That Striped Sunlight Sound (DVD plus audio CD)
Like REM, Brisbane, Australia's Go-Betweens established a huge early-1980s reputation as kings of intelligent jangle pop. And if critical praise were commercial currency, then the Go-Betweens would, in fact, be bigger than REM. But co-leaders Robert Forster and Grant McLennan never found fame commensurate with their songwriting, disbanding for the 1990s and then cutting three peerless albums since 2001. In May, 2006, though, McLennan suddenly died -- on the heels of this career-spanning live set, a CD/DVD combo that unabashedly shows off the band's offhand genius. The DVD captures 16-songs from Brisbane's Tivoli, along with 10 additional live acoustic Forster and McLennan duets. Then, the accompanying CD features the first 16-song live set, veering from heartfelt acoustic duos of "Black Mule" and "Clouds" to 14 full-band tunes that are unerringly wonderful. Clear-toned guitars, spare rhythm accompaniment, and simply brilliant writing mark every song, from the mellowest to the most urgent (McLennan's "Was There Anything I Could Do"). The band equally emphasizes their final studio album,Oceans Apart, and their original 1988 swan song,16 Lovers Lane, with four tracks from each. Then they range back to their late-70s early days with "People Saying" and "Karen," bouncy and then menacing, covering an emotional range the band made their own until McLennan's tragic passing. You should know this band.--Andrew Bartlett