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Punk compilation selected by Sniffin' Glue editor Mark Perry

After the early patronage of Howe Gelb, Oregon's Matt Ward dished up 2001's End Of Amnesia, one of the most breathtaking albums of recent years. Transfiguration...is another masterclass in deft guitar picking, smudged with piano, harmonica and a voice like honey drizzled onto a dry creekbed. The behind-a-screen-door quality of production adds to the strangeness, while the likes of "Undertaker" often stop, start, scuff around then veer off at a tangent. Somewhere between a Gelb bothering to finish off songs and The Band at their most bucolic.

Exiled Scots maverick follows up 2001's Folktronic, now with added glitches

In most cultures, seven is a magic number. Not in rock'n'roll, where to sustain any degree of originality beyond album three or four is about as rare as a sober Shane MacGowan.

Excellent post-punk-influenced vocal electronica

Prefab Sprout mainman releases extraordinary "talking book" opus

Fine funky follow-up to 2001's Felt Mountain

Former Catatonia singer goes to Nashville and comes back with a Welsh country album produced by Bob Dylan's mate

Fierce love and hard drugs in London's East End

Companion piece to last year's live-in-the-UK comp. Includes San Francisco's 1966 add-on "Avalon Blues"