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This was in my profile, but it's too long.

the_red_shoes's top albums (overall)
1. Neko Case - Blacklisted (125) 2. Suzanne Vega - Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega (93) 3. Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton - Knives Don't Have Your Back (79) 4. Azure Ray - Azure Ray (72) 5. Depeche Mode - The Sound Of The Universe (70) 6. Radiohead - In Rainbows (69) 7. David Bowie - Best Of Bowie (69) 8. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (68) 9. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (67) 10. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP (65) 11. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (65) 12. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat (63) 13. Joy Division - Permanent (62) 14. Doves - Kingdom Of Rust (62) 15. Joan Osborne - Relish (61) 16. Hole - Live Through This (60) 17. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love (57) 18. Buddy Holly - Down The Line: Rarities (56) 19. Janet Baker, Raimund Herincx, Etc.; Anthony Lewis: English Chamber Orchestra - Purcell: Dido & Aeneas (56) 20. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (56) 21. James Hunter - People Gonna Talk (55) 22. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (54) 23. Lou Reed - Ecstasy (53) 24. Morphine - 3-8-94 Peabody's Cleveland, Ohio (53) 25. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods (51) 26. David Bowie - Heathen (50) 27. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (49) 28. Metric - Fantasies (48) 29. Elysian Fields - Bleed Your Cedar (48) 30. Poe - Haunted (48) 31. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer [Alternate Tracks] (47) 32. Warren Zevon - Stand In the Fire: Live At The Roxy (w/Bonus Tracks) (43) 33. Sinéad O'Connor - Gospel Oak (43) 34. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (42) 35. Siouxsie - Mantaray (42) 36. Metric - Live It Out (42) 37. The Replacements - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? (42) 38. Morrissey - Years of Refusal (42) 39. Jeff Buckley - Grace (Legacy Edition) (41) 40. A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In The Sea (41) 41. Buddy Holly - Greatest Hits (41) 42. Jeff Buckley - Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk [Disc 1] (40) 43. Feist - The Reminder (40) 44. Cake - Prolonging the Magic (40) 45. Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire (40) 46. Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies (40) 47. Morphine - The Night (39) 48. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (39) 49. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (39) 50. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (Deluxe Edition) (38)

the_red_shoes's top albums (3 months)
1. Azure Ray - Azure Ray (58) 2. Janet Baker, Raimund Herincx, Etc.; Anthony Lewis: English Chamber Orchestra - Purcell: Dido & Aeneas (56) 3. Lou Reed - Ecstasy (48) 4. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (48) 5. Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer [Alternate Tracks] (45) 6. The Replacements - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? (42) 7. Sinéad O'Connor - Gospel Oak (40) 8. Buddy Holly - Greatest Hits (40) 9. Florence and The Machine - Lungs (37) 10. The Battle of Land and Sea - The Battle of Land and Sea (34) 11. Susan Graham, Ian Bostridge, Etc.; Emmanuelle Haïm: Le Concert D`Astrée, European Voices - Purcell: Dido & Aeneas (34) 12. Anne Sophie Von Otter, Lynne Dawson, Etc.; Trevor Pinnock: The English Concert & Choir - Purcell: Dido & Aeneas (33) 13. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (29) 14. Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies (29) 15. Alice in Chains - MTV Unplugged (28) 16. DJ Earworm - www.djearworm.com" href="http://www.lastfm.com.br/music/DJ+Earworm/www.djearworm.com" class="bbcode_album">http://www.djearworm.com nofollow=yes (26) 17. Robyn Hitchcock - Eye (26) 18. Sia - Some People Have REAL Problems (26) 19. Various Artists - Veronica Guerin (25) 20. Billie Holiday - The Complete Decca Recordings Disc 1 (25) 21. Maria Taylor - LadyLuck (25) 22. David Bowie - Best Of Bowie (25) 23. Billie Holiday - The Complete Decca Recordings, Disc 2 (24) 24. Kristin Hersh - Speedbath (24) 25. Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom Live (24) 26. R.E.M. - Eponymous (24) 27. Imogen Heap - Ellipse (23) 28. Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom: Tom Waits In Concert (23) 29. Bud Powell - Ultimate Bud Powell (22) 30. Metric - Black Session #302 - 31.Aug.20 (22) 31. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (Digitally Rema (22) 32. Sarah Slean - Night Bugs (22) 33. Various Artists - Curse Your Branches (21) 34. Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel (21) 35. William Shakespeare - Richard II - Michael Pennington in ESC (21) 36. Sarah Slean - Day One (21) 37. Martin Carthy - Martin Carthy (20) 38. Marilyn Monroe - The Very Best of Marilyn Monroe (20) 39. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (19) 40. Various Artists - Until the End of the World (19) 41. Eurythmics - Touch (19) 42. Local Natives - Daytrotter Session - 3/12/2009 (19) 43. Warren Zevon - Stand In the Fire: Live At The Roxy (w/Bonus Tracks) (19) 44. The Beatles - Anthology 1 [Disc 2] (19) 45. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads (18) 46. VNV Nation - Futureperfect (18) 47. Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros - Global a Go-go (18) 48. Morrissey - Swords (18) 49. Wye Oak - If Children (18) 50. Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits (18)

