Magic System is a Côte d'Ivoire Zouglou group that's gained quite a following throughout Europe over the years (yay, globalization!) yet still goes largely unrecognized in North America. That's terrible, because I can't tell you how fun it is to dance poorly to "Premiere Gaou" after too much wine.

Dance yourself awake this morning. If you won't get fired, do so with a glass of red.

Miles Davis covering Michael Jackson? Why not!

It's a dreary day here in New York City. Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops" seems appropriate.

I suppose I can kinda sorta understand where people are coming from when they make the case for Lil Wayne and Soulja Boy. But even that small semblance of comprehension is blown away as soon I listen to something like "Reality Check," by Binary Star, and go, "Oh, yeah, all that other stuff about abusing cough syrup and Supermanning hos is BULLSHIT."

"We don't get down like them clown syndicates/ I'm used to being indigent/ Who said it's all about the Benjamins?"

Last time I was in France, I started most days listening to "Makeda," by Parisian sister duo Les Nubians. Here in the Brooklyn, I still listen to it often. It's a perfect morning song, regardless of whether you're waking up with some good espresso or a buck-fifty cup of sludge from the bodega. Bonjour.

In the 1980s, when the guys in Living Colour started playing metal licks on guitars instead of scratching records, everyone thought they were nuts. Today, their assistance in eliminating the color barriers between musical genres is invaluable.

"Cult of Personality" is a really great song, and, you must admit, apropos in an Obamanation.

Remember when popular hip hop was, y'know, good? Here's Nice and Smooth's "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow," which elegantly samples Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" and finds the duo decrying selling drugs (what a novel concept!). Enjoy.

Experience suggests that starting a day with John Coltrane is never, ever a bad thing to do. Here's a 1961 performance of "My Favorite Things."

I have an aunt who inexplicably loathes Gladys Knight's infamous Pips. I think they're delightfully energetic. To each her own. Also, I love "Midnight Train to Georgia."

As a companion to our monogamy discussion going on over in Threadbare, here's the venerable Luther Vandross's take the subject — in song.

Miriam Makeba, South African activist and international singing superstar, died earlier this week at the age of 76. Here she is singing one of her hits, "Pata Pata."

This very special edition of Rewound is dedicated to my beautiful new niece, who was born yesterday and stole my heart instantly. It's not a stretch to say that I'm the happiest first-time aunt in the world, although my sister might fight me for that title.

Two weeks ago, I went to see Dead Prez play in Brooklyn. The show was great – KRS-One showed up for a surprise set!!! – but one of my favorite performances came not from the main acts, but from the night's master of ceremonies, a poet by the name of Black Ice, who would occasionally silence the room with verse.

It's hard to make earnest slam poetry that doesn't sound corny; Black Ice makes it look easy. (Clip is NSFW.)

How many times have we heard Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" or someone singing Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" or someone simply saying "A change is gonna come" this week? Perhaps its Barack Obama's new anthem.

And now for something that has absolutely nothing to do with the election. And I mean nothing. Please tell me you remember Kids Incorporated? And please tell me you know that "Stacy" is the singer who would later be known as Fergie? Wait… Fergie is in the Black Eyed Peas with Will.i.am, who produced the "Yes We Can" tribute song for Barack Obama and campaigned for him…