A lot of people viewed this as Sebadoh's wrong move when it happened, as they no longer had the eccentricities of Eric Gaffney to cause noise-workout migraines in between Lou Barlow's songs. I view it as the best of both worlds, as the Gaffney-philosophy remains on a few tracks, but Jason Lowenstein's songs rank among my favorites on this album. And come on now, it has "Rebound," which features one of the catchiest guitar lines and insanely easy to play.       - Sebastian Stirling

69. Dr. Octagon - The Octagonecologist (Dreamworks, 1996)

What can you say about an album that leaves you speechless? Yes, I know that's a lame thing to say, but it's true. In 1996 I had a deep hatred for rap music. It was 4 years after the fact and the effects of The Chronic were still being felt. It seemed like every rap video had guys (and girls) wearing Dickies and driving around in Impalas. Every rap song (including the ones by women) included bitches, ho's, bustin' caps, drinkin' 40s, smoking pot, strange homoerotic threats, and did I mention bustin' caps?       As I said above I hated rap music at this point in time, but I didn't always hate it. I grew up on rap music and seeing the state that it was in made me sad. So I turned my back on it and went into my second punk rock phase. Are you wondering what this has to do with Dr. Octagonecologist? Well, here's the answer. One night I was listening to a radio show out of Dallas and I heard the song "3000" by Dr. Octagon. To quote Hank Williams, "I saw the light." So drop whatever you are doing, go to the closest music store, and buy this album. If you don't like it Signal Drench will refund your money and send you $10 gift certificate that can be redeemed any Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the contiguous United States (excluding restaurants in Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, Utah, Maine, and Rhode Island).       - Philip J. Glasscock

68. The Jesus Lizard - Goat (Touch and Go, 1991)

With their recent break-up and singles and rarities comp, The Jesus Lizard has been getting a lot of press lately, and I find it outright amusing to read how journalists try to describe the music of David Yow and company. The thing you simply have to mention is Yow's proclivity for dangling his penis around at shows, but adjectives like "rabid" and "taut" are also thrown around quite often. The Jesus Lizard, as much as their image may overshadow their music, were a band at their peak on Goat, an album that will scare you shitless, make your mouth froth with intensity, and possibly cause you to dangle your penis around. Provided you have one, of course.       - Sebastian Stirling

67. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing (Mo' Wax, 1996)

Whether or not you view Signal Drench as a publication whose name rings with musical diversity is beyond the point, as a lot of the time I don't, and whether or not you like electronic music is also beyond the point. The point I'm trying to make is that DJ Shadow is good enough to transcend both of these ideals, and remain one of the very few electronic acts I can listen to, as he weaves songs you know you've heard through AM radio and turntables, and comes out with the soundtrack to a late night stroll in the city of your dreams.       - Sebastian Stirling

66. Tool - Aenima (Zoo, 1996)

This album won me over by the artwork before I even heard it, but if you're not into big eyes and accompanied with notes about ketamine, it was probably the throbbing rythyms that fixated your attention upon this album. An amazing follow up to Undertow, Aenima is an album in the purest sense of the word. It's songs are interspersed with tracks such as "Message To Harry Manback" and "Die Eier Von Satan" (which when translated is a recipe for bread). Simply a casual listen will clue you into the genius which is Tool. Maynards vocals flow smoothly over an uproar of precise guitar work as his intelligent lyrics tap sources as distant as Jung's psychology. It's hard not to become lost in such music, as captivating as it is.       - Jackie Martin

65. U2 - Achtung Baby (Island, 1991)

U2's mid-'80's output is tremendous in my opinion, with War being one of my favorite albums ever, and while they may have hit a snag trying to be an Irish Elvis on Rattle & Hum, they made a swift return to form with a stylistic change on Achtung Baby. Incorporating dance philosophies into their already fortified melodic base, this album is not only varied but also enjoyable. For every dance rock song like "Even Better Than the Real Thing" that purists may not like, there's a song like "One," whose withdrawn melodicism is warm to the touch.       - Sebastian Stirling

