By Jenn Sussman aka DJ Belladonna

1. The Raveonettes “Love In A Trashcan” – The Raveonettes’ sound is what happens when you have quirkily varied musical tastes and there’s zero alternative music scene in the country you live in (namely, Denmark), so you just create your own scene. With such varied influences as Buddy Holly, The Cramps, The Shangri-Las, Sonic Youth and the Everly Brothers, the vibe of a Raveonettes record makes one side of your brain feel like it’s hearing something old, while the other side is grooving on a sound that’s fresh and new. “Love In A Trashcan”, from their 2005 Pretty In Black LP, is a perfect example of this dichotomy; retro in its ‘60s surf guitars, ‘50s rockabilly groove, and the lyrical spirit of Lux Interior, but never sounding like a throwback or a copy. The best thing I’ve ever heard said about this track was when I spun it in a bar once and a guy told me that it could be the soundtrack to a knife fight between two bad girls in the 1950’s. Paging Tarantino…

2. Bitter:Sweet “Overdue” – LA’s Bitter:Sweet lays down a trashy funk groove worthy of Pam Grier on “Overdue”, my favorite track from their 2006 debut album The Mating Game. It’s hard to put a label on Bitter:Sweet’s sound, but then again it’s generally difficult these days to label music as influences are more varied and lines are so much more blurred than ever. Fans of trip-hop, jazz and lounge will definitely want to check them out. It’s a smooth groove, female-fronted funkiness with a Portishead-like purr, a kaleidoscope of styles and sounds and visions that add up to an enjoyable sonic experience. This is three martini funk.

3. Massive Attack “Five Man Army” – I keep coming back to Massive Attack’s 1991 debut album Blue Lines, to the point where I’ve usually got one song or another on repeat on a weekly basis. There are albums that leave indelible impressions on you, when you find yourself listening to something you’ve never heard before and hoping you’ll hear it again, and every time you listen to it you’re reminded of the way you felt the first time. Blue Lines is one of those albums for me, from the late-night love groove of opener “Safe From Harm”, to the faithful cover of William DeVaughn’s classic “Be Thankful For What You Got”, all the way through to the emotional tour de force of “Unfinished Sympathy”. I was feeling a little reggae groove earlier this week, so “Five Man Army” was in heavy rotation on my mp3 player. Founding member Daddy G is hugely influenced by reggae and dub styles, which feature prominently on Blue Lines, Protection (1994) and Mezzanine (1998). Just lay back on this groove, ya’ll.

4. The Paragons “Man Next Door” – Massive Attack paid homage to their influences in 2009 by releasing Protected: Massive Samples, a collection of songs they’ve sampled throughout the years, as recorded by the original artists. While it’s not a Massive Attack album, this is required listening for any MA fan or for anyone who likes to understand the history behind the genres and styles they love. This is a “who’s who” of reggae, funk, dub and soul, with classic grooves like James Brown’s “Never Can Say Goodbye”, Al Green’s “I’m Glad You’re Mine”, along with lesser known tracks by Issac Hayes, Rufus & Chaka Khan, and The Blackbyrds. Also included is “Man Next Door” by John Holt and The Paragons, originally recorded in 1967 and covered  in its entirety by Massive Attack on their 1998 masterpiece, Mezzanine.

5. M.I.A. “Sunshowers” – M.I.A.’s latest release MAYA has me longing for the down and dirty tribal backbeats and interesting electronic noises that pulsate throughout her 2005 debut, Arular. I wasn’t really a fan of M.I.A.’s back then (still not), but I’ve come to appreciate many of the standout tracks on Arular like “Galang”, “Bucky Dun Gun” and “Sunshowers”, where she uses her trademark southeast Asian-influenced dub-chatting vocal style to greatest effect. I don’t know what sort of trip she’s on these days, between the disjointed and much more commercial MAYA and her constant gaffes in the press, but she’s gotten much farther onto my radar than I really need or want her to be. Artists certainly have the right to grow artistically, but sometimes a major hit single like “Paper Planes” can swell the head and lead to songs inspired more by capitalism than by artistic soul. I don’t hate, but I don’t have to listen, either.