So, as I'm going to download get a lot of new CDs, I want to take a look first at my charts, to see how they may change, and to review a little bit those artists I tend to listen to more =D Just a few words about them and if I think they may stay in my charts longer...

Soooo here we go


1- Emilie Autumn -> Oh my goddess... Well I think she is not only an exceptional singer but the best example of an artist, she makes art out of anything. And her music is just like woah! She is not easy to describe, some of her songs are very classical, some are a sweet voice and a violin (she's an excellent violinist), some of them are industrial, she can even grunt! if you want to listen to her you must know that you probably won't like her a first (it depends on the song you chose...) but listen to 3 or 4 songs from her (it's better if they're from different albums, at least some from Enchant and some from Opheliac) and you'll end up LOVING her, I promise :) (at least I do love her) Btw, seen once live, and it was the best show Ive ever been to. Long life to EA in my charts :)

2- Xandria -> Oh Xandria, this is like my tragical love story with a band. Its my favourite band, no doubt (i know they are not #1, but anyway). Oh Lisa, my Lisa, why did you left Xandria?! Everytime I think about it tears come to my eyes (ok Im exagerating lol but you get me). The new singer doesn't sound bad, but she is not Lisa, and we all know Lisa was more than a voice. NEVER seen live, and thats killing me (again, exagerating :P). And even if they come to Spain (which I doubt) it will never be the same... OH GOD! Well, long life to Xandria in my charts (at least the released CDs, can't promise to keep on listening to the new stuff with the same intensity...)


3- Epica -> I LOVE EPICA. Everybody loves Epica. And I love every single member of Epica! Well they are great musicians and great people (not that ive got to know them, though lol) Their new CD is a masterpiece to me, love love love it. I love their old stuff as well, but they all have improved sooo much in so many aspects... Well, Ive seen them 4 times, (the last time was last week, without Simone) and Ioved all their shows. Long life to Epica in my charts.


4- Jonathan Larson -> I should be ashamed that this is my #4 lol. Actually, this is the OST from the musical film RENT. It's not a masterpiece but it's nice, and if you get to identificate to one of the characters you will really FEEL the movie. And therefore, the one thing that's left to you is the songtrack (which wouldnt be any valuable if it wasnt because of the movie). But once the addiction dissappears, this doesnt make much sense. So sorry, the addiction has dissappeared. No much more Jonathan Larson in my charts.

5- Lyriel -> Yeah! Great and unfairly unknown band from Germany. I first listened to them thanks to my favourite Xandria's song "Like A Rose On The Grave Of Love", which features the singer from Lyriel. Love its celtic sound. Yeah, I hope they came to Spain, but i think its difficult... anyway, long life to Lyriel in my charts!

6- Within Temptation -> One of the first Symphonic Metal bands I heard about (as everybody, I guess), I used to love them, and I still do, but Im too used to them, they need to release some really new stuff... anyway I have to get their "new" CD (the acoustic one) because I dont want to lose them but im a bit tired of them... Anyway, long life to WT in my charts!

