Local H, Pack Up The Cats: It was a toss-up between this and 1996's As Good As Dead, which I have been a very vocal fan of. You really can't beat the first half of the record, but Cats is our dark horse pick today.

Modest Mouse, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About

Tripping Daisy, Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb

The Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen

Stone Temple Pilots, Tiny Music...Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop: Fairweather fans will tell you Core and Purple are where it is at for STP, but Tiny Music goes above and beyond those pop lunges and swerved directly into Rolling Stones-style swing.

King's X, Dogman

Peter Gabriel, Us

Quicksand, Slip

Shudder To Think, Pony Express Record: I was suspicious at first, but a spin of Pony set me on the right track, baby. STT is a band whose name you see on most '90s something-something lists but rarely gets love in the mainstream. Don't sleep on Pony.

Buffalo Daughter, New Rock

Dream Theater, Falling into Infinity

Failure, Fantastic Planet

Catherine Wheel, Ferment

Helmet, Meantime

The Prodigy, Music For the Jilted Generation

Kula Shaker, K You know Kula Shaker from the 1996 single "Tattva", and their cover of Deep Purple's "Hush." At a time when modern rock was still very much mourning Seattle, the psych-rock Shaker had their heads full of Indian culture, which was a welcome change. Bands like Cornershop and Brian Jonestown Massacre also satisfied those cravings for fans.

Superdrag, Regretfully Yours

Nada Surf, High/Low

Eels, Beautiful Freak