A Fine Frenzy, "Now Is the Start"

Ethereal as ever, A Fine Frenzy (a.k.a. Alison Sudol) pushes her vocals into an electropop dance realm on "Now Is the Start," the first single from her third studio album Pines. The inspiring sing-along anthem pairs synths with poetic lyrics that turn into a call to arms: "Do you hear that sound/ It's the sound of the lost gone found/ It's the sound of a mute gone loud/ It's the sound of a new start." – Laura Checkoway, Google Play

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Erran Baron Cohen, "Ocho Kandalikas"

Erran Baron Cohen, who also scores the infamous work of his brother Sacha, was inspired to make Songs in the Key of… Hanukkah after noticing a decided lack of good Jewish holiday albums. Cohen's playful, yet mature album includes this tango take on "Ocho Kandelikas," enlivening the Sephardic song with splashes of flamenco and the powerful but honey-smooth vocals of Israeli-Ladino singer Yasmin Levy. This buoyant tune will make you want to light the eight candles all year round. – Craig Phillips, Google Play

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XTC, "Senses Working Overtime"

XTC were five albums in when "Senses Working Overtime" broke through to FM radio and the then-new MTV network. A still-succulent mix of grey-skied British freak-folk verses and soaring Beatles-style sunshiney choruses, the band was poised to take over the world when group leader Andy Partridge's intense stage fright turned into a full-blown breakdown at the start of their American tour. XTC never played live again and became a beloved cult favorite instead of a global pop institution. – Nick Dedina, Google Play

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Jay-Z, "December 4th"

Though it was announced as a retirement release, Jay-Z's The Black Album was equally a victory lap. It opens with "December 4th," Jay's formal toast to himself, complete with his mom narrating the day of his birth in between producer Just Blaze's triumphant chipmunk soul. It's now difficult for anybody who listens to rap to look at this date on the calendar and not think of Shawn Carter. – Andrew Nosnitsky, Google Play

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Paul Wall, "That's the Way Luv Goes"

While Paul Wall's national popularity peaked shortly after the Houston rap gold rush of the mid-2000s, the rapper and his famous fronts have receded quite comfortably into his hometown's still-bubbling underground scene. "That's the Way Luv Goes" highlights his skills as a sensitive balladeer without completely abandoning his more playful instincts that once had the internet goin' nuts. – Andrew Nosnitsky, Google Play

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KT Tunstall, "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree"

Scottish songbird KT Tunstall ascended to stardom in 2004 on the strength of this addictive tune. Tunstall tells a story that's a cross between a Brothers Grimm fable and a Gothic romance, but the whole thing revolves around her throaty, powerful pipes, insistently slashing acoustic guitar riffs, and some skeletal percussion, with ghostly "whoo-hoo" background vocals working as a sort of folk-rock Greek chorus to the tragic tale. – Jim Allen, Google Play

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David Axelrod, "Holy Thursday"

David Axelrod created a soaring mix of soul-jazz, classical strings and acid funk-rock that was both of its lysergic era while still being totally ahead of its time. The completely mesmerizing "Holy Thursday," sampled by everyone from Lil Wayne to Sublime, is all about rhythm and its sacred, ecstatic mood (inspired by the work of William Blake). Melodic without really having a melody, it vamps its way to a sudden blast of divine transformation. – Nick Dedina, Google Play

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Youngblood Hawke, "Forever"

This L.A. outfit are already turning heads with an upbeat, dance-rock sound that will instantly appeal to fans of Imagine Dragons, fun. and AWOLNATION. "Forever" starts out like a Traveling Wilburys guitar tune (!!!) before it merrily darts over to the dance floor, making it an anthemic natural for internet discovery, high school parties and FM to AM radio crossover. Also check out Youngblood Hawke's rising hit "We Come Running." – Nick Dedina, Google Play

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Guillemots, "Up on the Ride"

This British collective, led by Fyfe Dangerfield, has thrown caution to the wind and recorded four albums to be released in quick succession, each celebrating one season. Hello Land! is Guillemots' ode to spring, with the endlessly inventive Dangerfield cramming two supple tunes into "Up on the Ride." The first half is a haunting beauty, while the second half is a charming '60s style sing-along hand-clapper that keeps building on itself. – Nick Dedina, Google Play

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Citizens!, "Caroline"

If Citizens! hadn't put that exclamation point in their name, someone else would've. The stylish young London quintet are earning frothy raves from the British music press, and their demo was enough to attract Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos to produce their debut. "Caroline" evokes that band with its nervous guitars and come-hither vocals, Pulp with its blippy keyboards and Talking Heads with its "we stop(ped) making sense" chorus. – Eric Grandy, Google Play

