When Los Angeles's Love Ghost made their new song "Dopeman," they mixed the raw energy of alternative rock with the pounding beats of Afrobeat in a way that is both bold and surprising. Ghanaian musician Camidoh and DJ Switch Ghana, who is also from Ghana and has great turntable skills, work together on this international project. It has a rhythm that is both creative and...

Okay, buckle up, because Track Dogs just dropped a Christmas card. Not the kind with a sparkly snowman, though. This "A Christmas Card" album feels more like a rambling, joyous postcard sent from a slightly tipsy, globe-trotting relative. They've taken the usual folk/Americana framework and tossed in some maracas and maybe a sneaky jazz trombone. It's the sort of unexpected musical mashup that makes...