From CAKE’s Deadpan Cool to Erykah Badu’s Playful Soul: Six Unexpected Turns
Some weeks refuse to stay in one lane, and Musique Digs 688 is happily one of them. Chris Lake, Chris Lorenzo and Kenny Beats give CAKE a four-to-the-floor makeover, Clinic bring their unmistakable oddball pulse, and cupcakKe cuts through the polish with a quick-fire jolt. Add the disco lineage of Nile Rodgers and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, an Erykah Badu surprise from the Yo Gabba Gabba! world, and one more guitar-pop detour, and we have six reasons to press play again.
2,000+ TRACKS HEARD · 6 MADE THE CUT
Curated by DJ Anthony De La Cruz
Musique Digs Weekly Playlist is INYIM’s long-running weekly music discovery series, pulling the strongest finds across indie, rock, pop, soul, funk, rap and beyond into one focused six-track shortlist.
Always the Good Stuff, Never the Noise.
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THEE DIG OF THE WEEK
Artist: Chris Lake, Chris Lorenzo, Kenny Beats & CAKE
Tune: “Long Jacket”
WHY IT MADE THE CUT
Chris Lake, Chris Lorenzo and Kenny Beats rewire CAKE’s 2001 alt-rock hit “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” into an insistent house cut without losing John McCrea’s wonderfully dry delivery. That contrast—the familiar, sly vocal over a rolling four-on-the-floor pulse—is exactly the sort of unlikely collision that earns thee Dig of the Week.
Artist: Claire Rosinkranz
Tune: “Allergic”
WHY IT MADE THE CUT
A sharp-edged guitar-pop mood change arrives with “Allergic,” a track released as part of Claire Rosinkranz’s MY LOVER deluxe edition. The brisk, uneasy attitude is a welcome turn away from the deep bass of our opening pick, with a melodic streak that makes the emotional friction stick.
Artist: Clinic
Tune: “You and I”
WHY IT MADE THE CUT
Liverpool’s Clinic remain gloriously hard to file away. “You and I,” the first taste of their tenth album Wild in the Streets, folds their distinctive off-kilter instincts into a wiry, melodic new chapter. It is the kind of track that gets stranger—and more inviting—the closer you listen.
Artist: cupcakKe
Tune: “That’s Like”
WHY IT MADE THE CUT
At barely over a minute, “That’s Like” does not linger to make introductions. cupcakKe packs it with rapid-fire attitude and the kind of unapologetically sharp delivery that makes a tiny runtime feel like a full statement. A jolt of nerve and personality right in the middle of the six.
Artist: Disco Bambino, Nile Rodgers & Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Tune: “Dancing Without You (Quarterhead Remix)”
WHY IT MADE THE CUT
This is a disco family affair with a contemporary engine. Nile Rodgers’ rhythmic pedigree and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s effortlessly chic presence meet Disco Bambino’s dance-floor invitation, while Quarterhead’s remix tightens the whole thing into a streamlined club glide. Few things sound as good as generations of disco speaking the same language.
Artist: Yo Gabba Gabba! feat. Erykah Badu
Tune: “Birds”
WHY IT MADE THE CUT
The loveliest left turn comes courtesy of Erykah Badu, who makes “Birds” feel easygoing, warm and genuinely playful. Featured on Yo Gabba Gabba!’s Fantastic Voyages (Deluxe Edition), it is a reminder that music made for all ages can still carry unmistakable soul. Let this one be the soft landing after a wonderfully zigzagging set.
