Menomena, Dr. Dre & Ratatat

Menomena got tons of praise recently for their latest record, with many critics fitting it into their "best of the year" slots. If you haven't heard it, do so now. "I Am the Fun-Blame Monster" precedes "Friend and Foe" but nonetheless carries with it the same high-energy, displaying the bands talent for crafting unique and complex pop songs.

Second on the list is Dr. Dre, the legendary hip-hop producer. When he made his come-back with the solo album "2001", he also released it rhyme-less, which was news to me until recently. While Dre's intention, i understand, was to encourage aspiring MC's to free-style over it, listening to it as a stand-alone is an interesting experience. It can feel empty, and repetitive without lyrics (as is to be expected), but Dre's abilities as a producer are irrefutable and "2001 - Instrumentals" gives us a welcome behind-the-scenes look at the process of crafting the kind of beat that inspires rappers to record timeless tracks.

Finally: Ratatat. A leak from one of my favorite bands has them giving us a sequel to their "Ratatat Remixes Vol. 1". An inevitability, looking at the title, this is more of the same thing as the first: clever beats, keyboards and electric guitar (sometime backwards!) replace the original instrumentals of songs by artists like: Notorious B.I.G, Young Buck, Kanye, etc. These guys are talented as fuck as producers.

Menomena - I Am the Fun-Blame Monster
Dr.Dre - 2001 (Instrumentals)
Ratatat - Remixes Vol.2