Flying Lotus

Pianist and producer Robert Glasper has spent much of the past decade reconnecting jazz with popular black music, transforming the work of artists like rapper Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus and Brittany Howard. Peter Van Breukelen/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

Flying Lotus' fifth studio album, Flamagra, is out now. Renata Raksha/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Compton rapper YG. His latest release, 4REAL 4REAL, is on our short list for the best new albums dropping on May 24. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Israeli jazz reedist Anat Cohen. Augusta Sagnelli/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Spoon, Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent, Future Islands, Flying Lotus. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Spoon, Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent, Future Islands, Flying Lotus. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Flying Lotus's new album is called You're Dead! Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Flying Lotus' new album, Until The Quiet Comes, comes out Oct 2. Timothy Saccenti/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Clockwise from upper left, all taken at Moogfest: costumed fans at the Animoog Playground, Atlas Sound, fans reacting to one of the live sets, The Field, a dewy-eyed fan. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption

The Los Angeles music scene churned out some of 2010's best albums. iStockphoto hide caption