Eels – Useless Trinkets – B-sides, Soundtracks, Rarities, and Unreleased 1996-2006 (Geffen Records)Most collections of unreleased material cater to the die-hards, but Useless Trinkets is as good an introduction to Mr. E’s music as any Eels album. Often delicately self-deprecating and optimistic within the confines of a single song, Eels mostly evoke the sunny side of life on these 50 tracks, particularly when employing Beck-esque funk rhythms.
Ghostface Killah – The Big Doe Rehab (The Island Def Jam Music Group)For all intents and purposes, Big Doe Rehab is the third act in Ghostface’s Fishscale saga about the cottage industry of drug dealing. The original formula of classic soul-tinged production remains, but this fish is more raw than stale, and Ghostface’s attention to detail elevates his storytelling above any of his fellow Wu-Tang alums.
Rhymefest – Man in the Mirror (www.myspace.com/rhymefest)This free mixtape by the third leg of Chicago’s holy rapper trinity isn’t exactly the “Michael Jackson dedication album” that Rhymefest claims, but it is a stellar example of this underappreciated MC’s abilities. And it does the unimaginable: it pokes fun at the gloved one while simultaneously making him relevant again.
Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend (XL)Before Vampire Weekend stepped into a perfect storm of hype not seen on this side of the pond since the Strokes’ first record, they were just aimless ivy-leaguers like the rest of us. But this self-titled debut’s tropical pop tunes are so good that you can predict the coming forecast for album No. 2: 100% chance of backlash.
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