New Music From Around the Blogs: Franz Ferdinand, Joanna Newsom, Saul Williams, DJ Excel

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Franz Ferdinand finally have a complete song for us to listen to at their website, although they want your e-mail address for the privelige. “Lucid Dreams” hums along pleasantly enough, at the tempo of “Take Me Out” but without the brain-seizing hooks. Hey, I think I can embed their player, so you don’t have to go here. (For fans of: Gang of Four, Buzzcocks, songs that mention Ithaca)

Via No Words comes good news for everyone into harps and stuff: a new Joanna Newsom song! Granted, in this working version of “Heart to Task,” the recording is terrible and I think you can actually hear someone sneeze. Unfortunately, proving the rabid intensity of Newsom fandom, the bandwidth limit has already been reached for the mp3, but you can still stream it here. (For fans of: Björk, CocoRosie, Narnia)

After the jump: Niggy Tardust puts feathers in his hair, and DJ Excel makes Baltimore mellow out.

AudioPorn Central has the video for the new Saul Williams track, “Convict Colony,” and it’s as nutty as you’d expect, sounding like Living Color mixed with Aphex Twin, illustrated with neon-colored imagery of explosions. Hooray! (For fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Aesop Rock, blowing stuff up)

Government Names keeps us in the B-more loop with an oddly mellow number from DJ Excel. “All Nite Long” has the thumping, syncopated bass drum that’s standard around those parts, but layers a lilting ’80s keyboard melody over the top, and the result is both energetic and thoughtful. (For fans of: DJ Blaqstarr, Burial, Lionel Ritchie)