Jeffrey Morgan: 1. By Divine Right — Sweet Confusion (SpinART): This whirling dervish delight bubbles with a joyful and endearing enthusiasm born of pure pop precision. Bonus points for placing first alphabetically. 2. Jimmy Cavallo — Rock The Joint: The Jimmy Cavallo Collection 1951-1973 (Blue Wave): Swingin’ saxophonist Jimmy Cavallo is the father of rock ’n’ roll and this comprehensive collection compiles his entire vinyl output onto one house-rockin’ long-player. 3. Crime In Choir — The Hoop (Frenetic): I’ve been waiting a long time for this kind of intelligent and complex synthesized rock music to come along. 4. The Helio Sequence — Love And Distance (Sub Pop): Imagine Their Satanic Majesties Request (or is that Magical Mystery Tour) produced by The Chemical Brothers (or is that Todd Rundgren) and you just might have a vague idea of what kind of trippy blacklight kaleidoscopic collage this is. 5. Ian McLagan — Rise & Shine! (Gaff): Former Faces stalwart Ian “Mac” McLagan’s latest album radiates enough purifying white light to make you forget all the faded velour rockers you once relied on. 6. Panurge — Throw Down The Reins (Nettwerk): This album is every bit as good as the Velvet Underground’s Loaded — and it’s also the greatest album that Kevin Ayers never recorded. 7. Kalan Porter — 219 Days (BMG Canada): Not only does he look like a young Eddie Jobson, he plays schizoid violin and viola like Jobson did in his Roxy Music prime. He also sings like the second coming of Robert Palmer when Palmer was at his absolute prowlin’ and growlin’ best. 8. River City Rebels — Hate To Be Loved (Victory): Thanks to producer Sylvain Sylvain, these seven rockin’ reprobates have come up with a sloppy ’n’ slovenly album that’s so dissipated ’n’ disheveled it’s more fun than a barrelful of junkies. ’Nuff said! 9. Soulfly — Prophecy (Roadrunner): Molten thrash metal. Castanet flamenco flourishes. Horn-backed dub reggae. Hardcore death metal. Jazz metal vamps. Conga bongo beats. Spiritually soulful worldbeat gospel hymns. New Orleans street marches. 10. Von Iva — Von Iva EP (Cochon): Von Iva is one of the greatest girl groups I’ve ever heard in my life. Inexcusable: Lee Marvin said it best: “Lady … I don’t have the time.” link