it Might be You

They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. The duo's current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. The group is known for their uniquely experimental and absurdist style of alternative music, typically utilising surreal, humorous lyrics and unconventional instruments in their songs. Over their career, they have found success on the modern rock and college radio charts. They have also found success in children's music, and in theme music for several television programs and films. The duo has been credited as vital in the creation of the prolific DIY music scene in Brooklyn in the mid-1980s.

When You Might Be Surprised came out in 1985, Roy Ayers wasn't having as many hits as he had enjoyed in the late '70s. Ayers knew that if he didn't want to be accused of sounding dated, he needed to appeal to the urban contemporary tastes of 1985, so on this album he manages to update his approach without being untrue to himself. The production (some of it by James Mtume, some of it by Ayers himself) is high-tech and hip-hop influenced synthesizers and drum machines are prominent, and there are few horns and no strings. But Ayers still sounds distinctive on material that ranges from the clever single Programmed for Love and the funky Can I See You to the playful title song (a duet with singer Jean Carn).

All or nothing. For Laurence Jones, it's an easy choice. In recent times, the hotshot British bandleader has barely stopped for breath. There's been the release of 2014's all-conquering second album, Temptation. The triumphant Blues Caravan tour that saw him raise roofs across Europe. The auspicious nod to represent his country at this year's European Blues Challenge, and the prospect if his performance at the Albert Hall for Lead Belly Fest in June. At this juncture, a less passionate artist might cool their heels and count their royalties. No chance. Saviour of the British blues scene is not a position for part-timers, and in 2015, Laurence is back with his stunning third album, What's It Gonna Be.

Folk-pop singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop has bounced around from one record label to another, but he had his greatest success on the ABC label in the mid-'70s when he scored the Top 40 pop hits "Save It for a Rainy Day" and "On and On." In fact, his two ABC LPs, Careless (1977) and the gold-certified Bish (1978), are his only ones to sell well enough to make the charts. ABC was absorbed into MCA, which is now part of Universal, the major label responsible for the 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection series of discount-priced best-of compilations, and the Bishop number draws heavily from those two albums, which provide nine of the 12 tracks.