The Monthly - October 10

1. DUCK SAUCE – Barbra Streisand Hot Off The Press
DJ/producers A-Trak and Armand Van Helden have teamed up for their ‘disco house’ Duck Sauce project. This bouncy number comes with a music-sleb filled video too that’s worth checking out.

2. SPANKROCK – Sweet Talk New To Me
After seeing Baltimore rapper Spankrock tour with Mark Ronson recently, I dug out his record having never quite got round to it before. It’s fantastic party hip hop, with this being my pick of the 2006 album YoYoYoYoYoYo.

3. KANYE WEST – Christian Dior Denim Flow Hot Off The Press
Kanye’s been putting out TONS of free tracks lately, ahead of new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in November. This one features Kid Cudi, Pusha T, John Legend, Ryan Leslie and, surprisingly, G-Unit man Lloyd Banks.

4. LYKKE LI – Get Some Hot Off The Press
Swedish singer Li put out a great record in 2008, Youth Novels, and this is the first new track from her since then. I love the combination of tribal beats and a massive bassline, so fingers crossed the unconfirmed new album lives up to it.

5. KINGS OF LEON – No Money Hot Off The Press
KOL have always been better on record than live, and new album Come Around Sundown is as good as they’ve done for my money – more mature and, hopefully, with songs that sound like they’ll still be good for a long time to come.

6. ESCORT – Cocaine Blues Hot Off The Press
Escort comprises two producers and a singer from Brooklyn and they’ve come up with a great throwback jam here – a cover of classic reggae song Cocaine In My Brain by Dillinger.

7. JAMAICA – Cross The Fader Hot Off The Press
I know I put Paris’ Jamaica on The Monthly recently but after getting the album I was really impressed by it, so this, the first track from No Problem, makes it on this month. Really fun, upbeat French guitar pop. What’s not to like?

8. KISSES – Kisses Hot Off The Press
LA boy/girl duo Kisses (who, fittingly, look like American Apparel models), claim to be a disco project, though this goes further than that – and they’re influenced by Cerrone, my favourite French disco drumming old man with white hair.

9. CAMERA OBSCURA – French Navy New To Me
I ignored this Scottish band’s My Maudlin Career album when I got it on release in 2009, but heard this lovely track on the radio recently. They also have shades of She & Him, another band who’ve been on The Monthly.

10. TOTO – Hold The Line New To Me
This 1978 track might be familiar to some of you, but I only recently found it on a random compilation – I mainly know it after it was used in the excellent LehtMoJoe remix of Major Lazer’s Hold The Line, which again was on The Monthly.

11. KOERNER, RAY & GLOVER – Linin’ Track New To Me
For the 60th anniversary of the legendary Elektra Records label, Mojo mag gave away a hidden gems CD from the label, and this was one of those. The band were a blues/folk outfit from Minnesota.

12. FLEETWOOD MAC – Man Of The World New To Me
I need to do a concentrated effort on getting to know the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, when blues guitarist Peter Green was leading the group before the 70s pop era. All the tracks I stumble on are great, including this from 1969.

13. THE FACES – Tug Of War New To Me
No, not the 60s Rod Stewart band - these guys are from a random Africa compilation that I came across which was generally excellent, but this funk track stood out.