Top 5 Stereolab It’s like a blanket of sound; hypnotic. It drowns everything out.  Neko Case Her music is melancholy, beautiful, witty and lush. It’s like a cup of coffee in music form. Radiohead S   More

Top 5 Randy Weston They don’t get much more authentic than this NYC-based piano player. Weston’s oft-Afro-centric jams are smart, soulful and lots of fun.  Esperanza Spalding  She’s a home   More

Top 5 “We R Who We R” We’re girls; thinking is hard! We just want to dance, and Lady Gaga is too cerebral.  “Boots & Boys” She’s managed to sum up every woman’s life with two words an   More

Top 5  Put these artists as one. Same era and they’re similar, but definitely came with their own style of music with crazy cadences and melodic flow.   More

Top 5 In the Bard, a man of humble origin didst ascend to become the finest author of any land or any era. Naturally, this tale of triumph doth itch the monied and powerful and they do it scratch by giving ...   More

Top 5 “The Breaks,” Kurtis BlowMay be the funkiest rap song ever made—the breaks in this song are classic b-boy/hip-hop.“Give it Up or Turn it Loose,” James BrownThe anthem for ...   More

Top 5 Because the money’s going to P:earAnd P:ear is a really awesome local nonprofit that helps kids learn to believe in themselves (and maybe rock out a bit in the process).Because AndAndAnd is awes ...   More

Top 5 Todd Snider, Live at Grimey’sThese seven songs are brilliantly written and endearingly performed live by Mr. Snider. This guy makes all songwriters jealous.Mac Dre, Don’t Hate the Player, ...   More

Top 5 1. Full HouseGreat song. The idea of the track is questioning whatever happened to predictability—the standard things in life, like the milkman, the paperboy and even TV. This guy has no idea wh ...   More

Top 5 1. The Jacksons2. U.N. Security Council Permanent Member Countries 3. Fingers on Your Left Hand4. Power Rangers5. Love Languages ...   More