-thousandth impossibly catchy autotune hook while producer Lil Jon kicks in those shrieking synths he's been relying on for the last three years. Those elements really shouldn't work together — yet somehow this winds up proving how sometimes utter overkill sounds just great. (Stream it on Baby Bash's MySpace or buy it on iTunes)


Posted Aug 02, 2007 | Order Article Reprints