by R. Kelly
(Jive)
Hey, look, guys—it’s 1966! How do we know? Well, you have to get past the “NBC Presents” music at the front. And Kelly uses Auto-Tune, albeit sparingly. But it actually brushes nicely against the plucked guitar and first-slow-dance tempo, complete with a horn buildup on the song’s bridge and an a cappella breakdown. The “Thank you!” at the end—redolent of any number of R&B never-weres leaving the stage thankful for their shot—is also a great touch.
by Fitz and the Tantrums
(Dangerbird)
Hey, look, guys—it’s 1968! How do we know? This L.A. group channels all kinds of vintage big-city soul, but I slot it with pre–Philadelphia International Gamble & Huff, maybe because Michael Fitzpatrick sounds just like Philly’s Daryl Hall. Fitz’s material is far more robust than is typically the case with retro soul. This EP has only two songs (of five) that didn’t make the album. Both are slow: the sleek “Darkest Street,” featuring that deathless lyrical observation “A house is not a home,” and the gloomy “We Don’t Need No Love Songs,” which, given his songs’ unromantic bent (the other thing Fitz has in common with Hall), he probably doesn’t.
by the Vaselines
(Sub Pop)
Hey, look, guys—it’s 1987! How do we know? That’s when the Vaselines released their classic “Son of a Gun,” which this gem could have B-sided—or A-sided. Getting Eugene Kelly’s drawled “Feels so good, it must be bad for me/Let’s do it, let’s do it again” out of your head is not an easy task. Better not to worry about it too much.
by Superchunk
(Merge)
Hey, look, guys—it’s 1991! How do we know? Well, what else are Superchunk going to sound like? At least, 1991 if you were listening to college radio and not remotely ready for the ruckus Nirvana would create—if you lived for scrappy guitar bands that yearned a lot. Two decades on, they still do it like they’re grateful for the chance.
by Lone
(Magic Wire)
Hey, look, guys—it’s 1992! How do we know? Because the A-side of this 10-inch is practically wearing a cartoon top hat and jawing a pacifier, and the B is liquid dancing with glow sticks over in the corner where it can better see the laser patterns on the wall. We’ve got to rave just to make it today.