Music - Daft Punk

All Samuels Public Library cardholders are eligible for three free downloads a week from Freegal, a massive online database containing over 500,000 songs.  Sifting through such an enormous selection of music can be a daunting task, so we here at Samuels have decided to offer a few suggestions for the overwhelmed (or new) Freegal user.  This week we celebrate three songs from my personal ‘most anticipated album of the year,’ Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories: 

“Get Lucky” 
 When snippets of the first single off Random Access Memories surfaced more than a month ago I was salivating with giddy impatience over Daft Punk’s first proper album since 2005’s somewhat disappointing Human After All.  I played the 15 second clip ten times in a row, and when the full song was released I put it on repeat another ten times.  More disco sounding than the electronic music the duo is known for, “Get Lucky” feels like it’s going to be the smash hit of the summer.

“Instant Crush” 
 I admit I was initially puzzled by the announcement of a collaboration between Daft Punk and Julian Casablancas, lead singer of The Strokes, thinking it would result in a stylistic mismatch.  However, hearing the '80s influenced “Instant Crush” put my ears at ease—Casablancas’s rock chops and processed vocals provide a perfect counterpoint to the robotic pop sheen of Daft Punk.  And oh what a melody!  Instant crush indeed.     

   
“Giorgio by Moroder” 
Possibly the most ambitious song on the album, “Giorgio by Moroder” features a spoken clip by pioneering electronic/disco producer Giorgio Moroder.  While Moroder relates his personal history in the music business, the band starts off playing some funky disco in a traditional vein which slowly builds into a smooth synthesizer showcase before finally climaxing in a wild and joyous all-out prog jam.  The final effect is mesmerizing.