The Top 50 Albums of the Decade

The past decade has been good to us, beginning with the question that prelude’s every decade:  what music will define this decade?  For me, the 2000s were absolutely the decade for indie rock!  I’m not alone in this thought either.  The genre exploded into mainstream consciousness over the course of the last 10 years, thanks in large part to the internet, iPods, and digital music in general.  I probably consumed more music in a single year of this decade than I had in all my years prior to it!

But the list below isn’t just a list of indie music.  It is simply a list of my favorite albums, and the memories that each one of them bring to mind.  I hope you find some enjoyment in my reflections on the greatest decade I’ve yet to live through, and I hope that this next 10 years is just as kind to us.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TOP 50

#50. The Elected: Sun, Sun, Sun (2006)
One-Liner: A charming, if not perfect, road trip album.

Life-Defining Moment: The only memory I have in my head currently, is driving down Hanna Rd. on my way home from work, shortly after picking up Sun, Sun, Sun. I wasn’t all that into it. Then Blake Sennett sings, “Your check’s signed in diapering ink,” on “Fireflies in a Steel Mill.” The band kicks in, the drums start up, and suddenly, I’m enlightened or changed in some small insignificant way.

Best Song: “Fireflies in a Steel Mill”

#49. Metric: Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003)
One-Liner: The first Metric album I ever heard, and still their best.

Life-Defining Moment: I think it was 2004 when I first listened to Metric, so there are a lot of memories here. The first one that pops into my head is driving around with my friend and his girlfriend, trying to get her to appreciate indie music. Metric was my way in. And while she acknowledged the awesomeness of this album, I don’t think she ever crossed over. Her loss.

Best Song: “Succexy”

#48. St. Vincent: Actor (2009)
One-Liner: One of the strongest female solo albums of the last decade, though not as memorable as her first.

Life-Defining Moment: Having been released within the last 12 months, there are too many moments still floating around in my head (I just listened to this 4 days ago). But the coolest Actor-related moment for me was seeing the video to “Actor Out of Work.” It was upon viewing it that I officially fell in love with Annie Clark. xoxoxo –Just kidding.

Best Song: “Actor Out of Work”

#47. Bjork: Medulla (2004)
One-Liner: An album that completely changed what I thought about music.

Life-Defining Moment: I was going to school in Dallas at the time Medulla came out. I remember putting this CD in my old-school Xbox and watching the visualizations as I got lost in the complexity of it all. It is an album featuring only the human voice (mostly), for those of you not in the know, and was the first full Bjork album I ever heard.

Best Song: “Where is the Line?”

#46. Headlights: Kill Them With Kindness (2006)
One-Liner: An unfocused, but relentlessly charming debut album.

Life-Defining Moment: I got a copy of this album by renewing my subscription to Under the Radar magazine. I remember opening the package and being disappointed by the CD they ended up sending me. As it turns out, it was probably the best option.

Best Song: “Songy Darko”

#45. The Streets: The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living ( 2006)
One-Liner: Mike Skinner’s most commercial, and coincidentally, solid Streets album.

Life-Defining Moment: My sister was dating a guy named Mitch at the time of this album’s release. He mentioned The Streets to me one day, and I responded with a “Meh, I don’t really like it.” But for some reason, I downloaded it anyway. And I loved it! It was one of the first albums I ever reviewed on Audio Overflow (it wasn’t even called Audio Overflow at the time), and I still think of it fondly.

Best Song: “Prangin’ Out”

#44. The Honorary Title: Anything Else but the Truth (2004)
One-Liner: A random purchase gone well.

Life-Defining Moment: In 2004, I was trolling Best Buy with a friend, looking for a random CD to buy. I did this from time to time, based solely on album covers. It just so happened that Anything Else but the Truth has an awesome cover. So I picked it up, listened to it, made fun of it, and discarded it. It wasn’t until a week later that I gave it a serious listen and discovered how awesome of an album it was.

Best Song: “Revealing Too Much”

#43. Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (2005)
One-Liner: The CD that changed everything.

Life-Defining Moment: I’m at Jeremy’s house one night, and we’re all hanging out. In walks Nathan, who I introduced to Of Montreal a month earlier with their 2001 album, Coquelicot. I’m eager to show him the new CD, so I put in Sunlandic Twins and wait to see everyone’s reactions. I remember how cool it seemed at the time. Now, it’s more tired than anything else. Still solid though.

Best Song: “The Party’s Crashing Us”

#42. Justice: ✝ (2007)
One-Liner: The best pure electronic album of the decade

Life-Defining Moment: I don’t know what I was expecting when I downloaded ✝ for the first time, I just know it couldn’t have been what I got. All I know is, I was reading the review on Pitchfork, and the next thing I know I’m downloading it. A few minutes later, I’m completely entranced. A few years later, nothing has changed.

Best Song: “D.A.N.C.E.”

#41. Band of Horses: Cease to Begin (2007)
One-Liner: A stereotypical indie rock band makes a not-so-stereotypical album.

Life-Defining Moment: You know that moment in “Is there a Ghost” when all the electric guitars and drums kick in? Yeah…

Best Song: “The General Specific”

#40. Rooney: Rooney (2003)
One-Liner: Definitely the best summer album of the decade.

Life-Defining Moment: I remember leaving Best Buy after purchasing this CD and showing it off to my friend, Josh. He didn’t get it, but I was loving every second of it.

