Death Cab For Cutie - bend to squares, 1998

"I’d like to think I’m a far better writer now than I was 10 years ago. When I first started the band, and I began writing in the way that has marked the trajectory of how I go about making music now, I was convinced that my writing was wildly descriptive and very dense and interesting, and people were really going to have to chew on this stuff."

Club 8 - i wish you'd stay, 1998

"I Wish You'd Stay" is one of the standout early tracks that defined Club 8’s signature sound at the time: fragile, breathy female vocals over gentle acoustic guitar, subtle synths, and a bittersweet melody. It’s a perfect example of late-90s twee/shibuya-kei-influenced Scandinavian pop."

Pet Shop Boys - domino dancing alternative version essentials, 1998

"the "imperial phase", the phrase Neil Tennant coined to describe the period of a career where an artist can equally coast on critical acclaim, creative satisfaction and commercial success. He defines its end as when Domino Dancing failed to reach the UK top five."

Nada Surf - eighty windows, 1998

"the first three tracks of the album "Hyperspace", "Amateur", and "80 Windows" show off that signature sound that Nada Surf would become known for."

Marillion - white feather demo, 1998

"He name dropped Toronto in the demo version of WHite Feather! You know at the end when he’s singing, “Glasgow children, Moscow children…” I could swear one of them he names is Toronto."

Mojave 3 - keep it all hid, 1998

"The songs tickle by, softly floating timelessly, tirelessly, and the vocals are like a pillow for your head as you listen, enraptured, on the single "Some Kinda Angel," another first-rate piece of unhurried pop, and the more gripping "Keep It All Hid" and the gurgling "Baby's Coming Home."

Marillion - childhood's end demo, 1998

"The demo version of "Childhood's End?" offers a raw, pre-production glimpse into the song's evolution. Recorded during the Misplaced Childhood sessions in early 1985 (likely at Hansa Studios in Berlin), it features a more stripped-down arrangement compared to the polished studio cut—sparser instrumentation, rougher vocals, and a tentative structure that highlights the band's creative process. The demo was first made widely available on the 1998 remastered edition of Misplaced Childhood (EMI), as bonus track 16 on CD 2."

Saint Etienne - four thirty-five in the morning original version, 1998

"All tracks produced at Tambourine Studios, Malmo. ℗ & © 1998 Creation Records Ltd. Made in Austria. Issued in a 6-panel Digipak with a 16 page booklet. Comes in a card slipcase. Comes with a limited edition bonus disc issued in a cardsleeve: "Ce CD contient un titre inédit - tirage limité." / "Interdit à la vente."

Marillion - heart of lothian demo, 1998

"Lead singer Fish was born in Dalkeith, a town in the county of Midlothian, Scotland just outside Edinburgh. Lothian is a district in Scotland and Midlothian is the middle part of it. The Royal Mile, which is also referred to in the song, is the main High Street in Edinburgh. There is a heart-shaped mosaic embedded into the pavement halfway up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The heart is traditionally a symbol of local pride. One of the Edinburgh football teams is known as Heart of Midlothian, or "Hearts" for short."

Mojave 3 - who do you love, 1998

"Rolling Stone called the album "stunning" and "an unerring collection of floating, giant little moments." The Washington City Paper wrote that the album "showcases [Neil] Halstead’s considerable songwriting talent." The A.V. Club praised the band's "subtle and simple, yet surprisingly full-sounding, instrumentation, which includes doses of organ, horns, and pedal-steel guitar."

REM - at my most beautiful, 1998

"At My Most Beautiful" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. During the song's creation, members of the group noted its similarity to the work of the Beach Boys and purposefully fashioned it to resemble that band's output. Singer Michael Stipe strove to make his lyrics the most romantic he had ever written, and the piano-driven ballad became R.E.M.'s first straightforward love song. Released on the group's 1998 album Up, it was issued as the third single from that record the following year, reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart."

Black Box Recorder - factory radio, 1998

"Pitchfork route and lampoon its aching melancholy and seemingly humourless approach to middle-class self-pity."

Justin Hayward - the actor live, 1998

"Late at night, the road outside in Bayswater, quiet for a while, all alone in the world (for a bit), being in love but struggling with relationships."

Texas - say what you want all day every day, 1998

"In 1998, Texas collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man and RZA to remix the song as "Say What You Want (All Day, Every Day)". This version features Method Man and RZA on vocals and was released as a single in March 1998, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart and reaching the top 10 in Iceland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Both versions of the song are included on Texas's 2000 compilation album The Greatest Hits."

James - she's a star, 1998

"She's a Star" is a song written and performed by British alternative rock band James. It was released on 10 February 1997 as the first single from their seventh studio album, Whiplash (1997). "She's a Star" reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and became a brief hit in Australia and Canada."

REM - why not smile oxford american version, 1998

"Why Not Smile is a great song for the album Up. My only problem is I feel the Oxford American Version would have fit much better on the album then the one the band went with. I feel this because the oxford version flows with I’m Not Over You; two gems from the album. The oxford version also flows with the acoustic guitar through out the album."

Saint Etienne - goodnight jack, 1998

"I recently discovered the band Saint Etienne and their album Good Humor. On the album there's a song called Goodnight Jack, which REALLY sounds like Current-era Tame Impala."

Marillion - misplaced rendezvous demo, 1998

"Touching upon his early childhood experiences and his inability to deal with a slew of bad breakups exacerbated by a never-ending series of rock star-type "indulgences," Misplaced Childhood would prove to be not only the band's most accomplished release to date, but also its most streamlined."

The Smashing Pumpkins - ava adore, 1998

"Ava Adore" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. It was the first single from their fourth album, Adore, and exhibited a new sound from the band which integrated traditional instruments with loops and electronic music. "Ava Adore" and the B-sides were written by Billy Corgan. When released as a single in May 1998, "Ava Adore" reached number one in Iceland, number two in Greece, number five in New Zealand, and the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number eight on the Mainstream Rock chart."

Saint Etienne - clark co record fair, 1998

"This deluxe edition features the original UK tracklist-- in the words of Nitsuh Abebe's review, "one smooth, seamless thing" that remains as strong an entry into Saint Etienne's world as just about anything in its portfolio (and not just because the chart-minded British production team Xenomania had a hand in a couple of its tracks). Unlike the clearinghouse-minded bonus disc of Good Humor, the second disc of Tales From Turnpike House includes several unreleased songs. Sadly, it's missing the album's attendant EP of would-be children's music Up the Wooden Hills as well as some other esoterica. Predictably there are some pleasant surprises, including "Another Cup of Coffee" (an honest to goodness Mike & the Mechanics cover), the clubby "Must Be More", and still more forays into jazzy exotica like "Holiday Song" and "Missing Persons Bureau". The previously released "You Can Judge a Book By Its Cover", on the other hand, would sound almost like a lost new wave nugget were it not for Sarah Cracknell's cosmopolitan coo."