The Lilac Time, The Lilac Time (Phonogram 1988) This self-titled album was the first effort by The Lilac Time, a very English band fronted by Stephen Duffy (see below). With a couple hopeful exceptions (such as "Return to Yesterday"), the songs are both wistful and melancholic, and evoke dusk, desire, and longing. The unusual instrumentation (which includes both banjo and accordion) adds acoustic interest to TLT's lovely ballads.

The Sundays, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (DGC 1990) Harriet Wheeler's girlish, English vocals add a splash of vibrant innocence to this tuneful, acoustic effort. Youthful remembrances (finding money in subways, girls kicking boys, and the like) run together in a single, happy vein. The songs lilt like a welcome, lake-blown breeze on a sunny June afternoon.

Poi Dog Pondering, Poi Dog Pondering (CBS 1989) In his first big-label outing, Frank Orral presides over the playful, organic sound of this eclectic ensemble of voices, horns, tin whistles, violins, and slide guitars (among other instruments). Far superior to Poi's subsequent releases, it is a joyous exploration -- of simple pleasures ("Toast and Jelly") and the fascinations of new romance ("Pulling Touch") -- beguilingly unstained by self-consciousness.

Stephen Duffy, Music In Colors (EMI 1993) A collaborative effort with virtuoso violinist Dr. Nigel Kennedy, this album finds Mr. Duffy's romantic songcraft polished to a near-epic sheen. The violin stylings add a Steve Reich-like edge to the songs, broadening the sonic impact of Mr. Duffy's pop observations. Big, melodic, electric, and lyrical, the title track is one of his best tunes ever.

The Redundant Steaks, Petrified Barbecue (RSCD 1996) The lo-fi high-concept clown princes of the south-of-the-Midway musical scene at the University of Chicago in the late 1980s never failed to entertain and unsettle their incredibly small, but fiercely loyal, cadre of fans. This CD culls 23 of their best songs from Liquid Dwarf/Rusty Dwarf, Buster Crabbe: The Rock Opera, and Columbian Inventions. Some clowns will make you laugh...

The Beatles, Revolver (Parlophone 1966) A fine effort by a little English band from the 1960s. In addition to the undeniably great favorites that everyone knows and loves, Revolver contains lesser-known gems, including two of the most sublime bits of psychedelic pop ever committed to magnetic tape: "I'm Only Sleeping" and "And Your Bird Can Sing."

REM, Murmur (IRS 1983) An ear-grabber from the very first line ("Beside Yusef it radios goota stain" -- well, OK, maybe I can't make out what Michael Stipe is singing, but it sure sounds good). Jangling guitars and echo-drenched vocals create an aural landscape of poignant, nearly desolate beauty. The boys from Athens, GA were good (and, some might argue, at their best) before they were big....