Devil is Fine

This 95-song retrospective covers a period from 1955, when girl groups were just emerging, to 1963, by which time they were an established staple alongside their male counterparts. Certain groups dominate – the Shirelles appear 14 times, for example – but such success stories are the exception rather than the rule. Most of the groups here only managed one or two hits, then found themselves changing their names, personnel or style in an attempt to repeat that initial success before eventually calling it quits. Still, it's those one-hit wonders who are responsible for the really strange, aurally fascinating gems here. Miss Toni Fisher's The Big Hurt stands out, with its haunting arrangement and phasing effects, as do the Paris Sisters' Phil Spector-produced odes to heartbreak and the Bobbettes I Shot Mr Lee (a followup to their 1956 hit Mr Lee), which is a murder ballad masquerading as a pop smash. Bigger names including Little Eva, Etta James and the Supremes also appear, adding some recognisable bulk to a well-curated look at this important period in pop history.

Now is the summer of Arab Strap's (latest) discontent. In the late '90s, the duo's songs focused on vices—drugs, alcohol, empty sex. Thirty years later, Aidan Moffatt and Malcolm Middleton are repulsed and fascinated by the minefields of the online world: the conspiracy theories, the anonymized hate, the dearth of real human connection, and the addictive nature of it all. "I come to you for confirmation/ Testimony, adulation/ Education, excitation/ Palpitation and flirtation/ But you give me aggravation/ Insult and disinformation/ Hatred, bias and predation," Moffatt sings on "Sociometer Blues." Set to manic disco-fever beats that match his racing recitation, it presents as a romance gone very wrong.

Detroit-born blues and soul singer known for her passionate phrasing and vocal delivery. Collection includes: Blues Ain't Pretty (2001); The Devil Is An Angel Too (2010); Stronger For It (2012); Original (2014).