Songs that are Good

Super-busy right now, so here are some newish cuts from my workouts, that get me going 250 mph on the cross-trainer (w/ comments written at about that speed):
* Hil St. Soul “Copasetik & Cool”: Sucked in by cover sticker: “If you like Indie.Arie or Angie Stone, you’ll love Hil St. Soul.” Hello, I am an easily targeted demographic. Continues long nu-soul/R&B tradition of corny lyrics vs. great delivery = excusable (“You’re all that & then some, plus a bag of chips”? Hil, meet my friend Mya. She’s fallen, and she can’t get up because of love.) Strong delivery; melisma, zilch; British, so beats are crumblier, but not by much; Roots Manuva appears briefly. Liner notes: thanks Boubs, aka “Miss Current Affairs.”
* Candi Staton Reissues on Capitol = Listen, baby, men are bastards but they can’t help it–and we need them to dance with us. “I’d rather be an old man’s sweetheart (than a young man’s fool)” is my new mantra; septuagenarians may phone me at 294-084(you have to guess the last number.)
(Note: I shamelessly bit “guess the last number” from my friend Nathan, who is a walking one-liner. Our last lengthy conversation was about a corndog.)
* Ty “Upwards”: What happens to a good emcee after grime and Drew get hold of him: bouncement? Goodbye to “Awkward” jazzy consciousness, barring “Music 2 Fly 2” (“The city is my perch and I look out with an eagle eye, breathing in its pulse, fixing my eye on the tender nape of its neck,” etc. [not a real line]) British again, so I miss cultural references: “I’m coming like a Levi’s ad, I’m higher”? Pardonnez-moi?
* Queer Eye for the Straight Guy soundtrack: Old fave songs (“Good Luck” B. Jaxx, “Move yr Feet” JR/SR) become GAY FRIENDLY (or WERE gay friendly but are now explicitly labeled as such). What would Laura Bush think? What is Kylie Minogue thinking? Both need rebooting.
* Make Believe EP: the only rock album I can currently get with on the rowing machine. Tim Kinsella is a whirlpool and I can’t get up because of love.