ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Belle & Sebastian � The Third Eye Centre (Matador): The long-acclaimed pioneers of twee are finally entering the Yo La Tengo/Stereolab portion of their career, where they get underrated just for sticking around for two decades. But despite the hour-long running time, this "b-sides" compilation is their best in a decade, starting with a Latin percussion and flute remix of "I'm a Cuckoo" stripped of its Thin Lizzy pretensions, and segueing into a new-wavey Suicide Girls tribute that actually rocks. The lovely "Your Secrets" is rescued from the excellent Books EP, as is a not-quite-superior remix of "Your Cover's Blown" that does the trick anyway. Horns, synths, and the works excite all over the place, check out the frenetic Paul Simon boogie "Mr. Richard." Don't even get me started on the piano-soul ballad "Meat and Potatoes."

Big Sean � Hall of Fame (GOOD Music/ Def Jam): Nothing's what it seems in hip-hop, where rappers like "big" Sean and "big" K.R.I.T. are among the genre's humblest, with our subject going as far as "letting" Kendrick Lamar body the entire class of 2013 on one of his own songs (but at least having the good sense to not include it on his album called Hall of Fame for, right, "sample clearance issues.") Meanwhile "Lil" Wayne is a massive presence, who showed off his perfected talent for hundreds of songs between 2005-2008 alone in his prime. Makes sense the genre is ruled by a guy named Biggie Smalls.

So what we know about Sean � besides his goofy "oh god" affability � is he's a catchy nonentity on his own records who inspires the best sex talk from Nicki Minaj available. In 2011 this spawned the blissful, Hammer-sampling "Dance (A$$) (Remix)" and on Hall of Fame she returns for the even more outrageous "MILF," directed to the kind of the girl he's banging ("Don't ask for help with your math/ Ain't my fault you can't add"), before Nicki comes in as�who else?�the titular matriarch whose come-hither look celebrates her welfare check. She promptly removes her teeth. It's foreshadowed by a skit called "Freaky" and loads of worthy guest spots�from Wayne himself, Miguel, Nas�and more hooks than J Cole, Wale and French Montana's records combined. A rapper interested in entertaining us is the first step towards getting a personality.