Here we are at the end of 2008 about to enter the last year of the 2000’s decade. It’s amazing to thing that think decade is closing out. I’d like to take this time to share what i think are the top 12 albums from 2000-2008. These are albums that have stood the test of time for me and I continue to enjoy and for-see me enjoying for years to come. Lets jump in and get started from the top!

12. Radiohead- Kid A 2000

There are rare occasions in which i enjoy this album more then the bends and ok computer. I could probably end this review right now because no matter what else I say it won’t be any higher praise then that. I love this album and how interesting the music is.  It is an album that took me years to really “get”, but when it sunk in I realized how dark and beautiful this album is. I can’t say that i can listen to this album any time, but it has it’s time and place. For me it is one of the reason’s Radiohead is one of my favorite bands.

11. White Stripes-Elephant 2003

Basic blues rock that sounds oh so sweet! Two people making music that is catchy and aggressive at the same time. The albums before and after this are all good for the white stripes but for me this is the one where they put it all together. Jack White showcases his guitar chops on blues romps like Little Acorns and Ball & Biscuit, while Meg White keeps a good steady beat for him to follow. I love how this album flows from song to song and and keeps a strong tempo. Jack White offers up some of his tastiest guitar riffs here and you can’t help but want to air guitar along. The stripes are not doing anything really new or innovative here but what they do they do oh so well!

10.  Queens of the Stone Age- Songs for the Deaf 2002

I’ve followed Josh Homme since his early days in Kyuss and I’ve always been a fan of his in your face Rock n Roll attitude and style. This album flat out rocks. What elevates this album is the sensational guest appearances. Dave Grohl in my opinion does his best drumming ever on this album and Mark Lanegan sounds like the Devil! That combined with Josh Homme’s killer riffs and Nick Olivera lead to one of the best rock n roll albums of this decade. I was turned off at first by the commentary but the songs are so strong and aggressive this album is another one i just pop in and let play. Stand out songs for me are always when Lanegan is singing.  I’ve enjoyed their albums after this but it feels like somethings been missing since this album.  \m/

9. Ryan Adams- Cold Roses 2005

Well where to start i guess you could say this one is “Beautiful Sorta”! From the opening of “Magnolia Mountain” on disc one to the soft close of “Friends” on Disc 2 Adams and company capture magic on this album. Soulful rock n roll bar room romps like “Let it Ride” compliment the ballads of the album such as the sensationally heartfelt “How Do You Keep Love Alive”. Being a fan of an artist that is as prolific of a writer as Adams you sometimes take the good with the not so good, but with this album you can just get the sense of something special that they grabbed and held onto here. I love a lot of Adam’s  work but this album stands head and shoulders above the rest to me.

8. Mastodon- Blood Mountain 2007

By far the heaviest album of the list. When Mastodon made the jump to the major label many thought they were destined to take a step back. To me though this is their Master of Puppets album. They come out of the gates hard and fast with “Wolf is Loose” and drive it all home through the entire album. The drumming is second to none here Brann acts as the backbone for the group and everyone else follows along closely. This album was an immediate favorite of mine and I’ve probably played it more then any other album that has come out this decade. I would not really say I’m a metal fan i just like some metal bands and for this album to come in so high on a top of the decade list is just a nod to how great this album is to me. I’d give it 5 metal horns out of 5 if i was grading it! \m/

7. Sleater Kinney- The Woods 2005

This may be the biggest surprise album on the list for me. The girls from the Pacific Northwest were really not on my radar until this album came out. Which is too bad because their other work is good, but in my mind just not up to par with this sensational album. Another one that just flows so well from song to song the way all the good albums do. They seemed to tame some of their punk rock leanings on this one and come a little closer to the rock center and it pays off well for them here. Still aggressive the woods show that these girls went out while on top of their game. This was their last album before breaking up and I’m sad to say I only got to see them play once.  “Jumpers” would be a serious contender for a top 5 song of the decade in my mind, but the entire album is filled with gems that are catchy and addictive.

