“Good luck in your new bed/enjoy your nightmares/when you’re resting your head.” That’s what Lisa Kekauala of The BellRays sings on “Good Luck,” the opening track of the new Basement Jaxx disc Kish Kash (Astralwerks). I can’t remember the last time that I heard such a pleasant sentiment twisted in a manner this wicked and vengeful. It’s also got a great beat and you can dance to it. Like Kristine W on the Murk CD, Meshell Ndegeocello’s vocals on the fierce and non-stop dance party of “Right Here’s The Spot,” practically made me drool in anticipation of her forthcoming Comfort Woman CD. Not since she teamed up with Scritti Politti a few years ago has Ndegeocello sounded like she was having so much fun. This is one spot she doesn’t want removed. “Supersonic,” featuring vocals by Totlyn Jackson, is both super and sonic, and features a mean harmonica solo. While Justin Timberlake is off perfecting his Michael Jackson impression, N*Sync brother J C Chasez is perfecting his Prince with a little help from the Jaxx on “Plug It In.” “If I Ever Recover,” gives the listener the chance to do just that before Siouxsie Sioux (yes, that Siouxsie Sioux) makes you pay on “Cish Cash.” “Hot ‘n Cold” messes with the temperature and with your head and Ndegeocello returns to wind it down and wrap it up on “Feels Like Home.”
With its second domestic release, Atlas (Nettwerk America), cutting edge rock en español act Kinky has released one of the smoothest dance discs of the year. Abandoning some of the turntablist tactics of its eponymous debut Kinky generates organic beats that can’t be beat. Singing in English and Spanish, Kinky knocks down language barriers and instead constructs a wall of welcoming sounds. “You paint everything in colors instead of black and white,” they sing on “Presidente,” hailing on the chief and not to him. “The Headphonist” is a seductive song bout being seduced by sounds and “The Snapshot” sounds as good as it looks. The skilled musicians of Kinky are also confident enough to dabble in vintage rock disco as you can hear on “Do U Like It?,” and the answer is yes. “Airport Feelings” could be the theme song for the Mile High Club and “Pos Que Se Vengan” sounds like a south of the border version of Ministry. “Minotauro” is Kinky at its kookiest, singing about sleeping barefoot so that dreams can enter your feet and not being “afraid of the roller coaster.” “My God Is So Quiet” is as close as I’ve come to a religious experience in a while.