The incredibly dapper MC Spank Rock (l) has joined forces with Benny Blanco to sling super-sexist rhymes à la 2 Live Crew

There’s been a lot of talk in recent weeks about the health of the record industry in the wake of Radiohead’s online release of their latest full length album, In Rainbows for whatever would-be buyers felt like paying. Some saw Radiohead’s move as the final nail in the coffin for the way the record industry does business. Others viewed the Internet release as a hyped-up marketing gimmick that probably cost the band a hell of a lot of money. Whether more acts follow Thom Yorke and company’s lead and ultimately wrest control of how music is released out of the major labels’ hands remains to be seen, but for the time being, there’s still noteworthy music being uploaded to the Internet free for your perusal.

• The Wu-Tang Clan – Mathematics Presents Wu-Tang Returns (www.loud.com/feature/feature_wutangmix)

It’s no secret that mainstream hip hop hasn’t been too thrilling in the last couple of years, as a discouraging number of once-great artists have released uninspired, by-the-numbers albums that have the stink of contractual obligation all over them. With Jay-Z back from a brief retirement with American Gangster (his return to form is considerably more impressive if Kingdome Come is forgotten entirely) and the Wu-Tang Clan set to finally come out of the shadows on December 11th with their new album, 8 Diagrams, things are starting to look more promising.

Mathematics’ Wu-Tang Returns mix tape, which features new, exclusive tracks from the gangster rap progenitors and some remixed old favourites, certainly helps this growing feeling of goodwill. Clocking in at 80 minutes, the album isn’t without its dull moments, but songs like “Break that Break” and “Thug World,” with their claustrophobic RZA beats and samples from kung fu films, are classic Wu, making it conceivable that 8 Diagrams could see the Killer Bees return to their 36 Chambers-era heights. You’ll need to register at loud.com to download the mix tape, but Wu-Tang Returns is easily worth that minor inconvenience.

• Bangers and Cash – Various MP3s (www.myspace.com/spankrock)

Sticking with hip hop, one of the more bizarre, humourous and disturbing acts to make rounds on MP3 blogs lately has been Bangers and Cash. Comprised of MC Spank Rock and Benny Blanco, Bangers and Cash are a deliberate throwback to the early days of hip hop when 2 Live Crew were releasing crossover hits (or, more accurately, hit) and causing a great deal of controversy thanks to incredibly upfront sexist lyrics. Why Spank Rock and Blanco thought 2 Live Crew deserved a 2007 tribute is unknown, but the resultant five songs (entitled, “Loose,” “Shake That,” “BOOTAY,” “Pussy” and “Bitch,” respectively) available on Spank Rock’s MySpace are delightfully absurd and an amusing departure from Spank Rock’s usual grime-aping style. Sure, the rhymes rival 2 Live Crew’s own in terms of misogyny, but at least with Bangers and Cash it’s obvious that it’s all one big joke.

• Saul Williams – The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! (http://niggytardust.com/saulwilliams/menu)

Much like the aforementioned Radiohead, actor, writer, poet, MC and spoken word artist Saul Williams has chosen to forgo the normal distribution route by releasing his latest album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! through his website. Unlike Radiohead, however, Williams only offers prospective listeners two options: download the album for free, or make a $5 donation. Though a bit crazy, Tardust!, which features production by Trent Reznor, samples Beck, covers U2, references David Bowie and occasionally sounds like Lenny Kravitz gone goth, is well worth checking out for those looking for something a bit different. Tardust! isn’t the most accessible album out there, but Williams sounds far more comfortable speaking, rapping and singing than he has on previous releases, and though Reznor doesn’t deviate much from his normal industrial trappings, the new context seems to reinvigorate him.

Finally, at the recent Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas, Final Fantasy, Destroyer’s Dan Bejar and Cadence Weapon found themselves onstage together performing Bejar’s “An Actor’s Revenge” (a Final Fantasy staple). A video of the performance quickly made its way to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czjrh5Ojcos), which is fortunate because it’s absolutely adorable watching Cadence Weapon act like he’s a 13-year-old girl and Bejar is Justin Timberlake.