The Exciting Wilson Pickett (1966) by Wilson Pickett

An impressively consistent, upbeat, and danceable collection of '60s Rhythm & Blues. Every last track on this album is fantastic! In the '60s, Atlantic Records liked to send their artists southward to record, in order to get that "Memphis Sound." They'd go down to studios like Stax and Muscle Shoals to record with their incredible house bands. The resulting sound became known as Memphis Soul, and this record captures it at its finest. Just try staying in your seat with this one on. Who would want to? PREVIEW

Cigarettes & Truckstops (2012) by Lindi Ortega

A perfectly evocative title to this collection of Americana-based, mellow country blues. The soundtrack to an old truck down a lonely dirt road, or when you're so in love your heart hurts when they're gone. PREVIEW

Brothers in Bamako (2012) by Eric Bibb & Habib Koité

Bibb is an America-born, acoustic blues player. Koité is a singer-songwriter from Mali. Musically, their collaboration is a perfect fit that will put a smile on your face. PREVIEW

Love to Love You Donna (2013) by Donna Summer

From vocoders to 'four on the floor' beats, the debt current electronic dance music owes to disco is revealed on this remix album of '70s-era Donna Summer tracks. Remixers range from current electro artists like Afrojaxx and Chromeo, to masterful old-school producers like Georgio Moroder who were there the first time around. Nobody can take you back to the '70s like Donna! And these new remixes really do breathe new life into these songs you might remember from the skating rink. PREVIEW

Circles (2012) by Moon Duo

Moon Duo sounds like some Lower East Side pre-punk arty downtown scene band from the early '70s; just stepped right out of the back room of Max's Kansas City or CBGBs or some such. Knowing they are actually a current band restores my hope for the future of music. PREVIEW

Glow (2012) by Kaki King

Instrumental guitar explorations to gaze at one's shoes to; like John Fahey playing instrumental versions of his favorite '90s indie bands. PREVIEW

Best of Live at the Apollo (1962-72) by James Brown

Is there something I need to say about James Brown? For those who like to hit it on the one: this is where funk begins. Over this collection you can literally hear funk emerge from its late '50s Rhythm & Blues roots.

The live and early energy of many tracks you are familiar with, some probably not, is worth the listen. Great fun, as well as a historical document of an important musical transition. PREVIEW

151A (2012) Kishi Basha

I wanted to travel through space to another world. I closed my eyes, put on this album, and it happened. PREVIEW

Oblivion Movie Soundtrack (2013) by Anthony Gonzalez and Joseph Trapanese

I'm not sure if listening to a soundtrack is supposed to make you want to go see a movie. I guess it sort of does, but I also suspect the movie would just distract me from what amounts to an audio epic of universal proportions all on its own. What is that verse? The one about creation: "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Yes, yes, and this was the soundtrack to that, not some dopey sci-fi movie starring Tom Cruise. Nah, the movie is probably great; but the music plays on the imagination so well, why let Hollywood ruin it? PREVIEW

Darkest Light: The Best of the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band (1974-78)

Let me make one thing perfectly clear: This album right here is where it is at. Attempting to sum it up in words, I am reminded of the mysterious quote that came from who knows where: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." So to keep it simple, the Lafayette Afro-Rock band is a funk band from the '70s who took the importance of the break beat to new heights. Like when the music cuts out, or is deconstructed down its minimal elements: the break. It was these 'breaks' that block party DJs in the Bronx were quickly discovering were the dancers' favorite parts of the songs. So, they would get two copies of the same record, two turntables, a mixer, and spin that break til the people went crazy. Those dancers came up with their own style: "break"-dancing, or as the purists would correct me, simply, breaking. This in turn would form an important element to an even bigger phenomenon: Hip Hop Culture. Well, this is where it comes from people, the funk drum break. And THAT… is how fresh this platter is. PREVIEW

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