Strangers and newcomers to the Fiery Furnaces are not the target audience for this sprawling collection that spans two discs and clocks in at just under two hours and fifteen minutes. Unlike most live albums that highlight a single performance or a small series of performances, the Furnaces' foray into live albums features material from several different shows with different line-ups and different recording media (bootleg tapes, soundboard feeds, etc.), which have been spliced and mixed down together so that single tracks are formed from different performances of that song and each song is blended over the next so that the album plays like a single live performance. For the most part, it works. Some of the transitions between bootleg and soundboard feeds are disconcerting, but no more jarring than their studio material. Like their studio work, the album takes patience to appreciate. Trying to soak it all in on a single listen will leave the listener confused by the frenetic Furnaces.

Highlights: Blueberry Boat, Wicker Whatnots, Vietnamese Telephone Mystery, Philadelphia Grand Jury

Bottom line: Live album highlights the Fiery Furnaces dynamic style and exciting live show but is not for the newcomer to the band, who may be overwhelmed. B

Here's "Tropical Iceland," from their album Gallowbird's Bark

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Like most hip-hop heads, I always love to find the source material of a particularly dope beat, and in that vein, Blue Note's Droppin' Science: Greatest Samples from the Blue Note Lab is a rewarding compilation. Containing the original material for elements of songs from acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, DJ Shadow, Madlib, and many others, the album is an amateur (or armchair) DJ's wet dream. In addition, many of the songs are restored or remastered versions, making the collection appealing to jazz aficianados as well.

Highlights: Davids Axelrod's and Mccallum's "The Edge," as featured in Dr. Dre's "Next Episode," Jeremy Steig's "Howling for Judy," as featured in Beastie Boys' "Sure Shot," and Grant Green's "Down Here on the Ground," used in ATCQ's "Vibes and Stuff."

Bottom line: If you have listened to hip-hop in the last twenty years, you're bound to appreciate at least 5 songs on this album. B+

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