This one–rife with debuts and hot comebacks–takes a detour through weirdsville about halfway through, but stick with it.  We wind up at a sweet party.
[192kpbs mp3 | 73:23 | 101.7 MB]
1. The xx “Crystalised” (Young Turks/XL)
2. Sade “Soldier of Love” (Sony)
3. Alicia Keys “Sleeping With A Broken Heart” (J/Sony)
4. Maxwell “Help Somebody” (Columbia)
5. [...]

Bill Callahan Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle To be honest, Callahan could probably release anything and I would love it.  He’s one of my favorite lyricists and there’s a sort of wryness to his voice that has got me since I heard “Julius Caesar” way back.  Another sort of honest statement is that [...]

Bat For Lashes Two Suns (Astralwerks/Parlophone) Sounds like a modern British and/or old American western version of the best Tori Amos album that never happened.
Bear In Heaven Beast Rest Forth Mouth (Hometapes) Post-wave-psych-pop-rock-tronica?  This album is great.  And I’m quite pleased the @marathonpacks review pointed it out to me.
Beirut March of the Zapotec/Holland EP (Ba [...]

(This is the fourth installment of marathonpacks’ Top 50 of the 90s list. To see #50-41, click here. To see #40-31, click here. To see #30-21, click here. The fifth and final installment will be posted Thursday.)

20. Mos Def-Black on Both Sides (Rawkus, 1999)
The last two installments of this list will draw heavily [...]