Fall Out Boy's web mixtape

Surprise! The Midwestern rockers drop a mixtape full of catchy new material onto the Web months ahead of their new album

Rappers have been using free online mixtapes to build buzz for years. Now Fall Out Boy are giving the tactic a try. Welcome to the New Administration boasts five demos that could show up on the emo all-stars’ upcoming album, Folie à Deux (due Nov. 4), peaking with the supercrunchy riffs of ”Lake Effect Kid.” Newish tunes from assorted FOB cronies round out the play-list; most fun by far is Cobra Starship’s ”I Kissed a Boy,” a gender-reversed remake of Katy Perry’s ode to experimentation. And an amusing skit featuring Ludacris even lends FOB a dash of hip-hop cred. (Get Welcome at friendsorenemies.com/web/foe/users/falloutboy/.)