by Paul V.

Singled Out

Duffy “Mercy” (Universal)

She’s being hailed as the drug-less, scandal-less version of Amy Winehouse, offering her version of retro-flavored, soul-streaked charms. The Wales-based singer’s debut single is sass personified, blending a Ben E. King-esque beat and Duffy’s blue-eyed but smoky delivery.

Kylie Minogue - X (Astralwerks)

This here CD dropped on April Fool’s Day, but we might as well change that to Holy Happy Gay Day, ‘cuz when a new Kylie record drops, it’s a national gay holiday. Kylie’s 10th release doesn’t disappoint, and these 15 new tracks are so strong and immediately catchy, you could swear it’s a greatest hits collection. She also knows where her bread is buttered, clearly keeping X geared for global dance floors. A bunch of these tracks already topped the U.K. charts, starting off with the first cut, “2 Hearts,” a perfect slice of glam-rock sass cut from the Goldfrapp cloth. Then there’s “In My Arms” (co-written/produced with Calvin Harris and Superbass), bursting like classic Kylie, with an intricate and innovative modern pop twist. You could call “Speakerphone” the Part II to Britney’s “Piece of Me,” as it’s also written/produced by Bloodshy & Avant, and uses a similar robot-gurgle vocal effect and squiggly synth sound. On “Heart Beat Rock” (with Harris), Kylie drops a thumping staccato beat and rap-sings a la Gwen’s “Hollaback Girl.” But I think the real standout in terms of a gorgeous melody and near-poignant vibe is the classy pop strains of “The One.” Other standouts are “All I See” (including a second bonus version featuring Mims) and the campy fluff of “Wow.” There’s no rocket science here—nor Kylie addressing her cancer—but for pure, unadulterated dance-pop fun, Lady Minogue is still our girl.

Moby - Last Night (Mute)

The buzz about Moby’s latest effort (his sixth disc) is that he’s retreating from the downbeat sounds of his last few records with a collection aimed at the dance floor, and inspired by the sounds he was weaned on in early ’80s New York City. That’s an honorable and cool concept for a dance record, but you might be asking yourself, “Where’s the beef?” ’Cuz when Moby debuted, he dropped some foot-stomping, bad-ass bangers, but the majority of Last Night feels stuck in first gear, never really shifting to the highway speed he was once capable of. But having said that, he does manage to get the pulse racing on a few cuts. The aptly-titled “Everyday It’s 1989” is cut from the Loleata Holloway oeuvre: 808 drum beats, classic, shiny-happy house piano bursts, and a looped, gospel diva voice a’ wailing. It’s fairly formulaic, but bouncy nonetheless. Similarly, “The Stars” and “Disco Lies” sport a 4/4 rave beat and a euphoric vocal from newcomer Shayna Steel on the latter, and it’s the disc’s standout. Yet, the last half of the record shifts back down to what Moby said he wanted to stray from: bland and faceless ethereal instrumentals. The title track (featuring Kudu vocalist Sylvia Gordon), however, is quite stunning. While we can assume these are supposed to be the 5 a.m. moments, we could’ve used a bit more of those 1:30 a.m. jams, you know? Your best bet is to seek out a few singles.

Donita Sparks + The Stellar Moments - Transmiticate (SparksFly)

Wow, cool—Donita Sparks (leader/singer of the now-defunct L7) just dropped a really great solo debut. She’s definitely got one of those unique voices that when you hear it, you know it’s her. Sparks is still all heavy eyeliner and gnarly snarl in her delivery, but she also knows how to pack in the hooks, and she sounds at her most melodic. And while Transmiticate (a word, I swear, that George W. Bush must once have uttered) has shades of L7 and a ’90s grunge sheen, there’s something practically futuristic going on with the production and the sounds she captures. Kick-off track “Fly Feather Fly” is an almost hypnotic but hip-shaking thrust of surf garage, with Sparks keeping her vocals in the lower register. The crunchiest moments come on the plucky “Dare Dare” (think ELO meets Joan Jett) and the stomping, swaggering “Infancy of a Disaster.” Sparks then switches into schoolgirl-crush ballad mode on “Creampuff,” which imagines an early Blondie sound as produced by Phil Spector. My favorite track is the viciously sweet rocker “He’s Got the Honey,” where fuzzy guitars and Sparks’ great vocal delivery rule. Similarly, “Need To Numb” is slash-and-burn L7 updated for the 2Ks, while “Take a Few Steps” is undulating sex! All told, Donita offers a unique but comfortably familiar mix of searing guitar riffs cohabitating with synths, reverb, handclaps, girl-group harmonies and an avant-garde punk luster. Put this on your hit list.

Check out DJ Paul V. spinning: Bootie LA first Saturday monthly at the Echoplex and Dragstrip 66 at Safari Sam’s. Tune in to Indie 103.1 FM Fridays at 5:30 p.m. for the “Smash Mix” and Saturdays midnight-3 a.m. for “Neon Noise.” For more information, visit www.myspace.com/neonnoise.