15. Hot Water Music-Fuel For The Hate Game (1996)
Great Florida punk rock with lots of sing along parts! Great guitar riffs and bass lines throughout this CD. One of the all-time great Florida bands.
Key Songs-"220 Years", "Turnstile", "Blackjaw"
14. Fugazi-Repeater (1990)
I was 14 or 15 and playing Street Fighter 2 with my friend Eric on the day I first heard Fugazi. His brother, Tom, came into the room, and he played a mix tape that had mostly radio-ready bands that I knew. But the opening lines to "Waiting Room" caught my attention. With $10 CDs, $5 shows, and a no moshing rule, I still think Fugazi was the most important punk band of my generation.
Key Songs-"Turnover", "Brenden #1", "Seive-Fisted Find"
13. Faith No More-Angel Dust (1992)
I had (ok, still have) the biggest man-crush on Mike Patton. Angel Dust is a truly amazing record that still sounds as great 15 years after it was released. Epic might be FNM's most famous album, but this one was their most diverse and experimental.
Key Songs-"A Small Victory", "Midlife Crisis", "Easy"
12. Elliott Smith-XO (1998)
I knew I had to put an Elliott Smith record on this list, but it was a close one between XO and Either/Or. XO won out because it sounds a bit more polished and produced (it was on a larger indie label) and I like the cover art more.
Key Songs-"Baby Britian", "Bled White", and "Pitseleh"
11. Common-Like Water For Chocolate (2000)
Common was one of the first "underground" hip-hop artist that I was exposed to . His lyrics are smart, political, and often funny. This record features Cee-lo, Black Thought, Jill Scott, D'Angelo, and Mos Def.
Key Songs-"Heat", "Cold Blooded", "The Light"
