Bright Young Things illuminates novel
Band finds focus on new album
Idlewild may mix post-Brit Pop identities, but the tension helped the Scots make one of the year's best albums
Think Tank (EMI)
Laika Come Home (Astralwerks)
Where there's a Willis, there's a schizophrenic cult icon who can whup all of rock's mad geniuses
Return to Central (spinART)
10,000 Hz Legend (Astralwerks)
Mogwai mouths off, shuts up, and releases its most rewarding album yet
Catchall (Yep Roc)
Stephen Malkmus leaves Pavement behind with a slanted and enchanting solo debut
Boston-based singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick lets Freedom ring on a new recording
Trashman pours his beer-fueled soul into a saga of Guns n' Mooks
Music Awards Showcase once again makes a virtue of excess
Squeeze's messy career might require a scorecard, but few tunesmiths can rival the band's catalogue
With The Storyteller, Ray Davies finds a new way for rock to age gracefully
A year-end recap of the albums that made it worthwhile to own a stereo in 1997
Novelty single aside, Portland's Dandy Warhols should have more than 15 minutes of fame awaiting them
Blur trades its status as Britpop laureate for a dose of Amerindie messiness
After tinkering with its original mod design, this hard-rocking foursome is ready to cruise off the showroom floor
