Pernice Brothers: Overcome by Happiness This complex, emotional, poetic, morbid, life affirming, diverse, supremely melodic recording is my choice if I had to pick only one recording from the entire decade of the '90s. The songwriting, arrangements, performances, lyrics and the combination of the above create magic like a recording that just sums it all up for you. A true classic that is in my Top 50 of all time.

Pernice Brothers: The World Won't End Everything I say about Overcome applies here, except that the band reaches new heights. The recording is bigger, brighter, grander, more furious in spots, and seemingly more personal. What makes The World special is that anyone can listen and make any song their own, like it was written just for them. Another true classic in my Top 50. This isn't better than Overcome, just different.

Pernice Brothers: Yours, Mine & Ours A more direct sounding guitar centered recording with ambience and the development of a Pernice Sound. The best recording by any indie pop artist in 2003.

Ivy: Apartment Life Quality arrangements of pretty songs, a beautiful singer with a unique voice and superior sound quality made this a sonic standard of sophisticated pop when it was released. Highly recommended.

Belle & Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister B & S's second record is a very subtle, intricate recording marked by clever songwriting set to appropriately detailed orchestration. This is their best recording and a must for the sophisticated indie rock listener.

The High Llamas: Gideon Gaye This recording burst on the scene causing many to compare Sean O'Hagan to the great Brian Wilson, an unfair comparison indeed. As great as O'Hagan is, his material does not exude the love and passion that are at the base of Wilson's complex, original songs. That O'Hagan even gets mentioned in the same breath as Wilson as a result of this recording makes this important enough to own. He doesn't have to be Wilson, and that's not the point, anyway. O'Hagan's own perspective on Gideon Gaye is good enough to make this a recommended recording.

Cardinal: s/t Cardinal (Eric Mathews and Richard Davies) created a one time soft pop masterpiece marked by iconic arrangements, understated vocals, complex melodies and great songs.

June & the Exit Wounds: "...a little more Haven Hamilton please" A recording that overcomes a curious band name in spades. Piano based songs in a Bacharach/Wilson vein that kill...maybe that is what the name is driving at?

John Cunningham: Homeless House A poetic, impossible-to-find recording by poet songsmith Cunningham. Beautiful. See, also, Happy Go Unlucky

The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin The Sergeant Pepper's of the '90s with its amazing sonics and song structures, raising the bar as to what are truly interesting sounds. See, also, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Where the technology of sound meets passion from the heart, this recording sets a standard for bands that really matter in the modern era.