I can be old-school when it comes to music. I grew up listening to the mothers and fathers of soul - Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding — and I love blues influence in modern music. I also am a sucker for '80s movie soundtracks (the combination of John Cusack and "In Your Eyes" makes my heart implode). When today's mainstream pop is overrated and the acoustic chord progressions of today's indie hits are overplayed, I look for new music with a retro style: a category I've affectionately named "pseudo-decade," which includes both original songs that throw it back and new covers of throwback songs. Check out some of my finds, organized categorically and chronologically.

1. "Don't Wait Too Long" by Madeleine Peyroux

Off of her 2004 album "Careless Love," this song reflects Peyroux's 1930's style with her crooning vocals and slow jazz accompaniment. It's evident she's influenced by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

2. "Coming Home" by Leon Bridges

This is one of my all-time favorites, the title track for Bridges' debut album in 2015. His style will take you back to 1960's Motown with a voice similar to Sam Cooke and a sound similar to the Temptations. I could listen to him all day.

3. "Supernova" by Ray Lamontagne

I've loved Ray for the past five years. My brother even painted a black-and-white canvas of his face and gave it to me for my birthday one year. When his album "Supernova" was released in 2014, the sudden change from quiet folk to psychedelic rock threw me for a loop. But producer Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys knew what he was doing with this track. Take a stroll through the psychedelic influences of the 1970s with Zoe, the mysterious subject of the song.

4. "Aquaman" by Walk the Moon

Before a friend introduced me to this song, my listening experience with Walk the Moon only extended as far as "Shut Up and Dance with Me" (which I thought fell into both the aforementioned "overrated" and "overplayed" categories). This track from the band's 2014 "Talking is Hard" album was a pleasant surprise. Its melody carries the classic love story metaphor common in some of my favorite 1980s chick flicks with a sound similar to Phil Collins.

5. "Beth/Rest" by Bon Iver

Bon Iver is my favorite artist, hands-down. This song is my favorite track from his 2011 album, "Bon Iver, Bon Iver." Every lyric of his is poetry, but this song really stands out to me. The electric guitar that weaves throughout the melody, the synthesizer, the wonderfully cheesy saxophone (played by Colin Stetson, who has incredibly experimental solo work that isn't cheesy at all). It screams 1980s.

6. "Love on Top" by Beyonce

This is a great pick-me-up jam (evident from its 4 key changes) from Beyonce's 2011 album "4." Whitney Houston could have sung this pop anthem during the 1980s and I can picture this blasting in a room of women decked out in neon Spandex and leg warmers doing aerobics.

7. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got that Swing)," Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett

This is a fun version of Duke Ellington's 1931 song, recorded on the joint 2014 album "Cheek to Cheek" by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, whose voices blend surprisingly well together. It makes me want to jump up and cut a rug (or something)!

8. "At Last," Beyonce

Etta James's voice is such a powerhouse that the majority of covers fail to do her music justice. Beyonce doesn't disappoint in her soundtrack recording of "At Last" (1961) from the 2008 movie "Cadillac Records." P.S. the hyperlinked, live version is totally worth the listen.

9. "You Don't Own Me," Rasputina

The first time I heard this song first recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, it was this version. I resonate with any song with a message about empowerment, but I fell in love with this one. It took me months to find this cover, especially since Grace and G-Easy's remix was so popular on mainstream radio, but I found it. The dissonant cello matches the lyrics' dissonance with patriarchy and an unsettling tune that challenges conformity. Good stuff.

10. "Jolene," Miley Cyrus

Recorded during The Backyard Sessions of summer 2012, Miley reflects on her country roots with Dolly Parton's 1968 hit. The haunting twang is a nice contrast to her current music.

11. "Your Song," Ellie Goulding

I discovered Ellie Goulding's cover of Elton John's 1970 song during my phase of obsession with indie female vocalists and simplistic piano accompaniment. This shouldn't discredit her cover, however. Its sweet simplicity is perfect for the message, which places heavier emphasis on the subject of the song than the music itself.

12. "Wonderwall," Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams is the king of covers, in case you aren't familiar with his version of Taylor Swift's entire "1989" album. I'm not overly familiar with 1990's music and didn't realize until I did some research that Oasis's original was released in 1995 and wasn't recent. But Ryan Adams acoustic guitar accompaniment and echoing vocals (as his style) give this song an eery twist.