One of the intricately woven yet highly under-appreciated instrumental albums of 2012, hands down, belonged to Detroit producer/jazz drummer Karriem Riggins. His project, Alone Together, which he created on the back of a tour bus as Riggins criss-crossed Eastern Europe playing behind Diana Krall, takes listeners on a deep journey toward the intersection of hip-hop and its jazz origins.

Finally, there’s a music video for one of the album’s singles, “Round the Outside.” Check it out and then get your hands on Alone Together if you know what’s good for you.

Shoutouts to a humble MC! That’s more hard to find than it should be these days and that alone makes it easy to post this video. New York’s Homeboy Sandman is finding his time in the limelight these days and currently on tour with Brother Ali. He’s got an album out on Stones Throw Records, First of a Living Breed, that is getting plenty of buzz and recognition for how nice Sandman is with his lyrics and how genuine he comes across. It took him awhile but he seems to have found his lane. The best is that in this video, for his song, “Not Really” featuring production by Jonwayne, you can tell all of it’s not phasing him one bit.

This is probably the best feel good song that I’ve heard all year. Whether you’re thinking about a sweetie, a child, a loved one or anything that makes you grin from cheek to cheek, play this cut and it will make you smile even more. I’d call this song anti-hater medicine! Enjoy.

I’ve always had a ton of respect for Georgia Anne Muldrow over the years and her ability to make music independently, her way. It’s true that most people familiar with Muldrow’s work probably first heard her through her coveted Stones Throw Records material. The reality is, however, that she creates music as a free spirit, often with her sometimes man Dudley Perkins, and just lets Stones Throw distribute it so that her songs can reach a wider audience.

This past November Muldrow released a new album called Owed to Mama Rickie on her new label, Animated Cartunes, and this is the first video off the project. The album is worth buying (ahem) and it’s actually dedicated to her legendary mother, Rickie Byars Beckwith who you can read up on after you watch the video.