Schoolkids Top Five

 

Located at 332 State St., Schoolkids in Exile is the current home of the original Schoolkids record store founded more than 30 years ago. Though Schoolkids will close its doors at the end of July, the music inside continues to rage on. I asked founder Steve Bergman to choose five essential records both new and old:

 

1. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha

Fat Possum

 

The sometimes quirky yet always engaging Bird is “on a roll,” and continues the strong successes he’s had in the last decade with albums like The Swimming Hour and Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs on his enigmatic new album.

 

2. Blanco y Negro – Blanco y Negro

Stunt

 

A kind of “plate tectonics” of sound, Blanco y Negro merge first-rate modern jazz and Cuban percussion  on this high-quality recording.

 

3. Soul Jazz Records Presents Tropicália: A Brazilian Revolution in Sound  – Various Artists

Soul Jazz

 

Featuring such luminaries as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes, this two-disc compilation is one of the most exciting collections of Tropicalia ever released.

 

4. Love – Forever Changes

Elektra

 

Love’s decisive 1967 release is a classic in every sense of the word. Poppy, folky and psychedelic all at once, Forever Changes never gets old.

 

5. Graham Parker – Don’t Tell Columbus

Bloodshot

 

This singer-songwriter has extended his accomplishments from the 1970s well into the present day with his latest release. The “sharp, biting lyrics” and alt-country flavoring make this old school pub rocker’s new album “as good a record as he’s ever made.”