new introductory bit here.

This is a reviews page based on my own collection, which just keeps growing despite itself. If it isn't listed here, it's because I don't own it yet, or I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Also, bother your local "new rock" radio station and make sure they are playing "new rock" and not "Rock the Casbah," which is not new.

note: entries in red text indicate my pick for the artist's best available album. A gold numeral indicates the POPocalypse winner of the year's best album; second- and third-place winners are in blue. Green lettering indicates an obviously exploitative record company compilation without apparent artist input.

Texas, like a lot of bands I enjoy, have never troubled the American charts, but the Brits certainly seem to know a good thing when they hear it. Formed in Scotland in 1988 and fronted by Sharleen Spiteri and former Altered Images guitarist Johnny McElhone, the band became instant critical darlings with the hit "I Don't Want a Lover." However, three LPs and four years later, they had only managed cult success and mild chart dents, and took a three year sabbatical.

They exploded back into the UK charts under a revamped, anthemic, soul sound with the #3 "Say What You Want." White on Blonde, one of the year's best-selling records followed. It is a fantastic and astonishing soulful album, an instant #1 with four top 10 singles. "Halo" and "Drawing Crazy Patterns" floor me every time I hear them. The pain and passion in Sharleen Spiteri's voice sounds a lot like heaven. "Black Eyed Boy," the third single from the album, is the record's centerpiece, with energized guitars and lush strings providing a beautifully commercial, yet wholly original sound.

With newfound press attention, Sharleen became far more of a focal point and one of the nation's sex symbols. The Hush takes that to its inevitable conclusion: a CD booklet full of steamy photos of Sharleen rolling around on the beach and no other ugly male band members in sight. The album doesn't make many stylistic departures from its predecessor, with thumping blue-eyed soul followed by more great big sing-along anthems like "Summer Son." Not a bad record by any stretch, but too comfortable by half. The band continued their successful run into 2001, with a Christmas-scheduled hits album that debuted at #1 and featured two further hit singles, "In Demand" and "Inner Smile."