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Van Morrison, "Goin' Down to Monte Carlo"

Nearly half a century into his recording career, Van Morrison shows no sign of mellowing with age on this eight minute jazzy blues tune from Born to Sing: No Plan B. Sure, the mood might be relaxed, but the lyrics find the eternally irascible Van vehemently invoking Sartre's most misanthropic quote ("hell is other people"), complaining about the "pseudo-jazz" background music in a restaurant and still finding time to throw his bassist a solo. – Jim Allen, Google Play

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Brian Eno, "Fullness of Wind (Variation on 'The Canon in D Major')"

English rock innovator Brian Eno had a classical ensemble improvise variations on Pachelbel's "Canon in D" and had his subtle synthesizer slowly flow into the ocean of sound. Too enveloping and gorgeous to truly be "ambient" music, this piece can work as either the soundtrack to a Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends, or offer you a cocoon of transcendent relaxation between the holiday stresses and Black Friday insanity. – Nick Dedina, Google Play

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Hood Internet, "One for the Record Books"

This Chicago duo already have hundreds of mashups floating out there and have now recorded a sample-free set of originals for their official album debut. "One for the Record Books" matches lead vocals from the New Pornographers' A.C. Newman with a short, sharp rap on the bridge. It all gels together naturally, with Newman bringing a rare, wry melancholy to what could've been another triumphant party anthem. – Nick Dedina, Google Music

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Fear and the Nervous System, "Choking Victim"

If you're craving a big, fat slab of old school industrial rock, then definitely don't pass up "Choking Victim," the exciting debut single from New York City's Fear and the Nervous System. In contrast to his day job with nu metal pioneers Korn, guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer's side project specializes in a pummeling brand of dystopian groovery that calls to mind Undertow-era Tool filtered through the mighty Killing Joke. – Justin Farrar, Google Play

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Amos Lee, "Seen It All Before"

On this slow-burner from his 2005 Blue Note debut, Amos Lee epitomizes the concept of folk-soul. Seemingly steeped in the spirit of forebears like Bill Withers and Terry Callier, he croons sensually atop an organic blend of acoustic guitar and weeping organ, buoyed by an old school R&B groove. "Seen It All Before" is a declaration of independence from the chains of an ill-starred romance. – Jim Allen, Google Play

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Toy, "Kopter"

Brit-rock obsessives might know three of Toy's five members from the memorably named act Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, while newcomers should thrill to this relentlessly propulsive track. "Kopter" has some definite Krautrock parallels, as Toy burn bright through this blazing, 10-minute-long exercise in moody vocals, intensifying guitar textures and hypnotic rhythms. – Eric Grandy, Google Play

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YouTube Presents: Blondie

Though Blondie emerged from New York City's gritty urban punk scene, it has always been the group's chameleon-like pop smarts that have made their sound such a unique and long-lasting proposition. Recorded at the band's recent YouTube sessions, the slinky "LaTona" refracts baroque synth-rock through a swirling Latin rhythm, with the still seductive Deborah Harry placed at the center. Sophisticated and timeless. – Justin Farrar, Google Play

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Melody Gardot, "Mira"

An American who quickly reached star status in Europe, Melody Gardot became obsessed with music when it was used as therapy to get her moving and speaking again after a horrific traffic accident. Her third LP, The Absence, is a rich musical travelogue that kicks off with this upbeat samba before things get slower, bluesier and smokier. A sensualist, Gardot channels decades of international musical styles into sensations you can see, feel and touch. – Nick Dedina, Google Play

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Tyrese, "Too Easy (Feat. Ludacris)"

Recent developments in mainstream R&B production have favored an understated weirdness. With "Too Easy," Tyrese makes bedroom grooves sound outright abstract over mystic synthesizer squiggles that constantly feel like they're going to explode into a full-on dance track but never quite go there. Instead they hover around this minimalistic brink, staying quiet even as Ludacris bends his trademark growls around it. – Andrew Nosnitsky, Google Play

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Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, "Revenge"

Danger Mouse works wonders with odd combinations, teaming up with everyone from Cee-Lo Green and MF DOOM to Beck and The Black Keys. Still, it's surprising to see him bring together the painfully somber Sparklehorse (a.k.a. Mark Linkous, who committed suicide in 2010) with the brightly blazing Flaming Lips. Sad and soulful, "Revenge" illustrates the futility of getting even with those who've done you wrong. – Eric Grandy, Google Play

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