1. The Velvet Crush - Heavy Changes
This album packs quite a punch! The thing that struck me first is the production. The drums, vocals, guitars...well just about everything is dry as a bone. It definitely has a live feel to it. More so than Teenage Symphonies To God. I love the way the lead vocal is right in your face. It gives the songs an immediacy that sucks me in from start to finish. Another thing I love about the album is the heart and integrity of the performances. If you need proof just listen to "White Satin Bed"...I still get goosebumps when I hear it. Like Teenage..., this album mixes pop, rock, folk, and country to perfection. This was easily my record of '99 with room to spare.

2. Duane Jarvis - Far From Perfect
Duane Jarvis' album Far From Perfect is definitely not! It's actually pretty damn close to perfect. It's very easy to describe this album's sound. If you can picture Mick Jagger singing rootsy/country tunes you'll have a good idea of where Duane is coming from. All the tunes have a great laid-back feel and a cool swagger to them. Duane does the lead guitar work as well and yep, you guessed it, it sounds quite a bit like some guy named Keith. The songs' subject matter is pretty lighthearted which is another plus in my book. For example, "Hat Check Girl" is about his infatuation with hat check girls he meets all around the country. This was my "Roots Rock Record of the Year."

3. The Refreshments - Top 21
No, this isn't the band from Arizona. This band is from Sweden and boy oh boy do they got it goin' on! Billy Bremner (former Nick Lowe/Rockpile guitarist) is a member in this band, which is worth the price of admission right there. If you like Dave Edmunds, Rockpile, and Nick Lowe, these guys are for you. Nobody, and I mean nobody sounds more like Dave Edmunds than Bassist, Joakim Arnell. It really is uncanny. You can't even hear the slightest Swedish accent. I guess you could say he's a Swedish guy, imitating an English guy, imitating an American guy. But the similarities don't stop there. The drumming by Niklas Aspholm has Terry Williams written all over it...truly breathtaking. The songs range from shufflin' rockers to 50s style ballads to Buddy Holly-esque toe-tappers. Sure that's not a huge variation in sound but hell, who needs variety with great sound sounding songs like these? Move over Georgia Satellites, the Refreshments get my vote for Best Bar Band of the 90s.

4. The Heats - Smoke
Well it's about time someone released one of my favorite bands of all time on CD! Back in the late 70s and early 80s before the nappy-haired, flannel-wearing, non-smiling grunge scene was even a twinkle in Seattle's eye, there was a little band called The Heaters. Named after the heater in the basement where they practiced and later shorted to The Heats because of a Los Angeles band with the same name. The Heats blended Beatlesque harmonies, country influences, and great pop melodies into a sound all their own. They had moderate regional success with their debut album Have an Idea and follow-up live album Burnin' Live. Fans and critics alike felt they were on the brink of nationwide success then things fell apart. It's unfortunate that things never worked out for the band but now at least their album is more accessible thanks to the good people at Chuckie Boy Records. I've been a HUGE fan of the band ever since a friend from Seattle played their LP for me back in 1987. I make it a point that every band I'm in cover at least one Heats' song and every mix tape I make for friends has the music of this great band on it. This release has most of the Have an Idea album on it (they left off "Questions, Questions" for some insane reason!) and a couple of unreleased songs the best of which is "Smoke." Its a tongue in cheek anti-smoking song which could easily be the theme song for the no-smoking debate going on here in California. You gotta love lines like "Who cares about what it does to rats?/Who cares about the laboratory stats...Let's smoke!"

5. Fastball - All The Pain Money Can Buy
A perfect pop trio. Two great songwriters with great voices. You wouldn't have guessed it listening to their dismal debut Make Your Momma Proud whose only shining moment was the Hard Day's Night-era sounding "Are You Ready for the Fallout?" All The Pain Money Can Buy is the complete antithesis to their debut. Where their debut featured noisy guitars, breakneck tempos, and melodies you couldn't find even if you had the Hubbel telescope, All The Pain... showcases beautiful melodies, sing-a-long choruses and well-thought arrangements. All of this on top of some of the best sounding guitar & drum tracks I've heard in a long time. Sure, we're all tired of hearing "Besame Mucho"...I mean "The Way" a zillion times but hey, I'd take that on the radio over Billy Corgan's annoying screech any day of the week!

