If May was the month of freak storms and flash floods as far as free music on the Internet was concerned, June was a month of drought. Last month, the Earth dried out, baked in the sun and cracked. Musical precipitation may have been scarce online, but like a 15-minute shower in the middle of the desert, when it did come it was welcomed and appreciated. This past June did away with quantity, opting for quality and a couple movie references instead.

Doveman – Footloose (www.dovemanmusic.com/footloose/audio/Doveman-Footloose.zip)

Yes, that Footloose. Before readers’ brains get too far into planning the best post-ironic ’80s nostalgia party this side of Architecture in Helsinki, they should know that Doveman’s take on the incredibly popular soundtrack to the inexplicably popular Kevin Bacon vehicle is sombre and depressing where the original is lightweight and bombastic. The reason for this dramatic stylistic disconnect lies in the original songs being the soundtrack to a bunch of big-haired kids showing stuffy squares that dancing is A-OK, while Doveman’s version is an aching tribute to a friend’s late sister.

Though Doveman’s understated reinterpretations aren’t suited for impromptu, death-defying warehouse dances, the album is surprisingly listenable. Stripping away every recognizable element of the original songs save the lyrics, Doveman completely re-creates them as downcast and oddly touching ballads featuring little more than some simple piano progressions, a drum machine, the odd guitar and his hushed vocals. Hearing feel-good party anthems played as moody elegies might not be everyone’s slice of Bacon, but Doveman’s Footloose is worth the download, if only to hear how much emotion he wrings out of songs that didn’t have any to begin with. Let’s hear it for the boy. Ugh, I swear I tried to avoid doing that.

Justin Miller and Jacques Renault – Animal House (rapidshare.de/files/39744827/jandj_animal_house.mp3.mp3.html)

No, not that Animal House. Unlike Doveman’s Footloose, Justin Miller and Jacques Renault aren’t doing anything crazy to the beloved John Belushi college comedy other than swiping its name for this excellent mix they put together for Fact Magazine. Miller is best known as one of the head honchos at DFA records, the ultra-hip label, remix team and alleged assholes who made fellow alleged assholes Death From Above add “1979” to their name a few years back. He also routinely teams up with his DJ partner Jacques Renault to make sweaty New York clubs get even sweatier.

On Animal House, the duo is in fine form, brilliantly slapping together a series of funk and disco tracks that beg listeners to get on the dance floor. The mix doesn’t actually sound like a mix, but a cohesive, giant, hour-plus dance monster. Animal House is short on recognizable names, but it does feature some exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming DFA releases.

The Cool Kids – That’s Stupid (www.mediafire.com/?gutujqozejy)

After receiving some serious blog buzz for the better part of a year, Chicago hip hop duo The Cool Kids released their debut EP, The Bake Sale, last month to polarized reviews. Some saw the EP as an unabashed rip-off of classic late ’80s and early ’90s hip hop sounds saturated with hipster-friendly pop-culture references and slacker humour. Others saw The Bake Sale as a breath of fresh air in a hip hop world where tales of cocaine slinging, lethal cough syrup concoctions and ejaculating on loose women’s backs have become the norm.

Perhaps as a commentary on the differing reactions their breakthrough has caused, The Cool Kids named their followup mixtape That’s Stupid and just kept doing what they do. Fortunately, what they do is make throwback beats and write goofy little hip hop songs about filling the car with gas, hanging out and, you know, whatever. Yeah, That’s Stupid might sound like Biz Markie, but The Cool Kids don’t care and neither should listeners. Hip hop could use a few more artists who are primarily concerned with making straight-up fun music again. After all, there’s a reason why people continue to listen to Young MC. Well, “Bust a Move,” anyway.