Best Song: “Daisy Duke”

#39. Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (2005)
One-Liner: Oberst’s most-solemn and touching record to date.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving with a lot of the same friends mentioned in #43, this time through west Texas, blaring “Road to Joy” through my tiny truck speakers.

Best Song: “Landlocked Blues”

#38. The Killers: Hot Fuss (2004)
One-Liner: The only great thing this band has ever done, and a game-changer for me, musically.

Life-Defining Moment: I couldn’t sleep. I turned on the TV at 5am. MTV. The video for “Somebody Told Me” is on. I wait until 10am, go to Best Buy and buy the whole album. Sometimes you just know.

Best Song: “Mr. Brightside”

#37. Stars: Set Yourself on Fire (2004)
One-Liner: The album that began my formal obsession with pop music.

Life-Defining Moment: I was working at a desk in 2004, listening to internet radio. and “Elevator Love Song” (a track from another Stars album) came on. I loved it, so I went to my local record store to pick up a copy. They didn’t have one…but they did have this one.

Best Song: “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”

#36. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife (2006)
One-Liner: Meloy flexes his storytelling skills for the band’s first all-the-way-through great album.

Life-Defining Moment: When this album came out, I used to play it on my iPod at work over the PA system all day. There’s nothing like rocking out to track 2 while doing menial tasks for money.

Best Song: “The Crane Wife 3”

#35. The Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
One-Liner: It made progressive rock cool again…if only for a little while.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving around the summer of 2004 with my somewhat-significant other (too complicated for words, really), air drumming, singing, and other sad forms of rocking out. All this while driving, mind you. Specifically, driving with her and her brother on the way back from Conroe.

Best Song: “Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt”

#34. Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping (2008)
One-Liner: Possibly Of Montreal’s weirdest album to date…also one of their best.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving to my new job Monday through Friday at 6:45am. This album was playing every day on my recently-stolen 3rd Gen iPod nano, and I just let it loop over and over again. After 2 months I moved on to Crystal Castles…I don’t see that on this list. Do you?

Best Song: “Triphallus, to Punctuate!”

#33. Rilo Kiley: Take Offs and Landings (2001)
One-Liner: Rilo Kiley’s proper debut, and the only one that wasn’t a subsequent disappointment.

Life-Defining Moment: Driving in the fall of 2004 with a friend in the Dallas area. I had just picked up this CD from the old Virgin Megastore (RIP) and put it in my stereo. The girl is I’m with is upset. She doesn’t want to listen to it (she probably wanted to listen to something way worse, they do that you know?). But then “Science vs. Romance” starts playing and, oh, this CD is actually really good. We listen to the whole CD, and she deals with it, because – hey – she likes it now too!

Best Song: “Science vs. Romance”

#32. St. Vincent: Marry Me (2007)
One-Liner: St. Vincent’s first album is a classic, and beautiful album.

Life-Defining Moment: Showing the CD artwork to my dad after I bought this CD, he made a face – a not-pleasant face. Perfectly understandable, considering the cover, but a classic response.

Best Song: “Paris is Burning”

#31. Incubus: Morning View (2001)
One-Liner: In the 9 years since the release of this album, the band has yet to make something anywhere near this good.

Life-Defining Moment: I was sitting in the high school cafeteria, debating the awesomeness of Incubus with a friend. He insisted that they were not that good. Then Morning View came out. I think he still calls them his favorite band to this day.

Best Song: “11am”

#30. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend (2008)
One-Liner: An instantly charming, and relentlessly playable album.

Life-Defining Moment: My dad, again, thought to tear into the song “Mansard Roof” by describing the drums as “Ricky Ricardo, Babaloo” drums.

Best Song: “Oxford Comma”

#29. Wallpaper: Doodoo Face (2009)
One-Liner: A hilarious, catchy, and technically advanced pop album.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I listened to the song, “Doodoo Face,” I was driving to work at 5:30am and I literally burst out laughing when Ricky Reed says “Dang, you nasty/ You smelling like soccer practice!”

Best Song: “I Ain’t Most Dudes”

#28. Mates of State: Team Boo (2003)
One-Liner: An insanely fast-paced, audibly jarring pop album that is equal parts love and mania.

Life-Defining Moment: I wasn’t too familiar with this album when I bought it way back in 2004 or 2005. But I wanted it, so I bought it. Driving home from the store, I put it in my CD, not really knowing what to expect entirely. “Ha Ha” is one of the best album-openers of the decade and instantly made me a fan of Mates of State!

Best Song: “Fluke”

#27. Sigur Ros: ( ) (2002)
One-Liner: A great, if not top-heavy album that may just be the best album of all time.

Life-Defining Moment: Well, obviously not, but let me explain the statement. I was driving with two girls in 2004 when they asked me what the best CD ever was, and I responded with ( ). Why? Because it’s in a made-up language, and is just as great to me as it is to someone in Uruguay or Japan! It is an album whose language is not a hindrance, but a doorway. And it’s beautiful!

Best Song: “Untitled Track 4”

#26. Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca (2009)
One-Liner: The only DP album I’ve ever heard, and it’s so good I’m kinda scared to continue on.

Life-Defining Moment: Going on a weekend trip with a friend, we listened to this album in its entire. I’m not sure why that memory is the one that sticks out, but it WAS a pretty good weekend.

Best Song: “Temecula Sunrise”

#25. Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs (2008)
One-Liner: Ok, in my opinion, it’s their best album

Life-Defining Moment: I equate this song with work, because at the time of its release I loaded every song on my iPod and played that shit at work like crazy. Just ask Ben, he’ll tell you!

