Pop Culture: The Filthy Rich Reviews

RUSH: A Fanboy's Guide Part III: 1989-1998

2012-01-28T07:56:00.001-08:00

Presto (1989)

New label? New producer? New decade? Whatever the reason, Presto found Rush eager to shake up their approach once more, abandoning layers of keyboards and feats of "look-at-me!" instrumental prowess in favor of a sparse, streamlined sound. If the intent was to shift focus towards the songs, the trio couldn't have picked a better batch; this is Rush at their most melodic and pop-friendly, veering between hard rock ("Chain Lightning," "Show Don't Tell") and moody balladry ("The Pass," "Presto") with effortless ease. The album's biggest flaw? A terrible production job from Rupert Hine that turns the band's attack thin and toothless. Fortunately, the songs have aged much better than their sonics, making Presto a lost gem and a reinvigorating comeback at a time when Rush needed it desperately.

Roll The Bones (1991)

The sea change initiated with Presto reaped dividends almost immediately, as Roll The Bones became the group's first Top 5 album in a decade and their biggest seller since Moving Pictures. Certainly the album's opening one-two punch doesn't disappoint, with the surging "Dreamline" (a setlist mainstay for six straight tours) finding perfect counterpoint in "Bravado," a composition as straightforward and haunting as anything in the band's catalog. But too many of the remaining eight tracks fall victim to rote riffs and the continuing curse of thin production, and when the trio does decide to experiment... well, that's the elephant—or, more precisely, the rapping skeleton—in the room. For a huge segment of fans, "Roll The Bones" marks a line in the sand; intentional joke or not, the song remains the most grievous example of Rush choosing to follow a trend, rather than chart their own path independent of pop culture. Unfortunately, that same philosophy would muddy the waters even further on the next album.

Counterparts (1993)

Rush were certainly not the only heritage act to view the surging "grunge" movement as an open invitation to crank up the guitars—et tu, R.E.M.'s Monster?—and after nearly a decade of fading into the background, hearing Alex Lifeson front-and-center for an entire record ain't entirely bad. But it comes at a price: Counterparts sounds less like Rush than any album before or since. The best tracks ("Stick It Out," "Animate") are heavy as hell but far too beholden to then-current radio trends; the weaker ones ("Nobody's Hero") betray an uncomfortable sentimentality that rarely surfaced in Peart's earlier lyrics. Interestingly enough, Counterparts' most enduring number completely breaks the guitar-centric mold, with the funky (by Rush standards, anyway) instrumental "Leave That Thing Alone" adding badly-needed levity to one of the trio's most leaden efforts.

Test For Echo (1996)

At least there's one solid takeaway from Test For Echo: "Power trio" Rush finally return for good. (Need a new Geddy bass workout? Try "Driven"! Wanna hear Neil navigate a million time changes without breaking a sweat? Enjoy "Time And Motion"!) Too bad the thrill of hearing the classic sound in action dissipates so quickly; for the first time in ages, there's no joy anywhere in these tracks, no spark of experimentation or creativity. Echo is simply Rush-by-the-numbers, plodding and predictable. Terrible circumstances would soon force the group into an extended hiatus; years later, their eventual return-to-form would make this record and Counterparts seem like momentary stumbles on the road back to greatness.

Different Stages (1998)

The "four studio, one live" album trend continues, and with a stopgap release to boot—but what a stopgap! With Different Stages, Rush offer a complete live show for the very first time, and while the setlist leans a little too heavy on inferior recent efforts (while shortchanging Presto in the process), the trio still find room for a few jaw-dropping revivals: "Natural Science," "The Analog Kid," and, unbelievably, the only full concert performance of "2112" to date. But for diehards, Discs One and Two are merely a two-hour warm-up to the main event: a previous-unreleased 1978 show from the Hammersmith Odeon, with the band at the peak of their prog-rock powers. "Cygnus X-1," "A Farewell To Kings," and "Cinderella Man" in brilliant live quality? One can only imagine what other Holy Grail artifacts Rush are still hiding in their heavily-fortified vault...

RUSH: A Fanboy's Guide Part II: 1980-1989

2012-01-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

Permanent Waves (1980)

Neil Peart declares Permanent Waves the album where Rush was truly born, and who am I to argue? Certainly it's the beginning of their most accessible period to date, signaled with the very first electrifying notes of "The Spirit Of Radio"; the technical proficiency is still 100% Rush, but the mainstream touches—nods to new wave, actual choruses—broaden the music in ways that longer epics never could. "Radio" remains the album's calling card (and the other Rush song everyone knows after "Tom Sawyer"), but it's far from the only highlight, as Permanent Waves finds the trio charting its clearest statement of purpose ("Freewill"), hitting new levels of emotional directness ("Entre Nous"), and yes, still acknowledging their prog-rock roots ("Jacob's Ladder"). All that, plus album closer "Natural Science," quite possibly the quintessential Rush song of all time: nine flawless minutes of everything—from IQ-level lyrics to stop-on-a-dime time-signatures—that makes Rush so singularly unique.

Moving Pictures (1981)

The watershed, both in critical and commercial terms, as Rush found themselves in the enviable position of reaching their widest audience with (arguably) their best album. Side One alone is the stuff of legend, its sequence of four tracks—"Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," "YYZ," and "Limelight"—now all staples on classic-rock radio and cornerstones of every Rush concert since. And without the worry of overexposure, the second half might hold up even better now than it did in 1981, with the trio shifting from the space-age reggae of "Vital Signs" to the brooding "Witch Hunt" and, finally, "The Camera Eye," their glorious farewell to extended epics. (It would be the last Rush studio track to top ten minutes.) Other albums have their supporters, but practically every true fan agrees on Moving Pictures: a hands-down classic, and justifiably so.

Exit... Stage Left (1981)

Even after the release of an additional half-dozen live platters, Exit... Stage Left remains the gold standard for Rush concert recordings, which only makes sense: how could a recording of one of the best live acts around playing songs from their best albums not be anything but astounding? As opposed to, say, Kiss Alive!, Exit... Stage Left didn't so much create Rush's reputation as solidify it, although one suspects countless new fans have still been converted over the years thanks to the playing of Side One—coupled with variations on the phrase, "These guys sound just like the record live." Plus, you can credit (or blame) Exit for now-standard crowd singalongs to "Closer To The Heart," not to mention the constant level of godlike worship cast in Neil Peart's general direction. His solo on "YYZ" remains the most famous percussion workout this side of "Moby Dick"; listen close, and you can almost hear an entire generation of drummers having their minds collectively blown.

Signals (1982)

Following up Moving Pictures was bound to be an impossible task, and it's to the trio's credit that they made a conscious shift in direction rather than going for the easy sequel. Much maligned at the time, Signals holds up surprisingly well in hindsight, thanks to Rush now fully embracing the new-wave influence of bands like The Police—especially on the "Man" cuts ("Digital Man," "New World Man")—without abandoning any of their hard-won idiosyncrasies. Keyboards, while more prominent than ever, actually retain some genuine muscle in this context ("Subdivisions," "The Weapon"), and only the wet-balloon closer "Countdown" betrays any hint of the synthesized glop to follow on future albums. One dud aside, Signals is ever bit the equal of its more lauded Eighties brethren; perhaps more than any other title in the Rush canon, it's long overdue for reassessment.

Grace Under Pressure (1984)

Not like any Rush release before or since, Grace Under Pressure polarizes. Some love the dark, dystopian flavor of Peart's lyrics (Nuclear war! Death! The Holocaust! And that's just the first three songs!), while others suffocate under the record's remorseless bent. Either way, the music of Grace suits the overriding theme perfectly—again, one might argue, perhaps too perfectly—for this is one chilly album, all icy keyboards and spiky guitars, with nary a hint of the band's earlier, analog warmth to be found. When it works, it works well ("Between The Wheels" and "The Body Electric" in particular), but it also locks Grace Under Pressure into a particular mid-Eighties moment, making it a unique entry in the Rush catalog—and an equally hard one to fully embrace.

Grace Under Pressure Tour 1984 (1985/2006)

Before the chronology complaints get too loud, a quick clarification: Grace Under Pressure Tour 1984 appeared on VHS and laserdisc in 1985, which puts its corresponding soundtrack in the same musical era—even though more than two decades elapsed before a proper release. (It's been available in a box set since 2006, and as a standalone CD since 2009.) For the diehards, Tour 1984 marks the only official live performance of the "Fear" trilogy in order, along with the earliest airing of "Vital Signs." For all others, this is a much better summation of Rush's "synth period" than the cruddy Show Of Hands, although the truncated setlist greatly dilutes its impact.

Power Windows (1985)

Here's where everything goes off the rails. Whereas Signals and Grace were taunt, muscular records despite the heavy influx of keyboards, Power Windows is simply bloated, with nearly every spark of magic over-produced and over-sequenced within an inch of its life. There are still a few solid numbers—"The Big Money," "Manhattan Project," and possibly "Marathon" before the choir kicks in—but even those have to fight through extra layers of studio polish just to resonate. Uniformity finally wins out on Side Two, which basically amounts to one very long, very synthetic song. Naturally, in the perverse spirit of the times, Power Windows became a big hit on rock radio and even MTV, meaning things would have to get worse before they got better...

Hold Your Fire (1987)

Imagine a sequel to Power Windows, but with more synths and fewer decent songs. Small wonder Hold Your Fire now feels like Rush's lowest point since Caress Of Steel, minus that earlier record's youthful charm. "Time Stands Still," miraculously, emerges relatively unscathed; every other track points to a band running on Auto Pilot. The only upshot? Hold Your Fire would spur Rush towards a period of drastic reinvention, with a new label and sound within the span of two years.

A Show Of Hands (1989)

The Rush formula of "four studio records, then a live album" finally bit them on the ass with A Show Of Hands, easily the weakest of the trio's numerous concert recordings. This is what happens when you spotlight a tour in support of the worst Rush album in over a decade: Eight songs (of fourteen) from Power Windows and Hold Your Fire, two songs total that predate Signals, and one drum solo (of course). Oh yeah, and uniformly flat sound throughout. Rush currently has nine official live CDs available; do yourself a favor and get the other eight first.

RUSH: A Fanboy's Guide Part I: 1974-78

2012-01-28T07:49:00.001-08:00

Last year, in the wake of watching Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage—an excellent two-hour documentary detailing the history of Canada's premiere power trio—I was once again reminded of just how consistently great these guys have been for well over three decades now. Most of the artists who knocked me sideways in high school are either ancient history (Zeppelin, Floyd) or coasting off past glories (The Cure, Prince), yet Rush continue to thrive, turning out solid new releases and playing to packing amphitheaters without the slightest drop-off in their monstrous musicianship.

And after years of willful media ignorance (if not outright hostility), maybe society is finally ready to give the band its due. I Love You Man used Rush as an entire secondary plotline. In May 2010, Beyond The Lighted Stage won the audience award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Best of all, Steven Colbert trotted the band out for their first American television appearance in decades and, despite a few jokes, actually wound up treating them with outright reverence. Which only proves that, for men (and occasionally women) of a certain age, Rush will always be a rite of passage. Somewhere, in a suburban bedroom or band practice space, hordes of teenagers are still geeking out to Neil Peart's drum wizardry or Geddy's galloping Rickenbacker lines... and honestly, I can't think of a better musical legacy for any artist.

The brief summaries below were started last year, then abandoned... then re-assessed and re-written again in the last few days. Treat them as less a summation of all things Rush, and more a handy overview for those curious about the music or simply ready to move beyond the compilations (Retrospective I-III, Chronicles, and The Spirit Of Radio: Greatest Hits). As always, argue and enjoy...

Rush (1974)

The red-headed stepchild of the discography, Rush is an inauspicious debut, with little hint of the future greatness to come. Geddy's banshee wail already stands out, but with no Peart to handle drum duties or lyrics—the late John Rutsey covers the former, Lee and Lifeson split the latter—most of the material comes off as woefully generic, the words to early single "In The Mood" in particular now reading like a bad parody of '70s boogie-rock. "Working Man," a live staple to this day, remains thrillingly epic, but the rest is easily skippable.

Fly By Night (1975)

A huge artistic leap forward, Fly By Night is best remembered for the timeless title track and "Anthem," a Peart-penned ode to Ayn Rand and a pivotal song in Rush history. (Witness the band's own label, Anthem Records.) With producer Terry Brown on board for the first of seven studio albums, the trio begins to lock down its signature sound: instrumental precision fused to distinctly non-rock subject matter, best exemplified by the four-part, eight-and-a-half-minute "By-Tor And The Snow Dog." The album loses steam towards the end, but the building blocks were in place, and Rush were about to produce their first classic...

