2009 summer music preview

Hottest collaboration: GZA and the Black Lips

The pairing of the sleazy Atlanta garage-rockers with the Wu-Tang Clan’s genius-in-residence may sound unlikely at first, but once you hear GZA’s old-school flow over the Lips’ woozy, slow-rolling psych-rock on “The Drop I Hold,” it all makes sense. The rapper and the band first jammed together at South by Southwest (seen here), where they were signed on by Dickies to judge a battle of the bands contest. Can more lo-fi garage-rap be in store? We can only hope.

Other hot collabs: The Dead Weather, Jack White’s new band featuring members of the Raconteurs, the Kills and Queens of the Stone Age; Street Sweeper Social Club, featuring Tom Morello and rapper Boots Riley; Ciara and Justin Timberlake, steaming it up on “Love Sex Magic” and its racy video; Major Lazer, the new project from innovative producers and M.I.A. beatmakers Diplo and Switch.