Top 10 Albums of the Decade!

[Mr MidFi]

Unless you're a schoolish pedant with an overweening sense of numerical propriety, this decade will be drawing to a close in just a few short months. I, for one, can't believe it's gone this quickly. But now comes the time to put up or shut up... your Top 10 Discs for the Decade of the Aughts!

Now, if you're convinced that you need a few more months to absorb that new Circulatory System that dbi's been on about, or to give the upcoming Porky Twee 2-disc concept album a fair shake, or whatever... I understand. Leave a blank space open for now, if you must.

But it's time. Time to commit. It's not easy, so give it some serious thought.

I'll post mine a little later. Once I decide on a #1.

[frahengeo]

Unless you're a schoolish pedant with an overweening sense of numerical propriety, this decade will be drawing to a close in just a few short months. I, for one, can't believe it's gone this quickly. But now comes the time to put up or shut up... your Top 10 Discs for the Decade of the Aughts!

Now, if you're convinced that you need a few more months to absorb that new Circulatory System that dbi's been on about, or to give the upcoming Porky Twee 2-disc concept album a fair shake, or whatever... I understand. Leave a blank space open for now, if you must.

But it's time. Time to commit. It's not easy, so give it some serious thought.

I'll post mine a little later. Once I decide on a #1.

What, all genre combined??

[Mr MidFi]

Up to you, bro.

[Monkey Bones]

Wow, that would be really hard, especially early in the decade because there were so many good ones. But here's a lame-o first cut, one per artist, just the indie rock stuff, not really in any cogent order ...

The Notwist - Neon Golden
Califone - Roomsound
Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Woven Hand - Blush Music
Solex - Low Kick and Hard Bop
Circulatory System - Signal Morning
Wheat - Hope and Adams
Shearwater - Rook
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Arcade Fire - Funeral

Some favorite omissions ...

Nina Nastasia - Dogs
Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Woven Hand - Mosaic
The National - Boxer
Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth
Sixteen Horsepower - Folklore
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Willard Grant Conspiracy - Regard the End
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Black Heart Procession - 3

Along with big label stuff like Wilco, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Augie March, Built To Spill, though one could easily argue that many of them are still indie rock artists, etc

[Michael Blackwood]

Top tens are in flux all the time so this is really not a task that can be completed....

[Mr MidFi]

Wow, that would be really hard, especially early in the decade because there were so many good ones. But here's a lame-o first cut, one per artist, just the indie rock stuff, not really in any cogent order ...

The Notwist - Neon Golden
Califone - Roomsound
Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
Woven Hand - Blush Music
Solex - Low Kick and Hard Bop
Circulatory System - Signal Morning
Wheat - Hope and Adams
Shearwater - Rook
Manitoba - Up in Flames
Arcade Fire - Funeral

Some favorite omissions ...

Nina Nastasia - Dogs
Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Woven Hand - Mosaic
The National - Boxer
Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth
Sixteen Horsepower - Folklore
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Willard Grant Conspiracy - Regard the End
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Black Heart Procession - 3

Along with big label stuff like Wilco, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Augie March, Built To Spill, though one could easily argue that many of them are still indie rock artists, etc

Not bad, Mr. Bones. Not bad at all. And yeah, I'd have to say that the "big label" bands have to be included as well. I mean, who's to say that Andrew Bird is "indie" but BTS is somehow "mainstream"? Besides, I'm thinking my final list will include a disc that sold bazillions and won grammys (and, I'm guessing, so will FA's if she accepts this challenge).

That said, I think you've mentioned 6 or 7 titles that are currently under serious consideration for my own list.

[noddin0ff]

I wanted to propose an End of Decade compilation contest to run with the year end comps.

One or two songs per year, sequenced in chronological order. Any interest?

[Monkey Bones]

I mean, who's to say that Andrew Bird is "indie" but BTS is somehow "mainstream"? Besides, I'm thinking my final list will include a disc that sold bazillions and won grammys (and, I'm guessing, so will FA's if she accepts this challenge).

Well, it's not really a distinction between indie and mainstream referenced in my post, that one is much easier to draw, but more indie vs major label alternative, which can often be fuzzy at best these days. BTS is an indie rock band on a major label, no real argument there. I just chose to separate them so I could get in more picks

And yea, Green Day would probably anchor many lists. I'm not a big fan, but can still get it. Do you still go back to that one very often? I tend toward the ones that keep me interested many years down the avenue, but still something to be said for those that have you at hello, even though it may not last as long.

Stand by the Blush Music, spinning again now for the way too many times.

[Monkey Bones]

End of Decade compilation contest

Prize list?

Hehehe, I doubt you could get more than 3 or 4 comps these days. But they would probably be good ones!

[Mr MidFi]

Do you still go back to that one very often? I tend toward the ones that keep me interested many years down the avenue, but still something to be said for those that have you at hello, even though it may not last as long.