Best Song: “Grapevine Fires”

#24. Pop Levi: Never Never Love (2008)
One-Liner: The best male pop album of the decade? Hmmm….YES!

Life-Defining Moment: I always forget how awesome this album is until I listen to it. “Fountain of Lies” is one song that brings back a particular memory. Driving – as always – to work, though this time to my new job, it was my first day. “Fountain of Lies” begins playing, and I’m singing along as I’m pulling into the parking lot, completely oblivious to my surroundings. It eased my first-day jitters and became a perennial favorite at the same time!

Best Song: “Dita Dimone”

#23. Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir (2007)
One-Liner: A CD so sweet and wide-eyed that it made me an instant fan.

Life-Defining Moment: I was going to the movies with friends, and I was playing “No One Can Win.” Most people weren’t paying attention, but one guy said “Hey this sounds like The Beatles.” I really didn’t hear it, but I’m glad he did. He still listens to Loney, Dear.

Best Song: “No One Can Win”

#22. Zero 7: The Garden (2006)
One-Liner: A jazzy electronic album with wonderful vocalists.

Life-Defining Moment: Remember my dad? Yeah, this is probably the only CD I’ve ever shown him that he’s actually enjoyed. You just can’t beat the duo of Jose Gonzalez and Sia!

Best Song: “Crosses”

#21. Joanna Newsom: Ys (2006)
One-Liner: The album that completely changed my opinion of Ms. Newsom.

Life-Defining Moment: How bout a collection of moments? For some reason, every time the first cold of winter sweeps into Texas, I have this unexplainable urge to listen to Ys. 2006, 2007, 2008, and yes, even 2009 have been filled with Newsom. Not that it’s a wintery album, I just equate it with winter at this point.

Best Song: “Emily”

#20. The Wrens: Meadowlands (2003)
One-Liner: An album that’s depressing, but strangely hopeful at the same time.

Life-Defining Moment: I tried to cover “She Sends Kisses” back in 2006 with Fruity Loops. The result was decent, but you simply can’t recreate the raw energy and power of the song’s climax with software. Certainly not Fruity Loops. It never saw the light of day and is now lost forever. Good.

Best Song: “She Sends Kisses”

#19. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
One-Liner: The best rap album of the last decade, and the last GREAT album that Eminem made.

Life-Defining Moment: I remember waiting the “Making the Video” of “The Real Slim Shady” on MTV when I was a sophomore in high school. At the time, I was familiar with Eminem, but I was never really a fan. But the video was hilarious, the music was fresh, and Eminem as a person was also kind of funny. It hooked me, and I ended up listening to this album for years.

Best Song: “Kill You”

#18. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
One-Liner: A cold, heartbreaking, and reflective album that never tires.

Life-Defining Moment: I didn’t get around to listening to Bon Iver for a year and a half after its official release. I got an email from an old friend who complemented me on my blog and said “I’m so behind on music, I’m just now getting to Bon Iver.” And my thought was…who? I downloaded the album and have since listened to it on almost a weekly basis. It is beautiful in so many ways, and I relate to it wholly.

Best Song: “For Emma”

#17. The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love (2009)
One-Liner: The pinnacle of Colin Meloy’s storytelling.

Life-Defining Moment: My life-defining moment for this album was seeing it performed live in its entirety back in October 2009. The Decemberists sounded spot on, and seeing Shara Worden play the Queen in person was just as shocking and eerie as it is on the album! It’s something that I’m glad I got to witness, and years from now if people are still discovering this album, I’ll be happy to know that I lucked out.

Best Song: “The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)”

#16. Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer? (2007)
One-Liner: One of Of Montreal’s most-accomplished albums, and the one that lived up to the expectations following the commercial success of The Sunlandic Twins.

Life-Defining Moment: I first listened to this album in September of 2006 (it leaked waaaay early) and by the time it finally released in January of 2007 I had logged in several dozen listens. I remember thinking, as I would later write in my review, about how the album managed to capture both the zany Of Montreal of old and the new, radio-friendly pop band that they had become. Many consider this to be the band’s masterpiece, and they may be right.

Best Song: “Faberge Falls for Shuggie”

#15. Cursive: Happy Hollow (2006)
One-Liner: An emotional torrent of anti-religion, anti-government rock music.

Life-Defining Moment: Happy Hollow released at a time in my life when I was starting to rethink the way I was raised. Because of this, the album’s rebellious tone struck a huge chord with me (and probably explains why it is so high up on this list). Tim Kasher’s biting commentary on organized religion, war, politics, and relationships completely validated all of the thoughts that were going through my head and gave me a reason to not doubt myself. Despite the harsh tone of much of the album, the end message is clear: live your life to the fullest and don’t be held back by the constructs society may put in your path. For me, at that time of my life, and even now, that speaks to me.

Best Song: “Big Bang”

#14. The Flaming Lips: At War with the Mystics (2006)
One-Liner: An underrated album that finds The Lips at the height of their relativeness.

Life-Defining Moment: Again, my life defining moment for this album is seeing the band perform most of it live in September 2007! It, to this day, remains the most amazing live show I’ve seen and I have serious doubts about any band being able to top that. If I had to narrow down a moment which was particularly enjoyable, it would be Wayne getting the crowd to chant “FUCK!” on “Free Radicals.” That, or him screaming “C’mon motherfuckers!” while spraying the crowd with his stage fog gun.

