TY BURR

Television, "Marquee Moon," "Adventure" (Rhino)
The most misunderstood of New York’s punk-rock class of ’77 finally get their first albums reissued with cleaned-up sound, extra cuts, and the appropriate kowtowing toward guitar-god greatness.

Warren Zanes "Memory Girls" (Dualtone)
The kid-brother guitarist from the Del Fuegos gets all grown up and delivers 12 aching gems of rock-pop songcraft.

Various Artists "Lost in Translation: Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack" (Emperor Norton)
A supremely atmospheric collection of sound noodles, pop nuggets, and beautiful noise that recapitulates the movie without the annoying (for some) downtime onscreen.

Various Artists "No Thanks! The 70s Punk Rebellion" (Rhino)
No, there’s no Sex Pistols – fault Johnny Rotten and company for being sulky boys with their song rights. In most other respects, this is an exemplary history lesson.

Puffy AmiYumi "Nice" (Bar/None)
Think Queen on powerpunk fast-forward fronted by two Japanese women singing their lungs out about . . . well, who knows? Or cares? Those who loved producer/mastermind Andy Sturmer’s old band Jellyfish will be in ear-candy heaven.

Fountains of Wayne "Welcome Interstate Managers" (S-Curve)
"Stacy’s Mom" is the hit, and it’s about time these smart pop cynics had one. Ye who have only seen the video should know that the rest of the album’s even better.

Junior Senior "D-D-Don’t Stop the Beat" (Atlantic)
The best gay/straight Danish dance-club album for kids this year. Don’t believe me? Get the enhanced version, play the hilarious video for the title track, and watch your kids ping-pong around the living room like chimps.

Lucinda Williams "World Without Tears" (Lost Highway)
So it’s not "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" – quit your carping. "Bleeding Fingers," "Those Three Days," "Atonement," and "Sweet Side" are all amazing songs, full of in-your-face, bluesy defiance.

Al Green "I Can’t Stop" (Blue Note)
The shortest time-travel distance to 1975 you can buy, this is the Reverend Al’s long-awaited return to secular form and to producer Willie Mitchell.

Martha and the Muffins "This is the Ice Age" (my iPod)
The great lost New Wave album – moody, detached, heartbroken – this was recorded in 1981. You can’t buy it, though: I finally figured out how to digitize my old vinyl records this year and "Ice Age" was the first, and best, to jump the divide. Virgin, release this on CD or I’ll start burning copies for all of Boston. (Note to legal: This is what is called a "rhetorical device.")