Payable On Death: Music Gods. Forever.

he world is in dire need of good music.

If you ascribe to your favorite local Top 40 radio station (Nashville's is 107.5 The RIVER--or maybe I'm out of touch with that, I don't know), you'll probably hear Justin Timberlake, some Britney Spears crap, 'Crank Dat' (which even I can dance to, because of the helpful instruction of 3rd-grader Alexa Williams, younger sister of Laura Williams), or good ole' Nickelback. This is bad because this music sucks.

Tune into a Saturday afternoon SEC football game on UPN (Channel 14 where I sit) and you might see decent some decent football, although Vandy's 35-7 thrashing at the hands of Auburn was harder to stomach than Britney's MTV Video Awards performance. What you will also see is a million ads promoting--WHY?!?!?!--Daug

htry's latest album. The announcers gush mindlessly about Daughtry's music mid-broadcast over and over until there's nothing for an SEC football fan to do but to burn the cd or burn the cd.

I say all of this to say that what the world needs is less Big Tymers and more P.O.D. Seriously. Check 'em out.

For the better part of my high school days, I religiously listened to their coming-out-party called "Satellite." With hits like "Set It Off", "Boom", "Alive", "Youth of the Nation", "Messenjah", "Masterpiece Conspiracy" (if you didn't notice, I've named half the cd!), why wouldn't I? Their masterpiece, 1999's "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown", features my all-time P.O.D. fave, "Outcast," and a few more pit-instigators and sick rhymes. Their debut, 1994's "Snuff The Punk" (Satan's the punk, chumps!) features a song which quotes Philippians 2 and JAMS (EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW!!!).

I have quickly realized that I do not have the time to explain--nor does the English language render it possible--P.O.D.'s musical awesomeness. Like you can watch Alex Rodriguez crush a 98 m.p.h. fastball all you want but until you actually step into the batter's box you will have no clue what that is like, you also cannot explain to a musically-barren man what the sounds of P.O.D. are like.

After checking out every single cd P.O.D. has ever released (their so-so "Payable On Death" and latest "Testify", which is crappy, will make you appreciate the old stuff even more), I recommend, in no particular order, the following...

Me At The Least. These guys are my bros. They are original, they sing about Jesus, and they bring the mosh. Also, their drummer and bassist used to play for As The Noon and Metanoia. That says it all.

August Burns Red. Perfect music. You will crap your pants as you listen.

The Devil Wears Prada. Nice doods. Opposite of nice music.

War Of Ages. My dad leaps and headbangs and hollers to these guys. I do too. That's a good thing.

Paramore. Call me gay. But if you call me gay I will also call you gay because I suck at comebacks.

The Chariot. Frontman Josh Scogin is simply a god of the hardcore scene. "I was not placed upon the grass of this ever-fading earth for a standing ovation!"

Norma Jean. Probably in the top 3 of my greatest bands of all time. Seamlessly transitioned from Scogin's wonderful creation ("Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child"), to my favorite of their albums, the technical "O God, the Aftermath" to the brutal but more concise "Redeemer." All the while keeping an amazing poetic lyrical style that seems to fit the music.

As Cities Burn. Clearly the most passionate band in history. I've never connected more to a band's lyrics or been convicted more by them. Simply amazing. They have to be experienced.

I have recently come to love Third Eye Blind and Oasis.

Also, the end of "Masterpiece Conspiracy" contains one of the sickest breakdowns in recent memory.