Caress Of Steel (1975)

...But not quite yet. Caress Of Steel marks the moment when the band's reach exceeds their grasp, resulting in a record of big ideas marred by half-baked execution. The label almost dropped them, the live trek became known as the "Down The Tubes Tour," and 35 years on, it still takes an iron will to make it through all twenty minutes of "The Fountain Of Lamneth." Only "Bastille Day" and "Lakeside Park" stand out, compact gems on an otherwise bloated album, and the casual fan would be better served grabbing both via compilations instead.

2112 (1976)

The breakthrough. Against all odds, 2112 mines the same territory as Caress but this time everything works; the side-long title suite, a sci-fi version of the band's own battle for artistic freedom, is easily the defining moment of Rush's early career, with the opening movements ("Overture" and "The Temples Of Syrinx") making regular live appearances to this day. The rest of the album, while naturally overshadowed by the epic on Side One, kicks with a newfound passion, especially "A Passage To Bangkok" and "Something For Nothing." With 2112, Rush turned a corner, and the next five years would find them firing on all cylinders.

All The World's A Stage (1976)

A decent, if not incredibly essential, summation of the early era, with surprisingly strong focus on the first two albums at the expense of then-widely-popular 2112 (save "Something For Nothing" and an abbreviated take on the suite itself). Rush would produce many many more live discs over time, but this is still the first, and the rawest, which makes it a nice listen for fans of the formative years.

A Farewell To Kings (1977)

Now comfortable in their own skin, Rush continued to push the boundaries of songwriting with A Farewell To Kings: "Xanadu" stays remarkably linear over the course of eleven minutes, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, future anthem "Closer To The Heart" is simplicity itself. Both would actually blossom further in a live setting, but that's about the only real knock on an album that also includes lesser-known classics like the title track and the knotty, mind-blowing "Cygnus X-1." Along with 2112, this is the pinnacle of the trio's 1970s output.

Hemispheres (1978)

What could've been another breakthrough turned out to be the end of the line, at least for the densely-layered prog-rock Rush had been pursuing over the course of four successive albums. The title track delivers more of everything—look! another side-long epic!—which makes it a favorite in certain circles; personally, I find the result more exhausting than exhilarating. No quibbles with the record's second half, though, a near-flawless hat trick that moves from the heavy rock of "Circumstances" to lyrical standout "The Trees" before closing with the 9:35 workout "La Villa Strangiato," the latter finding Peart, Lee, and especially Lifeson locking together with near-telepathic clarity. Still the finest of the trio's many instrumentals (sorry, "YYZ"), "La Villa" ends Rush's first decade on an incredibly high note, perhaps to foreshadow the next record to come...

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 7]

2012-01-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

[In the hugely entertaining documentary series Metal Evolution, there’s a special branch reserved on the metal family tree for “Post-Grunge,” that nebulous brand of hard rock that emerged almost immediately after Nevermind hit #1—and hasn’t disappeared from the charts since. “Post-grunge” (also known as “grunge lite,” “fake grunge,” or simply “crap”) borrows liberally from the sound of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and/or Alice In Chains to create a sound that feels like the real thing, despite not having a shred of originality anywhere in its DNA. Unsurprisingly, radio programmers ate this recycled mess up for decades.
Can I defend any of these acts? Not really—at least not in their original “post-grunge” guises. But do some still possess a certain nostalgic charm? Of course, especially when you compare the goofy earnestness of a one-hit wonder like Sponge with the grim, by-the-numbers plodding of today’s rock radio landscape. Hell, I even get nostalgic for Bush every once in a while. How screwed up is that?
So below, please enjoy a roughly chronological rundown of the era’s “greatest” post-grunge acts. Bad as they were back then, even the biggest offenders now seem less repulsive in hindsight.
Except for Nickelback. Those guys are still f—n’ terrible.]

19. Default

Canadians need to stick together—especially if those Canadians are hell-bent on taking down American rock music from the inside. Which explains why Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger’s grubby little hands are all over the first (and only) song people remember from Default. (And saying “Wasting My Time” is the best thing Kroeger’s ever been involved with? Truthful, but not really a compliment.)

Fun Fact: Default won the 2002 Juno Award for “Best New Group,” thereby placing them in an elite category that also includes Billy Talent, The Philosopher Kings, Glass Tiger, and… Nickelback.

20. Lifehouse

A band composed of lead singer Jason Wade and whomever he hasn’t fired yet, Lifehouse is notable for proving that contemporary Christian bands can rip off Pearl Jam just as easily as all those heathen acts. Of course, as with every trend the Christian music genre latches onto, they showed up to the party about eight years late.

Fun Fact: Two different songs by Lifehouse—“Hanging By A Moment” and “You And Me”—have each spent more than a year on the Billboard Hot 100, which perfectly illustrates why no one listens to pop radio anymore.

21. Nickelback

Seriously, who else did you expect? The consolidation of post-grunge in its purest form, Nickelback have spent the last decade selling more than 50 million albums worldwide, making them the second biggest foreign act in America behind The Beatles. Which is odd, since everybody on the planet hates Nickelback. Don’t believe me?

Fun Fact #1: For starters, Detroit hates Nickelback.

Fun Fact #2: Along with Tim Olson.

Fun Fact #3: Plus everyone on Facebook.

Fun Fact #4: Even the band itself is baffled.

Fun Fact #5: Maybe the best solution is to simply install NickelBlocker on your computer. Except then, you wouldn’t be reading this right now. And wouldn’t that be a shame?

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 6]

2012-01-16T05:02:00.000-08:00

16. Puddle Of Mudd

An entirely-major-label-created “band” built around Kurt Cobain doppelganger Wes Scantlin, P.O.M. achieved insane levels of success in late 2001 thanks to one kind benefactor, who not only discovered and signed them, but even directed the video below! (Hint: His name rhymes with Dead Worst!)

Fun Fact: The Muddsters followed up their giant hit with the nearly-as-giant “She Hates Me,” officially becoming the first act in history to glean inspiration from the oeuvre of Ugly Kid Joe.

17. Oleander

What’s the simplest way to ensure your fifteen minutes of post-grunge fame? If you’re Oleander, simply “borrow” the opening of “Heart-Shaped Box” for your own “original” composition, and presto! Instant #3 Mainstream Rock hit!

Fun Fact: There is nothing fun about Oleander.

18. Tantric

See “Days Of The New” listing, Day 4.

Fun Fact: Historians have determined that the first Tantric album (titled Tantric) bears a closer resemblance to the first Days Of The New album (titled Days Of The New) than does the second Days Of The New album (titled Days Of The New). Discuss.

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 5]

2012-01-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

13. Staind

Not content to simply defecate on rock music with his own group, Fred Durst is also responsible for the success of Staind, first giving them a national spotlight on the 1999 Family Values Tour, and then sharing lead vocals on the group’s first hit, “Outside.” Angry bald men everywhere respond by buying 30 million records from both bands combined over the next decade.

Fun Fact: Lead singer Aaron Lewis has been known to cover Pearl Jam’s “Black” in concert, proving he does have a sense of humor after all.

14. Fuel

Learning from the success of Creed and Staind, Fuel picked yet another non-descript one-syllable word as their band moniker and rode the strangled vocal cords of lead singer Brett Scallions (yes, that’s his real name) to two-hit-wonder glory. (Am I a bad person for
still kinda liking “Shimmer”? Probably.)

Fun Fact: American Idol fourth-placer Chris Daughtry rejected an invitation to become the group’s new lead singer in 2006, choosing instead the far more lucrative route of forming his own Fuel cover band, better known as DAUGHTRY.

15. Godsmack

For most acts, stealing your name from a deep-cut Alice In Chains song—after swiping A.I.C.’s entire drop-D, minor-key sound first—would be the ultimate in hubris. Not so for Godsmack, who took plagiarism one step further by stealing the entire Stone Temple Pilots “Plush” video for their own “Keep Away.”

Fun Fact: I was going to leave Godsmack off this list, since their sound is more derivative of Pantera these days… until I spied that video and got annoyed all over again.

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 4]

2012-01-14T07:37:00.000-08:00

10. Days Of The New

For those wondering what a band would sound like if their entire scope of musical influence consisted of the Alice In Chains episode of MTV Unplugged, here’s your answer.

Fun Fact: The second Days Of The New album found frontman Travis Meeks dumping the rest of the band in favor of future Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. The fired members retaliated by creating the world’s first Days Of The New tribute act, Tantric. History proceeded to throw up again.

11. The Flys

Most post-grunge bands managed to sustain bafflingly long careers… and then we have The Flys. Apparently, they came up with a foolproof way to avoid over-extending their fifteen minutes: Simply insert a completely bizarre Rastafarian toasting breakdown about two minutes into your first (and only) chart appearance.

Fun Fact: “Got You (Where I Want You)” appears in the film Disturbing Behavior, the one box office “success” for Katie Holmes before she became Mrs. Tom Cruise. James Marsden also stars. And dear Lord, this movie is terrible.

12. 3 Doors Down

Imagine a band from Escatawapa, Mississippi, gleaning their chief musical inspiration from the album Sixteen Stone by Bush. Now imagine a band even worse than that band, and you’ve got 3 Doors Down.

Fun Fact: 3 Doors Down is still hitting the Top 10 on the Mainstream Rock charts in 2011, which perfectly illustrates why no one listens to rock radio anymore.

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 3]

2012-01-12T06:41:00.001-08:00

7. Seven Mary Three

Much like our political process in 2000, the state of Florida almost single-handedly destroyed popular music in the late 90’s, beginning with Orlando-based 7M3 (who only moved there after the local FM station put “Cumbersome” in heavy rotation). Flush with early success, Florida proceeded to unleash the following acts upon an unsuspecting world: Creed (Tallahassee), Limp Bizkit (Jacksonville), and Matchbox 20, Backstreet Boys, and ‘N Sync (all Orlando). Suddenly, selling the state back to Cuba seems like a fantastic idea.

Fun Fact: Seven Mary Three’s follow-up record, RockCrown, is arguably the best of all post-grunge albums. (And I know that’s akin to being the tallest midget, but still. A lot of this album is pretty great.) Naturally, it didn’t sell. (Sensing a trend yet?)

8. Matchbox 20

For those who would like to pretend otherwise, here’s a brief reminder that, beneath all those tailored suits and model wives and Grammy Awards, there lurks just another pseudo-grunge outfit with trite lyrics and yawling vocals. Also, much better publicists.

Fun Fact: Hey kids! Did you know that M20 lead singer Rob Thomas co-wrote “Smooth” for Carlos Santana? And sang it as well? And won three Grammies for it in 2000? Depressingly, all true.

9. Creed

As the new millennium dawned, the “Worst Band Of All Time” race quickly boiled down to two equally repugnant contenders: Limp Bizkit (33 million sold worldwide) and Creed (seven consecutive chart-topping singles on rock radio). History, in its attempt to reach a conclusive decision, simply recoiled and threw up on itself, ironically giving birth to Nickelback in the process.

Fun Fact #1: Are you aware that some people actively dislike Scott Stapp? No! It’s true! I swear!!

Fun Fact #2: 25 million Americans bought a Creed album between 1997 and 2003. Not one of them will admit to it today.

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 2]

2012-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

4. Collective Soul

Proof that even a band of good ol’ boys from Stockbridge, GA could cobble together a workable model of the Seattle sound, Collective Soul broke through with “Shine,” arguably the world’s first example of “gospel grunge.” (See also: Third Day, Switchfoot, Skillet, et al.) Bonus points for inventing the vocal style of “yarling” with one well-placed “Yeah!”

Fun Fact: Thanks to seven different singles, Collective Soul managed to spend an entire year atop the Mainstream Rock charts during their career. Seriously. Fifty-two friggin’ weeks.

5. Sponge

Long before Eminem, Kid Rock, and (ahem) Insane Clown Posse, Detroit’s musical legacy was being carried on the wobbly shoulders of one-hit-wonders Sponge. In terms of guilty grungy pleasures, though, you could do far worse than “Molly.” (Or the no-one-remembers-it-now hit “Plowed,” for that matter.)

Fun Fact: Sponge’s second album, Wax Ecstatic, was a critical fave that abandoned grunge for a more varied, post-glam update. Naturally, it didn’t sell.

6. Silverchair

The opening lines of my interview with Daniel Johns, lead singer of Silverchair, way back in 1996: “There's approximation, there's imitation, there's even plagiarism. And then there's ‘Tomorrow,’ the runaway hit by Silverchair that answers, once and for all, the burning question: What if Eddie Vedder was really a blond-headed teenager living in Merewether, Australia?“

Fun Fact #1: Even then, I was one snarky little individual.

Fun Fact #2: Remarkably prescient, too.

Fun Fact #3: This marks the tipping point for post-grunge, the moment when all major labels simultaneously realized that PJ and Nirvana knock-offs would sell… and keep selling, indefinitely. Progress to the next blog post at your own risk, then.

