So you’ve prob heard Foster’s P.U.K. enough times this summer to make you P.U.K.E. but do give this new version of the smash hit reimagined by those kooky Kooks a spin. Cut today at BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge as part of their excellent covers series, The Kooks refashion the song a single guitar driven UK pop jam (not unlike their own sound lol). Hit that play button!
The Kooks – Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People)The Kooks 
(Official) (Facebook) (Myspace)
Rating 8.5
Coincidentally I drove through Cayucas not once but twice (Hurricane Irene flight delays!) in the last couple weeks before flying back east on Tuesday. Cayucas is a beautiful dusty little beach town on the PCH north of LA. “Cayucas”, the track by Santa Monica singer-songwriter Oregon Bike Trails is awesome on its own but gotta admit about 20 seconds in I was transported (a true test of the best kind of songs) back to last week and a place infinitely prettier, and sunnier (and less humid) than Boston. Get on the coast below. (R&G)
Oregon Bike Trails – CayucasOregon Bike Trails 
(Bandcamp)
Rating 8.5
Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Black Jet Radio have reformed and offered up two new releases including this classic yet fresh version of “The Wayfaring Stranger”. The band’s grimier rock undertones help roughen up an otherwise pretty portrayal of a soulful folk standard.
Black Jet Radio – The Wayfaring StrangerBlack Jet Radio 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Noel Gallagher’s never been too shy to fuck with a drum set or two. “AKA… What A Life” commands a dance floor. As adept as he is with chord progression and melody, Noel is well capable at capturing rhythmic moments when he wants to. Who else would have known Whitey’s drumming chops were the perfect fit for the rest of WTSMG? “AKA… What A Life” finds the pocket and maybe gives a glimpse to Noel’s forthcoming collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA… What A LifeNoel Gallagher (Official) (Facebook) (Noel’s 50 Funniest Quotes)
Rating 8.2
York UK beatmaker Handbook drops one of the coolest instrumentals we’ve heard in a minute. The track is one part space opera, one part jazz-inflected beats, and one part THE FUTURE. The future is now. Listen now.
Handbook (Soundcloud) (Facebook)
Rating 8.6
Ski Lodge sort of navigates a lane between the all too ubiquitous nu-surf rock genre and classic 80’s British rock (Cure, Smiths, those bands, etc). So while still sounding relevant Mr. Lodge a/k/a Andrew Marr manages to ground (class up) his sound by dipping his writer’s pen more toward those streams of great writing talent (from the 80’s). Without that influence would we (want to) listen? Prob not. But all that aside, Ski Lodge is two songs deep into an interesting, refreshing sound. (LB4YB)
Ski Lodge 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.0
TEETH’s new single for “Flowers” is out today on Moshi Moshi. Included with the single are three remixes, new spins from Brassica, CSS & our man Russ Chimes. Check out Russ’ fresh mix below and look out for TEETH’s Whatever LP, due Sep. 19.
Russ Chimes (Official) (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
Givers offer up a free remix of their single “Meantime” done by none other than b3sci favs Bombay Bicycle Club. The BBC contribute a feel good dance flavor into the mix that’ll have your Labor Day toes tapping in no time. Lets see the track!
Bombay Bicycle Club : (Official) (Myspace)
Rating 8.2
Kimbra’s excellent “Settle Down” track gets a chilled new remix via Aussie producer M-Phazes. Awesome.
Kimbra – Settle Down (M-Phazes Remix)M-Phazes 
(Official) (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.3
“Medicine” is the newest drop from WWPJ’s anticipated In the Pit of The Stomach LP. “Medicine” is tight, compressed, focused. It’s a compact dense piece of the best of UK rock right now. We couldn’t be more psyched for the LP. Send us the LP!
We Were Promised Jetpacks – MedicineWe Were Promised Jetpacks 
(Twitter) (Facebook)
Rating 8.7
“Neverland” comes to us via the latest installment of Cole’s “Any Given Sunday” series. (A series of free Sunday content drops all leading up to the release of Jermaine’s debut LP Cole World on Sept. 27.) “Neverland” knocks pretty hard. I think most MCs would be pretty jazzed to have a track like this, so the fact that the song is an outtake….Awww naw! Cole World.
J. Cole – NeverlandRating 8.0
Check out this video from MTV’s 120 Minutes of lo-fi prodigy Dean Wareham and his band Luna playing “California (All The Way)” from the 1994 album, Bewitched. The show, which ran from 1986 until 2000 on MTV and until 2003 on MTV2, has been recently revived with Matt Pinfield as its host. Indie’s current preponderance on late night TV is nothing short of phenomenal given its marginal status even ten years ago. We simply wouldn’t have Fleet Foxes playing SNL if it weren’t for Dean Wareham fighting the good fight 20 years ago. Luna never really escaped from the shadow of Galaxie 500, Wareham’s previous band, but “California (All The Way)” is one of the sweetest songs in all of nerd rock. “And now I realize I’m livin’ like a trucker does, although I haven’t got the belly” = pure brilliance. Now let’s get James Franco to act, write and direct the biopic! Contributed by Christopher Gedos
LUNA – California (All The Way)LUNA (Official)
Rating: 8.75
