The title track opens up this album, and it's one of the most romantic songs of this decade. Sure, it was used in a VW Bug commercial, but the amount of vocal and musical elements swirling around on this track is astounding. They were denied on sampling Elvis, but it works well even without it. The rest of the album doesn't let up on the intended scope, bringing in gospel choirs, horn sections, and lord knows what else to create a vivid landscape tracing between vibrant rockers and songs you remember from dreams.       - Sebastian Stirling

39. Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (V2 Records, 1999)

About all I could say about this album when I first bought it was, "Well, it's unique." I'm a big fan of Yerself is Steam, and I was wanting an album reminiscent of that, but what I got was a somber feeling for 38 minutes and 18 seconds before Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp came on with its upbeat dance rhythms. Deserter's Song sounds more like a full orchestra than six musicians with its thickness and beauty that was absent from any other album they ever produced, but it's still Mercury Rev. Sean "Grasshopper" Mackiowiak said to a Rolling Stone reporter, "Even when our music was assaultive, it was still about reaching transcendence. Now it's more peaceful, but it leads to the same ends."       - Jackie Martin

38. Sonic Youth - Dirty (DGC, 1992)

After accomplishing everything they ever wanted to and more with Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth retreating into the relatively safe arms of song structure for two underrated records that pit fairly conventional Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon pop songs against sustained guitar assaults from Lee Ranaldo. Dirty featured Sonic Youth's first radio single in a decade of existence ("100%") and reinvented the band as grunge godfathers before they re-reinvented themselves as atonal sound explorers on Washing Machine and A Thousand Leaves and a series of increasingly more bewildering experimental indie releases. Ian MacKaye even has a guest shot on Dirty.       - Western Homes

37. Radiohead - The Bends (Capitol Records, 1995)

No one could accuse Radiohead of failing to out-do their smash hit, "Creep", as The Bends is an intricate and very personal album. An introduction to the bands more acoustic side ("Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit") was coupled with their older, more rawk guitar driven sound ("The Bends" and "Just") to deliver a comprehensive album that speaks to anyone that has ever felt alienated. Probably the greatest aspect of this album is that the style is wed intricately with the content, infusing meaning into that which otherwise might just be some good music.       - Jackie Martin

36. Failure - Fantastic Planet (Warner Brothers, 1996)

I don't know what it is about this album that makes it so gorgeous; it simply is. Maybe it's the guitars which can't decide between melody and dissonance, or maybe it's the deliciously overdriven bass, or possibly the deadpan delivery of Ken Andrews, or maybe it's the wonderfully bright and every-color-of-the-rainbow production. Whatever it is, it goes off without the slightest hitch. While I adore all three releases from Failure, Fantastic Planet has to be my favorite. My personal highlights include "Stuck On You," "Daylight," "the Nurse Who Loved Me," and "Sergeant Politeness." This is the way rock music should sound - ballsy, poppy, schizophrenic, a little bit of outer-space thrown in, and pushing the musical envelope just enough as to retain the appeal of a good, three-minute rock song. While they broke up after this release, at least they left on a high note.       - Leigh Newton

35. Castor - Tracking Sounds Alone (Mud Records, 1997)

The appearance of Castor this high on the list will probably stun a great deal of people, but I think this is prime evidence of how underrated this disc is. Castor's swan-song is a 180 degree turn from their self-titled debut. Where there were once subdued, liquid melodies, everything has been cranked to the point where every instrument is toppling out of the speakers. More than anything, the songwriting improved, as the melodic interplay between the two guitars and the bass is heightened, and the lyrics are nothing short of heartbreaking at times. "Five Hours Later" remains one of the most affecting songs I've ever heard, turning from "You always said you'd win in the end / I'm glad you finally could" through a passage of coping to the closing acknowledgement of "I wish you well." A friend of mine who views the vast majority of the music I listen to as unlistenable even said "Wow, that was a really great song."       - Sebastian Stirling

34. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Orange (Matador Records, 1994)

Defying rational analysis, Orange compelled, no, required you to stand up, shake your hair in your face, and scream. Sure, maybe they're the Isley Brothers of our day, but repeat after me: "Bell bottoms! Bell bottoms! Bell bottoms!" Feel better? That's right! I do too. Two fuzzed out guitars, mic feedback, and Russell (no relation) Simins' two-piece drum thump, and JSBX guaranteed they'd be hip for life, whether or not they ever made another good record.       - Western Homes

33. Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (Elektra Records, 1993)

Gentlemen was the first classic album I bought, oddly enough from a friend for five bucks and an extra Obi-Wan Kenobi figure who got it by accident from BMG. As Greg Dulli howls in "Debonair," "This ain't about regret / It's when I tell the truth." The fact that Dulli will no longer play some selections from this album is a testament to just how brutally personal they are, but thankfully tracks like "Debonair," "What Jail is Like," and "My Curse" remain in the Whigs' live repertoire. While critically acclaimed, Gentlemen and Afghan Whigs are still lacking the widespread acceptance that I thought would come their way sooner or later. I guess the public just isn't ready to handle something this close to reality.       - Sebastian Stirling

32. Yo La Tengo - Painful (Matador Records, 1993)

I remember being introduced to Yo La Tengo by a single from this record. "From A Motel 6" was shown toward the end of 120 Minutes one Sunday, and by the next weekend the record was mine. Since then, they've continued to release stellar material and evolve without really changing. One other thing... the promo stickers for this record were really cool; Band-aids with "Yo La Tengo" written on them.       - Roy Acorn

31. Weezer - Weezer (DGC, 1994)

Walk down the hall of any college dorm for long enough even today, and you're sure to hear the chords of "Say It Ain't So" (played badly, and probably out of key, but still) emanating from at least one room. Subject to so much instant backlash, Weezer somehow avoided any long-term, now, they're the forgotten influence every new emo band admits to begrudgingly. Why try to hide it? The big flying W hit on to something with their blue record, and two or three years before anyone else would get it; vulnerable vocals supported with accomplished guitars sound good. "In The Garage" and "My Name Is Jonas" shall be remembered any time three or four gather in a basement with amplifiers.       - Western Homes