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A stunner! You'll probably never find this rare first Dennis Coffey album in the original, so you owe it to yourself to snatch up this funky funky reissue of stripped down guitar breakbeat jams! The record has Coffey playing his trademark fuzzy guitar, along with his early group that included the legendary Lyman Woodard on organ and Andrew Davis on drums. As the title implies, some tracks are versions of cuts from Hair – with great Galt MacDermot grooves like "Let The Sunshine In", "Sodomy", and "Aquarius" – plus other excellent covers and originals, like "Hair & Grits", "Hey Jude", "Do Your Thang", "Iceberg's Thang", "It's Your Thang", and "Electric Thang". Clearly, it's a very thang-heavy LP, with all the funkiness that might imply! There's some excellent drum breaks, and more than a boatload full of fuzzy guitar riffs to groove groove groove you away!

There's been a big break since Meshell Ndegeocello's last album – but from the sound of the album, it's been worth it! One of the baddest soul singers of the past decade is back in business, and sounding better than ever – serving up a fierce blend of beats and vocals, done in a more laidback format than her previous albums, one that makes for an album that's even more compelling and personal. Titles include "Earth", "Criterion", "Barry Farms", "Legged Griot Trio", "God, Fear, Money", "Hot Night", "Priorities", "Trust", and "Akel Dama".

One of the most compelling combinations of global styles we've heard in awhile – a great second set from Belgian-Congolese artist Baloji! The set's got an unusual approach that's rooted in African instrumentation, run through European filters, and imbued with a bit of hip hop energy – particularly in Baloji's sharply-spoken lyrics – which are more bold messages than straight hip hop rhymes – especially set amidst some of the warmer, more flowing musical passages. The set features guest work from a wide range of talents – including Konono No.1, soukous stars Zaïko Langa Langa, American soul maverick Amp Fiddler, brass band Fanfare La Confiance, and the choir Choeur La Grace – all of whom leave their unique imprint on the set – creating a great sense of change as the music flows along. Titles include "Tshena Ndekela", "De L'Autre Cote De La Mere", "Genese 89", "Kesho", "Tout Ceci Ne Vous Rendra Pas Le Congo", "Nazongi Ndako", and "Karibu Ya Bintou".