You know what? Oddly enough, I do keep going back to that one. The rest of their catalog, no, not so much. It's a flavor of gum that loses its bubbly goodness fast. But there's just something about that disc. Now, would I keep going back to it if I didn't have a teenager living under my roof? Hard to say. But she is keeping me young, no doubt about it. Case in point... she's hit upon the New Pornographers in a big way. So now I'm rediscovering their earlier stuff and liking it more than I did the first time around. Interesting.

I also have a lifelong fondness for the "growers" as well. But to make it onto a list this exclusive, I think it almost has to grab you AND grow on you. Like Usain Bolt...getting a fast start AND finishing strong!

[Mr MidFi]

I wanted to propose an End of Decade compilation contest to run with the year end comps.

One or two songs per year, sequenced in chronological order. Any interest?

Now THAT'S a tough challenge! Condense a decade to less than 80 minutes!

Maybe. Just... maybe.

[ForeverAutumn]

Oh, I accept the challenge. But it's gonna take some time to whittle it down to just 10. It's a pretty safe bet that Green Day and Mr. Bird's Eggs will take up two spots. So that leaves me with only eight. And off the top of my head, I'm thinking that Threshold's, Dead Reckoning is going to make the list too. So I'm down to seven.

This is gonna be tough.

[ForeverAutumn]

Top tens are in flux all the time so this is really not a task that can be completed....

For sure, personal lists change all the time depending on a lot of factors. No one's asking you to chisel it in stone or tattoo it on your forehead. Just have a little fun with it.

[Slosh]

I'm not even gonna try to put them in any order right now.

SFA - Rings Around The World
Wilco - (The Album) . . . yeah, seriously
Enon - High Society
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Richard Davies - Barbarians
Grandaddy - Sumday
Calexico/Iron & Wine - In The Reins
Pinback - Summer In Abaddon
Stephen Malkmus - Face The Truth
Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life Wayne Robbins & The Hellsayers - The Lonesome Sea

Arrg!! Ten isn't nearly enough.

[Mr MidFi]

OK, I've dawdled long enough. It's time for me to put up or shut up. And yeah, I'll probably want to change this tomorrow... or even 5 minutes after I post. But it's the internet; nothing's etched in stone.

PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
I didn't even like this one much at first. But each one of these songs found their way under my skin, in time.

Radiohead – Kid A
The first time I heard this, it opened my ears up in a way I hadn't experienced since my misspent youth. Still does.

Built to Spill – You In Reverse
I could have put Ancient Melodies of the Future here. Maybe should have.

Spoon – Gimme Fiction
I could have put GaX5 here. Maybe should have.

Green Day – American Idiot
Nuff said already.

Porcupine Tree – Deadwing
I don't know why, but this remains my favorite from them. There are higher high points on In Absentia, perhaps... but this one works better as an album. For me.

Now It’s Overhead – Dark Light Daybreak
Say what? I dunno. I just really like hearing this one every time I put it on. Thanks again to Jim Clark for turning me on to it.

REM – Accelerate
I'm a big ol' fan from way back. So sue me.

The New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
A great collection of songs from a really talented pop group. But... ask me again tomorrow, and this one might be the first one tossed overboard.

Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
I love these guys, I love this disc, and I wish Jay Bennett was still alive and making music.

And no, none of these are in any kind of order at all.

Now I'm wondering how I could have left off The Notwist. And Secret Machines. And Neko Case. And Andrew Bird. And on and on and on...

[Troy]

How about an even dozen in chronological order:

Umphrey's McGee- Mantis
Estradasphere- Palace of Mirrors
Porcupine Tree- Deadwing
The Van Allen Belt- Lactater Tots
Echolyn- The End is Beautiful
Secret Chiefs 3- Book of Horizons
Clouseax- Lagoon!
Ween- Quebec
Office of Strategic Intelligence
Mike Keneally- Dancing
Ben Folds- Rockin' the Suburbs
XTC- Wasp Star

[Mr MidFi]

I'm already regretting not including Funeral or Turn On the Bright Lights.

[ForeverAutumn]

In no particular order, at this precise moment in time...

Brian Vander Ark - S/T - I still have no idea who sent this to me. But after hearing this disk as a CD-R, I liked it so much that I purchased the real thing, plus all his other solo CDs.

The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow - Another listen that started on a CD-R and let to the original purchase of this album and the whole back catalogue. Thanks to Swish for the introduction to this band.

Green Day - American Idiot - Nuff said.

Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs - God I love this album and never tire of it. One of my top concerts of the decade too, FWIW.

Threshold - Dead Reckoning - One of my top prog albums ever. The song Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams is just freakin' awesome!!!

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid - I've been spinning this, at least, weekly since I picked this up earlier this year. Great disk!

Hem - Rabbit Songs - One of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard.

