Chicago rapper Serengeti has a refreshingly deadpan outlook: "Cold" calls out scrubs in their thirties, "still wearing jerseys." On his latest disc, producers Jel and Odd Nosdam drop furious record scratches and stand-up-bass samples into their thorny, old-school beats, and Serengeti's drawling, pregnant-pause- filled flow is one to remember.

Listen to 'C.A.R.':

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.