6. Mad Doctor X “7even” – Every now and again, I come across a track that lets me know that hip-hop is not dead; it’s just hiding out, waiting for people to tire of listening to tales of Cristal, strippers and gun battles. I tend to discover these tracks by accident, through other artists I admire. I have electro-chillout masters Nightmares On Wax to thank for introducing me to Mad Doctor X via a session they did for the DJ mix series Late Night Tales, on which well known DJs and tastemakers mix a set of songs that they love or that have influenced them. Mad Doctor X is a freestyle scratch legend in the UK, a British DJ and MC who has gone by many names. This particular track was recorded for a 2001 Son Records compilation called The Last Word, which I highly recommend for anyone looking for something other than the same old commercial hip-hop nonsense that’s plaguing the airwaves in the US. Where’s real hip-hop been hiding out? In England, apparently.

7. Leftfield “Dusted” – Yet another product of England with reggae and dub in their veins, Leftfield’s “Dusted” from their 1999 release Rhythm and Stealth is a deep, hypnotic groove with vocal duties handled by well-known British dance and house music MC, Roots Manuva. During the electronica explosion of the mid to late 1990’s, Leftfield was one of the first electronic acts to incorporate guest vocalists, something that has since become almost commonplace. The spacey intro makes this the perfect jam for bumpin’ in your galactic low-rider as you cruise out to the interstellar house party in the Milky Way. Make sure you follow it up with the extremely bangin’ “Afrika Shox” from the same album, featuring legendary hip-hop space case Afrika Bambaataa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgkoqCyYWSo

8. Shiny Toy Guns “Stripped” – LA indie/electro act Shiny Toy Guns has developed a reputation for putting their unique stamp on many beloved songs by other artists, such as Bowie’s “Major Tom”, Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”, and their cover of “Stripped” for 2005’s Goth Electro Tribute To Depeche Mode. I really enjoyed their version of “Stripped”, which takes the sensuality of the original and turns it up a notch. Shiny Toy Guns wear their affection for ‘80s pop and new wave proudly on their sleeves, synth-driven and well-tailored with back and forth boy-girl vocals reminiscent of everyone’s favorite Human League song. Personally, I would rather listen to the groups they are emulating, but I always love listening to a well-executed cover. And I’ll admit, I do love me some “Le Disko”.

9. Gary Numan “Metal” – Innovation, bizarre beauty, cold synths, and surprising emotional depth are all hallmarks of Gary Numan’s sound, light years ahead of his time at the release of his debut solo record The Pleasure Principle in 1979 and still remarkable so many years later. The late ‘70s and early ‘80s were an era of widespread musical exploration and pushing the boundaries of sound recording, and some of the results are astonishing when you consider that the technology available at the time was not nearly as robust as it became only a decade later. If anyone ever decided to remake sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis in the ‘80s (which thank goodness was never done), I would have wanted Gary Numan to do the soundtrack.

10. The Normal “Warm Leatherette” – This song is a great example of the power of the DIY music culture in England in the early days of the post-punk era. Released in 1978, The Normal consisted of one man (Daniel Miller) who recorded it as a B-side to “T.V.O.D.” in his home, on relatively primitive equipment, and released it himself as the first record on his own Mute Records label. It sold 30,000 copies, and Mute would go on to become one of the “big three” independent record labels of the post-punk era, which included the infamous Factory Records and Rough Trade. Mute Records made a name for itself by signing some of the most innovative acts of the era, including post-punk, industrial, and new wave pioneers like Throbbing Gristle, Nitzer Ebb, Cabaret Voltaire, Einstürzende Neubauten, Depeche Mode and Erasure. “Warm Leatherette” isn’t the most accessible song, but whenever I hear it I’m thankful for the vision of one man which ultimately led to my being able to consume so much amazing music.