So it might be surprising, then, for you to learn that Kaleo is a distinctly Icelandic band equally inspired by the native folk music of their own country. Folk-inspired Blues tracks like “Way Down We Go” hint at this, but “Vor / Vaglaskógi” makes it pretty clear.

Still, it’s hard to guess their roots most of the time. Tracks like “Automobile” even celebrate North American traditions, like chasing after the perfect car (my European friends tell me that’s definitely not as much of a thing over there). And songs like “Glass House” sound nearly Springsteen-inspired.

You could be forgiven for assuming that Kaleo is the latest in a string of rock bands who want to emulate the fuzzy sound of American rock in the ’70s (blame Wolfmother for kickstarting that craze). But largely because of their distance from it, Kaleo is able to make all this work and feel somehow original.

I actually largely like how the band seems at a loss between who they are and who they want to sound like. That very identity crisis makes them feel more “authentic” than many of those throwback bands usually are.

One of the reason their music sounds so authentic is because of the production: Kaleo’s music uses a resonator to make some frequencies vibrate more than others. It’s a track that makes some ranges sound louder than others on a record. It also simulates that slightly washed-out fuzz sound of the ’70s without attempting to duplicate it in post-production, and it works perfectly.

A/B is guitar rock for people who miss Guitar Hero. It’s riff-heavy, filled with guitar solos, and generally just a ton of fun. I think the last couple tracks aren’t as well-balanced as the first half of the record, but there isn’t much to complain about on A/B — which is a ridiculously fun rock record from a band who’s going to accomplish great things.

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That makes Binge & Purge a time capsule of sorts: it’s the closest thing we have to real Best Of record from the group, and it’s the only great-sounding live recording we have left from this era of the band. (The next live recording Metallica released was S & M, a recording they made with a live symphony orchestra that unfortunately included too many of their post-Black Album songs for many fans’ likings.) This means that, as a great summation of what made early Metallica so great, Binge & Purge is essential.

It’s also, in retrospect, a sign of the reckless debauchery and cyclical addictions that the band members would experience throughout the next ten years before beginning the road to some of their recoveries during the recording of St. Anger. Frontman James Hetfield infamously throws a pint of beer on a well-meaning fan. The band disappears for fifteen minutes in the middle of a show, leaving hazed bassist James Newstead to play on his own until they return. (They call it a solo, but you just know they were backstage getting mid-show blowjobs from whatever women were around that night.) And while this drunken idiocy leads to some great laid-back moments, it also feels sad in retrospect.

Maybe I’m just getting old and missing the point though.

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As a singer-songwriter, Emmylou Harris is a pastiche of her times and her inspiration. She has a lot of country overtones that might make fans of more modern acts a little uncomfortable, but even if you’re not into country, there’s a lot to like here.

Emmylou Harris’s voice is outstanding, and her songwriting is exceptional. But she’s able to hit emotional chords in the first track that few artists can hit in the span of an entire album. Her voice has an angelic quality to it, and her music sounds pastoral in the hymnal sense of the word: at once sounding like the daughter of Dolly Parton and a gospel singer, Emmylous Harris is able to construct hymns out of sorrow and pain. Truly one of the greats.

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Regardless, Moby is releasing a new record in October called Innocents (Wikipedia link). I’ve heard it’s the bomb. In prep, you might as well listen to his best record, Everything Is Wrong. Some people are going to remember this album for the real trend-setting hits, like Feeling So Real or Everytime You Touch Me. Maybe they’ll remember it for the edgier tracks like What Love. That’s all cool, but for me, the album really stands out thanks to three quieter songs.

Into the Blue charms with its swooning vocals and driving bass. God Moving Over the Face of the Waters is self-aware of its beauty, but that’s okay because it is incredibly beautiful. But for me, the real star track of the entire album, the one that hits the hardest, is When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die. It sends shivers down my spine.

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Fritz & The Tantrums are also a lot better than the usual fluff, with catchy songs like Out of My League, Spark, Keepin’ Our Eyes Out, and more. This is one of those albums that you don’t need to listen to the tracks in order. That’s not to say that it doesn’t reveal more with deeper listening, but that Fritz & The Tantrums are multi-faceted. They know how to write a great song, and they’re willing to let it stand on its own. I suspect it’s largely because the songs would be great live.

You could also grab a few tracks and throw them on next time you throw a party, and just dance. You’ll have fun, and that’s the bottom line. Fitz & The Tantrums are a lot of fun. And sometimes, you don’t need much more than that. Surprisingly, although “deluxe editions” are usually gimmicky piles of crap, the Deluxe Edition of More Than Just a Dream has a couple remixes that are well worth listening to at the end.

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