Twenty-One "Great" Post-Grunge Bands: A Week-Long Look [Part 1]

2012-01-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

1. Stone Temple Pilots

It took exactly one year and five days after the release of Nevermind before the industry found a way to turn grunge into an easily duplicated commodity. Now, some would argue it was merely coincidence that Core sounded so similar to the successful Seattle bands of the time, especially since STP had written and recorded the bulk of their material before grunge ever took off. Usually all it takes is a couple minutes of the Eddie-Vedder-aping video for “Plush” before those same people shut up.

Fun Fact: STP began shedding most of their grunge trappings on their follow-up, Purple, with the “Stone Temple Pilots sound” consolidating for Albums #3-6. Those four albums combined have sold half as much as Core by itself.

2. Candlebox

The first band to achieve a major-label deal simply by moving to Seattle and pretending to be “grunge,” Candlebox holds a special place in the hearts of coattail riders everywhere. Less than a year after “Far Behind” commandeered airwaves, their second release, Lucy, gave the group a less-welcome bit of notoriety: the first “post-grunge” album to totally bomb commercially.

Fun Fact: Candlebox was the first success for Madonna’s vanity label, Maverick Records, which sank some of that profit into promoting an up-and-coming songstress named Alanis Morissette—meaning it’s entirely possible that, without Candlebox, Lilith Fair never happens.

3. Bush

Unlike STP and Candlebox, Bush made no bones about their naked desire to follow in Nirvana’s well-trod footsteps, going as far as recruiting In Utero producer Steve Albini to record their “difficult” second album, Razorblade Suitcase. But it’s the band’s debut that remains post-grunge’s watershed moment; from the stolen Bowie lyrics in “Everything Zen” to the Unplugged In New York rip of “Glycerine,” Sixteen Stone moved in excess of six million copies without adding a single original idea to the canon.

Fun Fact: Hey kids! Did you know that Gavin used to be gay? And British? And more successful than his wife? It’s true!!

The Best Albums Of 2010: 5-1

2011-01-15T08:28:00.001-08:00

[Welcome to my yearly countdown of the year's best albums. The Top 5 was outstanding in 2010, to the point where any of the following albums could've easily been my #1. Thanks for reading... Please listen and comment!]

5. The Black Keys – Brothers

A decade in and this Akron duo shocks everyone with their first true masterpiece: Gritty, catchy, soulful… and yes, defiantly “bluesy” in a way that would make Zeppelin proud.

“Sick for days, so many ways/ I’m aching now, I’m aching now.”

4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Ambitious, arrogant, regretful, boastful, unhinged, unfettered, messy, magnificent: Feel how you want about the man, but no other artist on Earth could’ve crafted this album in the year 2010.

“Disguising ourselves as secret lovers/ We've become public enemies/ We walk away like strangers in the street/ Gone for eternity.”

3. Robyn – Body Talk

Commercial music with a mile-long independent streak; dance pop with a bleeding, broken heart; and proof—in an era where Billboard is ruled by the least common denominators (Katy Perry, Ke$ha, et al)—that “the mainstream” can still surprise and astound.

“And I never was smart with love/ I let the bad ones in and the good ones go but/ I’m gonna love you like I’ve never been hurt before/ I’m gonna love you like I’m indestructible.”

2. The National – High Violet

Some bands sprout, fully-formed; others refine and refine, none more than this Brooklyn sextet, whose finest album both demands and rewards repeat listens. Six months after its release, it sounds better than ever, a full-fledged American classic.

“But I won't follow you into the rabbit hole/ I said I would but then I saw/ Your shivered bones.”

1. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

Whether or not it winds up being James Murphy’s swan song, This Is Happening certainly feels like a culmination, an album-length statement where every song works, every moment flows, and every touchstone—from Eno to Kraftwerk, Detroit techno to Eighties electro, indie reserve to dancefloor abandon—builds to an overwhelming, epic whole. And in a year of near-equals, that’s enough to make this one stand out just a little bit more.

“Wish you'd try a little harder/In the tedious march of the few/ Every day’s a different warning/ There's a part of me hoping it's true.”

The Best Albums Of 2010: 15-6

2011-01-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

[Welcome to my yearly countdown of the year's best albums. It was a bumper crop in 2010, so I'm breaking this list into two parts: Enjoy these ten "Runners Up" releases, and then check back tomorrow for the Top 5. Sample YouTube links feature tracks not on my "50 Best Singles" list. Thanks for the comments and happy listening!]

15. Jamey Johnson – The Guitar Song

Outlaw-era country cut from the same cloth as Merle and Waylon, rearing its proudly rebellious head in the midst of contemporary Nashville.

“It might be lonely at the top, but it’s a bitch at the bottom.”

14. Bruce Springsteen – The Promise

Gems from Bruce’s most fertile period, recast in a lavish—and most deserving—light.

“Billy and me we'd always say/ Thunder Road/ We were gonna take it all and throw it all away.”

13. Vampire Weekend – Contra

Genre-skipping, engrossing second album from a band still growing—and still getting better.

“Said never pick sides, never choose between two/ But I just wanted you.”

12. Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty

Slept-on debut from one of the most creative MCs around, for those who prefer hip-hop that provokes body and mind.

“We choose to lead not to follow, it’s a hard pill to swallow/ Better get prescriptions filled ‘cause there might not be tomorrow.”

11. Maximum Balloon – Maximum Balloon

Futuristic indie-pop, like TV On The Radio with a grab-bag of vocalists. Worth the price of admission alone for the Karen O and David Byrne contributions.

“What a mystery at night they go to sleep alone.”

10. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

A perfectly-realized soundtrack to an imaginary film starring everyone from Bobby Womack to half of The Clash, with Damon Albarn directing the proceedings like a man finally comfortable in his own skin.

“If you can’t get what you want/ Then you come with me.”

9. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

Loose-limbed joy, cribbed from bits of Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes and Talking Heads before being repurposed into the best American debut this year.

“I’ll endure the night/ For the promise of light.”

8. The Roots – How I Got Over

The standout of a stellar year for the Philly collective: an album that moves from the ghetto to the church without once descending into tired thuggery or played-out nihilism.

“I pray these wings strong enough to carry me on/I promise every second felt as if it took an eon.”

7. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

British folk-Celtic hybrid as traditional in its values—faith, family, and love—as it is unbridled in its raucous, organic energy.

“And I will hold on hope/ And I won’t let you choke/ On the noose around your neck.”

6. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Deservedly acclaimed “concept album” from one of the few acts willing to break new ground every time out. (For those keeping score: They're three for three.)

“I used to write letters/ I used to sign my name.”

The 50 Best Singles Of 2010: 10-1

2011-01-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

[Welcome back to my yearly countdown of the finest individual tracks of the year. As always, the rules and regulations: This list is limited to commercial singles and/or videos released in 2010. Album tracks and fan-made clips, good as they might be, don't count. Official YouTube links are included when possible to avoid unwelcome deletions. Thanks and happy listening!]

10. Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith – Not In Love

Covering a lost 80’s nugget by Platinum Blonde for your second studio album is an interesting concept; getting The Cure’s frontman to recut the vocal for single release is a stroke of genius. This is new-wave for a new century, one of the strongest electronic tracks in ages and quite possibly the best thing Robert Smith has lent his voice to since Wish.

9. Janelle Monáe – Cold War

The centerpiece of the ambitious The ArchAndroid (Suites II & III) finds the middle ground between Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and OutKast’s “B.O.B.,” defiant heartbreak in a propulsive package.

8. Sleigh Bells – Tell ‘Em

Like a mouthful of Pop Rocks, Treats is fizzy fun best enjoyed in small doses, and no single track from Sleigh Bells’ debut offers a bigger jolt than “Tell ‘Em.” If the anarchy cheerleaders from the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video started a band, this is exactly what they would sound like.

7. The-Dream – Yamaha

Smack-dab in the middle of Love King—an otherwise by-the-numbers set of current R&B—comes the best Prince track since the Purple One changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. What moves “Yahama” beyond mere homage is Terius “The-Dream” Nash’s absolute mastery of production technique; he understands the DNA behind those early Prince cuts, and it shows in every detuned drum track and keyboard blast, reminders of the creative possibilities still lurking in mainstream urban music.

6. Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait

By now, no one doubts the AF collective’s ability to craft a slow-burning epic or send another chorus straight into the rafters, but even on an album stuffed with nostalgia, “Wait” stands out. “I used to write letters/ I used to sign my name” is more than mere eulogy for the written word; it’s a paean to the band’s own youthful power, even as the rest of this magnificent track points the way towards a wide-open adulthood.

5. Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man

Lyrically, this non-traditional folk quartet play their cards close to their (old-timey) vests even when the music surges forward with abandon; that’s why it’s such a kicker when “Little Lion Man” appears midway through Sigh No More and that pounding chorus—complete with a very non-traditional F-bomb—finally kicks in. Self-laceration has never felt more intoxicating.

4. Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over

Florence Welch’s fantastic debut, Lungs, appeared in 2009 to much critical fanfare but few American sales. That all changed this year, thanks to the release of a demand-your-attention single that put all focus square on the band’s most primal ingredients: a beat that dared to make handclaps cool again, and a voice powerful enough to stop trains.

3. Kanye West featuring Pusha-T – Runaway

Building up from a naked piano chime into arguably the most ambitious moment of Kanye’s already-ambitious career, “Runaway” is more than just a simple response to a year’s worth of controversy; this is every facet of the man—apologetic yet arrogant, pensive but puckish—in one spellbinding single.

2. Robyn – Dancing On My Own

Club music, on its surface, is mindless; no one cares about deep thoughts once the beat kicks in. What makes Robyn one of the most vital artists in any genre is her ability to ignite the crowd without sacrificing an ounce of her humanity, and lurking behind every insistent rhythm is real pain, the kind of melancholy that doesn’t disappear even on a crowded dance floor.

1. Cee Lo Green – F*** You

The genius of the best single of 2010 isn’t its viral popularity—although 35 million views is nothing to sneeze at—nor its ridiculously-catchy-yet-completely-radio-unfriendly chorus. Nor is it the brilliant Motown-for-the-21^st-century production, or even the hilariously spot-on mood swings (from “I really hate your ass” to “I still love you”) behind that four-letter title. Nope, the real triumph is that every person—even the ones who despise the song—instantly remember where they were when they heard their first “F*** You,” and how many songs in the last decade can you say that about?

The 50 Best Singles Of 2010: 20-11

2011-01-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

20. Vampire Weekend – Giving Up The Gun

Blogosphere mainstays VW push their sound even further into original territory, Ezra Koenig’s vocals skating elegantly over a driving rhythm bed more laptop electro than Afropop.

19. Local Natives – Airplanes

Lyrics about the death of a grandparent typically arrive with suitably portending music; not so with up-and-comers Local Natives, who turn “Airplanes” into a full-blown celebration full of bouncy percussion and joyous harmonies.

18. Big Boi featuring Cutty – Shutterbugg

Shoulda-been-huge single from Big Boi’s excellent solo effort, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty. And yes, the vocoder beats AutoTune seven days a week and twice on Sunday.

17. Sade – Soldier Of Love

A decade removed from Lovers Rock, yet Sade Adu remains as ageless as ever, with her monstrous comeback single adding just a touch of Portishead-flavored darkness to that smoother-than-silk delivery.

16. Best Coast – Boyfriend

Sun-kissed indie rock as filtered through time-warp nostalgia, with girl group harmonies straight out of the Phil Spector handbook and Bethany Cosentino waiting-waiting-waiting by the phone—and hoping that he’s home.

15. The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio

What makes The National so potent is contrasts, how Matt Berninger’s half-awake baritone seems at odds with the surging drums and insistent build, or that moment when all the wisps of hazy lyrics suddenly consolidate into the most succinct summation of America in 2010: “I still owe money/ To the money/ To the money I owe.”

14. Robyn – Indestructible

Initially debuted in hushed chamber music fashion, then recast as infectious club banger, and perfect in both guises. Robyn is one of the very few artists making pop music for adults, smart and hooky all at once; ignore her at your own peril.

13. Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill

For most of Plastic Beach, Damon Albarn seems content to let his well-chosen cast of guests do the heavy lifting, but he wisely takes over for the album’s very best track, a late-summer gem that sounds like the electrified cousin of “Waterloo Sunset.”

12. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

No young band does pure rock better than the Gaslight, as evidenced by American Slang’s opening number, a potent mix of unvarnished guitars, four-on-the-floor beats, and absolute conviction.

11. Beach House – Norway

The wonderfully haunted standout from Teen Dream lives up to its album’s title, woozy and elusive at first before exploding into the kind of spellbinding sonics that need no translation.

The 50 Best Singles Of 2010: 30-21

2010-12-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

30. Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj – Monster

Hard to think of a more appropriate title for one of the best posse cuts in ages: Bon Iver gets sinister, Jay-Z raps about zombies and vampires (and love), while Nicki Minaj basically destroys everyone in her path, fulfilling a year of hype with a guest verse miles beyond anything on her own album proper.

