B-Leaguers’ ‘Death of a Western Heart’ is crammed to the finish line with hooky punk-pop songs along the lines of the Buzzcocks, Undertones and Green Day.

Just as cutting edge as they are old school, Ice Cream Skyscraper fill ‘Mercury in Lemonade’ with soul, jazz, country, straight-up rock and psychedelia.

After 30 years away, the Modulators return with an album lathered with sweet melodies, head-nodding breaks, and bright and breezy harmonies.

The Junior League’s ‘Also Rans’ is smooth enough to boast power-pop accessibility, but flashes of punk-like energy keep things interesting.

Ignited by a happy and relaxed mood, the jangly pop of ‘The Better End’ by engineer Tomas Dahl – aka Caddy – beams with a fresh-faced spiritedness.

Stealing cues from both ’60s pop rock and ’80s new wave, the Fad play songs so exhilarating you want them to just keep going and going.

Kurt Baker Combo’s ‘Muy Mola Live!’ erupts with such excitement and electricity that you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported to the show.

Imagine the sweetly salted vocals of Phil Seymour mixed with the muscular bite of bands like the Plimsouls, and you have the essence of the Jeanies.

Even those who don’t celebrate will be moved by ‘A Kool Kat Kristmas, Volume Two,’ simply it’s so melodic and memorable.

Armed with an impressive pop vocabulary, Phonograph should have been huge.