(FORTUNE Magazine) – The Clientele The Violet Hour Merge

Warning: Do not listen to this CD while piloting the family minivan; the London trio's breathy, reverb-drenched psychedelia will lull even the most hopeless insomniac into a blissful nap. If a breezy afternoon could make an album, it would sound like this.

Grandaddy Sumday V2

Some bands look to the Beatles for inspiration; others, the Clash. On their third album, Grandaddy seem to have fallen under the spell of ... the Alan Parsons Project (remember "Eye in the Sky"?). Oddly enough, the Modesto, Calif., group's contemporary take on spacy lite-rock is a thoughtful, mellow-vibe delight.

Neil Young On the Beach Reprise

Originally released in 1974, On the Beach is a dark, downbeat affair, full of harrowing classics like "Ambulance Blues" and the epic title track. It's one of Young's best albums, and it's only now available on CD. (It's being reissued along with three other, less essential "lost" Young records.)

Fountains of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers S-Curve/Virgin

A weakness for goofy lyrics ("I used to fly for United Airlines/ Then I got fired for reading High Times") can't dampen the exuberant '80s-flavored power pop captured on Fountains of Wayne's eagerly awaited third LP.

The High Strung These Are Good Times Tee Pee

On their debut album, these nervy Brooklynites mine all manner of energetic hard pop, from late-'60s Who and Kinks to first-wave punk bands a decade later. Even if there's no need to reserve them a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just yet, Good Times definitely promises good things.