Queen Of The Galaxy

Mark Ronson “Stop Me” – Mark Ronson is more than a producer; he’s a musical philanthropist who uses his considerable resources and connections to realize crazy pop dreams. He’s turned Radiohead’s “Just” into a funk number, Britney’s “Toxic” into a drag queen vamp featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and the Jam’s “Pretty Green” into a rowdy Ze Records throwback. Ronson has an uncanny knack for emphasizing the subliminal roots of pop songs, and executing his high concepts with grace and style. “Stop Me” transforms The Smiths’ “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” into a slick R&B number with his signature horn bleats, crisp beats, and electro flourishes. The vocal starts out sounding a little bit like Damon Albarn, but once it gets going, it shifts into a rather impressive simulation of Prince in his “When Doves Cry” mode. As the song hits its peak, it mutates into a cover of the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hanging On.” The transition is clever, fluid, and intuitive, and stands out as one of the more stunning pop moments of the year thus far. (Click here to buy it via Mark Ronson’s official site.)

In Flagranti featuring G. Rizo “Intergalactic Bubblegum” – Since it is pretty clear that I’m not allowed to talk about songs on this site without getting into every goddamn pedantic detail, I’ll just tell you straight away that this song contains a sample of “Knock On Wood.” It’s really not the most important thing about track — I’d like to think that its imperious sexuality, rhythmic vocal hook, and variety of sci-fi whooosh effects are more exciting and essential to its appeal, but hey, sometimes it’s more important to assert your trainspotter authority by highlighting trivia rather than, y’know, appreciating the spirit of a recording. (Click here to buy it from Juno.)