29. Broken Bells – The Ghost Inside

Here’s the best reason yet for breaking up the Shins, as James Mercer uses his new project to unleash a hidden soul streak (not to mention a mean falsetto) atop Danger Mouse’s gleaming beats.

28. The National – Terrible Love (Alternate Version)

Revisiting High Violet’s leadoff number for a deluxe re-release, The National swap the original’s murky build for a Technicolor explosion that takes an already classic song to even greater heights.

27. Maximum Balloon featuring Aku – Tiger

David Sitek (AKA TV On The Radio’s secret weapon) stretches his production muscles via assistance from Aku Orraca-Tetteh, resulting in a sprightly mix of modern electronica and Fela Kuti Afrobeat.

26. Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs – Beg Steal Or Borrow

LaMontagne wraps his still-astonishing pipes around gorgeous pedal-steeled country; improbable (but welcome) Grammy nominations quickly follow.

25. Janelle Monaé featuring Big Boi – Tightrope

“Retro” doesn’t have to mean “reserved,” especially when it’s Janelle Monaé complimenting her futuristic R&B with organic beats, daredevil horns, and one monstrous earworm of a chorus.

24. LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change

It says a lot about the greatness of This Is Happening when its acclaimed single—a desperate tale of love and bad poetry married to percolating Eighties synths—is only the fifth best song on the album itself. Saving something for 2011, Mr. Murphy?

23. Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie

Superstars attach their personas to everything they touch, and nowhere was this better illustrated than on Em’s #1 summertime single, an unflinching look at domestic abuse given additional weight via the backstories of all involved parties.

22. The Black Keys – Tighten Up

Nine years into their career and the Keys finally get their first true breakout single, thanks to a skittering beat and a fantastic riff—plus the best whistling since “Young Folks.”

21. Kanye West featuring Dwele – POWER

The first glimpse of just how wonderfully, weirdly unhinged Kanye’s new record would be: that African stomp from “Jesus Walks” fused to a left-field King Crimson sample as ‘Ye takes down his own 21^st century schizoid celebrity.

The 50 Best Singles Of 2010: 40-31

2010-12-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

40. Gorillaz featuring Mos Def & Bobby Womack – Stylo

Kudos to Damon Albarn for introducing a new generation to the raw, uncut greatness that is Bobby Womack; that sinister electro-funk groove is just a bonus.

39. The Hold Steady – Hurricane J

Craig Finn and company ended their run of consistency this year with the disappointing Heaven Is Wherever, but flashes of early greatness abound on this pounding single—particularly in its final thirty seconds.

38. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – From Above

North Carolina’s favorite piano-playing son turned out his best album in almost a decade thanks to novelist Nick Hornby; this jaunty track is merely one of many Lonely Avenue highlights.

37. Arcade Fire – Ready To Start

The Montreal collective revisit the go-for-broke energy of “Keep The Car Running,” turning it inward and down. “Businessmen drink my blood,” sings Win Butler, the entire weight of Dylan’s mantle on his shoulders.

36. Robyn – Hang With Me

Bouncy and effervescent on its surface, but of course nothing is ever that simple in Robyn’s world, and gradually “Hang With Me” reveals itself to be that rarest of love songs—one with eyes open and feet planted firmly on the ground.

35. Underworld – Scribble

Long after the fickle tides of dance music should’ve relegated them to the bargain bins, Underworld resurface with their best single in forever, as rapturous and expansive as anything from Second Toughest In The Infants. A marvelous, welcome return to form.

34. B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars – Nothin’ On You

The less said about guest-rapper-on-his-own-song B.o.B. the better; instead, treat this track as the coronation of Peter “Bruno Mars” Hernandez, whose of-the-moment production and sweetly naïve vocals were all over the charts in 2010.

33. Spoon – Written In Reverse

The minimalists of the indie world finally let their hair down and it suits them well. More throat-scraping vocals and atonal piano on the next album, please.

32. Mark Ronson & The Business INTL featuring MNDR & Q-Tip – Bang Bang Bang

Brit producer-turned-celeb Ronson ditched his trademark retro-soul this year (and Winehouse to boot), exchanging it for a new muse (Amanda Warner of MNDR), a new sound (ridiculously catchy electro), and the always-glorious return of Q-Tip.

31. No Age – Glitter

Easily the most accessible single yet from this no-nonsense punk duo, recalling the best moments of Nineties “alternative” radio with extra dollops of noise.

The 50 Best Singles Of 2010: 50-41

2010-12-29T07:08:00.000-08:00

50. Band Of Horses – Laredo

Jaunty county-rock standout from BoH’s otherwise underwhelming (and inexplicably Grammy-nominated) third album, Infinite Arms.

49. Katy Perry – Teenage Dream

Not in any way a validation of Katy Perry, but rather an acknowledgement of the continued greatness of Swedish hitmaker Max Martin; with the right vocalist (Gay Lead #2 from Glee, for example), this is a pop song for the ages.

48. M.I.A. featuring Jay-Z – XXXO (Main Mix)

Revolutionary-turned-spoiled-brat Maya Arulpragasam borrows a beat from Gaga and a guest verse from Hova for an uncharacteristically poppy single. About the emptiness of online hookups, natch.

47. The Band Perry – If I Die Young

Forget Taylor Swift: This was as good as contemporary county got in 2010, un-ironically heartfelt and unabashedly romantic.

46. How To Destroy Angels – The Space In Between

The new Trent Reznor project sounded a lot like the old Trent Reznor project, albeit with ex-West Indian Girl vocalist (and current Mrs. Reznor) Mariqueen Maandig handling “creepy vocal” duties.

45. Bruce Springsteen – Save My Love

A fantastic outtake from 1978 gets an E Street makeover thirty years after the fact, finding new life as the lead single from Springsteen’s justifiably-acclaimed The Promise.

44. Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé – Telephone

On its own, this Fame Monster track offers little more than a beat and a collection of producer tricks, but of course the music is only a part of Stefani Germanotta’s multimedia assault; as a soundtrack to the epic Michael-Jackson-meets-Tarantino video clip, “Telephone” works like gangbusters.

43. The Black Keys – Next Girl

A love song dressed in swamp-blues rags, skuzzy and infectious and further proof that the Keys could do no wrong this year.

42. Erykah Badu – Window Seat

The bare-it-all video grabbed most of the attention but did a disservice to Badu’s sultry, understated vocal, possibly her finest work since the glory days of Baduism and Mama’s Gun.

41. Rihanna – Only Girl (In The World)

Rated R only confirmed that dark and depressing doesn’t suit Rihanna, which made this Loud standout all the more intoxicating; freshly recast as a Euro-house-disco queen lost in 1998, she’s never sounded more alive.

The Sounds Of Summer: 10 Songs For Your Summer Playlist

2010-08-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, I know; summer's almost over and the kids are heading back to school any day now. So what? It's still 95 degrees every day, and these are the songs you need when the windows are down and the shades are on and the highway is wide open. If you're a close friend you probably already have a couple mix CDs with these songs (and others) attached. If not, download away!

1. Robyn - "Dancing On My Own"

My pick for Single Of The Year until something better comes along. Gorgeous Swedish heartbreak wrapped in thrilling club music duds, as if to prove that Top 40 can aspire to heights beyond mere ear candy.

Available on: Body Talk Pt. 1 (Konichiwa/Interscope)

2. Sleigh Bells - "Tell 'Em"

Drum machines + metal guitar + lighter-than-air female vocals? It's a formula that has no business sounding this good blasting out of crappy car stereo speakers, pummeling pop with a sticky-sweet center.
Available on: Treats (Mom & Pop Music)

3. LCD Soundsystem - "All I Want"

James Murphy's third (and best) album is a love letter to Seventies post-punk and art-rock, channeling Eno as filtered through Bowie and Iggy, most gloriously on "All I Want." Yeah, it's a definite homage to "Heroes," but only Murphy could go beyond mere parody to recontextualize the actual spirit of the original, turning it inward and downward. Desperation in anthem-sized form? Perfect.
Available on: This Is Happening (Virgin)

4. Arcade Fire - "We Used To Wait"

A highlight on an album stuffed with 'em, as Win Butler bemoans the death of letter-writing while the AF collective builds a slow-burning epic behind him. Still wondering if this band validates five years of critical acclaim and hype? The first release of that to-the-sky chorus ("Oooh, we used to wait") is concrete proof.
Available on: The Suburbs (Merge)

5. Best Coast - "Boyfriend"

Sun-kissed girl-group vocals straight out of the Phil Spector handbook, atop a riff borrowed from The Cure circa-1987. The perfect soundtrack for August sunsets and long, ugly break-ups on the beach.
Available on: Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)

6. The-Dream - "Yamaha"

Smack-dab in the middle of Love King—an otherwise by-the-numbers set of current R&B—comes the best Prince track since the Purple One changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. What follows is a glorious twelve-minute suite showing The-Dream (the same man who gave us "Umbrella" and "Single Ladies") at his absolute peak, a reminder of the creative possibilities still lurking in mainstream urban production.
Available on: Love King (Island Def Jam)

7. Underworld - "Scribble"

More than a decade removed from their chart-topping peak, Underworld return with their best single in forever, as rapturous and expansive as anything from Second Toughest In The Infants. A marvelous, welcome return to form.
Available on: Barking (Om/Cooking Vinyl)

8. Janelle Monáe - "Cold War"

One of the few completely unique voices in modern R&B, Monáe walks the thin line between defeat and defiance on this standout from The ArchAndroid, backed by a track that feels like OutKast's genre-melding sound updated for 2010 in full-blown Technicolor.
Available on: The ArchAndroid (Bad Boy/Wondaland)

9. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - "Bang Bang Bang"

God bless UK producer extraordinaire for bringing Q-Tip back to the radio. The fact that this track also kicks like a '60s garage band trapped inside an early Nineties disco? Bonus.
Available on: Record Collection (Columbia)

10. The Roots featuring Monsters Of Folk - "Dear God 2.0"

The Roots' finest album since 2001 works for a variety of reasons, not least being the seamless integration of contributions as disparate as Joanna Newsom, John Legend, and My Morning Jacket's Jim James. It's the latter at work here, as James' high-and-lonesome croon provides the perfect counterpoint to Black Thought's gritty, grungy soul-searching, the age-old quest for spirituality blown up to the level of street symphony.
Available on: How I Got Over (Island Def Jam)

An Embarrassment Of Riches...

2010-03-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hard to remember a time when I've been more excited about all the new music coming down the pike. In the coming months, no less than three different artists who placed albums inside my Top 25 of The 2000s will be debuting their latest efforts... and in the past week alone, it seems like the Internet floodgates burst wide open. Here's a quick rundown of what's grabbing my attention, along with the official links where you can listen:

The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio"

Exactly as dark and epic as you'd expect, with lyrics to match: "I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees/ I never married but Ohio don't remember me." Based on the handful of tracks I've heard, High Violet—due on May 11th from 4AD—feels like the early frontrunner for album of the year. Stay tuned.

Download the MP3 from Pitchfork.com.

The Hold Steady - "Hurricane J"

Not quite as gripping as "Stuck Between Stations," sure, but that final thirty seconds is pretty damn awesome. And how about that album cover? May 4th on Vagrant.

The Gaslight Anthem - "American Slang"

Three for three from the "The" bands. For myself and others, The '59 Sound was one of 2008's undiscovered gems, so here's hoping the third album from The Gaslight Anthem makes a bigger splash this time. For those of you awaiting a new Springsteen record, this'll do nicely in the interim. Out on June 15th from SideOneDummy.

Stream the track from the band's MySpace page.

Robyn - "Fembot"

How much do I wish this was the cover art for Robyn's first release since her self-titled breakthrough? No details on album title or release (June?), but you can stream the first single at her website right now. Deceptively simple, winkingly modern, and ridiculously catchy. More, please...

LCD Soundsystem - "Drunk Girls"

A bit underwhelmed by the leadoff single from James Murphy and company... but then again, "North American Scum" wasn't exactly representative of the magnificent Sounds Of Silver, either. Here's hoping this is the goofy throwaway on an otherwise worthy follow-up. Out May 18th on DFA/Virgin.

MGMT - "Flash Delirium"

And finally, speaking of deflating expectations: The new MGMT has already gone from "highly anticipated" to "epic collapse" in the brief time it took this baffling first single to dance around ye olde World Wide Web. Take all the psychedelic filler from Oracular Spectacular, remove any trace of what made "Kids" or "Time To Pretend" so invigorating, and you're left with "Flash Delirium." Oof.

In a bold—or foolhardy—move, the entire album, Congratulations, is now streaming at the band's website. Be advised, it doesn't get a whole lot better. Out April 13th on Columbia.

