My Name Doesn’t Change Very Often

Matthew Dear “Don and Sherri” – Am I crazy, or does this song include a small sample from Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World”? I honestly have no idea — the promo packaging does not include any detailed songwriting credits, and so I’m not sure whether or not the suspiciously familiar keyboard pulse is lifted directly from her song, or is just rather similar in tone and attack. Aside from that bit, “Don and Sherri” isn’t much like a Kylie tune at all. Whereas her material tends to move on to a huge, glorious hook and/or a grand release, Matthew Dear’s song is stuck in a paranoid, frustrated groove that presumably extends well beyond the point where the track fades out. (Click here to pre-order it from Ghostly International.)

DJ Blaqstarr featuring Rye Rye “Shake It To The Ground (Pistol Pete Remix)” – Though it’s not quite as intense and mindblowing as his Clipse remix, Pistol Pete’s latest track continues to push in an electro direction that’s one part cheesy and three parts awesome. Pete’s arrangement fleshes out Blaqstarr’s song without totally betraying the stark beauty of the original version, which was so focused on Rye Rye’s rap that it sounded almost like a glorified a cappella. Rye Rye is still front and center in the mix, but she’s carried along by a track that emphasizes and accentuates her hooks rather than just prop them up. (Click here for Pistol Pete’s MySpace page.)

Elsewhere: Fast Hugs on the weirdness of Natasha Bedingfield, Cokane’s Bloggery revisits the denim rock jacket, and Ruined Music returns from a brief hiatus.