6. Modest Mouse- The Moon & Antarctica 2000

This was the first Modest Mouse album I ever heard. I still think that front man Issac Brock is one of the best lyricist of our generation. He has a way of creating strong visuals & connections with his lyrics and paints a picture with his intriguing guitar work and “Moon & Antarctica” is a great example of this. The music Modest Mouse makes on this album is so interesting and unique there really are not many other bands out there that sound like this. What they do they do very well and this album mixes gorgeous soundscapes like “Gravity Rides Everything” & “3rd Planet” with rough and abrasive jams like “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes”, and the very unique sounds of “Life Like Weeds” & “The Stars Are Projectors”. Issac singing is so passionate on this album you can feel every emotion and that is why this album rises so high on my list.

5. The National- Boxer 2007

“Stay out super late tonight picking apples, making pies put a little something in our lemonade and take it with us we’re half-awake in a fake empire we’re half-awake in a fake empire”

What can I say about my love for this album? I had never heard of these guys before when I saw them touring as an opening band for this album. I left that concert and told myself i have got to check this band out. This album has a feel to it. It is hard to explain it is a lazy melancholy feel but it is something special. Depression mixed with an i don’t care attitude. Dark and Moody yet catchy as hell. Making this list was tough for me and the top 6 were very hard to discern. At one point i had this album as far up as my number 3 album but it slipped after further consideration. Without a doubt this is a special album that I really enjoy.

4. At the Drive In- Relationship of Command 2000

If i had to pick one word to describe this album I would use Intense. From start to finish this album just brings it. I don’t know if it is emo, screamo, punk, or what you want to call it but it is a group of talented individuals coming together and making a strong statement. These guys opened for Rage Against the Machine in the 90’s and I bet there were not many times Rage had an opening band that had as much if not more energy then them but I’d hazard to say ATDI was just that.  This album does it for me every time i listen to it. I may go a while between spins but when i put it back on it always amps me up. Here again is another band that put out their best album and then called it quits. Who knows what they would have done if they stayed together.

3. ..And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead- Source Tags & Codes 2002

No they are not a metal band. Yes they do have one of the coolest band names ever. If you are unfamiliar with Trail of the dead think Pavement meets Sonic Youth. What an impressive album this is. The sounds are very catchy and unique as far as indie rock albums go this has to be up there with some of the best made. The albums holds a feel throughout it’s entirety and just has an overall catchy feel to it. They rock hard enough to keep you nodding your head, but they never stray too far from Melody. This is an album that gets lost in the shuffle and forgotten by many but it still holds a special place for me.

2. Arcade Fire- Funeral 2004

Well I think everyone knows the story of this album and how it was forged after various people in the band lost close family members thus leading to the title “Funeral”. Half of the album tracks are scary good. The highs of this album are probably better then any other album on this list. The other half of the album had to grow on me but I’ve really started appreciating this as a piece of art as a whole.  If you look at my itunes I’ve played this album so much that 3 or 4 of the songs still hold prominent places on my top 25 songs played. Arcade Fire are a special band who take their craft seriously and it showed on this album as they made one for the ages.

Last but not least my favorite album of this decade………….

1. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2002

My first reaction when I heard this album was… “whats all the fuss about?”. I honestly did not think this was anything special when I heard it. I did not understand why so many named this an instant classic. I kept listening though, and I’m so glad I did.  It crept up on me and all of a sudden it slapped me in the face. I really don’t see this as an “experimental” album it sometimes gets labeled as. I do think Jim O’Rourke’s touch on this album was quintessential to it’s sound though. Wilco makes simple sound so good. I’m convinced that Jeff Tweedy is a brilliant songwriter and the addition of Glenn Kotche on drums on this album adds so much. Every song on this album to me is top notch. For me it is a timeless album. I can listen to it depressed, i can listen to it on a spring evening, I can listen to it when i want to get ready to go out drinking.  I’d be surprised if anything comes out in 2009 that takes this off my top spot.  The last song “Reservations” has some fitting lyrics: “I’ve got Reservations/about so many things/ but not about you” that is exactly how i feel about this album. No Regrets with this one.

So that’s it. There they are. My top 12 so far of the 2000’s. I won’t lie it was hard leaving off some albums like Z, Absolution, Yoshimi, Sea Change, Transatlanticism, & the Dirty South. All were considered but I could only pick 12.

Comments? Questions? What would your list look like? Are there any here that you think I’m crazy for liking so much? Albums i left off you can’t believe were not mentioned?

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