Darren Roberts

Photo by Jeanne Rice>The Descendents. This legendary punk band was and still is a big influence on today's pop punk bands. Front man Milo Aukerman was a pioneer of poppy girl songs, and Karl Alvarez is the reason I started playing bass.

>Bad Brains. It's difficult to describe their music. Though their roots are punk and reggae, they were able to somehow slip rock, funk and jazz into the mix. Being a fan of Bad Brains got me listening to bands like 311 and the Deftones, who are both heirs of Bad Brains. My favorite album: I Against I.

>Weezer. Simply rock! They didn't break any new ground or change the face of music, but they sure are fun, and they write great songs. Their fans are loyal and create a lot of energy at their live shows.

>Queen. I'm not talking about trendy Wayne's World or "We Are the Champions"-inspired football crap. I'm talking about putting on a good Queen record, turning it up in the headphones and soaking it all in. The vocal stuff that goes on is pretty amazing. How about the albums Sheer Heart Attack or The Game?

>Kiss. I have to include them because I don't care what anyone says: you have not been to a rock show unless you have experienced a Kiss show. I was not privileged enough to witness Kiss back in the day, but I occupied killer seats for the 1996 reunion at the Forum.