Ali Farka Toure has been called the "John Lee Hooker of Africa": if it's often said that the blues are a reworking of African tribal rhythms to fit the African-American experience, then Toure has aligned the blues back to African life. Since he was born into nobility, a musical career was strongly d

Ebullient, Modern pop/dance, Rhythmic, Spiritual, Tranquil

Blending soulful vocals with a melodic, mid-tempo beat, Marvin Gaye introduced a new kind of rhythmic pop to the mainstream. The drive to produce commercially successful material -- a goal Gaye personally deemed insignificant -- eventually took its toll on the sensitive artist. But though he never qu

Cool, Intimate, Layered, Pop, Religious, Rhythmic, Sensual

The group known as Tortoise crawled through the caverns of Chicago's rock underground during the early 1990s, collecting people who loved odd, oozy noises. The band's own sound gelled when synth-man John Herndon and bassist Doug McCombs collaborated on an experimental project called Mosquito. Soon, J

Ethereal, Euphoric, Post-rock, Rhythmic, Round, Serene, Tranquil

Language in Harryette Mullen's poetry is like a loop of sound-bytes edited by an imp of the anti-establishment. Threads of African American vernacular meet Spanish idiom, only to emerge as speech from the mouth of a white Gen-Xer. The result is a constantly shifting notion of linguistic identity. Mu

Deconstructive, Postmodern poetry, Rhythmic, Slangy, Whimsical