Compilation complications?

>> This year's bumper crop of comp CDs made easy

by SCOTT C

-- Annie Dufresne eyes the linguistic divide -- Genetically programmed for your listening pleasure -- Depressing sounds for the holidays -- Electronic sounds for the hard-to-please -- The sound of Christmas evil -- This year's bumper crop of comp CDs made easy -- DJ sets in your Discman this season -- Stuffing the R&B renaissance in your stocking -- Country cracker Christmas -- This holiday season, rock the Chanukah bush in style -- Some seasonal jazz hints -- Yuletide mood swings

All right, no messin' around. I'm gonna get straight to the goods because the days before Christmas are gonna fly by faster than American Thanksgiving. In an effort to corner the maximum in terms of quality music, I've assembled a slew of only the finest in high-end compilations in stores now.

Let's get down to the grit right off the bat, with a record from Harmless called I'm a Good Woman: Funk Classics from Sassy Soul Sisters. Most of the tracks on this formidable assortment are about giving the men back a little bit of the disrespect they've doled out to the ladies over the years. This is no-nonsense, anti-guy funk that will at least make you smile, if not dance your ass off. There's Lyn Collins, Betty Moorer, the firey Ann Sexton, Laura Lee and the Sisters Love--to mention a few. The ladies know how to do it right.

Next, we have the international flavour of Dynamite Joint's Transatlantic Audio. The label known for rich and soulful vibes succeeds with what is essentially a concept album. That concept had DJs and producers from all across the globe choose only one song for the comp, representing their country of origin. Tastemakers like the U.K.'s Gilles Peterson, Japan's UFO, Germany's Jazzanova and Austria's Kruder & Dorfmeister make this an overwhelming range of music you need to hear. It features appearances from Earthbound, Buscemi, I:Cube and Maurice Fulton. This record is anything but a global cliché.

On to the new Rawkus fare. Rawkus has indeed come a long way from the little label that could, showing all the signs of a spoiled brat in a candy store with some of their recent releases. However, much like the important first volume, Lyricists Lounge Vol. 2 is a powerhouse of a record in a sea of mediocrity. Where else but on a Rawkus affair are you gonna find Macy Gray doing a track with Mos Def and DJ Premier? If you've been itching for that new bone to chew on, this two-CD comp is hip hop that the world needs now. Kweli, Hi-Tek, Ghostface, Prodigy and Noid and even Biggie star.

Finally, for those of you looking for the kind of music that makes you wonder why you've been listening to so much shit your whole life, I give you Jazz Bizness 2 from Counterpoint Records. This is not the jazz-funk-fusion you know, or even dreamt about, featuring unearthed grooves from the '70s. Compiled by Brighton jazz-man Russ Dewbury and vinyl archeologist Jake Behnan, this CD sets new standards for the rare groove comp and breathes new life into the seemingly neverending flow of half-assed collections. I won't even list the songs here because you've never heard them. Excellent.