Best Song: “Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”

#13. The Unicorns: Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone (2003)
One-Liner: A flash of brilliant indie-pop/rock, accentuated by the sudden break up of the band that created it.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I had ever heard The Unicorns was in early 2004, just as I was starting to discover indie music in general. As such, they had a huge impact on my perception of music and the acceptance of indie music. A moment that stands out in my mind was having the opportunity to see the band perform live in my hometown of Houston, TX in 2004, only to pass on the chance. It was the last show the band ever performed, and I’ve never forgiven myself. They are, and always will be, the most heartbreaking break-up of this wonderful decade.

Best Song: “Ghost Mountain”

#12. Loney, Dear: Dear John (2009)
One-Liner: An emotionally deep album, and one of the best male solo albums of the decade.

Life-Defining Moment: The moment that changed my outlook on the album was the first time I heard “Harm/Slow” and really listened to the lyrics. For me, the song is so bleak and depressing that it completely transformed the album from something that was dark, sure, but still kinda hopeful; to an album that is all darkness and no light.

Best Song: “Everything Turns to You”

#11. The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema (2005)
One-Liner: Indie power-pop at its best and most rambunctious.

Life-Defining Moment: I had never listened to this album before, but my wallet was just begging to be opened and my ears begging for new music. I had read about Twin Cinema and how great it is was, and about The New Pornographers (who I had never heard before) so I decided to get it. Boy was I in for a surprise! I got into my vehicle and cranked it, jamming out to it for weeks. It is a perfect album, and one I’m a little disappointed didn’t make it to the top 10, frankly.

Best Song: “Sing Me Spanish Techno”

#10. The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute (2005)
One-Liner: A sophomore album so dense and complex that it requires you to listen to it again and again.

Life-Defining Moment: “Dude, the new Mars Volta just leaked!” “No way, which site are you on?….Cool I’m going there!” It’s downloading right now!” “Mine too.” It finished!!” “Lucky!” “I don’t know this first track is starting off pretty slo….WHOAH!”

Best Song: “Cygnus….Vismund Cignus”

#9. Muse: Absolution (2004)
One-Liner: Muse’s best album, and the one that kept me a fan of rock music when the rest of the rock world was sucking hard.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I heard “Hysteria” I thought it was a song from a Tony Hawk game. I was wrong. That’s moment #1. Moment #2 takes place about a month later when a band I’m in decides that we want to play “Time Is Running Out” live. So we do. The MP3 still exists. Anyone want me to upload it?

Best Song: “Butterflies & Hurricanes”

#8. Field Music: Tones of Town (2007)
One-Liner: A pristine pop record in a time when the term “pristine pop” is overused.

Life-Defining Moment: Honestly, this CD took a while to click with me. It wasn’t until I heard “Working to Work” that it finally made sense. I started listening to the music, the lyrics, the feel of the whole thing. What I got was an awesome album, and one that ended up being my top album of 2007!

Best Song: “Working to Work”

#7. M83: Saturdays=Youth (2008)
One-Liner: A lush throwback to the emotions of 1980s brat-pack films.

Life-Defining Moment: I was leaving a friend’s apartment with another friend, and I was showing him “Kim & Jessie” for the first time. We both agreed that it sounded like it should’ve been the intro song in Donnie Darko. Then we started trying to figure out what that song actually WAS. Then we did. It was “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears. We both started belting out the chorus to that song acapella immediately thereafter. So just to recap: two dudes, driving alone, singing Tears for Fears acapella. Yep, probably one of the gayest things I’ve ever done.

Best Song: “Kim & Jessie”

#6. Of Montreal: Satanic Panic in the Attic (2004)
One-Liner: Of Montreal’s “transition” album also happens to be their best.

Life-Defining Moment: I knew Of Montreal, but I didn’t know this album. I had went to the Virgin Megastore in Dallas to pick up The Gay Parade, but it was out of print. So I picked up this. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, “Disconnect the Dots” started playing, and it was so unlike what I was expecting that I instantly fell in love with it! I listened to the album the whole way home, and in the process bonded with an album that I never intended on getting. I may not be a HUGE Of Montreal fan today, if it weren’t for The Gay Parade being out of stock. Truly life-defining.

Best Song: “Rapture Rapes the Muses”

#5. Radiohead: Kid A (2000)
One-Liner: An experience that most have had, and few have forgotten.

Life-Defining Moment: The first time I heard Kid A was shortly after it leaked in 2000 on Napster. My sister was playing it in her car, and we were driving around listening to it. As a 15 year old, I didn’t really understand a lot of it. I was listening to a lot of crap at the time. But it struck me as something strange, but cool; something unlike anything I’d heard previously. It wasn’t until I got into indie music and bought the album in 2004 that I fell in love with it, but that early impression certainly helped me make the purchase.

Best Song: “Everything In Its Right Place”

#4. The Notwist: Neon Golden (2002)
One-Liner: A deep, chill electronic album that stays with you.

Life-Defining Moment: Like most of the music in my early-indie years, Neon Golden was first recommended to me on Amazon.com. I downloaded the album before I bought it (twice) and played it in my dorm. Weeks later, my roommate, Preston, asks me to burn him a bunch of “my music” on a CD for him so that he can transfer it to his computer. Neon Golden makes the cut, and he loves it! Like, a lot! I haven’t talked to Preston in years, because, well, Preston’s a dick, but I’m glad I could pass my love of The Notwist on to somebody else.

Best Song: “Consequence”

#3. The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
One-Liner: An album that single-handedly defined “indie rock” for me.

