Lee "Scratch" Perry, 'Repentance' (Narnack)
Now in his 70s, the notoriously idiosyncratic Perry is widely considered the most important reggae producer ever, sporting a résumé that includes history- making sessions for Bob Marley, the Congos, and the Clash. Coproduced by party animal
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The Music Tapes, 'Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes' (Merge)
Relying on the singing saw, which generates a piercingly high sound guaranteed to give your dog a migraine, and employing vintage recording equipment dating back to the 1930s, Julian Koster of the Elephant 6 collective comes on like a full-fledged crackpot. But he's a talented and engaging one.
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Lindstrøm, 'Where You Go I Go Too' (Smalltown Supersound)
After a string of heady singles and collaborations with fellow Norwegian Prins Thomas, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm is already a leading light of 21st-century (see '80s-worshipping) disco. But on his debut album, he shoots for the stratosphere and lavishly scores. A three-piece suite that conjures not just St.
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Jaguar Love, 'Take Me to the Sea' (Matador)
Johnny Whitney has made an art of singing like a deliriously deaf 12-year-old, but the debut of his new trio with Blood Brothers bandmate/guitarist Cody Votolato and ex–Pretty Girls Make Graves guitarist Jay Clark (now on drums) plays like a preteen daydream.
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Human Highway, 'Moody Motorcycle' (Suicide Squeeze)
Human Highway's debut album is summer's last stand. Though it comes from two Canadian over-achievers -- singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie and Islands leader Nick Thorburn -- Moody Motorcycle is indefatigably laid-back. "Let the sun soak through / And do what we want to do," they yawn on "All Day," a strummy number built on a gentle island rhythm.
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Juliana Hatfield, 'How to Walk Away' (Ye Olde)
"Don't take me for a woman," sings Hatfield in "This Lonely Love," from her ninth solo album.