6. Nick Lowe - Dig My Mood
Alright, most of you know I'm kinda partial to this guy to say the least. So reader beware, this isn't coming from an objective angle. Now I know a bunch of pop fans were disappointed with this record. Saying things like, "Nicks going soft on us!" and "Why doesn't he rock anymore?" Well, Nick's explained it several times in interviews. He says, "I don't really want to rock anymore. It's not where my heart is musically." Come on, you gotta give the guy credit for following is heart! How many musicians nowadays do that? And really, do you want to hear a 50 year old man singing lines like "She's got a pair of tits that just won't quit"? I don't think it would come across the same way it did 20 years ago. What you get here is a brilliant singer and songwriter aging gracefully. And let me emphasis the word "singer" because I'm telling you Nick has never sounded better! I've had many a drunken debate over who has a better voice Lowe or Edmonds, Dig My Mood makes the answer obvious...whether you're tipsy or sober. On this album, Lowe expands on the loungy vocal style he introduced on The Abominable Showman with the song "How Do You Talk To An Angel." Most of the songs are REAL mellow showcasing his beautiful voice. Just check out "You Inspire Me" for proof of his vocal chops. He does still dip into his country roots with songs like the Johnny Cash sounding "The Man That I've Become" and a cover of Ivory Joe Hunter's "Cold Grey Light of Dawn." I'll admit I'd like to hear a little bit more pop thrown in, but I think you have to agree, Dig My Mood should be the prime example of how an artist ages with style.

7. Pete Droge - Spacey & Shakin'
This is the 3rd album by this roots-rocker. He's the guy that brought us the hit single "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)." Droge made a huge jump between his first (Necktie Second) and second record (Find A Door) but not as big a jump from his second to third. Although not as strong as Find A Door, Spacey & Shakin' introduces a more psychedelic sound to his brilliant rockers. I've always liked artists who can blend rock, folk, country, and pop in their sound and Pete Droge is one of the best. He has one of the best bands around backing him and with production by Brendan O' Brien, how can you go wrong?

8. Myracle Brah - Life on Planet Eartsnop
Myracle Brah is the brainchild of one Andy Bopp. Leader of Love Nut...a band which I simply just don't get. On this album however, Andy's alter-ego takes a more melodic approach than his usual punk stance. He gives us a 20 song musical journey that catches your ear immediately. From the opening Big Star-like guitar strums of "Whisper Softly" to the Pete Ham-has-risen "Someday Soon" to the "Hippy Hippy Shake" of the 90's "Machina," Andy shows us he's not only a brilliant musician but also a huge fan of great pop. I've always loved playing "Where'd he steal that melody/riff/drum fill...?" and this is an album you can do that with from start to finish. Sure it's derivative as hell but damn if it doesn't sound good!

9. The Andersons - Separated At Birth
This is the group that made me get my band together. Back in 1996, I had been attending pop shows in LA for a couple months and had been impressed with most of the bands. They all had a few great songs in their set so it was always fun to listen. However, none of 'em really knocked me out. Then one night at the Roxy, I saw the Andersons. They did what a lot of the bands on the LA scene didn't do...they ROCKED! They also had some rootsy sounding songs mixed in with their straight ahead power pop stuff which earned them bonus points from me. Ever since that night, I've been a huge fan of the band and catch their shows whenever I can. After seeing them live for so long it was great to finally have these amazing songs on CD. After listening to the album, it's easy to hear what drew me in. Derrick Anderson's obvious hat tip to The Smithereens, Will Anderson's roots influences, and Bob Anderson's awe-inspiring guitar work and singing blend so well together it's easy to see why they're one of the best bands on the scene. Separated At Birth is a great album the captures the fun that this group exudes in their live shows...man, what a band!

10. Starbelly - Lemon Fresh
Produced by Andy Bopp (see #8 above), this album doesn't leave a sour taste in your mouth...Ooh that was bad! The album has three great vocalists so it goes without saying that the harmonies on this record are top notch. This album is straight-ahead pop with nods to The Velvet Crush and Big Star. One of the singers even sounds a little like Rooks singer Michael Mazzarella. I've been lucky enough to catch these guys live twice and let me tell you they have got the goods. They pull off the three-part harmonies so effortlessly it'll make your head spin. A great debut by a great band.

11. Bob Dylan - Live 1966
This is an album EVERY performing musician should own. The interplay between the performer and the audience that's captured here on this two-disc set is something you just don't hear these days. First you have a hard-core folk audience set in their ways, content with seeing their hero strum an acoustic guitar and sing protests songs. Then you have the performer. A man who is following what his heart tells him regardless of what his fans will think. What you get is a powderkeg waiting to explode...and explode it does.

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