The past, how it lurks in the back of one's brain. It was exciting being in New York City in the early 80s, disco-ing 'til dawn. Fun days, dangerous days; not particularly well spent, more likely ill-spent, but fondly remembered days anyway. Ah, to be a Yuppie again! Cut to today. Amidst the music on my iPod, there is Soul, R&B, Blues, Country, Americana; and there is - gasp - the guilty pleasure of 80's music. That stuff was fresh, catchy, and some of it continues to wear well to this day, it still makes a joyous noise. Thomas Dolby, for instance. I could watch the video for "She Blinded Me With Science" forever, and it is a song that never makes me want to hit fast forward when it comes up on shuffle.

Photo Credit: NK GuyIt has been twenty years since Thomas Dolby has put a new studio album out. He quit the music business in the early 90s and has spent years as a muckety muck in Silicon Valley, where he created the ringtone synthesizer that is embedded in more than 3 billion mobile phones shipped by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and others. On the way, at long last, is A Map of the Floating City. The album features appearances by Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor, Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Woolley and Imogen Heap. Leading up to the full-length, Thomas is releasing three digital-only EPs containing three or four songs apiece, exclusively to the members of his online fan community, The Flat Earth Society. The first EP is called Amerikana, and there is already a video from it, "The Toadlickers." We welcome yet another innovative artist digging into the rich loam of the Americana landscape for inspiration.

- Jessie Scott