IF you’re ready to move on from Miley and the Jonas Brothers when you head back to school next month, but aren’t sure where to go to broaden your musical horizons, read on. Just because it’s still summer, it doesn’t mean young listeners can’t graduate to some awesome, if less popular, music. Here’s our guide:

R&B/SOUL/FUNK:

If you like: Outkast

Try: P-Funk (a k a Parliament or Funkadelic)

Outkast has somehow gotten away with wild musical experimentation while remaining incredibly popular. They weren’t the first to do this, though; George Clinton led the way in the ’70s with the spacey and hilarious jams of Parliament and the funk-rock awesomeness of Funkadelic. Many songs centered on the battle between Starchild, the divine alien who attempts to spread the holy Funk around the world, and his archnemesis Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk, who is too cool to dance. If that doesn’t persuade you to check them out, I don’t know what will.

If you like: Beyoncé

Try: Etta James

Before R&B songstresses like Beyoncé became huge, there were people like Etta James. Without the benefit of music videos, they had to rely on their vocal chords alone, playing in crowded clubs to make a name for themselves. Etta does a great job of this on “Etta James Rocks the House,” a 1963 live album in which she wows the audience of Nashville’s New Era Club with her bluesy yells and powerful voice. Beyoncé herself must have taken notice – she’s playing Etta James in an upcoming movie.

HIP-HOP/RAP:

If you like: Lil Wayne

Try: Wale

Though Mr. Wayne would have you think differently, there are plenty of better rappers in the world than the current chart king. Wale (pronounced Wah-lay) hasn’t quite hit the big time yet, but his witty lyrics and unique flow completely blow away almost any artist you’ll see on MTV. His quirkiness is never annoying, and his knowledge of pop culture makes him one of the funniest rappers around. And, best of all, his greatest work so far, the “Seinfeld”-theme “The Mixtape About Nothing,” is available for free at 10deep.com/WALEMIXTAPE.

ALTERNATIVE ROCK:

If you like: Panic! At the Disco

Try: The Flaming Lips

Panic! At the Disco is known for reveling in its own weirdness, which has certainly helped set the band apart from the pack. But there are few groups out there that can claim to be as delightfully bizarre as the Flaming Lips. The Lips’ sound is hard to describe, as it combines many completely different influences, but the center of it all is psychedelic rock. The band’s essence is perfectly captured in a description of its live show: singer walking over the crowd in a giant “Space Ball,” blasting confetti as part of a nonstop light show, and a stage surrounded by pink ninjas and people wearing Iron Man costumes.

POP SINGER/SONGWRITER

If you like: John Mayer

Try: Jeff Buckley

John Mayer’s relaxing music and soothing voice is as loved by those wanting to chill as it is despised by those who want a little more kick in their music. Don’t write off all relaxing vocalists who sing over bluesy, guitar-based bands. There are a few who can soothe yet still rock when needed. The late Jeff Buckley is one of the best examples of this. “Grace,” the only album he completed while alive, highlights the many talents of one of the greatest singers ever. Seriously, he could bring a grown man to tears by reading a muffin recipe in his beautiful voice. But it’s not all slow and haunting – he kicks out some serious jams throughout the album, including the title track.

JAZZ

He’s a one of a kind, so try: Miles Davis

Yeah, maybe the public perception of jazz is of boring elevator music or stuff old people listen to. But that’s ridiculous – jazz has always been at the forefront of musical advancement and innovation, and nobody embodies this forward-thinking attitude better than legendary trumpeter Miles Davis. Take, for example, “Kind of Blue,” an album that is universally revered as one of, if not the, greatest jazz albums ever, which helped popularize a new way of soloing. Or the controversial “Bitches Brew,” which combined jazz with heavy elements of rock, funk and blues. It was incredibly divisive but probably remains the best introduction to jazz because of its somewhat familiar (though completely warped) rock influences.