Rebetika! Are you familiar? Neither were we. But we've been tipped off to the outcast culture and amazing backstory behind this under-appreciated genre of Greek blues music. This is right up our alley aesthetically and has somehow managed to remain under the radar for far too long. So here's to making rebetika a household name. Or, hey, at least the new popular tab in your local record store's "world music" section (take that, Tropicalia).

To familiarize yourselves, feel free to check out the BBC's wonderful documentary about rebetika with narrator Anthony Quinn, who starred in 1964 film Zorba the Greek. You can pre-order the double LP set or CD at the Third Man store at this link. Enjoy!