With NYC's bright new hopes (Liars, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) openly worshipping at the altar of scratchy early-'80s UK punk-funk (PiL, Gang Of Four), it now seems doubly outrageous that Department S were denied the release of this like-minded debut at the time—"Whatever Happened To The Blues" alone is 20 years ahead of Radio 4. An even greater shame that singer Vaughan Toulouse (who died of AIDS in 1991) isn't around to savour the overdue recognition this should grant him.

The Big Star flew solo, jumped back to his Southern roots, then went live in London

Tear-streaked wonder from Abba's pop-rock progeny

Pretty, discreet indietronica from Oz

Australia's next big thing unleash experimental mini-album debut

Ex-Pavement kingpin condenses decades of rock'n'roll lunacy into one uneasy capsule

Nashville hit songwriter gets gritty

Riotously infectious debut from fun-fixated Danish duo

Shockingly good three-CD archive of UK prog-rock

Re-releases of solo outings by prodigious ex-Henry Cow guitarist