Frankie Hi-NRG MC - DePrimoMaggio

So you may not care about foreign-language hip hop as much as I do, but this one is fun.  I couldn't tell you anything about him, except that he's collaborated with Nas and RZA before, so he can't be all bad.  Oh yeah, it's all in Italian.  Stylistically, it's kind of a throwback to 1990's American rap.  Ch-check it out.

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The Slackers - An Afternoon In Dub

The Slackers are maybe the consistent band in my library.  They release an awesome new full-length every 18-24 months like clockwork, but the really awesome thing is how much hard-to-find stuff they let loose in the interim periods.  An Afternoon In Dub is one such release.  Pure instrumental dubbed-out ska reggae - nothing to dislike here.

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A couple of Panda Bear live sets

If memory serves, Panda Bear played a whopping total of four live shows in support of Person Pitch.  So chances are, you probably didn't see him.  No worries, because he recorded two killer radio sets, incorporating a good chunk of Person Pitch jams and b-sides, and a few solo versions of Animal Collective's newest batch of songs.  His take on "Song for Ariel" is especially killer here.

Download - Live at ZBD

Download - Ma Fama

Jorge Ben - Africa Brasil

The best Brazilian funk album of all time?  I'm pretty under-qualified to make such a bold claim, but other, smarter people seem to think so.  Jorge Ben is to Diplo what The Beatles are to Tokio Hotel.

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The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale

The self-proclaimed "new black version of the Beastie Boys."  Their Totally Flossed Out EP single handedly reignited my love affair with hip hop when I first heard it.  Now they've got their first official release, and naturally, it's better.  It's a throwback to the glory days of rap without the smug air of superiority from groups like Jurassic 5.  "What Up Man" is a strong contender for song of the year at this point.

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S.E. Rogie - Palm Wine Guitar Music

S.E. Rogie is a palm wine guitarist from Sierra Leone.  One man, one voice, one guitar.  This is easy listening at it's easiest.  Straight up, if you don't like this shit, you're a robot.

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John Peel - Fabriclive 07

I just spent the better part of the last three months in London, so what better way to kick off this blog then with a Fabriclive set from the most influential DJ in British history?  Most of these lean towards the electronic/dance side of the spectrum, but as you might expect from Peel, this one is far more eclectic.  It's so good I can even forgive the gratuitous amount of Liverpool shoutouts (go Toffees!)

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