The National's second album, Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (2003) proved a leap forward from 2001's eponymous debut, showing a band adept at delivering warm embraces and gut punches in equal measure.
2004’s Cherry Tree EP is a thrilling record which - thanks to its collection of delicate ballads and anthemic crowd-pleasers - sums up what they do best in under 30 minutes.
The surprise companion to The National's April release First Two Pages of Frankenstein, Laugh Track is the band's most freewheeling, all-hands-on-deck album in years.
The band uses cello (with an electric cello for live shows) to create a gothic sound with occasional Western references. The band often arranges themes such as whiskey and the Devil into concept albums.
The last of his studio albums released in his lifetime, Sam Cooke's Ain't That Good News offers a lot of superb material, pointing in several directions that, alas, were to go largely unexplored.
The UK punk band The Stranglers formed in Guildford in 1974, and their first LP, IV Rattus Norvegicus was released by United Artists in April 1977, rising to Number 4 in the UK album charts.