1) Beck, Odelay (DGC):

Sheer genius. I don't care if the guy looks like he's 12 years old. "Where It's

At" made line-dancing seem almost cool.

2) Seeing Tom Waits changing his

baby's diaper at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco (June, '96). Cool

seeing this legendary artist doing something so normal.

3) Weezer,

Pinkerton (DGC): Will probably never get sick of it. One of the most

"real" albums I've ever heard.

4) Garbage, Garbage (Almo): So

it didn't come out in '96. Shirley Manson is class and this album will rock my

CD player for years to come.

5) Ash at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco (July '96):

Who says the Irish can't rock? One word: FIERCE.

6) Soul Coughing,

Irresistible Bliss (Warner Bros.): The title says it all.

7)

Tuscadero, The Pink Album (Elektra): Insanely infectious. "Mt. Pleasant"

is one of the all-time best tunes to just thrash around to.

8) Radiohead,

"Talk Show Host" (from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack) (Capitol):

Available on the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. I've said it a million times and

I'll say it again, Radiohead is brilliant and if this song doesn't prove it, I

don't know what will.

9) Robert Miles, "Children" (single): Ambient dance

music at its best. Some say it's John Tesh on acid, and that should be taken as

a compliment. God knows Tesh could possibly be tolerable if he dropped an E tab

every once in a while.

10) Cibo Matto, Viva! La Woman (Warner

Bros.): It's about time some Japanese groups got into the mainstream in the U.

S. Like Pizzicato Five who came before them, Cibo Matto can rock with the best

of the Americans/Europeans. Gambate! (It's Japanese-you figure it out).