Top 5 Duke Ellington, Money JungleDuke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach having one of the most powerful musical conversations ever. It’s a very powerful trio.Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah UmFor me ...   More

Top 5 PDX Speedwagon (Charmparticles and Jonah), “More Than a Feeling”Boston’s coke-and-backseat-sex anthem gets the local treatment. Love it.Gentlemen, “Power of Love”Huey Lew ...   More

Top 5 Kava, for general anxiety and insomnia. This stuff works on the same receptors as classical benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, etc.) but is more anxiolytic than hypnotic in effect, so you won’t wak ...   More

Top 5 5. “I’ll Stay,” ParliamentShows the bluesier side of P-Funk. Love the haunting vibe on this. Plus, it’s sampled by the greatest group of all time, De La Soul.4. “Atomic D ...   More

Top 5 “Rebel Without a Pause,” Public EnemyThis for me was the song that bridged the era of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” with the pro-black Afrocentri ...   More

Top 5 Electric Light Orchestra, “Last Train to London”What’s not to like?Harry Belafonte, “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)”A wonderfully energetic and rhythmic calypso jam abo ...   More

Top 5 Portland’s many excellent taquerias have been omitted, as everyone there already has their favorites.El Buen Sabor (Mission District, San Francisco)Best chile relleno burrito.Taco Zone Truck (Ec ...   More

Top 5 High fives and free drinksObviously, I want everyone to know it’s my birthday on Thursday, Oct. 1. I’ll be 29 years old. I’m also celebrating my first year or so as WW’s music ...   More

Top 5 Jerkin With JHawkJhawk is a 17-year-old L.A. producer making some of the best jerkin’ music (jerkin’/skinny-jeans movement).Various MP3s from Lil’ B, a.k.a. The BasedGodDude from Bay ...   More

Top 5 Hip-hop can be boastful, loud and self-serving, but we shouldn’t forget it was music born with an inherent social consciousness. The second annual Hot Nights/Warm Coats show taps into that origi ...   More