Life-Defining Moment: The first Shins song I ever heard was “Turn a Square.” I didn’t really like it. Well, not exactly. It just wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. So I set the album aside and went on my merry way. A few weeks later, my friend asks me if I’ve heard The Shins, tells me that they’re awesome, and convinces me to give Chutes Too Narrow another shot. I do. And I love it!

Best Song: “Pink Bullets”

#2. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois (2005)
One-Liner: The best male album of the decade, and proof that any concept, no matter how mundane, can turn out amazing in the right hands.

Life-Defining Moment: I was picking up my friend Nick at his house to take him to church, and “John Wayne Gacy” was playing. I suppose he was passively listening to the lyrics, because suddenly he burst out with “Is this song about having sex with boys?!?!” I told him who it was about and we listened to it again. He was sold. At the time, Nick was into your generally shitty hardcore rock music. I think this album had a greater effect on him than it did on me. He now finds himself listening to Iron & Wine and Nick Drake more than that other garbage. I would have to think Sufjan had something to do with that.

Best Song: “The Predatory Wasps of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!”

#1. The Postal Service: Give Up (2003)
One-Liner: The album that introduced me to indie music and changed my life in the process.

Life-Defining Moment: There are too many moments. Quite frankly, my late teens and early 20s are soundtracked by this album. How do I pick a moment? Do I choose when Josh first showed it to me on Spring Break 2004? Do I choose that same Spring Break when I woke up everyday and pressed play on my CD player, only to lay back down in bed and listen to the album in its entirety? Perhaps trading off lyrics with a girl who I really liked and thinking how life couldn’t get any better is a more apt moment? There are simply too many occasions in my life in which this album played a role. And so I will not choose one moment.

Instead, I leave you with this picture. Imagine me, a 15 year old kid, listening to Relient K, Finger Eleven and Incubus in the year 2000. And imagine me now, a 25 year old man whose favorite albums of the decade include everything on this list and so much more! What caused such a transformation? It was this album being presented to me in the right place and the right moment. Never doubt the power of music, friends.

Best Song: “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”

The Top 50 Albums of the Decade – Honorable Mentions

Those of you keeping up with my Twitter feed (@audiooverflow) should be aware that when I decided to compile my Top 50 Albums of the decade for Audio Overflow, I narrowed down the decades huge collection of great music to 118 album that I thought deserved to be nominated.  Then came the difficult task…narrowing that list to 50.  In the process, a lot of great albums that I though for sure would make it in the Top 50 got cut.  But I love these albums!  So in the interest of honoring properly, here are albums 70-51 in my best of the decade list. The honorable mentions, if you will.

#70.  Of Montreal:  Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies:  A Variety of Whimsical Verse (2001)
#69.  System of a Down:  Toxicity (2001)
#68.  Fiona Apple:  Extraordinary Machine (2005)
#67.  A Perfect Circle:  Thirteenth Step (2003)
#66.  LCD Soundsystem:  Sound of Silver (2007)
#65.  Sufjan Stevens:  Seven Swans (2004)
#64.  Fleet Foxes:  Fleet Foxes (2008)
#63.  Midlake:  The Trials of Van Occupanther (2006)
#62.  Tilly and the Wall:  Bottoms of Barrels (2006)
#61.  Tegan and Sara:  The Con (2007)

#60.  Rogue Wave:  Out of the Shadow (2003)
#59.  My Morning Jacket:  Z (2005)
#58.  The Flaming Lips:  Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots  (2002)
#57.  My Brightest Diamond:  A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (2008)
#56.  Conor Oberst:  Conor Oberst (2008)
#55.  The Shins:  Wincing the Night Away (2007)
#54.  Rogue Wave:  Descended Like Vultures (2005)
#53.  Mates of State:  Bring it Back (2006)
#52.  Jaymay: Autumn Fallin’ (2008)
#51.  Bright Eyes:  Cassadaga (2007)

Just a little something to hold you over until the full list, complete with photos and commentary, is posted sometime in the next week.

Perfect Summer Soundtrack – Week 9

Here’s an odd one, folks.  I’ve worked in a gym over the last few years and I’ve learned a thing or two about what people want to hear when they want to work out.  The oddest mix of the bunch belongs to the Water Aerobics crowd who mainly resort to bad disco music.  Disco Inferno?  No thanks.  Here’s a playlist for the Water Aerobics crowd.  Please try something different for a change!

The Water Aerobics Playlist

So, I know, this isn’t really my target audience.  Where I work, the majority of people who do Water Aerobics are white and over the age of 60.  But I’ve taken that into account when assembling the playlist.  Some of the songs were more popular in their heyday than they are now.  None of the songs are so “over the top” that they will flat out hate it, nor do any of them contain profanity or suggestive themes.  But it is music that any hipster can appreciate.  So even if you’re not planning on turning 60 soon, it’s still a great playlist.

Week 1 – Rooney’s Self-Titled Debut (Beach Trip, Road Trip, Skateboarding)
Week 2 – The Picnic Playlist
Week 3 – Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (Road Trip Sing-a-longs, House Parties, Frisbee Tossing)
Week 4 – The 4th of July Party Playlist
Week 5 – The Pump Me the F*** Up! Playlist (Mountain Climbing, Fight Clubbing, Wakeboarding, Kayaking, Parachuting, Murdering, Running)

Week 6 – The Elected: Sun Sun Sun (Road Trip)

Week 7 – The Bike Ride Through the Country Playlist

Week 8 – Incubus: Morning View (Skateboarding, Surfing, Beach Trip, Road Trip)

How I Was Abandoned by Modern Rock

I am a man.  Beyond that, though, I’m a muti-dimensional, complex human being; a person capable of feeling a wide range of emotions.  Why is it then that so much of today’s modern rock songs only pander to the roided up, angry, “powerful” man?  Why is it that I can no longer turn on a rock radio station and hear something that caters to me?  Something that speaks to who I am?  I hope to examine this phenomenon and give you insight into how I became the indie rock-loving hipster that I am today with this Random Rant.

