The Thermals hail from Portland, and are easily one of my favorite newer bands. Simple and intense punk rock paired with smart, politically charged lyrics, that's just enough in-your-face to keep you dancing wildly, and subtle enough to keep you coming back for repeat listens. Fuckin' A was their second album, and the first to be professionally recorded, without being over-produced. The immediacy of their sound is their biggest strength, and similar to the Pixies they manage to provide a full sound where you can still easily make out all instruments (of which there only are three, plus vocals). Also similar to the Pixies, they have a hot female bass player in Kathy Foster. We'll see if the rest of their career takes a similar path.

The first full-length album by German-French electro-mod-chanson band Stereo Total, originally released on cassette in '95, but soon followed by a proper CD release, and again re-released with bonus tracks. Features strange glam-pop covers of 80s disco (Push It!), French chansons, and creative originals (Dactylo Rock being my favorite), mostly sung in German (with a lovely French accent). The title of the album is more of an accident; originally supposed to be untitled, the graphic designer of the cover included some pop-art call-outs, "Oh!" "Ah!", to liven up the design, leading to the eventual adoption as the official album name.