This Week's Soundtrack prepares for Essence Festival, feels the heat, and gets spiritual.

This Week's Soundtrack prepares for Essence Festival, feels the heat, and gets spiritual.

1.”I Can't Live Without My Radio” - LL Cool J: His debut single, from 1985's Radio. He opens this year's Essence Festival on Friday.

2.”Hot Pants in the Summertime” - The Dramatics: A Motown summertime classic, that feels just right for July.

3.”Sumthin' Sumthin'” - Maxwell: From his debut album Urban Hang Suite, also playing the first night of Essence.

4.”Nobody Beat the Biz” - Biz Markie: Essence festival hosts its first Family Day at Woldenburg Park to kick off the weekend, with free music (Biz Markie, the Brass-a-holics, and Stooges Brass Band), a petting zoo, and other activities for kids.

5.”I Like the Things About Me” - Mavis Staples: From One True Vine, her new album out produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. No stranger to a family band, coming from the Staple Singers, she recorded with Tweedy and his son providing instrumentation on the album.

6.”Ninety Nine and a Half Won't Do” - The Como Mamas: From the Mississippi gospel trio that released Get an Understanding earlier this year on Daptone Records.

7.”Way in the Middle of the Air” - Sister Gertrude Morgan: Gospel from New Orleans folk artist/street preacher. Morgan ran the Everlasting Gosepl Open Mission from the French Quarter in the '60s and was a prolific painter. This track is from the only album she recorded, Let's Make a Record. 

8.”The Devil is Dope” - The Dramatics: In keeping with this spiritual stretch of the playlist, more from the Detroit group.

9.”King Heroin” - James Brown: A classic.

10.”Montagne Terrace (In Blue)” - Scott Walker: From Scott: The Collection 1967-1970, a recent box set collection of Walker's first four EPs, from 1967-70, showcasing his first solo efforts to create his own aesthetic.

11.”See You Don't Bump His Head” -Scott Walker: Several decades later, Walker's sound continues to evolve. From 2012's Bish Bosch.

12.”Brenninstein” -Sigur Ros: The lead track from Kveikur, their new album, and first as a three-piece. They''ll be on a North American tour this fall.

13.”Harlequin Press” - John Vanderslice: More “sloppy hifi” from SF music producer, known for his quirky analog recording techniques, off his new album Dagger Beach.

14.”You Get What You Deserve-Alternate Mix/1973” - Big Star: From Nothing Can Hurt Me soundtrack, a documentary about the legendary Memphis pop band.

15.”Palmreader” -Sonny and The Sunsets: Another SF indie band, from their new record Antenna to the Afterworld, braiding equal parts surf rock, country, and storytelling.

16.”Ya Hey” - Vampire Weekend: From recently released Modern Vampires of the City, the band's second release to top the Billboard charts.

17.”Money Changes Everything” - Cyndi Lauper: Her "She's Still Unusual" tour came to House of Blues on Sunday, this time with a Tony in tow after winning a Best Score award for her writing on Kinky Boots.

18.”Rockin' Around in NYC” - Marshall Crenshaw: Inspired by Marc Maron's WTF podcast after hearing Crenshaw discuss the challenges of dealing with the label after his self-titled debut album.

19.”All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain-Movie Mix/2012” - Alex Chilton: Also from the Big Star documentary soundtrack.

20.”Through the Unhindered Break of Day” - Set and Setting: St Petersburg post-rock band playing Siberia Tuesday.

21.”The Show” - Doug E. Fresh: Beatboxing pioneer, also playing Essence Family Day.

22.”Crazy in Love-Kid Koala version” - Emeli Sande: The Scottish singer covered Beyonce's debut single on The Great Gatsby soundtrack. She will play Essence Festival Friday.

23.”Supernatural Love” - Fantasia: An Essence alumni, playing the House of Blues Thursday.

24.”Some Things Never Seem to Fucking Work” - Solange: From her album Sole Responsibility, Beyonce's little sister plays Essence Saturday.

25.”I Got Sunshine” - Avery Sunshine: Plays Essence Saturday.

26.”Sweet Dreamin'” - Bridget Kelly: On Jay-Z's record label, Kelly plays Essence on Saturday.

27.”The Half” - Maya Azucena: Plays Essence on Friday.