Don Dixon

Dixon's notoriety as a producer has often overshadowed his talents as one of a dying breed of Jangle Pop purists. While so many singer-songwriters choose to dine exclusively on sour grapes and bitter pills, Dixon has kept his larder full of only the purest, sweetest hooks and sun-ripened optimism. Working lately at a desultory pace of an album every five years or so, Dixon's had a hard time building a solid fan base, but among critic-types he's seen as a lost golden calf. Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Do (1985) gave the clever lyricism of British new wavers Nick Lowe and Squeeze a sharp Big Star twist. A 1992 greatest hits package seemed to suggest Dixon had said his peace, but he returned in 1995 with the Power Pop sleeper Romantic Depressive, and the buzz is out that The Invisible Man (2000) may be his most ambitious release yet. If tight, well-crafted pop songs are your nirvana, few performers can take you higher.