Alias's "Well Water Black" whipped me sideways when the first verse kicked in - a soothing, pastel duet that seemed suspiciously restrained over the top of the instrumentals. Thirty seconds earlier, a muted, tail-heavy drumbeat seemed to foreshadow a genre-bending hip hop romp, and that first verse - at least temporarily - had me way the hell off guard. Enter WHY?'s guest vocals, flashing slivers of hip hop rhythm with an indie rock / downtempo cadence - and this track delivers on the cross-genre promise. This moves up and down like a slow, stalling roller coaster - it's a haphazard, but ultimately thrilling, ride.

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For a clutch of rappers whose claim to fame revolves around deconstructing and destroying the hip hop norm, it makes sense that the beat behind this collaboration is skewed and backwards. Ghostface Killa, Spank Rock and Amanda Blank take turns on this track, which sounds like a grip of electrical wires being torn apart - but, you know, in a catchy, explosive sort of way. If you think that description sounds "weird as fuck," congratulations: you just echoed the sentiment of our editor while she was uploading this track to the site. But what else would you expect from so many lyricists at the top of their game? Nobody wants normal from their rap anymore, and this track's got the trip hop genre cornered.

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We are here to formally announce our love affair with Hardly Art. The Sub Pop offshoot is responsible for the fabulous Arthur & Yu and Le Loup debuts, the latter of which topped our best of 2007 list. With the introduction of The Dutchess and the Duke, they're batting a perfect 3 for 3. Jesse Lortz sounds distinctly Jaggeresque in his vocal timbre, but Dylanesque in his prophetic lyricism; Kimberly Morrison brings a perfect backdrop of warmth to the rough-around-the-edges arrangement.

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From the album Noise Won't Stop out now on Kill Rock Stars.

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The album sets sail on a winter evening, wearily floating away from the fog-covered docks. It tumbles to the bottom of the cold, black sea, rises up to the moonlit sky, and drifts off to sleep as the sun begins to rise above the horizon. "All We've Left To Do Is Pay The Boatmen" begins with chiming bells, calling in the ghost ships that were wandering the lonely sea. But we are cast out into the dark waters with eyes closed, dreaming our way through the night. "Rest your head, slowly close your breath, completely satisfied, completely say goodbye. It's your time," sings Neveu, bringing in the theme of death that takes many forms throughout the album.

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