Indie Rock Rediscovers the Motherland

Various Artists, Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale 1969-1974 (1998): This brilliant collection, part of a 23-volume series, may well be responsible for the rise of today's Converse-and-Dashiki sound, thanks to Jim Jarmusch using many of its songs in 2005's Broken Flowers. The entire series highlights several different Ethiopian styles, but Vol. 4 is in a whole other realm. Featuring 1970s-era compositions and performances by bandleader Mulatu Astatke, these 14 timeless songs transcend borders like clouds drifting across a satellite weather map. "Tezeta," a smoky romance between a tenor saxophone and piano, sounds like it could have been written by Ellington in 1935 or Coltrane in 1965.

Talking Heads, Remain in Light (1980): Recorded while Fela was dropping his annual Afrobombs, when post-punk was drawing from roots reggae and dub and the coked-up NYC gay disco scene was humping all the Puerto Ricans and Jamaicans, Remain in Light distills all this freaky rhythm and more in "Once in a Lifetime," "Houses in Motion" and quieter, spookier excursions like "Seen and Not Seen."

King Sunny Ade, Juju Music (1982): Pure, weird bliss from the king of juju music, the party sound of Nigeria's Yoruba tribe. Full of odd rhythms, heavy bass and Ade's jangly, melodic guitar lines, Juju was actually recorded in nearby Togo and mixed in London, kinda sorta explaining its untethered nature. Ade's Afropop features jumpy, active bass lines, deep and swinging, that rumble through songs like a muffler-less Caprice, but his 20-odd-member band remain lighter than exhaust, employing a guitar and congo army to amazing effect.

Various Artists, The Guitar and Gun (1983): The Ghanaian popular music known as highlife on this brilliant collection sounds like doo-wop funneled through David Lynch's brain and spit out in a weird, wobbly style. Opener "Momma Mo Akoma Ntutu," by the Genesis Gospel Singers, will make even the droopiest day sparkle with possibility. When the album ends, the world is a lesser place.

Various Artists, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (1986): This is one of the most influential collections of African music ever released — not necessarily a good thing. The first song plants you in Graceland — Soweto was the main template for Paul Simon's classic album — and each song features this distinctive South African vibe, a certain swing that marries weight and melody, message and celebration. Youngsters looking to steal riffs, however, should approach with caution; because of the Simon connection, quoting from it will not necessarily seem hip.

Kronos Quartet, Pieces of Africa (1992): The only composers Kronos has yet to record with are the No Limit crew, and that's only because they can't get a meeting with Master P. On Pieces of Africa, they roam the continent performing on string and percussion compositions from Zimbabwe, Morocco, Gambia, Uganda, Sudan, Ghana and South Africa. The CD is brimming with rhythm, both the banging-on-the-body-of-the-cello kind and the tapping-on-the-tip-of-the-scroll kind, and is stretched taut with David Harrington and company's thrilling shrills.

Damon Albarn et al., Mali Music (2002): You can pile on Damon Albarn — he of Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad & The Queen — all you want, but he's right way more often than he's wrong, and he was never more correct than when he followed his muse to Mali. Albarn convened some of the country's best musicians and recorded their jam sessions for this combination of syrupy percussive meditations and joyous wind sprints. Soft percussion floats around the room like the mist of a conjured spell just before it hits its target.