Friday, December 18, 2009

Favorite Albums* of the Decade

The decade in music. And by music, I mean popular music. And by popular, I mean what I listened to. For each year this past decade, I chose one album. This made me sad. So I then chose 2 runners-up. So many songs left. So I picked a single as well. No artist is represented more than once. I wanted to make a list where if you listened to every single one of these albums/songs before the end of 2009, you would have a lot more time on your hands than I do. I hope I succeeded.

2000

Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams

He certainly is. You treat him right, Mandy Moore.

Runner-ups: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea– PJ Harvey; Agaetis Byrjun – Sigur Ros

Single: Dry The Rain – Zeroes to Heroes – The Beta Band

2001

Girls Can Tell – Spoon

Tight tight tight.

Runner-ups: Pleased to Meet You – James; Cuts For Luck and Scars For Freedom – Mystic

Single: Come What May – Moulin Rouge – Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor

2002

Son of Evil Reindeer – The Reindeer Section

Scottish supergroup with Snow Patrol, Belle & Sebastian and Arab Strap represented? Sign me up!

Runner-ups: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco; Deadringer – RJD2

Single: Seed 2.0 – Phrenology – The Roots

2003

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast

Their White Album after Stankonia’s Sgt. Peppers

Runner-ups: Want One – Rufus Wainwright; Ghosts of the Great Highway – Sun Kil Moon

Single: My Coco – Stellastarr* – Stellastarr*

2004

Funeral – Arcade Fire

After listening to this I feel like I just got out of a Fellini film.

Runner-ups: Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine – Cee-Lo; Hot Fuss – The Killers

Single: Still At Home – Rendezvous – Luna

2005

With Teeth – NIN

Master Trent gets back to the force of Pretty Hate Machine, but using all the tricks he’s learned since.

Runner-ups: Get Behind Me Satan– The White Stripes; Come on Feel the Illinoise! – Sufjan Stevens

Single: Fuck Forever – Down In Albion – Babyshambles

2006

Return to Cookie Mountain – TV on the Radio

Sonically sprawling. A disgorgement of all their influences while setting the stage for what comes next.

Runner-ups: Pick a Bigger Weapon –The Coup; 2 – Simple Kid

Single: The Funeral - Everything All The Time – Band of Horses

2007

Great Vengeance & Furious Fire – The Heavy

That scrappy kid from London lays down some funky FUNKY tunes.

Runner-ups: We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank – Modest Mouse; Let’s Stay Friends – Les Savy Fav

Single: Fake Empire – Boxer – The National

2008

Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords

Most of these songs came out live long before, however I can’t help but returning to this album again and again. I thought novelty records were supposed to get old?

Runner-ups: Seventh Tree – Goldfrapp; Heretic Pride – The Mountain Goats

Single: Dónde Está la Playa – You & Me – The Walkmen

2009

Hazards Of Love – The Decemberists

The Decemberists finally figure out how to stretch their wonderful story/songs into a full-length album.

Runner-ups: Broomst – Dan Deacon; Veckmatist – The Grizzly Bears

Single: I Quit Girls – Post-Nothing – The Japandroids

No comments: