Hum - DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD. This is the epitome of the big wall of guitar sound that was popular in the 90's. Maybe Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden got all the fame for bringing back big-sounding arena rock, but Hum's music on this album sounds like it needs to be played in stadiums. Though in a small club it was downright overwhelming.

Beck - MUTATIONS. Proved he was more than just two turntables and a microphone, and had become a serious, mature artist. I play this way more than ODELAY or MIDNITE VULTURES.

Radiohead - OK COMPUTER. Almost goes without saying. Though some will argue for THE BENDS (I wouldn't argue), OK COMPUTER gets more play with me.

Flaming Lips - THE SOFT BULLETIN. YOSHIMI seemed to get more attention, but its predecessor for me, really expanded what the Flaming Lips were about. Though it's not a perfect album, there was several perfect songs on this one.

Mercury Rev - DESERTER'S SONGS. Again, the follow-up to this album ALL IS DREAM seemed to turn more heads, DESERTER'S SONGS has a special place. Sort of like BULLETIN for the Lips, it was a huge step forward for the band. DREAM didn't seem like a step forward for me, but more of a holding pattern.

Tom Waits - MULE VARIATIONS. A Wonderful collection of oddball blues, piano-bar tear jerkers and hillbilly romps as filtered through the mind of one of our greatest musical voices. It might not be as strikingly groundbreaking as BONE MACHINE was, but it's still a fantastic collection of songs.

Red House Painters - SONGS FOR A BLUE GUITAR. Some amazing originals, a few very interesting covers makes their most consistent and enjoyable album. I think the thing that's most obvious about this one is that it's just more relaxed.. that tension that seemed to define much of Mark Kozelek's earlier work on 4ad is just absent here.. it's just a more sunny album.. their cover of the Car's "All Mixed Up" has got to be one of the most brilliant inspirations in music. Whodda thunkit would work as well as it did?

Bark Psychosis - HEX. This one barely makes the "10 year limit" but it's just an amazing record, as effective for what it doesn't say as for what it does say. If you get that then you'll get this album.

-jar