R.I.P. Alex Chilton

2010-03-19T08:23:00.001-07:00

Like any good music geek, I discovered Alex Chilton through music magazines, the words of critics from a generation removed loudly proclaiming the genius of this great, undiscovered cult band called Big Star. I bought #1 Record/Radio City through one of those (now extinct) record-and-tape clubs without hearing a note of music. Arguably, it was the best blind purchase I ever made in my entire life.

Big Star's small, perfect body of work is older than I am, and yet it hasn't aged a minute in nearly forty years. They should've been famous in their heyday; instead, they became cult legends long after their break-up. You can hear their influence hang heavy over R.E.M., the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, and almost any other melodic guitar band of the past two generations. Chilton's songs have been covered by everyone from Wilco to The Bangles to Jeff Buckley, and Cheap Trick's version of "In The Street" still blasts from TV sets every night in syndication as the theme to That 70's Show.

Alex Chilton changed the world before he turned twenty-five. Wednesday night in New Orleans, the godfather of power-pop passed away at the age of 59. Below are ten essential moments from the canon of Big Star, along with one of the finest tribute songs imaginable. Enjoy.

September Gurls (from Radio City)

September Gurls - Big Star

Thirteen (from #1 Record)

Thirteen - Big Star

In The Street (from #1 Record)

In The Street - Big Star

Back Of A Car (from Radio City)

Back Of A Car - Big Star

Kanga-Roo (from Third/Sister Lovers)

Kangaroo - Big Star

You Get What You Deserve (from Radio City)

You Get What You Deserve - Big...

The Ballad Of El Goodo (from #1 Record)

The Ballad Of El Goodo - Big S...

What's Going Ahn (from Radio City)

What's Going Ahn - Big Star

Nightime (from Third/Sister Lovers)

Nightime - Big Star

Watch The Sunrise (from #1 Record)

Watch The Sunrise - Big Star

The Replacements - Alex Chilton (from Pleased To Meet Me)

Alex Chilton - The Replacement...

Ten Thoughts On The Glorious Train Wreck That Is The New Lady Gaga Video

2010-03-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

With over half a million views in the first 12 hours (and the official YouTube vid rapidly closing in on 18 mil as of this writing), Lady Gaga's "Telephone" video is officially The Biggest Pop Music Event Of 2010 Thus Far (TM). Below, the not-remotely-MTV-approved clip itself, followed by ten (mildly snarky) observations:

10. Is product placement less annoying when it's funny (a la 30 Rock)? The advertising of Miracle Whip and Wonder Bread garnered a chuckle; crass positioning of Virgin Mobile, not so much.

9. Nice shout-out to the "Gaga is a hermaphrodite" controversy there.

8. Caution tape as wardrobe? Not remotely clichéd at all. (And yes, I know this is probably just an ironic comment on caution tape as cliché, or something...)

7. Like another multi-platinum dance diva before her [Obvious Madonna reference #1], Lady G is not a good dancer (but dances constantly), is not particularly attractive (yet still insists on shedding her clothes on a regular basis), is not an especially gifted singer (which is why she writes to her strengths), and wears outfits that no human on earth could pull off convincingly (although she comes close). So why is she the biggest pop artist on the planet? Attitude.

6. Beyoncé, despite her outward appearance as the "anti Gaga," is far more convincing in this video than in any of her actual "acting" roles. And to think this was almost Britney....

5. While we're on the subject: Why is the word motherf**ker "bleeped" when uttered by Ms. Knowles, but not Miss Gaga? Does Honey B have a Disney movie coming out in the third quarter or something?

4. Is this all just an elaborate plan for Lady G to sell 400,000 copies of the "Telephone" video on ~~VHS~~ ~~DVD~~ Blu-Ray for $9.99? [Obvious Madonna reference #2]

3. And shouldn't she have ponied up the extra cash to hire the director of Kill Bill, rather than the director of "Smack My Bitch Up" and "American Life"? [Obvious Madonna reference #3]

2. Cost of 56 dancers and extras: $200,000.
Cost of film crew, lights, and locations: $375,000.
Cost of Gaga wardrobe: $12.50 (approximate).
Seeing Beyoncé driving the P**sy Wagon: Priceless.

1. Yes, it's an overlong, extravagant, nonsensical, Day-Glo mess... but give Lady G some credit: When was the last time there was this much attention paid to a single music video?

Oscars Edition Part 2: The Best Under-The-Radar Films Of 2009

2010-03-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

While I certainly don't catch every movie released in a given year, I do watch my fair share... including a handful of stellar efforts that didn't have the benefit of lavish studio campaigns or hefty promotional budgets to draw attention to themselves. Not one of these films grossed over $5 million in America; some of you might not even be aware of their very existence. Now easily available on DVD and Blu-Ray, each is well worth seeking out.

In The Loop

This British effort, released through IFC Films in the U.S., is easily the smartest—and most uncomfortably accurate—political satire since Wag The Dog. But don't let that scare you off, because In The Loop is also violently, profanely, jaw-droppingly funny, with so many quotable lines coming fast and furious, multiple viewings seem almost a necessity. A well-deserved "Best Original Screenplay" nomination, plus the presence of James Gandolfini (as an American general crunching troop numbers via a talking toy calculator in one priceless scene), should entice those who like their comedy smart and adult, but the film's secret weapon is Scotsman Peter Capaldi; as British communications chief Malcolm Tucker, he wields obscenity like a saber, precise and gut-splitting.

Bonus Features: Unlike most "Deleted Scenes" extras, these bits are actually worth watching. Trimmed off the film's original four-hour (!!) running time, they're every bit as hilarious as anything in the final edit.

Moon

In a perfect world, Sam Rockwell would've scored multiple awards for his one-man tour de force in Moon, a thought-provoking meditation from first-time director (and son of David Bowie)Duncan Jones. The film itself is a winking nod to 2001, right down to GERTY, the HAL-influenced computer voiced by Kevin Spacey. But where Kubrick strove to blow your mind apart, Jones is content to let his feature unfold quietly, allowing Moon's twin themes of loneliness and corporate greed to sneak up on the viewer, unannounced. The result ranks amongst the best science fiction of the last decade, proving that bold execution trumps big budget every time.

Bonus Features: Several strong "Making Of" documentaries, which capture Jones' charming enthusiasm and shed light on how to produce top-notch effects with a (relatively) shoestring budget of $5 million.

The Damned United

Thanks to standout roles in Frost/Nixon, The Queen, and now The Damned United, Michael Sheen is fast becoming one of my favorite actors to watch in practically anything. Taking on the real-life role of legendary football manager Brian Clough, Sheen unveils a complicated, complex, and utterly fascinating character study, aided on all sides by stellar British ensemble acting from Colm Meaney (AKA the great Gene Hunt of Life On Mars) and Harry Potter "alums" Jim Broadbent and Timothy Spall. Like most Americans, I have no real interest in soccer, no knowledge of Leeds United or the European Cup or First Division standings... and yet, I was completely enthralled for all 98 minutes. Here's betting you will be, too.

Bonus Features: Strong, fully-produced deleted scenes, plus documentary footage of the real Brian Clough, every bit the character of Sheen's portrayal.

Oscars Edition Part 1: My Favorite Films Of 2009

2010-03-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

With the Oscars coming this Sunday, here are my (extremely late) picks for my favorite movies of 2009. A few caveats: I have yet to see Crazy Heart, Precious, and both of the Man films (A Serious and A Single), so adjust your expectations accordingly. And before anyone asks, Avatar is definitely in my Top 10 for the year; I'm not sure it's worthy of a Best Picture accolade, but the sheer 3-D IMAXed spectacle of it certainly left me entertained for 162 minutes. (I also wish Oscar had found space in its ten nominations for two more equally enjoyable choices, Star Trek and 500 Days Of Summer.)

5. District 9

In a great year for sci-fi, this debut from director Neill Blomkamp stands the tallest, an equal balance between crowd-pleasing popcorn flick and astute social commentary, delivered with eye-popping effects that bely the (relatively) miniscule $30 million budget. And throughout, its scrappy energy leaps off the screen, making District 9 one of the best "genre films" in years.

4. The Hurt Locker

Talk about tension; The Hurt Locker delivers in spades, to the point where the atmosphere itself—all desert grit and stinging sweat—practically becomes another character. Credit Jeremy Renner's knockout performance and Kathryn Bigelow's claustrophobic, near-documentary direction for making this one the odds-on Best Picture favorite; while it's not my personal pick, you won't hear any objections from me if The Hurt Locker walks away with the big prize come Sunday.

3. Up In The Air

After coming close with Thank You For Smoking and Juno, director Jason Reitman finally knocks one out of the park. Up In The Air is, at its heart, a small character study writ larger by uncomfortably prescient current events, with a core trio of completely natural performances—from Clooney, of course, but also Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick—giving the film a quiet sort of honesty... and ultimately, its heartwrenching power.

2. Inglourious Basterds

Not just the best Quentin flick since Pulp Fiction, the wild, woolly, and devilishly funny Inglourious Basterds is also the most Tarantino-y of all Tarantino pictures, a movie drunk on its own go-for-broke enthusiasm and deeply in love with language: dialogue, accents, and everything in between. Quentin's fascination with all things cinematic seeps into every second, and with Col. Hans Landa, Christoph Waltz has crafted a villain for the ages; like Anton Chigurh or Hannibal Lecter, you can't take your eyes off him.

1. Up

I've watched Pixar's masterpiece on four separate occasions since its release in the summer of 2009, and damn if that (now justifiably famous) ten-minute stretch didn't move me to tears every time. Up was as exuberant, beautiful, and hilarious as anything I saw last year, with an added emotional resonance that no other film—animated or otherwise—could match. Bravo to Pixar for topping themselves yet again, and bravo to Up for providing a fitting cap to the studio's remarkably consistent decade.

The 30 Best Singles Of 2009: 15-1

2010-01-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Zero
[Interscope]

Brooklyn hipsters do the club makeover in style, causing a mass epidemic of blogger salivating… for good reason. Hands down the finest YYY moment since the heyday of “Maps.”

Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

14. Big Boi featuring Gucci Mane
Shine Blockas
[LaFace]

Just when you thought Andre 3000 was the talented one, Big Boi comes roaring back with his best track in damn near a decade... and that Harold Melvin sample? Genius. Now release the album already.

Shine Blockas (Clean Version) ...

13. Basement Jaxx
Raindrops
[XL]

A summer highlight as giddy and glorious as you’d expect from a Basement Jaxx comeback, all Day-Glo craziness and AutoTuned climaxes.

Raindrops - Basement Jaxx

12. The Airborne Toxic Event
Sometime Around Midnight
[Island]

Finally, the anthem for anyone who’s ever gotten drunk and blown off (not necessarily in that order) at some craptastic bar. (Piano-led band optional.) Based on the amount of top-of-the-lungs singing that occurs whenever this now gets played, that’s a lot of you.

Sometime Around Midnight - The...

11. Annie
Songs Remind Me Of You
[Totally/Smalltown Supersound]

Not sure what’s in the water in Scandinavia, but between Robyn, The Knife, and Annie, no other region pulls off the mix of chilly, futuristic electronica and human-sized heartbreak better. The highlight of the great, eclectic, underrated Don't Stop.

10. The Gaslight Anthem
The '59 Sound
[SideOneDummy]

Springsteen-indebted punks with a healthy dose of Social D in their diet concoct the best Irish-wake rabble-rouser since that song from The Departed. I discovered their same-named album too late for my “Best Of 2008” list; consider their inclusion this year my mea culpa.

The '59 Sound - The Gaslight A...

9. Kelly Clarkson
My Life Would Suck Without You
[RCA]

A fine return to form for our all-time favorite Idol, and so what if there’s more than a passing resemblance to “Since U Been Gone”? I defy anyone not to have a smile on their face by the time that sticky-sweet chorus rolls around.

My Life Would Suck Without You...

8. Grizzly Bear
Two Weeks
[Warp]

Brooklyn indie rockers drag the Beach Boys into the 21st century, complete with gorgeous harmonies, ethereal melodies, and (naturally) a really really weird video.

7. The Avett Brothers
I And Love And You
[American]

An entire decade’s worth of touring and independent releases finally culminates in this, the Avetts’ watershed moment, a song so gorgeous and heavy you can almost hear all ten years of perseverance in that chorus.

I And Love And You - The Avett...

6. Silversun Pickups
Panic Switch
[Dangerbird]

As Billy Corgan continues to destroy his legacy step by egocentric step, Silversun Pickups step into the void with a Pumpkins homage better than anything the real band has done since Mellon Collie. Heavy as a hammer and drunk on its own lyrical ridiculousness—and all the more infectious because of it.

Panic Switch - Silversun Picku...

5. Bat For Lashes
Daniel
[Astralwerks/Caroline]

Like Kate Bush fronting Fleetwood Mac, “Daniel” is at once chilly and catchy, wistful and wary. Coupled with the equally startling video, it’s one of the most haunted singles in ages.

