Just trying to turn you on

I don't talk about music much, do I? I've thought about it, and even had a suggestion last year from a mm reader to review a CD every now and then. The problem with that approach is that I so rarely buy an entire CD nowadays -- I'm quite happily entrenched in the iTunes per-song purchase model.

What I thought may be interesting instead is to turn you on to some cool artists I've found recently.

Low Motion Disco
I discovered this duo just by scopin' the iTunes store. Their music -- categorized as electronic, and almost entirely instrumental -- is rich, multilayered, intricate, emotive. Perfectly perfect for piping over your Shuffle while cooling down in the gym. Great for lazy Sundays, too.

The Cat Empire
Caught "Voodoo Cowboy" on WNCW, and just had to hear more! Browsed through their offerings on iTunes, and within minutes I was the superdelighted owner of 7 songs from three different CDs. Many tunes have an upbeat, ultra-fun Squirrel Nut Zippers-ish vibe....others are just wide open and make you want to shake your booty with abandon....others are a bit slower, moody, and deliciously drunk. All are different and guaranteed NOT to induce any yawning.

Los Lonely Boys
Another great group I found by browsing iTunes. This Texas trio has an appreciatively diverse sound -- their repertoire takes you from driving blues to Mexicali-esque happiness to just-plain-good body-bouncing beats. Compelling rhythms, all of them.

DJ Rekha
This woman was featured in an NPR interview which I caught one morning while getting ready for work. Intrigued by the funky, complex, worldbeat sound, I made it a point to look her up later, and wound up purchasing five tracks from the "Basement Bhangra" CD. The perfect venue in my particular universe? My pulsing, sweaty alone-time in the spinning-class studio. In another lifetime, it would've made kickin' dance music.

Rufus Thomas
I'm a little embarrassed to admit I didn't know this legend by name until Pandora directed my attention his way. I certainly recognized his music, though. Remember "Walking the Dog"? That's him. He has another lesser-known but equally fun toe-tapping song called "Can Your Monkey Do the Dog?". Ha!

Nouvelle Vague
This French group covers older songs, almost exclusively -- I really like to hear a great new spin on an old favorite, and these guys hit the target almost every time. I first heard them in a TV commercial for the cable reality show "LA Ink." It was a nearly unrecognizable, bouncy-and-cheerful version of Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself." They've also remade more obscure songs -- one of my faves is "Too Drunk to Fuck" because it makes me laugh.