Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: Rattlesnakes (1984)

Lloyd Cole is one of those amazing artists who's been around forever, yet I kinda take him for granted. I dutifully acquire his music, give it a quick spin, and it'll continue to show up in shuffle mode, but I rarely wake up in the morning thinking, hey, I think I'll play that Lloyd Cole record. Which is kinda crazy, because there's all sorts of greatness in his catalog.

The British singer's 1984 debut, with his band The Commotions, was a blend of '80s college radio jangle pop and the more intern...