1) The Lijadu Sisters “Danger” and “Mother Africa” : By now, you know all about Fela. Next, you should check out his cousins, the Lijadu Sisters, who also emerged from Nigeria in the ’70s with an Afro-meets-psychedelic sound, heard on four classic albums. The first two have now been reissued: “Danger,” the rockier of the two, sung in English, and “Mother Africa,” a more trad CD, sung in Yoruba. Both disks match the Sisters’ close, conversational harmonies to beats that undulate gorgeously.
2) Caetano Veloso and David Byrne “Live at Carnegie Hall” : David Byrne deserves credit for introducing many benighted Americans to the sumptuous lilts of seminal Brazilian artist Caetano Veloso through several ’90s compilations on his Luaka Bop label. In 2004, Veloso returned the favor by inviting Byrne to split a bill with him at Carnegie Hall. Amazingly, Veloso’s rapturous work works well with Byrne’s jerkier style, providing a sweet and telling contrast.
3) Macy Gray “Covered” : Ironically, Macy Gray has found her most serious voice by covering the songs of others. They range from a sinister run at Eurythmics’ “Here Comes the Rain Again” to a take on Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” that’s both funky and graceful.
4) Andrew Bird “Break It Yourself” : Bird’s violin work has a beauty, and formality, ideally suited to his boyish voice.
5) Ana Tijoux “La Bala”: Rappers who sing seldom do both well. But Chile’s Ana Tijoux has a voice that’s fluid and a rapping style of genuine force.
6) Lyle Lovett “Release Me” : Lovett’s latest finds its sweet spot in a loving duet with k.d lang on the title track. Also of note: his rocking revival of Jesse Winchester’s obscure blues gem “Isn’t That So.”
7) Galactic “Carnivale Electricos” : New Orleans’ funk meets Rio’s samba on the latest disk from Galactic. The result? An international party.
8) Tennis “Young & Old” : Singer Alaina Moore has a Lulu-like, girlish purity to it that adds winsome lilt to songs blessed with a ’60s pop snap.
9) Robert Glasper Experiment “Black Radio” : At the hinge of hip-hop and jazz lies pianist Robert Glasper. His latest, sprawling effort creates a radio station of the mind, full of cameos from the likes of Erykah Badu and Lupe Fiasco, together creating a fresco of riffs and rhymes.
10) The Kaiser Chiefs “Start the Revolution Without Me” : Lots of bands went ’80s-crazy five years ago. But on their fifth disk, the Kaiser Chiefs continue to make that retro strategy seem more individual and catchier than any of their peers.
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