The Doors’ sixth and final studio album with frontman Jim Morrison (excluding the posthumously-released An American Prayer), 1971’s L.A. Woman saw the group headed in a fresh direction, delving deeper into the blues than they had on previous releases, which worked well for them. Despite such creative success, the notorious Los Angeles foursome, who less than five years prior had emerged on the scene to deliver an ominous soundtrack to the escalating Vietnam conflict and increasingly pessimistic counterculture, had since begun melting down from within.

Every so often, a long-hidden artifact is unearthed from the fathomless annals of popular culture to be carried forth and presented anew as a fresh revelation. Nippon Columbia and DJ Notoya’s own revelation transports listeners to a fabled place in an intriguing era: Tokyo in the mid-1970s and ’80s. Featuring 18 solid tracks selected by Notoya from Nippon Columbia’s expansive vaults, comprehensive double LP Tokyo Glow showcases the lesser-known gems of the bustling metropolis’s stellar city pop movement—an eclectic category of R&B/soul, funk, boogie, and jazz fusion-influenced J-pop, often associated with a romantic, tech-centric vision of the future.

On their self-funded debut, Slayer hit the ground running, unleashing their innovative rage of punk-inflected metal upon the world. Indeed, 1983’s Show No Mercy introduced the edgy Huntington Park rockers as a force to be reckoned with.

A solo recording in name only, 1977’s Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs saw virtuoso Eddie Hazel recruiting the services of his former Parliament-Funkadelic bandmates in crafting this electrifying cult funk rock masterpiece.

With Apple, Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon all vying to tempt the big stars into recording a festive cover or indeed conjuring a Christmas original, contemporary festive music has never been easier to find. The Nettwerk Music Group was well ahead of the curve in this respect and has been releasing seasonal music for many years.

When David Crosby began work on his first solo album in 1970 he was still grieving the loss of his longtime girlfriend from a car accident the year before, and friends began dropping by regularly to join in in what became a true labor of love during a healing period for Crosby. Though that original emotional framework was essential in the creation If I Could Only Remember My Name, released in 1971, there’s a value in having listeners hear it with fresh ears 50 years later to consider it on its own merits. This anniversary edition adds a bonus track to the original album, along with a second disc of demos and session tracks.

A cheese sandwich in the bottom of your bag, smiling at the moon, the journey of a single drop of water—these are life’s salient enthralls. At least according to Jay McAllister, the singer/songwriter who’s been releasing music under the full English moniker Beans on Toast since 2009’s Standing on a Chair.

Fundamentally the tale of a 19th century Texan cowboy transported one hundred years into the future as a result of an extraterrestrial abduction, Jason Boland & The Stragglers’ Red Dirt country concept album The Light Saw Me explores heavier topics less typical of modern country music.

Sometimes a record grabs you from the get-go and doesn’t let go. That’s what happened to me with Best & Worst of Times the debut from Secondhand Sound, a rising indie rock quartet of two sets of best friends based in Nashville.