The album cover says it all here. Americana meets soul with a musical deja vu that will make you think you’ve heard this before even if you’re listening for the first time. The opening track posted here sets the tone for the album. If you like this, you’ll like the rest.

Here’s a little Ethiopian Jazz, dusty with African sands and rich with the smell of far-away spices. It is impossible to not feel cool while listening to this.

The story goes like this: philosophy major turned slam poet turned MC. This is an interesting hip hop album. There are club jams, rock songs, chamber quartets, and choral harmonies. Tying it all together is Dessa’s intensely personal, and poetic flow. Remember Dessa. She’s bound for bigger things.

The Gaslight Anthem are something like the Hold Steady with tattoos and blue collar jobs instead of Eddie Bauer shirts and college-degrees. I know they’re from New Jersey, but their blend of punk rock and Springsteen anthems tell me something important about the rusted and vacant refineries that litter the Cleveland cityscape, and the neat but worn-out houses sitting on tree-lined streets throughout the city.

This song has an optimistic bounce that belies its rust-belt melancholy – like the shiny reminiscing that obscures the sadness of nostalgia. So start this week with the bright side of some memories of the friends, music, and places that make you think kids these days don’t know what they’re missing.

Nothing beats accidentally discovering a band you love. Way back in 2008 I stumbled across this resurrection of The Band. Then last week I stumbled across their latest EP You’ll Find No Answers Here and I got to relive a little of that original serendipity. This track is short but full of the sweetness that make me love this band. Let their mellow acoustic groove rock you for two minutes and your Monday morning will be better for it.

The electro-pop has really been doing it for me lately. Bear in Heaven let the synth sound drive their music. But you can feel the organic breath of this music – more ocean waves than sine waves.

But the thing that really gets me is the vocals. The vocal melodies don’t sit in the comfortable pocket you expect. As the synths rock you up and down the vocals spin you around and you’re adrift in their sonic sea. They give the distinct feeling that if you put your headphones on and close your eyes, when you open them again you just might be somewhere else.

If Brian Wilson were a member of Boards of Canada you’d have something like Caribou. So put your headphones on and let Caribou’s good vibrations rattle your ossicles from the inside.

Imagine Danger Mouse, producer of The Black Keys last album Attack & Release were one of Dan Auerbach’s guitar pedals. For Brothers he turned the Keys, Samples & Synths down from an 8 to a 3, dialed back the Psychedelia just a bit, and left the Soul knob alone at 8. They kept the Dirt & Scuzz turned way up, as usual too.

It’s tweaking that suits the Black Keys. They’re at their dirtiest, bounciest, and soulful best on this record. I just wish they’d left a few tracks off and let a punchy 12 songs really push this record start to finish.

Yeah, yeah, I know, it’s all early-Dylan. He knows too – just listen to the lyrics. But it’s good. So listen.