64. Dinosaur Jr. - Green Mind (Warner, 1990)

One of the few bands that will remain a constant favorite due to nostalgia and respect, Dinosaur Jr. released this amazing effort, and their major label debut. Three years after the release of Bug and three bass players later Dinosaur found their niche' blending swooning sonic guitars with the newly accustomed pop sensibility. The crunch and snarl of the earlier albums is still there, but the album seems wiser, more adult, focused. J. Mascis has found away to pulverize and still remain in control, don't get me wrong, there is still a lot of guitar feedback and freak-outs, and yes, they still rock, yet subdued and more mature.       This record is an "air drumming" beckon with some of the best drum sounds and smartly written parts of any record to date (see: "Water", probably my favorite track on the record), and their finest release since the departure of original bassist Lou Barlow in 1987. J. Mascis plays nearly everything on the record (except for three drum tracks by faithful gorilla Murph).       Backing vocals where they need to be and catchy as ever (listen to the build up and chorus on "How'd You Pin Yhat One on Me"), this is my favorite era of Dinosaur Jr., especially live. For a sample, check out the amazing version of "Thumb" live on the Whatever's Cool With Me EP released later that year. Consistently good, lyrically eerie, and an easy listen clocking in at under 42 minutes, this is a brilliant album that preserves the intensity of a band that was once great, and now, no longer (broke up 12/97).       Extras: Check out the Gas, Food and Lodging (same era, 1992) soundtrack / movie for a dose of acoustic / instrumental Mascis gems. Also his small role as "Cecil" in the films end.       - Todd Bell

63. Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual (Warner, 1990)

Was Jane's Addiction the most dangerous band in the world circa 1991? Sure, Guns 'n' Roses could drink more, swear more, get in more fights, and break more shit, but Perry Farrell had the type of dark, sexual, mystical charisma that some people use to start freakish brainwashing cults. But instead of initiating some horrible Mansonesque mass slaughter, Perry released two awesome albums with Jane's Addiction, and started Lollapalooza to boot. Ritual de lo Habitual was Perry's incredibly ambitious artistic vision come to full fruition: in the first part, Jane's Addiction seduce you with funky, swirling, psychedelic rock 'n' roll. In the second part, they drag you down into a drug-hazy, hedonistic netherworld. In the third part, you wake up alone in a dirty Los Angeles bungalow and stumble outside into the sunny afternoon, feeling terrible and hung over but oddly rejuvenated at the same time.       - Nick Mirov

62. Tricky - Pre Millennium Tension (Polygram, 1996)

Cribbing lyrics from Public Enemy and Rakim, stealing beats from Michael Jackson and the Smashing Pumpkins, Tricky was too punk for hip-hop and too extroverted for electronica. Instead he split the middle with trip-hop, a mostly nonexistent genre that critics made up so they could feel more comfortable listening to a record that set a screeching, hype, Bomb Squad-sounding female MC'd remake of "Lyrics of Fury" against seven minutes of foghorn noises and some drunk Jamaican blathering about ghetto youth. Tricky's genius is that he doesn't just write a song about suffocation, he actually makes the music suffocate. Whether the songs were actually directly menacing ("Vent") or merely suggestive ("Christiansands"), Pre Millennium Tension will continue to alarm even in the post-millennial years.       - Western Homes

61. Jawbreaker - Dear You (Geffen, 1995)

For some, it was the betrayal of the decade-- Jawbreaker, a veritable bastion of Gilman Street punk integrity and credibility, who repeatedly and loudly stated they would never sign to a major label, releasing Dear You on DGC in 1995. Punks across America screamed "sellout" at the top of their righteous little lungs and stayed away in droves. You know what? Fuck 'em. They don't deserve a record this good. Jawbreaker dared to take a quantum leap beyond three-chord East Bay punk-pop, and ended up as one of the beloved forefathers of the New Emo. Today, copies of the now-out-of-print Dear You are going for thirty bucks on eBay. If ever there was a sign of Jawbreaker's continuing relevance to and influence on the indie-rock community, this is it.       - Nick Mirov