7- Sonata Arctica -> I dont know why they are in my #7... I mean, they are probably my favourite power malefronted metal band but i can't think of more than 10 songs from them... they are quite repetitive anyway... So I dont know... Ive seen them live once, and im going to see them again next month. Ill give their new CD (which is said to be more symphonic) a try, to see what happens... So, I dont know about their future in my charts!

8- Nightwish -> Oh, Nightwish! (how can they be below SA in my charts??) Anyway, the eternal discussion. Well, let's say it: I like both, their old and new stuff, but for me they are different bands. Ive seen them live once and for me, Anette singing Wishmaster is like... no!... well, sing your songs and leave Tarja alone! lol. The same would happen if Tarja sung Amaranth, but lets hope that never happens lol. Anyway, long life to both nightwishes in my charts

9- Mägo de Oz -> xDD No comments. Made in Spain, what could you expect? Theyve got some good stuff, and some terrible stuff. I had my "Mago de Oz era" but I guess now its over. I listen to some songs of them from time to time when Im on "random play" but nothing else...So no much more Mago in my charts.

10- Blind Guardian They are good, but I can get tired of them soon... Power malefronted metal hum... thats a bit tiring. But, yeah, objectively, they are better than SA...I also had my "Blind Guardian era" too. I wont give up listening to them but not as "woooooah Blind Guardian!". So Im not sure about their future in my charts.

11- Stream of Passion -> Great songs, great faliures lol. Love some of their songs from "Embrace the Storm", but I haven0t listened to their new stuff. It cant be the same without Lori, but Ill give them a try. The bad thing of them is that they've got too many slow songs...

12- Sirenia -> Great band too. Doesnt matter what they say, I preffer their new stuff (both last albums). I saw them life a couple of moths ago and, ok, Mortem should speak less lol, but apart from that, theyre good! Ailyn rocks, no matter what they say, and she's spanish! (yeah we can do good things too uuU). Michael is great! And well all of them are nice and rock. Long life to Sirenia in my charts.

13- Grup de Teatre Salesians de Sarrià -> Lol! Thats my theatre group! We do musicals and as Im part of the orchestra (I play the bass) i have to listen to the songs! So thats why this is here.Ill try to remove the songs from the new play so it doesnt appear here anymore.

14- AFI -> I was OBSSESSED to this band like more than 3 years ago. Now I listen to the from time to time. Yeah I sometimes like what they call "emo" music (not that I like the emo concept...). But no, no much more AFI in my charts.

15- Paramore -> Yeeeeaaaah I know. They are the typical band that teenagers love to see on MTV saying "look at us, we are rebels". But, musically, they are GOOD! I dont know why, I like them (yeah, hate me if you want to uuU). Ive been listening to them for like 2 months and they're already #15 :S. They wont be as high forever but i dont think theyll dissappear...

16- Evanescence -> I havent listened to antire album from them for ages. They were good, now... I dont know. They will be on my charts deppending on their new releases, if they release something, for Im not sure if they still exist... (they = Amy) (seen live once)

17- Delain -> Loooooooooooooove them. Ive seen them live once (without the singer - Charlotte) and loved them. And I hardly knew some of their songs went I went to the concert but now I love them.. Long life to Delain in my charts. End of story lol. (Btw Im seeing them again next moth)

18- Amanda Palmer -> Another great ARTIST difficult to describe. Love her songs, but she needs new stuff... Long life to Amanda Palmer in my charts.

19- Amberian Dawn -> Great band with a great live performance. Ok, they may not be very energetic, Heidi (the singer) NEVER does headbanging, but she doesnt make a single mistake in their shows (seen them twice) and they do a guitar solo in almost all their songs! great musicians, good tunes, strange but good lyrics (about mythology and such). Yeah very interesting band (of course, they're finnish). Long life to Amberian Dawn in my charts.