The 1990s

Favorite Bands: Live, No Doubt, Foo Fighters, The Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, The Offspring, Oasis

Most of my youth I spent consuming the media that was presented to me.  Movies, music, television – I ate it all up.  This was before the time of the internet, before one could discover new music with a few mouse clicks and a pair of speakers.  Music was what MTV told me it was.  Grunge music was everywhere, sending hair bands and 80s metal bands to the curb.  Like most, the first time I can remember hearing an alternative rock song that I just flipped out for was probably when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” first showed up on MTV.  As great as they were, though, I was still young and a few years away from being able to appreciate it all.

I hit my prime in the mid-nineties, with the groups listed above.  I remember the first time I heard “Lightning Crashes” by Live, knowing that it was a powerful song without fully able to comprehend what it was all about (“placenta” was a foreign term to a 10-year old).  And great music has always been able to do that, to take you to a place that you can appreciate without having experienced it yourself.  “Tonight, Tonight” or “1979” by the Smashing Pumpkins are equally as touching, and beautiful.  And while these bands also had their moments when they rocked out like nobody’s business, they were always at their best when toned it down to subtly express their inner anguish or turmoil.  Oasis is right up there with them, as “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger” remain some of my favorite songs to this day.

The other bands on the list – No Doubt, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, etc. – were about having fun.  For as great as it is to have a song move you emotionally, a song that can make you smile, that can make you have a great time just by listening to it is also a wonderful thing.  And for as much as I hate the Offspring these days, as a 14-year old kid, “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” was good enough for me.

2000-2003

Favorite Bands:  Finger Eleven, Incubus, Relient K, The Grass Roots, System of a Down

It’s a bit weird, but for the most part, this period of my life was overrun by two bands: Finger Eleven and Incubus.  There wasn’t a whole lot else that mattered to me.  Looking at the above list of bands that I enjoyed, I notice that they all have the same thing in common.  They can be fun and a blast to listen to, and can also move you with lyrics that speak to you, or melodies that infect you.  I’ve always been a cheerleader for Finger Eleven.  Even now, though I don’t listen to them, I’m glad to see they’re finally achieving some mainstream success after all those years of being pushed aside by their label to make room for Creed and the likes.

But modern rock music started to change during this period.  As new bands like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand introduced people to an entirely new side of rock music, lesser bands began to garner much of the attention.  One look at the Billboard charts for 2003 can adequately show the change.  Bands like Trapt, Seether, 3 Doors Down, Chevelle, Nickelback, Staind, Saliva, and Cold had some of the top singles of the year.  Bands who worship the power chord, speak only in cracked, loud voices, and make rock music for the sex and the drugs were quickly becoming the norm.  

I felt abandoned by rock music because it was no longer speaking for me.  I didn’t drink, spend my weekends on endless sexual conquests, and I required more of my music than a “powerful” voice from some “powerful” dude singing over “powerful” chords.  Testosterone-fueled music overran rock stations and tv channels.  What happened to making music that was original, that was real, that was multi-dimensional?  As I soon found out, it was there all along.  I just wasn’t looking for it.

2004 – Present

Favorite Bands:  Of Montreal, Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Horses, Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, The Shins, Muse

In 2004, a friend of mine showed me a CD from a group called The Postal Service.  A few days earlier, I had gone out and seriously considered buying Linkin Park’s Meteora.  The first time I listened to this group, consisting of Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello, I was in love.  Literally.  This was music that spoke to who I was.  It was pop music, but its lyrics were deep and meaningful, its compositions fun and interesting, and the voice of Gibbard was astonishing.  I made my friend drive me to the local Best Buy so I could buy a copy for myself.  I wore that thing out over the next year or so.

However, the CD had a much larger impact on me.  It made me aware to and entirely different realm of music that they called “indie.”  I went on the internet and looked up The Postal Service.  *click* Their singer is Ben Gibbard. *click* He sings in a band called Death Cab for Cutie. *click* A girl named Jenny Lewis did vocals on The Postal Service’s album. *click* She sings for a band called Rilo Kiley. *click* Amazon.com says that if I like Rilo Kiley, I’d like a band called The Shins. *click* *click* *click*  

You see, as I was slowly becoming disenchanted with modern rock music, I was amazed by this wealth of different, talented, and interesting bands that were just waiting for me to listen.  Today, my favorite bands still share the same characteristics as they always have.  They are sometimes emotional, sometimes fun, and muti-dimensional.  Just like me. 

At the time of this writing, the Modern Rock Charts on Billboard.com still shows all of my least favorite groups.  But hidden amongst the Staind and 3 Doors Down are bands like Coldplay, Weezer, and, yes, Death Cab for Cutie.  As a society and a culture, we deserve more music like this:  music that speaks for itself rather than trying to prove its toughness, music that isn’t afraid to show different facets of the artist’s personality.  As humans, we are all different and equipped with the capacity to experience all that the world has to offer.  Shouldn’t our music reflect the dynamics of our being?  If you’re like I was, and you feel completely disenchanted with the music that the radio and MTV keeps sending at you in waves, look elsewhere.  There’s a whole mess of music waiting to be discovered.

