Jeff Snyder - The Gravity Car

Jeff Snyder - The Gravity Car

· Guns N Roses — Use Your Illusion I

This album never ventures very far from my CD player, because there's always room for Guns N' Roses. Use Your Illusion I is just a glamorous Rock album that lifts a giant middle finger to everyone. It's a very mood-appropriate album for me, especially after I've had a bad day. Plus, it's just nice to hear songs about sex and drugs every now and then. Kids these days need more albums like this. After all, it's only cool if your parents don't like it.

· Velvet Revolver — Contraband

Velvet Revolver blew me away from the instant I heard them, but what else can one expect from musicians who have such amazing backgrounds? They are Rock & Roll the way Rock & Roll was always meant to be. They're a beacon of hope in the morass of crappy Corporate Rock that pollutes the airwaves. It's nice to know that decadent Rock music isn't dead; it just went away for a while.

· D Generation — D Generation

I recently found this gem in the used section at Phil's Records, and there was no way I was passing it up. D Generation was a New York Glam Rock band fronted by a now solo Jesse Malin. Having been a fan of Malin's solo stuff for a while, it's been mind-blowing listening to the musical assault that D Generation was capable of throwing down. Malin proves to be a truly great songwriter in any genre.

· The Old 97s — Wreck Your Life

I don't think its possible for me to express my feelings towards the Old 97s. They're easily, and by far, one of my favorite bands of all time. Wreck Your Life is so much more than just a great Indie Rock album. It's a cheating wife, a bottle of Old Crow and a weathered guitar exploding true Rock & Roll. The songs on this album could have been written for you, or about you, and they leave you feeling like you've lived each and every one of them. The Old 97s are the watermark upon which every other AltCountry band should be judged.

· The Manic Street Preachers — This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

I was introduced to these guys a few months ago, but I never gave them much thought until recently. I've been listening to This Is My Truth for the past few days and it's literally blown me away. I can't believe that this band is as big as they are worldwide, yet so few people are even aware of them on this side of the ocean. I mean, this band played for 65,000 people on the eve of the Millennium. Most bands only see numbers like that when they're tallying up totals at the end of a tour. Definitely an album worth checking out.