In no particular order, because, at this level, who's counting?1. WHITE HASSLE National Chain (Matador) 1997
2. GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR! Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada (Kranky) 1999
3. ST. ETIENNE "Cool Kids of Death (underworld mix)" (Heavenly) 1995
4. SPACEHEADS Angel Station (Merge) 1999
5. SPLEEN Soundtrack from Spleen (Swarffinger) 1996
6. VARIOUS ARTISTS Flashback: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sony) 1990The little-seen Kiefer Sutherland/Dennis Hopper flick Flashback was the inspiration for two great songs: Big Audio Dynamite's "Free" and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians' cover of "Walk on the Wild Side." Big Audio Dynamite, pre-The Globe, put this track together around a sample of Dennis Hopper's line from Flashback: "Once we get out of the '80s, the '90s are gonna make the '50s look like the '60s." You pray on that.7. LOUIS PHILLIPPE A Kiss in the Funhouse (Le Grand Magistery) 1999
8. FUCK Baby Loves a Funny Bunny (Rhesus) 1996
9. THE(E) SPEAKING CANARIES "Guitar Strings for a Holocaust" (Scat) 1993
10. LA BRADFORD E Luxo So (Kranky) 1999
11. THE ODD Toot Bampot (Shadow) 1998
12. BEATNIK FILMSTARS Boss Disque (Merge) 1998
13. PITHD Ambrosia (Noisefloor/Desafinado) 1999
14. LYNNFIELD PIONEERS Free Popcorn (Matador) 1999Ever notice how everyone likes Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, but no one loves Jon Spencer Blues Explosion? Lynnfield Pioneers is similar to them, but slightly more engaging. Call it a party band you could love, and without too much of that slap bass that is the legacy of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.15. TOM ZE Postmodern Platos (Luaka Bop) 1999Remixers Amon Tobin, Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda, and the High Llamas take on Brazilian music, and admirably resist the urge to cheese it into lounge-style hipster appropriation. Five tracks are electronica mixes of songs from Ze's Fabrication Defect (Com Defeito de Fabricacao), while sixth is a non-album Tom Ze track called "Canudos."16. SLINK Moss and the Flying Aces Bones (Rattlesnake) 1995
17. JAI UTTAL AND THE PAGAN LOVE ORCHESTRA Shiva Station (Triloka/Mercury) 1998
18. GANGER Hammock Style (Merge) 1998
19. THE RED KRAYOLA Fingerpainting (Drag City) 1999
20. JOHN LURIE African Swim and Manny and Lo (film scores) (Strange & Beautiful Music) 1998
21. ARAB STRAP Philophobia (Chemikal Underground) 1998A thick Scottish brogue texturizes the droning tales of drunkenness and rejection that are the meat of Arab Strap's bummer-rock. Spare and moody, depressing and hilarious, Philophobia is never boring despite its low-key appearance. With tracks like "The First Time You're Unfaithful" and "Not Quite a Yes," Belle and Sebastian it ain't.22. FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ Atardecer (Knitting Factory Records) 1999
23. 2 LONE SWORDSMEN Stay Down (Matador) 1999
24. ASHLEY STOVE New Scars (Merge) 1998
25. TWO DOLLAR GUITAR Train Songs (Oil City) 1998
26. CLEM SNIDE You Were a Diamond (Tractor Beam) 1998
27. IMOGEN HEAP I Megaphone (Almo) 1998
28. KARATE Bed is in the Ocean (Southern) 1998
29. DOC HOPPER Zigs, Yaws and Zags (Go-Kart) 1999
30. INK AND DAGGER The Fine Art of Original Sin (Initial) 1998Ink and Dagger is a hardcore band out of Philadelphia who borrow from electronica AND think they're vampires. Loud, thrashing, techno-metal vampires who can turn five different time signatures in one song and still be scary as a bloodsucker. Bottom 40 champions all bands whose live shows make our hairs stand on end.31. LOWERCASE The Going Away Present (Punk in My Vitamins?) 1999This Palm Desert, CA trio knows how to do the rushing-forward-then-pulling-back thing correctly -- you don't have to get all shouty and screamy to make a point. When the lyrics are miserable, the music sighs and mutters; when the words turn angry, it's the guitars that do the yelling. Bottom 40 loves calculated fury.32. MODEST MOUSE/764-HERO "Whenever You See Fit" (Suicide Squeeze/Up) 1999Recorded on a rainy Valentine's Day. Need we say more?33. SUNSET VALLEY The New Speed (Sugar Free) 1998
34. KID SILVER Dead City Sunbeams (Jet Set) 1999
35. CHOCOLATE U.S.A. Smoke Machine (Bar None) 1994Fans of Music Tapes should check out Julian Koster's former band, Chocolate U.S.A. Bottom 40 first became a fan of this album while driving a friend's convertible down the West Coast, and has deemed it necessary whenever doing so since.36. MUDHONEY Tomorrow Hits Today (Reprise) 1998
37. BOYS LIFE Boys Life (Crank) 1995
38. PULSARS Pulsars (Almo Sounds) 1997Herb Alpert blew horn on this dreamy album that pays tribute to the last three decades of pop, bursting with synth-laden bubblegum and sci-fi silliness.39. MISS RED FLOWERS Miss Red Flowers (Tim/Kerr) 1997
40. LAST OF THE JUANITAS Last of the Juanitas EP 1998LOUD, riff-heavy post-metal, featuring former members of Drive Like Jehu and Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver. Available from www.mp3it.com.