Daniel - Bat For Lashes

4. Pearl Jam
The Fixer
[Monkeywrench]

Nevermind the corporate ad campaign; the once-and-future grunge forebears haven’t sounded this damn vital in over a decade, and you know what? Mass acceptance kinda suits them. Again.

3. Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
Empire State Of Mind
[Roc Nation/Atlantic]

When S. Carter first called himself “the black Sinatra,” people snickered. No one’s laughing now. New York’s brand-new, omnipresent, can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head anthem, with MVP Alicia Keys destroying that chorus as Hova gets everyone’s damn hands up one more time.

Empire State Of Mind (feat. Al...

2. Kings Of Leon
Use Somebody
[RCA]

Nashville superstars-in-training complete their coronation as America’s biggest band of 2009 with a once-in-a-lifetime single, universal enough to spawn a thousand cover versions and massive enough to shake stadiums to their very foundations.

Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon

1. Phoenix
1901
[V2/Loyauté]

2009’s best single spent almost the entire year taking a long and winding path to greatness, from a free February download and a pre-album live performance on Saturday Night Live in March, to the Cadillac commercial that helped the song finally hit alternative radio in the fall, and, in the waning weeks of December, the Billboard Hot 100 proper. But don’t celebrate “1901” for marketing, but rather the simply grass-roots act of a fantastic song finding its audience, one listener at a time. Even now, nearly a year on, it still hasn’t lost an ounce of its effortless effervescence, a perfect slice of pop perfection for the ages.

1901 - Phoenix

The 30 Best Singles Of 2009: 30-16

2010-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

30. Wilco
You Never Know
[Nonesuch]

Chicago’s finest dive into one of their (far-too-infrequent) light-hearted romps, arguably their breeziest concoction since Summerteeth.

You Never Know - Wilco

29. Kelly Clarkson
I Do Not Hook Up
[RCA]

Nobody wants to be a role model… except perhaps Ms. Clarkson. Great hook, great production, great message; why wasn’t this bigger?

I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clark...

28. Lady Gaga
Paparazzi
[Interscope]

Given the choice between this or, say, the soul-crushing banality of the Black-Eyed Peas, I’ll take the weird art-project Madonna wanna-be every time.

Paparazzi - Lady GaGa

27. The Avett Brothers
Slight Figure Of Speech
[American]

For those who think the brothers Avett went all “soft” on their major-label debut, a nicely raucous throwback to the old days. Hilarious video too.

Slight Figure Of Speech - The ...

26. The Very Best featuring Erza Koenig
Warm Heart Of Africa
[Green Owl]

Invigorating Afropop with an electro sheen... and a Vampire Weekend cameo to boot!

Warm Heart of Africa (featurin...

25. Raekwon featuring Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck & Method Man
House Of Flying Daggers
[Ice H2O/EMI]

The hip-hop equivalent of the Seinfeld reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and probably the closest we’ll ever get to the glory days of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

House Of Flying Daggers Featur...

24. Muse
Uprising
[Warner Bros.]

Stadium-rousing anthem from the heir apparent to Queen: gloriously big, vaguely ridiculous, and with the Gary Glitter beat to boot.

Uprising - Muse

23. The Lonely Island featuring T-Pain
I'm On A Boat
[Universal Republic]

That a “joke” club banger from the SNL guys turned out to be a better—and more successful--hip-hop track than most of the actual hip-hop released in 2009 tells you all you need to know about the lousy state of modern urban music. That, plus T-Pain is always hilarious.

I'm On A Boat - The Lonely Isl...

22. Röyksopp featuring Robyn
The Girl And The Robot
[Astralwerks/Wall Of Sound]

At some point, Robyn will finally release a lousy song; until then, her hot streak continues, this time with a standout from the Norwegian duo’s third album.

The Girl And The Robot - Röyks...

21. Phoenix
Lisztomania
[Glassnote/Loyauté]

The age-old struggle of art vs. commerce, as filtered through the lens of a 19th century Hungarian composer. “From a mess to the masses,” indeed.

Lisztomania - Phoenix

20. Maxwell
Pretty Wings
[Columbia]

Has it really been nine years? Maxwell rolls back the clock with this effortless comeback single, instantly showing up the entire R&B genre with one achingly pretty ballad.

Pretty Wings (uncut) - Maxwell

19. Thom Yorke
Hearing Damage
[Chop Shop/Atlantic]

A busy “down” year for Thom Yorke—four new solo tracks, plus two more from Radiohead—capped with a dark-tinged number so great, you can (almost) forgive the whole horrible Twilight connection.

18. The Flaming Lips with Stardeath & White Dwarfs
Borderline
[Warner Bros.]

Bad idea? Warner Brothers’ Covered: A Revolution In Sound, featuring “highlights” like Adam Sandler impersonating Neil Young. (Seriously.) Great idea? The Lips turning early, chirpy Madonna single into freak-out jam. The ability to support this song, but not its heinous album counterpart, is the entire reason iTunes exists.

Borderline [With Stardeath And...

17. Paramore
Brick By Boring Brick
[Fueled By Ramen]

Yet another catchy-as-hell single from my favorite pop-punkers of the decade—this time with a fantastically messed-up video to boot.

Brick By Boring Brick - Paramo...

16. Alicia Keys
Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart
[J]

Pretty great fourth quarter for Ms. Keys: first the inescapable Jay-Z collab, next the best slice of Prince-styled heartache since Sign ‘O’ The Times. Can't wait to see what she does in 2010.

Try Sleeping With A Broken Hea...

The 100 Albums Of The Decade: 10-1

2010-01-01T05:15:00.001-08:00

10. Sun Kil Moon
Ghosts Of The Great Highway
[Jetset, 2003]

When the decade began, Mark Kozelek was in the midst of a career downturn, releasing solo albums of reworked AC/DC and John Denver covers as his former band, Red House Painters, dissolved in a mess of major-label mergers. Even diehards, then, couldn’t have predicted the remarkable comeback of Ghosts Of The Great Highway, a flat-out masterpiece that bests all else in Kozelek’s critically-acclaimed back catalog. With its restless reach, encompassing everything from acoustic lullabies (“Gentle Moon”) to Neil-Young-esque guitar workouts (“Salvador Sanchez”), Ghosts is epic without ever feeling exhausting, and that’s never clearer than on “Duk Koo Kim,” a hypnotizing journey that stretches for fourteen minutes and thirty-two seconds—without a single wasted moment.

9. The National
Boxer
[Beggars Banquet, 2007]

The slow-burn album of the century thus far, Boxer landed near the low end of my “10 Best” list in 2007, but two years later, it sounds more intoxicating—and timely—than ever. From “Fake Empire” on down, The National deliver an unflinching requiem for a lost decade all “showered and blue-blazered,” but they do so without an ounce of preaching; this is a work that unfolds its charms gradually, painstakingly, until each subsequent listen reveals additional depths, until every simple-on-the-surface track begins to resonate like a mantra.

Mistaken For Strangers - The N...

8. Brand New
The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
[Interscope, 2006]

No act of the new millennium—punk, alternative, or otherwise—displayed as much range over the course of a single record as Brand New did on their mind-bogglingly great third album. Using religious confusion as a springboard, The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me fused screamo’s dynamics to Eighties atmospherics, alternating between tension (“Sowing Season”) and tenderness (“Handcuffs”)—or, more often than not, incorporating both (“Jesus,” “Degausser”) to heart-stopping effect. A challenging, defiant disc that sounds just as fresh as it did in 2006, The Devil And God… is pure jagged brilliance, offering shards of transcendence amidst the wreckage.

Degausser - Brand New

7. Ryan Adams
Heartbreaker
[Bloodshot, 2000]

Adams’ solo debut could’ve easily been a “licking the wounds” release, a retreat to his old home Bloodshot after major-label shuffling left both his band (Whiskeytown) and album (Pneumonia) in limbo. Instead, two weeks in Nashville with David Rawlings and Gillian Welch (among others) resulted in a bona-fide Americana classic, the pressure-free vibe prompting Adams to compose a cycle of achingly gorgeous gems (“Oh My Sweet Carolina,” “My Winding Wheel”) with highlights as disparate as the loose-limbed, ramshackle “To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)” and the oh-so-lovely, oh-so-bitter “Come Pick Me Up.” In a career known more for quantity than quality, Heartbreaker stands alone, a late-night lullaby for the wrecked romantic in everyone.

Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams

6. Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
[Nonesuch, 2002]

Sure, there was enough drama surrounding this album to fuel a (pretty great) documentary, but that’s not the real reason Yankee Hotel Foxtrot stands out in the remarkable run of albums Wilco released from 1996 (Being There) to 2004 (A Ghost Is Born). With its themes of dislocation and mortality, YHF nails the tenor of our times like few other works this decade; it’s arguably the definitive post-9/11 album, thanks to both eerily prescient songwriting (“Ashes Of American Flags,” “Poor Places”) and the hovering, haunted production adding weight to even the simplest Tweedy composition. Most importantly, it broke Wilco out of the alt-country ghetto once and for all, setting them free to roam a musical landscape much like the one YHF conjures: a little cracked, a bit bruised, yet still beautiful.

I am trying to break your hear...

5. Coldplay
Parachutes
[Capitol, 2000]

Lest we forget, there was a time when Coldplay was not the second coming of U2, but merely four British lads making their first record—and, inadvertently but incredibly, capturing lightning in a bottle. Even in its louder moments, there’s nothing grandiose or inflated about Parachutes; this is a twinkling, hushed affair, with Chris Martin’s falsetto hovering like a whisper over the most aching moments (“Sparks,” “Trouble”) Coldplay ever committed to tape. Hate the quartet now, if you must, but understand that every world-conquering act has its humble roots… and in the case of Parachutes, there’s magic in every second.

Trouble - Coldplay

4. Death Cab For Cutie
Transatlanticism
[Barsuk, 2003]

It’s been a long, strange trip for Death Cab this decade, from cult releases on tiny Barsuk Records to recording the lead single for a giant Hollywood production in 2009… but if you’re wondering how Ben Gibbard’s 4-track solo project morphed into one of the biggest indie-rock bands in America, look no further than 2003’s triumphant pinnacle. Transatlanticism is Death Cab at their finest, from small-scale anthems (“The New Year”) to ruminative pop (“Title And Registration”), but it’s the expansive, widescreen experimentalism throughout that truly heralds greatness. Countless other acts have appropriated Transatlanticism’s core values since, and no wonder; this is the sound of ambition achieved, organically and honestly.

The Sound of Settling - Death ...

3. Damien Rice
O
[Vector, 2002]

Small coincidence that an abnormally large number of albums on this list were created without any label support whatsoever (from Robyn to Bleed American to Radiohead’s own In Rainbows), but no other independent success story resonated more strongly in the 2000s than this word-of-mouth masterpiece. Rice’s voice, like his writing, is passionate, open, unafraid—but I suspect there's a deeper explanation for why his self-released debut went on to triple platinum sales in the U.K. and a Shortlist Music Prize win in America; from the bedroom recordings to the hand-crafted artwork, everything about O feels intimate, unvarnished, with no separation at all between artist and audience. A life-changing album in some quarters—or simply the sort of private secret that spreads from person to person and country to country, its heartfelt (and heartbroken) depths reflecting the lives of every person who encounters it.

Cannonball - Damien Rice

2. Arcade Fire
Funeral
[Merge, 2004]

As its title implies, Funeral is a eulogy of sorts, dedicated to those who died during its creation; the songs on Funeral, however, are nothing short of the most intoxicating, exhilarating, life-affirming music to appear this entire decade. Arcade Fire’s sound—a three-dimensional explosion of strings and voices, distortion and pounding—is already the stuff of legend, but it’s the group’s relentless, wide-eyed humanity that truly sets them apart: the children digging tunnels in the snow on “Neighborhood #1,” the neighbors dancing during “Laika,” the to-the-rafters chorus that made “Wake Up” an underground anthem in 2005. Electricity flows through every bit of Funeral, but, more importantly, it flows both ways, turning each listener into part of a community, and making Arcade Fire’s glorious din feel like the essence of hope itself.

Wake Up - Arcade Fire

1. Radiohead
Kid A
[Capitol, 2000]

Flash back, if you can, to the autumn of 2000: CD sales were at an all-time high, Napster was changing the entire dynamic of music piracy, and Radiohead’s hugely-anticipated follow-up to OK Computer had just leaked onto the Net. In response, the band streamed the entire thing, for free, before its physical release, and thus countless users (including yours truly) fought buffers and bad connections to hear the opening strains of “Everything In Its Right Place”… or, in other words, the 21st century equivalent of Dylan going electric at Newport.

