With nu-skool nostalgia hat tippers The Knocks and Samuel in tow, Chinatown's own Heavy Roc Music cooly planted their flag on the New York music scene in 2009 as a label with one ear toward mom and dad's dance records; the other on the L train. Even their press photos have headbands!

Stepping out confidently this year under the HRM label is Detroit's Alex Winston, whose extraordinarily playful LP debut this February belies her previous Grammy-nominated songwriting career (for Black Eyed Peas of all people, LOL).

The below "Animal Baby" skips giddily between back-clawing innuendo and squeakier brands of sassy she-pop; Winston's innate musical skills less challenged here than they are just playing around. The track's levity suits Alex well- she might not be the marrying kind, but at least she's not brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack. I'm really, really liking this track.

Ups.

Alex Winston "Animal Baby"