Man, AP was an amazing magazine in the early to mid-90s. It's a damn shame how low they let it sink.

I'd recommend The Good Son as a starting point. It has two of his most heartfelt songs ("The Ship Song" and "Lucy") and works very well as a single piece. As for the Birthday Party, I think Hits is probably the best overview, but Mutiny/The Bad Seed may be a better starting place. Those are not quite as abrasive as…

I'll add my vote for the Chameleons. They had three note-perfect albums in the mid-80s, and one good-to-great album in the 2000s, but they've never really received the attention they deserve. They had a sound that was pretty similar to the Cure, and songs like "Perfume Garden" and "Nostalgia" were as instantly catchy…