Was camping this weekend with no network access, so I deprived everybody of music. Sorry! It's a shame there's no other way to listen to music! Anyway, here's your relief.
Outkast, "Take Off Your Cool"
Outkast, at the top of their game, was breathtaking. Up through Stankonia, they were just incredible. At then, 2003 saw them release Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, two solo records just packaged as one release under Outkast. And for the first time, they were really showing some cracks. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx was outstanding, while Andre 3000's The Love Below was uneven at best. He delivered the standout hit ("Hey Ya!"), but most of his album is frankly a mess, wandering around too much for me to truly love it. This song, a collaboration with Norah Jones, is a good example - it doesn't really go anywhere.
They Might Be Giants, "My Evil Twin"
Here, TMBG are in full-on "warped storybook" mode, with a track off the last album before they turned into a real band and not just a duo, Apollo 18.
Devin the Dude, "Zeldar"
Even when he's pretending to be an alien just visiting earth, Devin is still rapping about weed. You have to admire his single-mindedness. But seriously, this album is really good.
Headcrash, "Scapegoat"
Once again, Discogs is the only evidence I have that I didn't just make this album up. Like some unholy union of KMFDM and 311, this didn't start out good and time has not been kind to it.
Kustomized, "The Place Where People Meet"
Kustomized features Peter Prescott (Mission of Burma) working in a very similar vein, of the kind of noisy rock that Mission of Burma and other Matador acts of the time put out, such as Yo La Tengo's noisier efforts. As you'd expect from a band with a strong pedigree like this, it's good stuff, and recommended for any Mission of Burma fans.