The Tea Party - Seven Circles - I miss this band! They broke up shortly after releasing this disk. It makes me sad that they ended on, what I think, is their best work.

Luke Doucet - Broken (And Other Rogue States) - A concept CD about getting over a break-up. A heartfelt tribute to moving on.

Ray LaMontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black - It was tough to choose between this and his first CD, Trouble, but after giving them both the song by song run-down, I decided that this one is marginally better, IMO.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Here's a list....


Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
The Strokes - Is this It?
The Glands - self titled
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Streetcore
British Sea Power - The Decline of...
The New Year - Newness Ends
Grandaddy - Sumday
Radiohead - Kid A
Beulah - The Coast is Never Clear
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Wire - Read & Burn 1 & 2
The Wrens - Meadowlands
The Shins - Oh Inverted World
The Constantines - Shine a Light
The National Boxer
Low - Things we Lost in the Fire
Pinback - Summer in Abbadon
Built to Spill - You In Reverse
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Songs Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Nick Cave - Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Mercury Rev - All is Dream
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum
White Lies - To Lose My Life
The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage
Interpol - Antics
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist (still early into this one - but it could make my final 10)

My top 10 will probably come from among the candidates above - I need more time.

[Mr MidFi]

Here's a list....


Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
The Strokes - Is this It?
The Glands - self titled
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros - Streetcore
British Sea Power - The Decline of...
The New Year - Newness Ends
Grandaddy - Sumday
Radiohead - Kid A
Beulah - The Coast is Never Clear
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Wire - Read & Burn 1 & 2
The Wrens - Meadowlands
The Shins - Oh Inverted World
The Constantines - Shine a Light
The National Boxer
Low - Things we Lost in the Fire
Pinback - Summer in Abbadon
Built to Spill - You In Reverse
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Songs Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Nick Cave - Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Mercury Rev - All is Dream
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum
White Lies - To Lose My Life
The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage
Interpol - Antics
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist (still early into this one - but it could make my final 10)

My top 10 will probably come from among the candidates above - I need more time.

Good list, ELT. Interesting that you picked Antics instead of the first one. And I'm glad someone remembered British Sea Power.

And speaking of the Constantines... I didn't know much about them when I caught their set at Lollapalooza a couple weeks ago. It was drizzling a bit, but they rocked like they just didn't care. Good show.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Good list, ELT. Interesting that you picked Antics instead of the first one. And I'm glad someone remembered British Sea Power.

And speaking of the Constantines... I didn't know much about them when I caught their set at Lollapalooza a couple weeks ago. It was drizzling a bit, but they rocked like they just didn't care. Good show.

I'm definitely in the minority in prefering Antics over TOTBL - hard to explain really, just do.

Still really like that BSP album, if there's a debut album that makes my list, it'll probably be that one.

... and I forgot to put Arcade Fire's Funeral and Lucinda WIlliams World Without Tears on my list above

Excellent thread, Mr. Fi.

[3LB]

My top 10 - with no qualifiers or explaination, and in no particular order

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Ritual - Hemulac Voluntary Band
Marillion - Marbles
Death Cab For Cuties - Plans
Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
Spoon - Gimme Friction
Echolyn - The End Is Beautiful
Kings Of Leon - Only By Night
Wilco - (the album)

of course, this list is subject to change

[3LB]

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid - I've been spinning this, at least, weekly since I picked this up earlier this year. Great disk!

I agree, and I may even go back and add it to my list. It is a great album.

I'm really liking Andrew Bird's latest offering and struggle with not having it on a decade's list.

I woulda put Wilco's Sky Blue Sky on the list, except that they released a new one. I haven't taken it out of the car CD player.

[ForeverAutumn]

I agree, and I may even go back and add it to my list. It is a great album.

I'm really liking Andrew Bird's latest offering and struggle with not having it on a decade's list.

I woulda put Wilco's Sky Blue Sky on the list, except that they released a new one. I haven't taken it out of the car CD player.

Sky Blue Sky was on my long list, but didn't quite make the final cut. It was a close call but I just couldn't take one of the other disks off. Whose idea was only 10 disks anyway?!

Wincing the Night Away over Chutes Too Narrow, eh? Also a great album.

I knew that Ritual disk would be on your list.

[jonnyhambone]

Just a list...maybe get more verbose on it later and change it up but I'll start with the 'fer sures'...

Angels of Light - Sing Other People
Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
Magnolia Electric Co. - What Comes After the Blues (almost Songs:Ohia - Mag. Elec Co...)
Neko Case - Fox Confessor
Joanna Newsom - Ys.
Grizzly Bear - Veckatamist
Madvilliany
Antony & the Johnsons - Crying Light
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black
The National - Boxer
Shearwater - Rook
Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
Elbow - Seldom Scene Kid
Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
...sorta some obvious ones as I write them down but they're the new ones that I come back to with excitement.