via Pitchfork

Since the now infamous Taylor Swift incident, Kanye West has been laying pretty low. Up until a couple of months ago, he’d been almost completely silent for 9 months, taking some time to lick his wounds from the fallout. But now, he’s back in a big way, which for those of us who enjoy Kanye doing what he does best — making GREAT hip-hop music — is  excellent news.

Apparently he’s releasing a brand new album sometime this fall. There’s no official date for the album yet, although it’s said to be September 14th and likely titled Good Ass Job (Ye confirmed that’s no longer the title on Twitter this morning). He dropped the first single off it, “Power,” online, and then performed it at the BET awards. Both indicated a triumphant return to form, especially for those who didn’t favor the style of his 808s and Heartbreak album.

News on the web today is that he rapped a bunch of tracks off of the album at the Facebook HQ (huh?), and they’ve made it to YouTube this morning. All the rhymes are rapped Acapella, so there are no beats, but Kanye does some serious spittin’. Check out some of the videos below of a particularly dapper looking Kanye rapping tracks titled, “Lost In The World,” “My Chain Heavy,” and “Mama’s Boyfriend.” They’re all sick, but I’m especially a fan of “Mama’s Boyfriend.”

This one’s from a post on Kanye’s own blog about the performance.

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“Lost In The World” & “My Chain Heavy,” both via Pitchfork

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“Mama’s Boyfriend”

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Also, it isn’t verified yet, but some sources close to him are claiming that Kanye has now started a Twitter account. It only has 2 Tweets so far, but they mention him attending meetings in Silicon Valley, which sounds about right with his performance at Facebook HQ. It’s pretty simple: @kanyewest.

*Update: The Twitter is really him, ’cause it’s now verified.

** Another Update: Ahhh, he’s at it again. Continuing on the trend of inpromptu social media drop ins, Kanye decided to spit a few more rhymes for the folks at Twitter today. What is with this guy and websites today. Hey, Kanye, if you haven’t had your fix of website HQs today, come on down to MetroLyrics LOL.

Anyways, there’s one low quality video below. Hopefully some better stuff shows up soon.

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Check out the video below, and look for this version of “Hang With Me” when it’s released August 16th in Scandnavia, August 17th in North America, and September 5th in the UK and Australia. The album drops September 7th.

As Robyn promised, she plans to release 2 more albums this year alone. The second of the trilogy, Body Talk Pt. 2 is due out on September 6th and features a sped up single version of “Hang With Me,” which originally appeared on Body Talk Pt. 1 as an acoustic ballad. Sounds like a new dance jam to me. Check out the radio rip of the song below and be sure to look for it and Body Talk Pt. 2 very soon.

Robyn – Hang With Me (Official Single Version)

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In an act of certain genius, the band combined three things that absolutely everyone in the entire world likes into one video:

1. Music
2. Dogs
3. A Swimming Pool

How could anyone possibly not approve of this video? You can’t, it’s impossible. Genius move, guys.

Check out the video below of Tokyo Police Club’s newest single, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger).”

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Lately, I’ve come across a number of  phenomenally talented female artists, who I hope might be the answer to this predicament. It’s nothing against the current ladies of pop, but, honesty, I’m so tired of hyper-Auto-Tuned junk, that if I have to hear “Your Love Is My Drug” one more time this summer, I’m gonna puke.

So, as a result, I’ve put together a little list of worthy lady candidates – some of which you may or may not know about – that I hope might be waiting in the wings to take over the airwaves and rescue us from our current wave of bland cookie cutter pop.

Florence and the Machine

The name Florence and the Machine can be misleading. Although it might sound like the name of a full performing band, it’s mainly a single woman operation. Florence Welch takes on the lead singing duties, and employs sessional musicians from a range of different styles where she sees fit.

Born and raised in the UK, Florence Welch’s music is truly unique. Her skills saw critical praise with the release of last year’s debut album, Lungs. Just recently, the 7^th album single “Cosmic Love” has been gaining some steam, with a feature on the hit TV shows Grey’s Anatomy and So You Think You Can Dance, and she continues to pick up speed with a recent contribution to the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. It’s a good possibility you’ll be seeing more of her in the very near future.

Here’s the video for her single, “Cosmic Love.”

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Sky Ferreira

Although this young lady has yet to release a studio album, it’s done nothing to stop the buzz that she’s getting. Taking a quick glance through some of her online interviews and profiles will give you a bit of a taste of what she’s all about. At the age of 17, she’s clearly already honed her LA trashy-art-glam look, and has already held down jobs as a model and actress on top of her singing. Last year, she signed to EMI and has already lined up some promising producers for her first album, which reportedly include Bloodshy & Avant, Paul Epworth, Neon Hitch, Dallas Austin, Greg Kurstin, among others. The online rumor mills have been buzzing about Sky for a while – one claims that she made Michael Jackson cry with her voice –

I came across the video for her first single “One” off of the upcoming album. It’s a SUPER catchy pop jam, and I won’t be surprised if it takes off pretty quickly. Have a look at it below, and admire the windmill hair!

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Ellie Goulding

The second Brit to crack the list, Ellie Goulding, released her first full-length debut album, Lights, on March 1^st of this year. Topping the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll, she’s seen success in the UK, but it has failed to transfer to the North American music scene to date. Not only does she have some very catchy tracks, but she is prime material for a DJ dance remixes; a quick search for her name over at the Hype Machine quickly confirms this.

Check out the video for her newest single, “Guns And Horses,” below. I’ve also included links to two of her other videos if you like what you hear (and see for that matter).

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Under The Sheets

Starry Eyed

Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae is crazy good. I mean that. Last month she released her latest album, The ArchAndroid, and I promise you, you’ll be seeing it on a lot of best of 2010 album lists (including mine). She isn’t exactly poppy, but her Prince inspired Hip-Hop/R&B/Funk style tunes are something to enjoy, nonetheless.

Check out the video below for her song “Tightrope” feat. Big Boi, and be sure to check out her album ASAP.

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Marina and the Diamonds

Marina Lambrini Diamandis is the voice behind the stage name, “Marina and the Diamonds.” She found fame after finishing second on the BBC’s Sound of 2010 Poll, right behind, fellow list-mate, Ellie Goulding. Earlier this year, she released her debut album, The Family Jewels, and has been releasing a number of hits to some European success. She release her album to the US audience in March, but has yet to see superstar success, so spread the word!

Check out the video for her single, “I Am Not A Robot” below.

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Just like her contemporary, Ellie Goulding, she is also a remixer’s dream come true. You can check out some of them here if you like.

Yahoo’s OMG has Rhianna’s new haircut on their “What Were They Thinking?” slideshow, and they call it “disastrous.” The fashion-forward singer is always pushing the envelope, but we think this look is actually pretty tame– it even makes her look younger somehow. What do you think? Fashion do or don’t?

If you aren’t already familiar with them, check this out and tell us what you think!

While watching a re-run of VH1’s “100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs” today, Queen Latifah’s “Ladies First” really stood out to me. Her current CoverGirl look (see above) is a pretty dramatic shift from where she was when All Hail The Queen came out in 1988. She’ll be hosting the People’s Choice Awards again in January, and her most recent album, August’s Persona, should give her some good tunes to work with if she sings during the broadcast.

To get a feel for how a strong woman like the Queen can evolve, check out the video for her classic “Ladies First” below…