... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A pivotal album from Siouxie & The Banshees – maybe the first record they issued during a time when the artists they inspired started to break into the mainstream – which also maybe helped the group find a crossover fame they might never have expected at the start of the decade! Rhythms are maybe up a bit from before, songs slightly more tuneful, yet still crafted with that great blend of fuzzy guitar and Siouxie's incredible vocals – still the group's strongest calling card, and way better than some of the lesser acts of the time. Titles include the mini-hit "Cities In Dust" – plus "Candyman", "Cannons", "Party's Fall", "Lands End", "92 Degrees", and "The Sweetest Chill". LP, Vinyl record album

"That's That" features R Kelly & production by Nottz. "Crazy" is vintage style snoop, with Nate Dogg. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Sonic Youth's second set for Geffen and perhaps the SC album most burdened by expectations of the time – produced by Butch Vig and with a bigger, yet way noisier sound than Goo. The sound is straight up incredible – whether you'd want to credit Vig, mixer Andy Wallace or Sonic Youth themselves – the feedback and layers of fuzz are massive, making the few quieter moments all the more impressive when they spring up. The great songs and odd changes are all Sonic Youth – and this is another essential set from them. Include "100%", "Swimsuit Issue", "Theresa's Sound-World", "Drunken Butterfly", "Shoot", "Wish Fulfillment", "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Fascism", "On The Strip", "Purr", "Creme Brulee". CD

Features some surprisingly nice Tangerine Dream instrumentals – plus the classic "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger, and cuts by Jeff Beck, Prince, Journey, Phil Collins, and Muddy Waters. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Common lean, filler free late 80s Finding Forever – a set that's definitely the thematic follow up to the semi-comeback BE LP – and a solid one, with highpoints that equal Com's best work of the decade! The set is largely produced by Kanye West, with some terse, harder hitting moments, some laidback and soulful ones, and some really nice homages to Dilla and DJ Premier. Another winner from Com at a point just after he hit a late peak and was still riding high! Titles include "Start The Show", "The People", "Drivin' Me Wild" feat Lily Allen, "I Want You", "Southside" feat Kanye West, totally killer "The Game" featuring scratches by Premier (and a sound that's a total Primo tribute), "U Black Maybe", "So Far To Go" feat D'Angelo, "Break My Heart", "Misunderstood" and more. CD

Common's easygoing Universal Mind Control – a record that by design doesn't cut as deep soulfully and emotionally as the previous couple of LPs – this one's spun for a slick synth heavy party rocking vibe by the Neptunes! The record was originally titled Invincible Summer and was set to drop for the open top season, later retooled a little for an icey club bounce, with several standout cuts – a couple funky numbers produced by Mr DJ of the Dungeon Family. Guests include Kanye, Cee-Lo, Martina Topley-Bird and Musinah. It's an efficient set, too, with 10 tracks: "Universal Mind Control", "Punch Drunk Love" feat Kanye West, "Make My Day" feat Cee-Lo, "Announcement" feat Pharrell, "Gladiator", "Inhale", "Everywhere" feat Martina Topley-Bird, "Changes" feat Musinhah and more. CD

A record that some might call the last truly great Peter Gabriel album – and a key cap to his excellent initial solo run! The album's got a deeper feel than before – slightly richer colors, more spiritual themes, and arguably more of a sense of majesty – almost an echo of some of the Native American modes explored by Laurie Anderson, who was then a recent collaborator of Gabriel! Instrumentation builds a bit more than before – with less guitars in parts, more percussive bits, and some funkier elements at the bottom that aren't exactly funky – more just a punch in force from the ground up. Gabriel's definitely feeling a sense of power here – and titles include "Lay Your Hands On Me", "Shock The Monkey", "San Jacinto", "I Have The Touch", "The Family & The Fishing Net", and "The Rhythm Of The Heat". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A crossover classic from Pat Metheny's keyboard player! CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Mos Def brings a veering diversity to New Danger – his first album in five years – a record that hits on tried-and-true Rawkus flavored beats and rhyme schemes, slow-rolling, smoked out soul & blues, and Quickness era Bad Brains-esque arena rock! Of course our favorite cuts are the straight up hip hop tracks, produced by Minnesota with a percolating, synth-layered sound that works really well – giving the backdrop kind of a pulpy, cinematic sweep. Other tracks feature Mos and his soul/rock/blues outfit Black Jack Johnson. Mos clearly refuses to be roped in by anyone's expectations at this point – a quality that reminds us of Common's Electric Circus – in spirit, if not in the actual sound. Tracks include "Boogie Man Song", "Ghetto Rock", "Zimzallabim", "The Rape Over", "Blue Black Jack" featuring some straight electric blues guitar work by the one-and-only Shuggie Otis, "Bedstuy Parade & Funeral March", "Sex, Love & Money", "Sunshine", "Grown Man Business", "Modern Marvel", "Life Is Real", "War" (produced by Beatnut Psycho Les) and more. CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Post-John work from Yoko – and a surprisingly beautiful album! Titles include "Goodbye Sadness", "Silver Horse", "Dogtown", "Turn Of The Wheel", "I Don't Know Why", "Extension 36", "Will You Touch Me", "Toyboat", and "Mother Of The Universe". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great and most frustratingly obscure post punk albums of the early 80s – the still amazing Odyshape by The Raincoats – their second album and one that's too often discussed for who it influenced than for how great it is in its own light! Spare, scratchy guitar and keyboards, clattering bits of percussion, violin and hazy mood to spare – resonating emotionally in a way pulls us in each time. A should-be classic! Includes "Shouting Out Loud", "Family Treet", "Only Loved At Night", "Dancing In My Head", "Odyshape", "And Then It's OK", "Baby Song", "Red Shoes" and "Go Away". CD

Snoop brings Doggy Style over to Geffen – also the home to the Neptunes' Star Trak, Snoop's partners for this seriously strong later effort – also working with a diverse roster of producers and vocal guests including Alchemist, Lil Jon, 50 Cent, Hi Tek, and others. Snoops laidback rhyme style sounds really great on the Neptune productions, with that glittery minimalist electro sound and the digital handclaps that meld perfectly with Snoop's hazy delivery. The the now classic status of the standout single "Drop It Like It's Hot" is pretty much all the evidence you need, but Snoop's on a real high (artistically, that is) here, and mainstream street hop is all the better for it! Other tracks include "Bang Out", "Can I Get A Flicc Witchu" feat Bootsy Collins, "The Bidness", "Let's Get Blown", "Step Yo Game Up" with Lil Jon, "Oh No" with 50 Cent, "Pass It Pass It" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A curiously titled collection of some of the best tracks from the venerable Rawkus Records – a great batch of (mostly) late 90s hip hop and some scattered goodies from the early 00s – even if we highly doubt there could ever be another decade of Rawkus to match the indie greatness it achieved for the brilliant flash captured here! There's no way they could have picked out just 15 tracks for a single collection without leaving some infuriating omissions – but the good news is that every track here is great! Tracks include "Beef" (previously unreleased) by Mos Def, "Get By" by Talib Kweli, "Respiration" by Black Star feat Common, "The Life" by Styles P feat Pharoahe Monch, "Oh No" by Pharoahe Monch & Mos Def, "Flamboyant" by Big L, "Universal Magnetic" by Mos Def, "The Sun God" by Hi-Tek feat Common, "B-Boy Document '99" by High & Mighty feat Mos Def & Skillz and more. CD