And therin lies the brilliance of Kid A; like no other record since, it upends every notion of mainstream success, “alternative” rock, and even Radiohead itself, offering a universe where the most gifted singer of our era turns his voice into an electronic bleat and a three-guitar band abandons the idea of actual guitars for most of the disc. And yet, for all its polarizing infamy, Kid A is also a work of absolute genius, an all-or-nothing experiment that paid off in critical (and commercial) spades, and quite possibly the bravest move ever from a band not exactly known for playing it safe. Beyond that, it’s arguably Radiohead’s most complete listen, a perfect balancing act where every weird sojourn (“Treefingers”) and discordant blast (“The National Anthem”) is absolutely necessary, as necessary as the high-water marks (“Idioteque,” “How To Disappear Completely”) that still hypnotize even today. Years from now, when music exists only as a random collection of electronic files, scholars will point to Kid A as a milestone, the last truly important—and absolutely vital—album. Of the decade. If not beyond.

Everything In Its Right Place ...

The 100 Albums Of The Decade: 20-11

2009-12-31T08:42:00.001-08:00

20. Matthew Good
Avalanche
[Universal Canada, 2003]

Unknown on this side of the border, Matthew Good isn’t just the most consistent, visionary Canadian songwriter of the 2000s; he’s one of the best anywhere. And while all five of his studio releases this decade are worth your time, this remains his magnum opus, a sprawling and beautiful work both ambitious in scope (six tracks exceed the 5:55 mark, each a standout) and startling in its hard-edged humanity. Thanks to the digital domain, Avalanche is finally available in America, and nearly seven years on, it still retains every ounce of its power.

Weapon - Matthew Good

19. Jay-Z
The Black Album
[Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam, 2003]

Does it matter that his “retirement” only lasted slightly longer than Brett Farve’s? In 2003, Shawn Carter was ready to leave a legacy, and damn if he didn’t deliver, cashing in blue-chip stocks from a Who’s Who of top producers: Kanye (“Encore”), Just Blaze (“Threat”), The Neptunes (“Change Clothes”), and, of course, Rick Rubin’s master class in Eighties revivalism (“99 Problems”). Every track is a monster, every lyric a victory lap. No wonder it’s been (seemingly) sampled or remixed by a thousand others since; The Black Album finds Jay-Z leaving the game on his terms, on top and untouchable.

Dirt Off Your Shoulder - Jay-Z

18. The Strokes
Is This It
[RCA, 2001]

Could any album have lived up to the hype that greeted Is This It in the summer of 2001? Amazingly, this one nearly did, and while it might’ve been foolhardy to think the Strokes—or any “garage band,” for that matter—could save rock, at the very least Is This It rescued us from the prolonged American nightmare of Creed, Staind, and Limp Bizkit, kicking the door in for indie acts of all shapes and sizes to mingle in the mainstream. In 2010, The Strokes don’t matter, but their first effort—in all its skuzzy, dirty, insanely catchy glory—still does.

Barely Legal - The Strokes

17. Robyn
Robyn
[Cherrytree/Interscope, 2008]

Shattering the myth that of-the-moment music must be mindless, Robyn arrives both inviting and audacious, with its contemporary sheen serving as Trojan horse for one of the smartest, sensitive “pop” records imaginable. Throughout, former teen-idol-turned-indie-auteur Robyn displays enough range to shame a warehouse of single lady divas, moving from L’Trimm-styled goofs (“Konichiwa Bitches”) to Kate Bush-flavored confessionals (“Anytime You Like”) in roughly forty minutes and change. And the points (“Be Mine!,” “Cobrastyle,” “With Every Heartbeat”) in between? As good as pop—or any other—music got this decade.

Be Mine! - Robyn

16. My Morning Jacket
Z
[ATO, 2005]

Jim James and company could’ve easily taken the safe route, refining their brand of jam-band fireworks for an ever-widening, ever-adoring audience. Instead, Z blew the blueprint to hell in a thousand dazzling ways, from the sinister electro of “It Beats 4 U” to the cracked reggae of “Off The Record” and the epic, psychedelic set closer “Dondante.” Like Radiohead or Wilco before them, MMJ threw down the gauntlet with Z, instantly transforming into the kind of groundbreaking act whose every move bristles with wide-open possibilities.

It Beats 4 U - My Morning Jack...

15. Arcade Fire
Neon Bible
[Merge, 2007]

Alone amongst their crazily-hyped indie peers, Arcade Fire actually managed to follow up an amazing debut with an equally amazing second record. With its torrents of sound and expanded palette—and yes, above all, that singular passion—Neon Bible marked the moment when AF's career path changed from “streaking comet” to “one of the brightest stars in the current musical landscape.” God only knows what they’ll do for Album #3.

No Cars Go - Arcade Fire

14. Patty Griffin
1000 Kisses
[ATO, 2002]

No contemporary singer does “sad” better than Patty Griffin, and no album of hers overflows with sadness—and humanity, and heartbreak, and hope—like 1000 Kisses. If you haven't yet discovered one of the best-kept treasures in music today, start with this record; a tiny miracle of hushed moments, it's Patty at her superb best, every vocal as raw as a wound and every ache as radiant as the morning sunrise.

Rain - Patty Griffin

13. The Postal Service
Give Up
[Sub Pop, 2003]

On paper, there seemed little common ground between Ben Gibbard’s sad-boy yearning and Dntel’s sprightly, bouncing electronica, but once released, Give Up turned out to be the decade’s most left-field surprise, a spot-on pairing that managed, miraculously, to infuse bedroom angst with swirling Technicolor propulsion. Sub Pop’s second-best-selling album to date (behind Nirvana’s Bleach) would go on to spawn countless lousy (and occasionally chart-topping) imitators, with a long-rumored second Postal Service LP never materializing; perhaps for the best, as it’s difficult to imagine any way in which Give Up might be improved.

We Will Become Silhouettes - T...

12. Radiohead
In Rainbows
[self-released, 2007]

Now that its headline-grabbing “pay what you want” release has faded into folklore, one can appreciate In Rainbows for what it really is: not a business model or music-biz game changer, but simply a great start-to-finish album. With no lofty concept and no one to please but themselves, Radiohead (AKA The Best Band Of Our Generation) delivered their most consistently open, accessible, and listenable work to date, ten perfect songs performed to perfection.

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Radiohe...

11. Modest Mouse
The Moon And Antarctica
[Epic, 2000]

From day one, Isaac Brock’s best moments have unwound like travelogues, which might explain the singular triumph of The Moon And Antarctica; track for track, this is his band’s finest adventure yet, an album with the scope to encompass each far-ranging experiment, yet fine-tuned enough to capture every last odd, mesmerizing detail. Future Modest Mouse efforts would achieve greater commercial success, but none captured a world quite as mesmerizing as Antarctica, resolutely earthbound in one moment and interstellar the next.

3rd Planet - Modest Mouse

The 100 Albums Of The Decade: 30-21

2009-12-30T10:33:00.001-08:00

30. Elbow
Asleep In The Back
[V2, 2001]

When Elbow won Britain’s Mercury Music Prize in 2008, it only confirmed what the faithful knew back in 2001, as Asleep In The Back garnered a cult following by virtue of its finely-nuanced balance between prog-rock pulse and Britpop dynamics. Even now, its luster remains undiminished; this is a moody, near-symphonic work with edges sharp enough to draw blood.

powder blue - Elbow

29. Daft Punk
Discovery
[Virgin, 2001]

Hard to imagine, but the mysterious duo known as Daft Punk only released two proper albums in the entire decade. And yet, the legacy of Discovery (Disco Very?) continues to permeate every corner of the pop landscape, from Kanye samples to the gloriously goofy Justice, although no one else manages to walk the tight wire between over-the-top ridiculousness and spot-on sincerity quite like our favorite French robots.

Digital Love - Daft Punk

28. Editors
The Back Room
[Kitchenware/Fader, 2005]

Forget the lazy Interpol or Joy Division comparisons; track for track, no other album this decade contained as much raw, nervous, live-wire energy as The Back Room. As with the Strokes’ debut, the shoestring production only amplifies the tension coursing through each jagged, post-punky second, and while Editors went on to conquer the world (or at least Europe), they never again sounded so immediate, or so damn alive.

Fingers In The Factories - Edi...

27. Band Of Horses
Everything All The Time
[Sub Pop, 2006]

BoH’s pitch-perfect debut begins with the sum of its influences—the high-pitched vocals of My Morning Jacket, the atmospherics of Red House Painters—and then, by the fourth listen, everything falls away except that sound, a spacious, hovering force simultaneously earthy and transcendental. If the surging climax of “The Funeral” doesn’t make your hairs stand up on end, you might not be breathing.

The Funeral (Album Version) - ...

26. Tool
Lateralus
[Volcano, 2001]

If Tool is the modern version of Pink Floyd, then Lateralus is their Wish You Were Here, a disc so dense and deep it might take years to finally realize it’s also their career pinnacle. Over the course of seventy-nine minutes, the quartet never once waver from their single-minded—and mind-blowing—course, and anyone with the patience to explore (and possibly rearrange the entire album sequence) eventually uncovers nothing less than the most rewarding hard-rock record of the decade.

25. Josh Rouse
Nashville
[Rykodisc, 2005]

In a parallel universe, perhaps, Rouse’s brand of beautifully-constructed AM pop sits atop the charts, lavished with the sort of critical acclaim (and, more importantly, promotional muscle) this criminally underrated singer/songwriter could never quite achieve during his tenure on Rykodisc. At a mere forty minutes, Nashville is an unhip, unassuming marvel, every song catchy enough to lodge instantly in your head… and then casually break your heart.

Winter In The Hamptons - Josh ...

24. Outkast
Stankonia
[LaFace/Arista, 2000]

No offense to Eric B & Rakim, Dre and Snoop, and UGK, but who can argue against Outkast for the premier hip-hop duo of all time? Their fourth album was a loose-limbed, deeply Southern (and deeply stanky) peak of a collaboration that appeared near limitless at the time, and while that prediction turned out to be tragically flawed, the possibilities introduced here—from the George Clinton grooves of “So Fresh, So Clean” to the crazy-quilt head-trip “B.O.B.”—still sound like the future.

So Fresh, So Clean - OutKast

23. Jimmy Eat World
Bleed American
[Dreamworks, 2001]

Don’t be fooled by the shimmering production and sticky-sweet choruses. Bleed American (blame Dreamworks for the post-9/11 cop-out title Jimmy Eat World) is a record born of hardship, financed with fan dollars and recorded by a band freshly dropped from their last major label. And if the ensuing rags-to-riches story sounds too good to be true, the Jimmies make it flesh and blood; every hook on American surges with hard-won independence, resulting in the kind of celebratory music that went on to foster an entire movement.

A Praise Chorus - Jimmy Eat Wo...

22. LCD Soundsystem
Sound Of Silver
[EMI/DFA, 2007]

Dance music is supposed to lose its shelf life quickly, but Sound Of Silver does the opposite. Two years ago, this album sounded like a handful of brilliant singles surrounded by well-meaning filler; now, it feels like a blueprint for the entire future of smart electronica, with James Murphy tugging your heartstrings and vibrating your skull simultaneously. And the singles? Still brilliant.

Someone Great - LCD Soundsyste...

21. The Hold Steady
Boys And Girls In America
[Vagrant, 2006]

Possibly the most literate, most poetic… and hell, smartest bar band record since The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle. Which makes total sense, because Boys And Girls In America is when Steady mastermind Craig Finn began to truly channel the raw-and-wooly sound of early E Street Band into his own whip-smart brand of indie-flavored punk. Delve deep into the lyrics, or just lean back and let the music kick your ass; Boys And Girls delivers in spades either way.

Stuck Between Stations - The H...

The 100 Albums Of The Decade: 40-31

2009-12-29T08:02:00.001-08:00

40. Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
[Sub Pop, 2008]

No wonder this was the unequivocal critical favorite of 2008. Split equally between early My Morning Jacket and mid-period CSN, Fleet Foxes’ debut emits a hushed, quiet beauty that slowly but steadily enraptures all who hear it. Few albums get better with each listen; fewer still sound timeless barely a year after their initial release.

Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet F...

39. Doves
The Last Broadcast
[Capitol, 2002]

Studio wizards turned reluctant rock stars, British trio Doves don’t so much shun the spotlight as redirect it—onto the gorgeous, epic, far-reaching productions that color the landscape of their surging second album. This is a true headphone disc, full of tracks dazzling in their intricacies yet teeming with life... and I still get shivers remembering a trip across the Smoky mountains with Broadcast on the stereo as the sun came up.

Pounding - Doves

38. Kanye West
The College Dropout
[Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam, 2004]

Lest we forget, there was a time when the jury was still out on whether Yeezy could succeed where so many other producer-turned-rappers (Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Swizz Beatz) had failed. Avoiding embarrassment would’ve been success in itself; instead, West unveiled one of the all-time-great hip-hop debuts, a record at once boastful yet self-conscious, audacious and agonized. Even that already massive ego worked to his advantage, whether rapping with his jaw wired shut on “Through The Wire” or one-upping Lauryn Hill herself on “All Falls Down,” and thank goodness all past (and future) stupidity on Kanye’s part can’t diminish Dropout’s influence in the slightest.

