Song You Should Hear: Jack Peñate, “Tonight’s Today”

Afrobeat rhythms, vocals and guitars collide with Euro-club dance hooks on the latest single from Jack Peñate, a British singer with an infectiously soulful, hoarse, Cockney-schoolboy voice. I’ve been unable to get this song out of my head since I got it on a sampler from Peñate’s label XL Recordings. (The disc also features a fantastic cover of Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” by Peter Gabriel and Hot Chip — Google it). Apparently, Señor Peñate has been big in the UK for a while, but over here, folks don’t know him from a Mexican birthday-party staple. To wit: “Tonight’s Today” is the only song up on Jack’s MySpace page, but all the sold-out tour dates. Maybe he’ll make it over here someday. If his other songs are this good, I’ll be queuing up.

MP3:

The video, directed by Alma Hare’l, is pretty awesome, too — reminiscent of how my Friday evenings unfold after I’ve done a little day-drinking here at the office.