Rancid are currently the best and most consistent and most observant rock n roll writers on the planet.

It's highly unlikely that Buck 65 is ever going to become the cash cow that his paymasters probably thought he was going to be, but let's hope that he is invited to keep on presenting us with his skewed worldview; a beautiful painting seen in a shattered and blood stained mirror.

'Damaged' is a hugely welcome addition to Lambchop's now frighteningly impressive back catalogue, and an album with few limitations.

Given how many of their contemporaries have attempted to xerox a winning sound and got it so far wrong, the fact that the Kings can still turn their hand to such magnificent lost hits as 'Misread', spin out obtuse, imaginative imagery as they do in 'Surprise Ice' and sculpt such tender ruminations as 'Stay Out Of Trouble' is cause for serious celebration.

Compelling. Devastating. Amazing. And rocks like a bastard.

'Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited' is an often fascinating and enchanting compilation as these things go, though I say, somewhat predictably, that there's no substitute for the real thing.

'Milkwhite Sheets' will come to you offering kisses, but beware the knife behind its back

The diversity audible throughout 'Nostalgialator's' 11 tracks makes the album feel like some surreal kind of trans-generic mix tape.

Doom is what is amazing and great about hip hop.

Calexico provide drama, atmosphere, tension and tenderness in the 16 tracks here, not only because they have soul but because they're so good at their craft.

If it's house music you're after then you won't like this because this (sorry to point out the bloody obvious) is something completely different. And that, as far as we're concerned, is the whole point.

The most poetic, bookish and winsome of the anticon crew, his new album as Why? sees [Wolf] creating lavish wordscapes over the deceptively straightforward folk rock music.

'The Eraser' is Radiohead's fourth best album, and not bad considering it's the first one with only one man on it.

Anyone expecting something similar to his early doom-laden musings will find nothing of the sort here.

We've rooted for them and been scantly rewarded, but at last they’ve done it - 'Heroes To Zeros’ is great and they know it.

If you like your dance music jerky, nasty and just a little bit angry, Death From Above are your boys.

Whatever you're going to make of 'Heathen', you'll probably agree it's Bowie's most eclectic effort for some time - and a damn enjoyable, rockahula listening pleasure.

Their zeal is such that, for the most part, we can overlook their failure to be flawless.

A lean, aggressive and thoroughly relevant album.... If you really need to spend any money on an album where a multi-millionaire relentlessly tells you how remorselessly shit life is; make it this one.

Malkmus seems to be firing on all cylinders for the first time as a solo artist.

People who hate the venality and misogyny of modern mainstream rap will find this a particularly joyless experience, but this unwavering and energising disc at least has the courage of its convictions and makes the immediate competition look like the mealy mouthed twats they are.

'Silent Alarm' is a brilliantly accomplished art rock record that immediately immerses you in a world of taut, late 80s post-punk, melodic indie. It rarely lets up.

'Streetcore' shows he was still producing vital music to the end.

If there's a quibble, 'Honeycomb' does lack variation of pace. Though it doesn't matter when the tunes are as consistently as good as 'Sing for Joy'.

there's something in this that sounds just so much more intelligent than fannying around making devil horns.

If anything this year's model raises the stakes on its predecessor.

Key to the success of 'Broken Boy Soldiers' is the relatively restrained musicianship.

The music on the album sounds muscular, more confident than before.