Few years were more important in musical history than 1967. Best known for the Summer of Love, the year also saw debut albums from Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, and the Velvet Underground as well as memorable releases by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, and Aretha Franklin. Also Gavin Rossdale was born on October 30, which I guess is important to Gwen Stefani and maybe someone else… So anyway, in honor of this most historic year in music, I present you with my thoroughly …

I must confess… I have fallen in love with a certain Florence and her Machine. I tried to resist, but it turns out the British press and listening public were correct in their crowning the act (essentially a moniker for Florence Welch) the Next…Big…Thing. Her unique brand of art-pop, equal parts soulful, theatrical, and ethereal, hit the indie world by storm and her debut album Lungs became a bona fide hit overseas (it reached #2 in her native UK and eventually went Platinum).

This week’s musings (after a very sad break for the author’s health) features Italy. It is no mystery that Italy has never been at the forefront of the modern indie rock scene; while they may be the peoples responsible for the Mona Lisa, gelato, the works of Fellini, and the discovery of the New World, they have yet to produce their own Arctic Monkeys. I know, ‘tis a tragedy of epic proportions.

I know I just recently covered the Netherlands, but I’ve decided to make a return visit to highlight up-and-coming rap duo La Melodia. I saw them live at a global hip-hop showcase this past week at CMJ in New York City and loved their blend of old-school hip-hop, bossa nova, and soul. It was especially nice to see such a self-assured and spunky rapper in the form of MC Melodee since there seems to be a dearth of female rappers in the mainstream American rap scene.