Right about now...you are about to be possessed...by the sounds of...MC Santi White...and DJ Wesley Pentz. These sounds...may include...high levels of...electro crunk...booty/B-more bass...dutty dancehall...southern slanging...autotuned chorus hooks...and other...contemporary...and timely...party versions. No baile funk...this time...but enough...new-wavey slight lefts...to walk on the moon with...or at least...to Mesopotamia. Only the finest...and most fashionable...shall gain entry...but don't let that...put you off. Just wait until...Mark Ronson...puts his...signature trumpets in. Exclusive!

As well-rounded as you'd expect from a lot whose songcraft so suavely synthesizes styles into gently beatwise, tuneful pop form, Sound Selection is a mix compilation a la Late Night Tales or Back To Mine, valuing feel and, well, selection over perfect blending and matching. Soulful choral consternation from the Staple Singers and Redbone goes one-for-one with late-golden-age hiphop for the front half of this sequence (maybe even poking fun at comp-curation vanity in choosing De La Soul's "Ego Tripping, Part 2"), and the band's own "Left Foot Stepdown" fits right in after a double-dose of reggae.

Following up Soul Jazz's 2006 Dynamite Dancehall collection (a compilation that was in heavy rotation here in the store, especially those Lady Saw tracks) with this UK-focused set, An England Story highlights the influence of Jamaican dancehall on Britain's ever-evolving mutant forms of black beat-based music, from hip hop, trip-hop and ragga jungle to 2-step, grime, dubstep and beyond. In the words of London Posse's Rodney P, "This is a UK thing, it's hip hop and it's reggae...and those Americans don't know about that".

Bankrolled by Island founder Chris Blackwell, the heyday of Nassau's Compass Point Studios happened during the first half of the 1980s, when the Compass Point All-Stars (led by Sly & Robbie and featuring guitarists Barry Reynolds & Mikey Chung, percussionist Uzziah Thompson, and synthesist Wally Badarou) gave the world yet another example of Jamaican music's endlessly adaptive abilities, cutting tracks with everyone from disco queen Gwen Guthrie to post-punkers Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Ian Dury. Funky Nassau features Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, and tons of dubby dance-pop obscurities.

Thanks to Kevin "Sipreano" Howes and Seattle's Light In The Attic Records, Jerry Brown's legacy continues to grow, following last year's crucial Summer Records Anthology with a CD reissue of this 1977 LP, originally released in a pressing of only 500 copies. Anyone who loved the dub-tinged roots of Noel Ellis' self-titled album will surely take to the playful mixing touches added to the Summer house band. Howes' liners are particularly illuminating when describing the punky reggae party these Maltoners partook in, embraced as they were by the Two Garys and other rockers outside the Jamaican community.  

A casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that reissue label Soul Jazz wouldn't touch any Jamaican music that wasn't recorded at the seminal Studio One; to date, they have a staggering 23 volumes in their S1 series. But not only does their brand new Jamaica Funk break with that unwritten rule, it also proves that their reggae reissue well is anything but dry. This excellent release combines covers of American funk material from artists such as The JBs, Al Green and The Stylistics, as well as original Jamaican music owing to these styles. Big Youth, Augustus Pablo, The Upsetters all appear on this great disc.

Another release in the superb Jamaica to Toronto series, this compilation collects the best of tunes released by Summer Records, a label run by Jamaican ex-pat Jerry Brown. Based from a studio in Brown's Malton, Ontario basement, Summer was a focal point for Toronto reggae and dub at the time. Aside from a few expected production gaffes on the late 80s tracks, this is high quality stuff. Even better given the known names involved (Noel Ellis, Johnny Osbourne), these are some rare finds as well. Exceptional liner notes round out a fine tribute to Toronto's hidden musical legacy.

One of the year's most important reissues, this album was a milestone for roots reggae. Though about the impending apocalypse (expected by Rastafarians in 1977, or when "two sevens clashed"), the spirit of the music is never weighed down by brooding introspection. Instead, the album is a devout celebration of faith so impassioned that it found a home in the most unexpected of places: punk rock England. Aside for being the inspiration for the name "The Clash", Culture's music helped cross oceans, religions and colour barriers to initiate a love affair with reggae that shook popular music in profound ways. A welcome edition of a timeless work.