The eMusic Dozen: Laura's Underrated Merge Favorites

Oh, the cursed sophomore effort. An excellent record of clean and beautiful pop. And, guess what? It has really good harmonies.

Crisp Swedish Pop. I heard that a criticism of this album was that the vocals sounded like Robert Smith. Whatever, give me some Cure any day of the week, man.

Banjofiddlelapsteefolkrockdancing music. A little Fleetwood Mac, a little Lynyrd Skynyrd, aw yeah. Kick-ass boy/girl harmonies. Again with the harmonies. These guys should be superstars.

We have been working with Matt Suggs since 1994, first in Butterglory, then with his two solo records, and then this. I didn't think he could surprise me, but he did! This album has an attitude. It's very fun.

This album has an excellent rolling gallop. A great ride.

Mark Eitzel is a very funny man. You don't really get that feeling from his records, though. His songs tell stories, usually sad ones about lonely people. They are very good.

Mysterious and bewitching. Pram are a British band who have been making innovative sounds since the late 1980's, in case you did not know. It seems to me they should play this album at the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

Stepping away from the topics of bloodletting and killing mothers, the Radar Brothers make their least creepy album yet. The Radar Brothers have always made incredibly beautiful, quiet music. This one is full of sunshine and dogs and rabbits (good thing I don't write press releases). Anyway, another album that forces me to sing along with it. The harmonies, they get me every time.

Great solo album from David Kilgour (also in the Clean). Features one of my all time favorite songs Merge has ever put out, "Today Is Gonna Be Mine."

With an album title like that, it may seem terribly obvious that this is a great summer album. Open the car windows wide and crank it up. Soaring songs and vocal harmonies that require you to sing along…while you drive to the beach.

One of the best bands, (along with OutKast of course) to ever come out of Atlanta. A good album for the lovelorn to wail along to. Don't destroy this night.

A Chapel Hill institution, total '70's-style punk rock, buckets of sweat and hot guitar solos. Brings to mind early days of the Saints and the Sonics…and some other things I can't think of right now.