Here are four amazing downloads for an early start on one of your last summer weekends of the year. So download, import, sync and drink.

Scissor Sisters- I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ (Teenage Bad Girl Remix) - For the Gays

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Starters Remix) - For the Pineapple Express Stoners

Will Smith - Prince of Bel Air (Starters Remix) - For the Old Schoolers

Bloc Party - Mercury (CSS remix) - For EVERYONE!

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Tonight, I’m going to be in Baltimore, and tomorrow I’m taking in copious amounts of sun and awesome music at the Virgin Music Festival. The schedule of events went up a few weeks ago ago, so I’ve begun filling my dance card of what I’m gonna be seeing for the two days. Today I’ll be sharing with you Saturday’s lineup, while tomorrow I’ll bring you Sunday’s. Keep in mind both lists are subject to when I get into Baltimore and what time I have to go to make it back to NY in time, but you’ll get the picture. For the record I’m more or less ignoring the Dance Tent, since I don’t particularly care about anyone who’ll be there.

KT Tunstall vs. Cat Power
My knowledge of Cat Power begins with the songs from V for Vendetta and ends with the fact that indie blogs love her, and my iTunes always skips over her, so I rarely listen to her stuff. I’ve seen KT live already, and in a super small venue, so this would just ruin the memories.
Advantage: Cat Power
Download: Cat Power - I Found A Reason

Duffy v. Gogol Bordello

I’ve been a Duffy fan for a long while, while Gogol Bordello has yet to truly amaze me. It’s kinda cool, but perhaps just a bit too weird for my liking.
Advantage: Duffy
Download: Duffy - Mercy (Morsy Mix)

The Swell Season vs. Lupe Fiasco

Well,  Lupe Fiasco  is a-freakin’-mazing and he is like no one else out there, which is damn hard to do. And, The Swell Season, appears to be Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from Once. Who are enormously talented as well, but I just don’t love this flavor of bubble gum.
Advantage: Lupe, Lupe, Lupe!!!
Download: Lupe Fiasco Featuring Jill Scott - Daydreamin’

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings vs. Bloc Party

Bloc Party is apparently one of the most fun sets to see (hearing all the kids talking around the water cooler is paying off) so I think that says enough. The Dap-Kings stuff I’m hearing on the iTunes previews reminds me too much of Duffy, too.
Advantage: Bloc Party
Download: Bloc Party - Mercury

Rodrigo y Gabriela vs. The Offspring

And here we have another dilemma. Offspring have immediate name and song recognition in their favor. But odds are they’ll be playing stuff from the new album, which is not such a good pick. I like what I hear from Rodrigo y Gabriela, and it sounds like it’d be a definite change of pace from the current look of my lineup. Since I’ll be seeing some decent punk rock on Sunday, I may well take a pass on Offspring if I get a good word on Rodrigo y Gabriela
Advantage: For now I’m gonna stick with the Offspring, but that’s in no way a definite.
Download: The OffSpring - You’re Gonna Go Far Kid

Wilco vs. Chuck Berry & The Silver Beats

Wilco is supposed to be pretty good, and one of my Be-Fri’s Jessica will not stop singing their praises (she loves Jimmy Buffett so that’s not saying much), they’re losing points here. Plus, it’s friggin’ Chuck Berry. Passing on this is like saying I’m planning to see Stone Temple Pilots over Bob Dylan…wait…oops.
Advantage: Probably Chuck Berry
Download: Chuck Berry - Route 66

Foo Fighters vs. Jack Johnson

Oh, come on. Are you seriously asking this?
Advantage: Foo Fighters
Download: Foo Fighters - Bakers Street

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I’m having one of those music-related/caused moments right now. I just listened through In Ghost Colours again with a little lump in my throat and I’ll be damned if Cut Copy hasn’t made the best album of 2008.

Cut Copy - Feel the Love MP3 | Download

Perhaps its the fact that I always had a soft spot for The Verve and was never content with them being pigeon-holed into the “Oasis-sound-alikes” category (despite being out before Oasis), or perhaps the Oooh-oooh aaah-aaah noises in the song sound creepily great but the new single by the newly reformed (again) Verve is quite a decent song altogether. Check it out.

The Verve - Love is Noise MP3 | Download

One of the best pop moments of the year is the mini temper-tantrum conveyed on the stompy hook to The Ting Tings’ “That’s Not My Name”, though it was never quite understood how anyone could think of TT super-hottie Katie White as a forgettable entity. Anyways, English rapper Dizzee Rascal takes on the dance fizzer in this Live Lounge cover.

Dizzee Rascal - That’s Not My Name (Ting Tings Cover) MP3 | Download

Everyone loves a good party, and the fact that this one takes place in some random spot reserved in your brain for rediculous horns, back beats and whiney falsetto vocals is no reason to stray. The new Bloc Party single is by far one of their biggest leaps in the hardcore dance music scene.

Bloc Party - Mercury MP3 | Download

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