And that’s about as cheesy of an ending as you’re gonna get!

Go News Go! – The Weekly News Recap

Da dadadada da. Da dadadada da. DaDAAAA! It’s the return of Go News Go! YAY!

General

• You had me at Zooey Deschanel
• Radiohead announce cities for US tour!!! No dates?!!?! F***!
• Asthmatic Kitty DVD? Yes, please.
• Bruised Shins.

Tour Dates

• Clinic (England and US)
• The National (Worldwide)
• HEALTH and Crystal Castles (N. America)
• The Breeders…really? (N. America/UK)
• British Sea Power (Europe/US)
• Islands (Europe/US)
• Xiu Xiu (US)
• Broken Social Scene (Worldwide)
• Spoon (Worldwide)
• Jens Lekman (Worldwide)
• Blitzen Trapper (N. America)
• Justice (Worldwide)

Ugh….

Video of the Week – Week 53

So in case you haven’t been paying attention lately, The Shins’ keyboardist, Marty Crandall became a real rock star this week! Super congrats to him! In honor of this monumental achievement, here’s this video.

“Turn On Me” by The Shins, from the album, Wincing the Night Away.

The Top 31 of 2007 – #7

Cale’s Pick

The New Pornographers: Challengers

Released: August 21, 2007

My initial review of Challengers was a bit harsh in places. As it turns out, the more I listened to the album, the more its greatness dawned on me. It is, in my opinion, just as strong, or better than, Twin Cinema. The band spends a lot of time keeping the tempo up on their previous album. Just when you want it to calm down for a track or two, it kicks you in the groin, tells you to “man the hell up” and continues in its power-pop ways. And it is a great album! But Challengers is different, and perhaps that’s why it just seemed a bit off to me at first. The big difference is that Challengers isn’t afraid to take a breath every now and then. In fact, much of the album is spent on songs that don’t pack the punch of Sing Me Spanish Techno” or “All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth.” In the end, I can’t be disappointed in such a thing. The band is showing me a side of themselves that they’ve shyed away from in the past. So while “The Spirit of Giving” or “Unguided” is unbelievably jarring the first time you hear it, it’s ultimately a better song than you would have anticipated because it’s something new from a band that has relied heavily on the exact opposite sound for years. Challengers is challenging. But once you give it an honest shot, it’s hard to walk away disappointed.

For giving more than I expected, The New Pornographers land in the #7 spot on my list.

The Top 31 Songs of 2007 – #8

“Phantom Limb” by The Shins, from the album, Wincing the Night Away.

———————————–

Jill’s Pick

Hairspray: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture

Released: July 10, 2007

Quite simply: there is no way for me to avoid the happiness I seem to feel from listening to the soundtrack for (the latest version of) the movie Hairspray.

My favorite track: “(You’re) Timeless To Me” (John Travolta and Christopher Walken)

Songs you should give a listen to:

–“(You’re) Timeless To Me”

–“I Can Hear the Bells”

–“(The Legend Of) Miss Baltimore Crabs”

–“I Know Where I’ve Been” (Queen Latifah)

–“Without Love” (Zac Efron, Nikki Blonsky, Elijah Kelly And Amanda Bynes)

–“You Can’t Stop the Beat” (Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Elijah Kelly, John Travolta And Queen Latifah)

The Top 31 of 2007 – #9

Cale’s Pick

The Shins: Wincing the Night Away

Released: January 23, 2007

My expectations were unreasonably high for this album. It had been about 4 years since The Shins had last released a full-length album, and it didn’t help that Chutes Too Narrow happens to be one of my favorite albums of all time. Where that album exists in it’s very own blissful little world, away from mainstream success or attention, Wincing has The Shins playing nice with the general public. Where Chutes was flawless, Wincing shows a few missteps. But that’s not to detract from how relentlessly pleasing it really is. The simple truth is that I’ve been listening to this album for a little over a year, and the songs that I loved then are just as good now. The songs that I didn’t really care for are better. It’s an unbelievably solid album, even for The Shins. And with it, the band did the unthinkable. They achieved the mainstream success that they deserved without abandoning their long time fans or deserting their signature sound. They should write a book titled “How to Go Mainstream Without Sacrificing the Music.” And Jenny Lewis should buy a copy…and bludgeon herself with it.

For giving me more people who I can discuss The Shins with, they make it to #9 on my list.

The Top 31 Songs of 2007 – #9

“North American Scum” by LCD Soundsystem, from the album, Sound of Silver.

————————————

Jill’s Pick

Michael Bublé: Call Me Irresponsible

Released: May 1, 2007

You know, Michael Buble is really one of those guys I look at and feel pretty confident in my assessment of: super nice but in a heartbeat would woo away your girlfriend or your mother for a one time fling just because he could. (That assessment, of course, was absolutely cleaned up and made lady-like since I’m not the only one reading this.) He’s got that Metro sexual snappy dresser thing going on crossed with a voice that makes him sound like Sinatra has come back from the dead. He makes old standards accessible and does things with songs like Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” that make you scratch your head and wonder which elevator you suddenly stepped into.

It’s my slow dance around the kitchen album. If I had the occasion to slow dance around my kitchen, that is.

