1. Jackie Opel | You Too Bad
This song is a really incredible ska jam. A friend of mine was recently in the Bay Area and we drove around Highway 1 (the quintessential oceanside American movie highway) really fast in his BMW listening to this.
2. Mariah Carey | Fantasy
I heard this for the first time on the radio a few months ago, even though it was really big when I was a kid. I actually probably heard it when I was young, but I definitely didn't remember it, because it impressed the hell out of me with the Tom Tom Club riff and the really insane harmonies. It's definitely not some boring/smooth R&B song; it's perfect anything music.
3. Lone Ranger | The Answer
I first heard this when I was living in a recording studio temporarily between two tours. I was just hanging out, spinning records through the playback system, and I heard this song. I think this is what started my current obsession with Reggae and a lot of stuff coming out of Jamaica around then.
4. Jim Brown | Seen Him
Just another incredible reggae party jam.
5. Hudson Mohawke | Joy Fantastic (feat. Olivier Daysoul)
This one is so funny and cool. The totally off the wall vocals and spoken word parts are really hilarious.
6. Ken Nordine | Green
This is from a whole spoken word album about colors (called Colors) by Ken Nordine. Really interesting sort of beat poetry type stuff with a jazz group playing various instrumental backgrounds. My friend put this one on a mix he made for a long move I was going on and it was cool and surprising. I went and got the album a few days later.
7. Muungano National Choir | Kyrie
This is a really beautiful choir piece with interesting kind of atypical percussion stuff. I don't too much about the MNC but I got this album and it's full of really gorgeous kind of Kenyan choral music.
8. ESG | UFO
I first heard this song while I was driving into Berlin for the first time on tour in Europe and ESG was the perfect soundtrack for that city.
9. The Clash | Police And Thieves
I love this band so much and recently started getting really into them again. And this song is just awesome. The original version is really good too, but I think this one is better.
10. The Four Tops | I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
Yeah, pretty cheesy, but I still love this song despite it being so played out. I dunno, it just rules pretty much.