37. The Avett Brothers
I And Love And You
[American, 2009]

Along with bassist Bob Crawford, Seth and Scott Avett spent the entirety of the decade building up their audience the old-fashioned way: by touring a lot, and by releasing better and better albums. The culmination of their efforts was a major-label debut which channeled the raucous energy of their live shows into near-symphonic pop music, anchored by some of the most gorgeous songwriting to ever emerge from Concord, NC—or anywhere else on the planet.

I And Love And You - The Avett...

36. Coldplay
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
[Capitol, 2002]

From the opening, pounding chords of “Politik,” it was instantly clear Coldplay were on a mission to blow up their sound to widescreen, stadium-sized levels. They succeeded beyond expectations, of course, but more importantly, they did it without sacrificing the hushed dynamics that made their debut so exquisite: the gentle tug of “In My Place,” the nostalgic ache of “Warning Sign,” and (especially) the slow-burn surge of “The Scientist.”

In My Place - Coldplay

35. Kathleen Edwards
Asking For Flowers
[Zoë, 2008]

Country chanteuse Edwards is a gifted and unassuming talent whose chief crime is lack of visibility, meaning her third album was released to little fanfare in 2008 and went unnoticed by most mainstream media. The fortunate few who were paying attention, however, stumbled upon one of the best pure singer/songwriter releases of the decade, a work both political (“Oil Man’s War”) and playful (“The Cheapest Key”)—but above all else, heartbreakingly and gut-wrenchingly open.

Alicia Ross - Kathleen Edwards

34. Sufjan Stevens
Illinois
[Asthmatic Kitty, 2005]

Surrounded by an army of instruments, buoyed by choirs of voices, and performing an album-length concept filled with song titles like “Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few,” Sufjan Stevens boasts enough pretension to make Arcade Fire sound like a bar band on Thirsty Thursday. And while it took me a long time to come around to the over-the-top pleasures of Illinois, here’s the honest truth: This is a work that needs every ounce of affectation, every odd aside, and every stray French horn… if only to make its many peaks (“Chicago,” “Come On! Feel The Illinoise!,” “John Wayne Gacy Jr.”) stand out in even sharper relief.

Chicago - Sufjan Stevens

33. Beck
Sea Change
[Geffen, 2002]

Beck Hansen was always an easier artist to admire than love—and then came Sea Change, the one record in his library that wasn’t an elaborate joke or skillful homage. For the first and only time, there’s no ironic distance between performer and audience; instead, Beck pours out his wounded heart with nothing more dramatic than a reserved sigh or wounded aside, and yet the results—simple, unvarnished—speak volumes.

Lost Cause - Beck

32. Queens Of The Stone Age
Songs For The Deaf
[Interscope, 2002]

QOTSA’s massive, piledriving, stampeding peak, with every facet—thick swampy riffs, buzzsaw guitars, the mix of Josh Homme’s understated vocals and Nick Oliveri’s energetic bark, and of course Dave Grohl’s monstrous drumming—converging to create one of the best hard-rock discs to appear since the glory days of grunge. The fake radio chatter between songs suggested a parallel universe where this kind of smart, uncompromised rock flourished; for nearly an hour, Songs For The Deaf makes that vision a reality.

Go With The Flow - Queens of t...

31. Ben Folds
Rockin' The Suburbs
[Epic, 2001]

Newly divorced from the trio that bore his name, Ben Folds regrouped by releasing the album of his life, a mature-and-moving work that didn’t abandon the frat-boy frivolity of the Ben Folds Five as much as refine it into something more befitting a husband, father, and family man. Rockin’ The Suburbs is packed with character sketches both broad (“Annie Waits”) and quietly intimate (“Fred Jones Part 2”), and for every half-joking crowd-pleaser (“Fired”), there’s a break-your-heart moment like “The Luckiest” to remind you how magnificent Folds could be when firing on all cylinders.

Fred Jones Part 2 - Ben Folds

The 100 Albums Of The Decade: 50-41

2009-12-28T19:24:00.001-08:00

50. TV On The Radio
Dear Science
[Interscope, 2008]

One of the pleasures of following indie music in the 2000s was watching TOTR start strong… and then keep getting better. Dear Science is the peak of three exceptional albums simply because it offers more of everything; this is the Brooklyn collective at their most refined and most innocent, their giddiest and their heaviest.

Halfway Home - TV On The Radio

49. Sigur Rós
Ágætis Byrjun
[Smekkleysa/Fat Cat, 2000]

Ágætis Byrjun is a record at once exceptionally beautiful and positively alien, with bowed guitars crying out like mating whales, lyrics from a made-up language (Hopelandic) sung in a near inhuman register, and glacial soundscapes stretching for upwards of ten minutes. In 2001, Sigur Rós’ masterpiece sounded like nothing else on Earth; in 2009, it still doesn’t.

Svefn - g - Englar - Sigur Rós

48. The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
[Warner Bros., 2002]

In the wake of the breakthrough that was The Soft Bulletin, the Lips wisely chose not to fix what wasn’t broken, and thus Yoshimi plays out like a (slightly) weirder kissing cousin to that earlier work; its best moments are Day-Glo radiant and shot through with charming naivety, the most vivid childhood fantasies brought to stereophonic life.

Fight Test - The Flaming Lips

47. Spoon
Kill The Moonlight
[Merge, 2002]

With one simple, sticky organ riff that keeps threatening to explode but never quite does, “Small Stakes” sets the mood for the entire Kill The Moonlight record—and, arguably, every Spoon album to follow. This is the band at their minimalist best, crafting unexpected-yet-perfect arrangements on the simplest of foundations... and making the entire thing seem maddeningly, brilliantly tossed-off every time.

Small Stakes - Spoon

46. The Avalanches
Since I Left You
[Sire/Modular, 2001]

The logical progression from Paul’s Boutique and DJ Shadow’s Entroducing…, Since I Left You crafts a swirling, hypnotic universe out of more than 3500 (!!) different samples; the end result is akin to stepping into a pop Phantasmagoria of sound, where each listen unveils new wrinkles and even the most recognizable elements are magically, wonderfully altered.

Since I Left You - The Avalanc...

45. Brand New
Deja Entendu
[Triple Crown, 2003]

In the biggest stylistic leap since Radiohead released The Bends, Long Islanders Brand New followed up their generic pop-punk debut with this, a magnificently multi-layered meditation on betrayal, regret, and all points in between. With its razor-wire lyricism and surging choruses, Deja Entendu—ironically, French for “already heard”—not only pushed Warped tour conventions to the breaking point, but also signaled the way forward, helping to make Brand New the most important punk band of the decade.

Okay I Believe You, But My Tom...

44. Nada Surf
The Weight Is A Gift
[Barsuk, 2005]

You could write a book on Nada Surf’s remarkable transformation from Nineties one-hit wonders (“Popular”) to an indie-pop act of the highest order—or you could just check out Let Go and its even-more-impressive follow-up, a gorgeously unassuming record that straddles the line between bruised melancholy and heart-on-sleeve exhilaration. Heartbreak never sounded so catchy.

Always Love - Nada Surf

43. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Hearts Of Oak
[Lookout!, 2003]

Ted Leo is a man out of time, a gifted songwriter with impeccable punk cred whose records continue to slip under the radar year after year. In a perfect universe, he would have the stature of Joe Strummer, and Hearts Of Oak—a career pinnacle both political and playful—would’ve connected with the same force as London Calling.

The Ballad Of The Sin Eater - ...

42. D'Angelo
Voodoo
[Virgin, 2000]

The all-too-brief neo-soul movement had two peaks: Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, and D’Angelo’s second effort, a late-night cycle practically oozing with sweat, all raw edges and grooves thick as molasses. D’Angelo spent the next nine years pulling the J.D. Salinger act; thanks to this record, he’ll still have a passionate fanbase when (and hopefully not if) he decides to return.

Devil's Pie (Explicit) - D'Ang...

41. Bat For Lashes
Two Suns
[Astralwerks/Caroline, 2009]

Melding Kate Bush’s chilly drama with Sinead O’Connor’s otherwordly urgency, Two Suns emerged at the tail end of the decade and instantly announced Natasha Khan—a.k.a. Bat For Lashes—as the most exciting female voice in years. A singularly intoxicating vision, her sophomore release teems with the potency of a fever dream, lingering and haunted.

Sleep Alone - Bat For Lashes

The 100 Albums Of The Decade: 60-51

2009-12-27T11:06:00.001-08:00

60. Drive-By Truckers
The Dirty South
[New West, 2004]

The standout of a remarkably consistent—and prolific—career, South found the Truckers at the height of their three-headed powers, with Patterson Hood, Jason Isbell, and Mike Cooley all bringing top-notch material to the table. Nearly every Truckers disc has the potential to knock you sideways; this one is liable to do so on every single track.

Puttin' People On The Moon - D...

59. Bruce Springsteen
Magic
[Columbia, 2007]

Despite near-universal praise, The Rising never really gelled together like a true E Street Band album. Not so with its follow-up, a terrific rock powerhouse that catered to the true diehards… and now sounds more and more like the best Bruce album since Born In The U.S.A.

Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springst...

58. Paramore
Riot!
[Fueled By Ramen, 2007]

Pure pop pleasure dressed in punk threads, Riot! exploded out of the gates like few records of recent memory, with Hayley Williams’ firecracker of a voice lighting up every song like a Gen Y version of Pat Benatar. Forget guilty pleasure; when the hooks are as invigorating as the ones driving “That’s What You Get” and “Hallelujah,” only a fool would feel any guilt whatsoever.

That's What You Get - Paramore

57. PJ Harvey
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
[Island, 2000]

For a woman with an entire career based on making people uneasy, Stories might’ve been Polly Jean’s most radical move yet: a straightforward collection of twelve songs, exceptionally crafted and beautifully conveyed. The nine years since have only found Harvey resolutely fleeing from that same level of emotional directness, as if some part of her recognizes the impossibility of capturing lighting twice.

You Said Something - PJ Harvey

56. Grandaddy
The Sophtware Slump
[V2, 2000]

For a brief moment, Grandaddy were poised to be the backwoods answer to Radiohead, and even though Jason Lytle’s brainchild fell apart midway through the decade, The Sophtware Slump still resonates; ironically or not, the album’s odes to lonely computers and failed technology are some of the most heartfelt music of the decade, with warmth emitting from every warbling sequence and faulty connection.

The Crystal Lake - Grandaddy

55. Johnny Cash
American IV: The Man Comes Around
[American/Universal, 2002]

As the last album released by the Man In Black before his passing, American IV was bound to carry additional emotional weight. Still, few could’ve predicted the levels of gravitas and humanity present throughout, whether on the inspired cover choices (Sting’s “I Hung My Head,” Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” and of course “Hurt”) or Cash’s own title track, his strongest self-penned composition in years. One could hardly ask for a more fitting—or worthy—epitaph.

The Man Comes Around - Johnny ...

54. Deftones
White Pony
[Maverick, 2000]

Lazily lumped into the bankrupt genre of nü metal, Deftones shared much more in common with brooding art-rockers like Bauhaus, My Bloody Valentine, and Tool; you can hear all those influences—and countless others—in their impeccable third album, a brooding gem that still exerts a creepy, hypnotic pull… and has since gone on to spawn its own legion of imitators.

Digital Bath - Deftones

53. My Morning Jacket
It Still Moves
[ATO, 2003]

The pinnacle of MMJ’s early years, It Still Moves found Jim James and company just on the cusp of Bonnaroo nation stardom, delivering now-classic guitar workouts—“One Big Holiday,” “Run Thru”—with the fire and conviction of the Allmans in their prime. In hindsight, the stylistic changes to come were inevitable; how else could one better this particular formula?

Run Thru - My Morning Jacket

52. Whiskeytown
Pneumonia
[Lost Highway, 2001]

In hindsight, the best thing to come from Ryan Adams’ Gold-era flirtation with the mainstream was a proper release for Whiskeytown’s heavily bootlegged swan song. Now more than ever, it feels like nothing else in Adams’ (very) extensive back catalog, a chamber-pop classic as oddball, inspired, and gut-wrenchingly beautiful as Surf’s Up or Summerteeth.

Don't Be Sad - Whiskeytown

51. Interpol
Turn On The Bright Lights
[Matador, 2002]

One of the more audacious debut albums in a decade thick with ‘em, Bright Lights was Joy Division’s Closer filtered through NYC downtown life, Mission Of Burma with extra ice. Interpol exploded on the scene so perfectly formed, it’s little wonder they inspired a rash of copycats—or that the band itself was never able to top this singularly great first effort.

Obstacle 1 - Interpol