by Paul V.

Singled Out

Amy Winehouse - Rehab - Universal

This U.K. naughty girl got strong-armed by her record label to kick her partying habits, gave them the middle finger, then wrote this unbelievable smash hit that's a finger snappin' blend of Nina Simone and Erykah Badu on a Motown bender. Yes, yes, yes!

Belinda Carlisle - Voila - Ryko

When you think of Belinda Carlisle, you probably envision the once chubby-cheeked singer from The Go-Go's in the back of a convertible riding around Hollywood, or on water skis in the “Vacation” video. Ah, the ‘80's—good times! But with her first new record in a decade, Carlisle hangs up her new wave past and jumps pumps-first into the land of the croissant and Eiffel Tower (where she's lived for the last decade, actually), covering French pop songs from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s—and yes, singing entirely in French. Now, I don't speak French myself, and I'm no expert on these “chansons,” but this is a surprisingly fantastic disc! Carlisle's voice, which has matured nicely, suits the material extremely well, and she worked hard on sounding authentic in pronunciation, key and emotion. The album includes songs popularized by Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf, presented in a dizzying array of ingenious styles, from hushed ballads (“Merci Cherie”), to spaghetti Western romps (“Jezebel”) to sensual trip hop (“Bonnie et Clyde”) and pulsing disco (her fabulous take on Piaf's classic “La Vie En Rose”). Hell, “Pourtant Tu M'aimes” almost sounds like an outtake from the “Mad About You” sessions, as it kind of rocks. Also of note, Brian Eno's here on keyboards. Don't let the language barrier stop you from checking this out (and yes, there's a bonus disc in English in case you're frightened). Oui got the beat!

k-os - Atlantis: Hymns For Disco - Virgin

I knew nothing about k-os previously, but he's apparently a huge deal in the Canadian music scene. And on his latest disc, this very eclectic cat is poised to impress big-time down here in the States. The Trinidad-born singer is all over the place musically, drawing upon influences as wide as Stevie Wonder, OutKast, De La Soul, The Fugees, and even Bloc Party. The magnetic vocalist jams a “Jailhouse Rock” riff with a twangy lick and turntable scratches on “Equilizer;” “flyPaper” bounces to a Motown-popping groove with a ropy acoustic bassline (think Gnarls Barkley's “Smiley Faces”), and “The Rain” is a soulfully sincere string-laced piano-ballad that almost recalls James Brown's “It's a Man's Man's Man's World.” He also enlisted plenty of homegrown pals to fill out his rich, expansive sound: Sebastien Grainger, of the now-defunct Death From Above 1979, rounds out the galloping rhythms on "Sunday Morning" (the disc's potential smash hit); Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene brings up the rear in the punk-lite "Valhalla"; and Halifax's renegade rapper Buck 65 guests on the closer, "Ballad of Noah." All told, this disc shows why k-os has been heaped with so much praise, not to mention music awards: his patchwork of genres and sounds, thought-provoking lyrics and a feeling of joy and hope for what he is doing makes for one compelling listen. Speaking of Gnarls Barkley, if that record got under your skin, this could easily do the same.

Victor Calderone - Evolve - Ultra

From the guy who has remixed everyone from Cher to Sheryl Crow to Goldfrapp (and a whopping 12 Madonna singles, even sampling her voice on one of his tracks), comes this seriously deep collection of house beats and late-night club jams. Inspired by his Evolve club residencies in both Miami and Montreal, Calderone has magically distilled the essence of his monster event into 13 tracks, featuring exclusive remixes and new edits of the most popular songs from his club arsenal. While the straight and married DJ has the reputation of being a gay circuit staple, his new disc slightly veers off that path of predictable tribal blandness and breathes some new life into the sounds of after-hours (and you pretty much won't find any big-voiced divas wailing here—thankfully). While the disc is, of course, a continuous DJ beatmix geared for the dance floor, the underlying vibe is absolutely trance-like, with highlights including Nic Fanciulli's hypnosis-inducing “Lucky Heather,” the wiggly and bass-heavy throb of Alex Dolby & Maskio's “Jack Is Black,” and Big Black Boot's “Vibrate,” the most anthemic (in terms of actual vocals) of the bunch, one that really builds and drops and peaks in energy. Similarly, Richie Santana's “Mind Control” will get your brain buzzing while your hips are shaking. Clearly, this isn't a collection to put on while just sitting around the house—and spinning this before 4 a.m. just might be against the law!

Check out DJ Paul V. spinning: Bootie L.A. first Saturday monthly at The Echo; Dragstrip 66 second Saturday monthly at Ex_Plx. Tune in to Indie 103.1 FM on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. for the “Smash Mix” and “Neon Noise” on Saturdays from midnight to 3 a.m. For more information, visit myspace.com/smashmix.