My favorite track: “World On a String”

Songs you should give a listen to:

–“Best Is Yet To Come”

–“Lost”

–“Call Me Irresponsible”

–“World On a String”

–“That’s Life”

–“L-O-V-E”

p.s. there’s also his cover of “Me and Mrs Jones” on there that I haven’t made my mind up about yet. “Me and Mrs Jones” has got to be one of the sexiest, dirtiest without meaning to be, passionate love songs ever. A remake of it is a nice touch but I just don’t know if it works or not.

Go News Go! – The Weekly News Recap

Hey kids! Please to enjoy the news!

• Download the new Of Montreal tribute album, Aluminum Plums, for FREE!!!
• Everything you could want to know about Sufjan’s BQE Extravaganza!
• Sorry, Jeff 😦
• The Decemberists die in fiery automobile accident cancel shows.
• No seriously, how douchy do those guys in the front row look?
• That nursing home needs a curfew.
• The Shins cover Magnetic Fields….really?
• Radiohead sign deal to distribute In Rainbows everywhere but N. America.
• Stars head to Britain in 2008.
• A whole lot of Iron & Wine dates.
• Dear Pitchfork, no one cares!
• Get that subwoofer warmed up…
• Just one more reason to hold off on Rock Band.

Like are we now only spitting eggs.

The Top 5 Live Acts I’ve Ever Seen!

For the most part, there are a lot of awesome artists that I need to see live; Radiohead, The Decemberists, Joanna Newsom, Bright Eyes, you know, stuff like that. That’s the biggest problem with living in Houston (aside from, say, the traffic), even though it’s the 4th largest city in the nation, it’s a crap music city! As such, a lot of the better indie acts avoid it like the plague. It’s not all doom and gloom though. I can still get out there and see a show and enjoy myself, and then go on to make a list based on my experience. That’s why I’m bringing this list to you today. Please enjoy the Top 5 Live Acts I’ve Ever Seen!

#5: The Shins – Generally speaking, The Shins aren’t the most entertaining bands to watch. They don’t writhe on the floor in extended rock-out sessions or wear funny costumes, nor do they have zany homade instruments and confetti cannons. What makes them such a great live act is the fact that they sound almost exactly like they do on their albums, if not better! Everything you could ever hope for in a Shins show is pretty much given to you without question. Let’s face it, when you go to a Shins show, you don’t want a bunch of distractions. You just want to jam to their music and have it be perfect. And it is! That’s why they made it to #5 on my list. Read a review of my Shins show experience here.

#4: Of Montreal – I’ve seen Of Montreal twice already, and if I didn’t have to work tonight I’d be seeing them again (they’re playing in Houston again). What makes Of Montreal such a great live band really lies in trial and error I would assume. The band spends probably about 85% of any given year on the road, bringing their indie pop masterpieces to the fans. So you’d have to think that the reason they’re so good live is because they do it enough to to know what works and what doesn’t. One thing is for sure, Kevin Barnes and Co. know how to get the crowd pumped. Sometimes that means just playing really well, other times that means performing in the nude. Of Montreal will do whatever it takes to get you moving and enjoying their songs, including selling their song to Outback Steakhouse. That kind of devotion to the fans really comes through in a live setting. Read a review of one of my Of Montreal show experiences here.

#3: The New Pornographers – I’ve been thinking about doing this list for awhile, but I had to wait until today to do it. The reason for that is because I just saw The New Pornographers last night for the first time, and I had a pretty good idea that this list would be incomplete without them. Turns out I was right! The New Pornographers put on one of the most flawless shows I’ve ever seen last night, complete with driving energy, flawless harmonies, and even a few surprising moments courtesy of Dan Bejar. I have a pretty good feeling that I may have been the only person at the show last night that would put them so high up on my list, but my expecations for the band were huge and they delivered well above what I expected. The band didn’t spend a lot of time mingling with the crowd, but they didn’t have a lot of time to. They used what time they had wisely, playing their strongest songs from their best albums. It was awesome and I’ll definitely be in the front row they next time they swing by. Read a review of my New Pornographers show experience here.

#2: Sufjan Stevens – When it comes to delivering a flawless musical experience in a live setting, no one I’ve seen has done it better than Sufjan Stevens. When he came to Dallas last year, he brought along a mini orchestra and his usual pack of noisemakers to deliver one of the most awe-inspiring nights of my life! Every note he played on piano, banjo, or guitar was perfect and his voice was just as flawless! He seems a bit awkward on stage, like he doesn’t know why he’s there but he’s going with the flow anyways. Of course, when you’re wearing plastic eagle wings on your back, that might just be an expected side-effect. Add in the fact that Shara Worden was there lending a helping hand and just being adorable, and you have an amazing show! I’ve already said that the next time he comes around that I’m scooping up tickets for everyone I know, but I may take it a step further and buy them for complete strangers as well. It’s that important. Read a poorly-written review of my Sufjan show experience here.

#1: The Flaming Lips – At this point, I’m not entirely sure that anything short of a Radiohead concert could top my experience seeing The Flaming Lips just over a month ago. Wayne Coyne can’t really carry a tune all that well, but for every missed, cracked note that came from his mouth there were about 30 giant balloons and 800 pounds of confetti. The Lips sure know how to put on a show! From the first note they played to the time they walked off the stage, I was never bored, I never even wanted to leave (a rare thing for me). Every moment, every second was exciting and enthralling. The band really knows how to connect to their fans too, as Wayne would stop and just talk to us for a few minutes in between songs or lead us in explicative cheers! It was the absolute best show I’ve ever seen, without question. Make it a point to see them if you have the chance. There’s no way you’ll regret it! Read about my Flaming Lips show experience here.