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Teena Marie on Stax Records – something we never thought we'd see, but which we're happy to applaud, given the strength of this set! Teena's arranging and producing herself here – and the record has some of the best tight soul modes of other recent sets in the Stax revival – an approach that nods towards the classic, but is definitely contemporary – yet never in ways that are clunky or commercial. We're surprised at how much we dig some of the tunes on the set – and although Teena gets help from MC Lyte, Faith Evans, Howard Hewett, and George Duke – it's clear that she's at her best when standing alone on the record. Titles include "Ms Coretta", "Black Cool", "Soldier", "The Rose N Thorn", "What U Got 4 Me", "Congo Square", "You Baby", and "Can't Last A Day".

Another nice breaks record from Stones Throw. Ten tracks, all heavy on the drums. Most of the tracks are straight beat tracks, some original, and some from Gang Starr, MC Lyte, T La Rock, etc. A couple tracks have added vocal samples.

Another party record, not a straight hip hop record. "Where Brooklyn At?" is above average for this type of track, combining a bunch a samples naming Brooklyn from Ol Dirty Bastard, Biggie, Stetsasonic, MC Lyte, etc with a sample of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature". Forget about the b-side, it sounds as weak as the title suggests.

One of the most interesting records in years from Macy Gray – and not just because she turns towards songs from other folks – and covers music from Radiohead, Teenage Fanclub, My Chemical Romance, The Eurhythmics, and others! Those song choices are great – a refreshing forum for Gray's well-known vocals – but along with them, there's also a sense of play to the record that comes across strongly, too – a feel that's maybe a bit more relaxed, and slightly whimsical – which breaks through some of the more monolithic modes that have held strong from Macy's stardom. Of course, given that the great Hal Willner had a hand in putting the record together, the playfulness of the record makes plenty of sense – and really allows for some great guest appearances from JB Smoove, Idris Elba, MC Lyte, and others. Titles include "Creep", "Here Comes The Rain Again", "La La La", "Smoke Two Joints", "I Try Is Cool & All But", "Wake Up", "Really", and "Lovelockdown/Buck".

Nice compilation including some non-LP cuts from the First Priority label, in its prime. All the tracks here are cut from the same, nice middle school hip hop cloth, with not much more than the MC's rhyming over spare beats in the Audio Two style. 11 tracks in all including MC Lyte & Positive K "I'm Not Havin It", MC Lyte "Survival Of The Fittest" – the original and better version, Audio Two "Many Styles" and "Peer Pressure", Positive K "Tramp", the Alliance "Get On Down" and "Kibbles & Bits" and more.