Honorable Mehntion #1

From time to time I hear great songs on albums that I don't enjoy quite enough to write a mehcommendation. The songs deserve some recognition, however, so I am introducting Honorable Mehntion, in which I'm going to discuss some songs that have ended up in heavy rotation.

Ssion: "Street Jizz" (from Fool's Gold)

I just can't resist a song this filthy. Not only is it about having anonymous sex in a public park, but it's got one of the catchiest choruses I've heard this year. It's dancefloor-ready in its natural state and it makes me think about becoming a DJ just so I can play it.

Kid: "I'll Never Know" (from Kitsuné Maison, Vol. 5)

Pitchfork cited this track as one of the worst on Kitsuné's most recent compilation, probably for similar reasons that I enjoy it so much. It's kind of silly and it changes directions too frequently to be very danceable. The cheesy tricks applied to the vocals don't add much to its credibility. Still, I can't get it out of my head.

Liars: "Army of Me" (from Stereogum Presents... Enjoyed: A Tribute To Björk's Post)

One of Björk's most brutal and sludgy songs becomes even more so when covered by perennial eccentrics Liars. I have a some spot in my heart for weirdos, so it's no surprise that I'm so tickled by Liars treatment of the world's most unlikely pop star.

Baby Dee: "The Only Bones That Show" (from Safe Inside the Day)

Baby Dee is even stranger than one would ordinarily expect a tranny cabaret performance artist to be. "The Only Bones That Show" achieves an optimal balance between her outre musings and solid musicianship and songwriting. Baby Dee is a classically trained pianist, after all, and she's backed up by a cadre of Drag City's best musicians. This track shows Baby Dee's progress as a songwriter, and I hope that her next album is the critical breakthrough she deserves.

Diamanda Galás: "Interlude (Time)" (from Guilty Guilty Guilty)

Diamanda is a master of transforming standards into dirges. This old song was popularized about ten years ago by a duet between Siouxsie and Morrissey. While their version was a lovely, if somewhat schmaltzy, single, Diamanda captures a sense of futility and hopelessless lying just beneath the surface.

Junior Boys: "No Kinda Man" (from Body Language Six)

Junior Boys dug out this So This Is Goodbye outtake for inclusion on their contribution to the Body Language series. "No Kinda Man" is a bit more like the songs on their first album. It's one of their slower tracks, but in other ways it exemplifies what's great about most Junior Boys songs: its buttery synths give it a smooth texture that makes it effortlessly enjoyable.

M.I.A.: "Paper Planes (DFA Remix)" (from Paper Planes Homeland Security Remixes)

This is the only remix of "Paper Planes" I know of that discards the notorious and controversial gunshots in the chorus in favor of The DFA's signature drum machine noodling. It completely changes the mood of the track. While the original track is about M.I.A. triumphing over the haters by making her mark in spite of them, this remix takes the battle to the dancefloor.

Santogold: "L.E.S. Artistes" (from Santogold)

Santogold's first single is a statement of purpose. After sacrificing and paying her dues for years by writing other artists' hits, she finally has her moment to shine. "L.E.S. Artistes" shows off her songwriting talent with an outstanding fusion of post-punk and hip hop. While the rest of the album doesn't quite live up to the promise of this song, it does inspire hope that her struggle will be worth it after all.