20- HIM -> What the hell are those guys doing here? I used to listen to them like... 6 years ago? lol. Well, I have only listened carefully to one of theire albums (I think it was a recopilatory, vol 666 i dont know what else). They had good stuff, I guess I have to listened to them some more. I dont know about their future in my charts lol

Ok so, 18 bands (my theatre group and jonathan larson doesnt count).Seen live: 9. 50%, not thay bad... (hey we're in spain, bands dont play here every week!)

Lets see what happens in the next months...

Qui sap, qui sap, podria ser que ...? (this is from Utena, in Catalan, I HAD to put this lol)

1. Cheap Trick
2. LFO
3. Joey Macintyre
4. N*Sync (2)
5. Pink
6. Britney Spears
7. Billy Joel
8. Fall Out Boy (6)
9. Hawthorne Heights (2)
10. The Hush Sound (4)
11. The All American Rejects
12. From First to Last
13. Panic! At the Disco
14. The Dresden Dolls
15. Taking Back Sunday (4)
16. The Receiving End of Sirens
17. The Boston Pops
18. Senses Fail (2)
19. Saosin (2)
20. Drive By
21. Bleeding Through (2)
22. Dashboard Confessional
23. Brand New (2)
24. New Found Glory
25. The Early November
26. Anberlin (4)
27. meg and dia
28. Bayside
29. The Former
30. The Deer Hunter (2)
31. Underoath (2)
32. Armor for Sleep (3)
33. Say Anything (2)
34. Saves the Day
35. Bullet For My Valentine (3)
36. All That Remains (2)
37. Boys Like Girls (2)
38. Hellogoodbye
39. Cobra Starship (2)
40. The Academy Is... (3)
41. Paul Wall
42. Guster (2)
43. Modest Mouse
44. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
45. Band of Horses
46. Bang Camaro (2)
47. Linkin Park
48. Placebo
49. My Chemical Romance
50. HIM
51. Mindless Self Indulgence
52. Julien-K
53. Madina Lake (2)
54. The Bled
55. Bleu
56. Interpol
57. Sherwood
58. The Rocket Summer
59. Gym Class Heroes (2)
60. Plain White T's (2)
61. Cute Is What We Aim For
62. Motion City Soundtrack
63. Mae
64. Metro Station
65. Valencia
66. All Time Low
67. Rain: The Beatles Experience
68. Foo Fighters
69. Against Me! (2)
70. Serj Tankian
71. Avenged Sevenfold
72. Atreyu (2)
73. Jimmy Eat World
74. Paramore
75. Dear and the Headlights
76. Death Cab for Cutie (2)
77. Amanda Palmer
78. The Presidents of the United States of America
79. Kanye West
80. Rhianna
81. N.E.R.D.
82. The Bravery (2)
83. Chris Cornell
84. Busta Rhymes
85. Street Drum Corps
86. Angels and Airwaves
87. We The Kings (2)
88. Reel Big Fish
89. Relient K
90. Family Force 5
91. Every Avenue (2)
92. The Color Fred
93. The Devil Wears Prada
94. 3OH!3
95. Forever the Sickest Kids
96. The Killers (2)
97. Disturbed (2)
98. Slipknot
99. DragonForce
100. Airbourne
101. Jack Johnson
102. Rogue Wave
103. The Cancer Bats
104. Rise Against
105. Alkaline Trio
106. Thrice
107. The Gaslight Anthem (2)
108. Dance Gavin Dance
109. Four Year Strong
110. Set Your Goals
111. The Informers (7)
112. Framing Hanley
113. There For Tomorrow
114. Vaeda
115. The Cab (3)
116. Skindred
117. the bay state (2)
118. Almost Gold
119. Media Made
120. Wilco
121. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
122. My Favorite Highway (2)
123. Eye Alaska (2)
124. The Airbourne Toxic Event
125. Metric
126. Blink 182
127. Villanelles
128. of Montreal
129. Silversun Pickups
130. Cage the Elephant
131. An Horse

Today marks the last part of my rundown of the decade's music. Next week will be the usual rundown of the month's best tracks, and then I'll be starting at some point after that with a rundown of the 90s in a similar style - after all, this autumn marks twenty years since I first got into/was exposed to "alternative" music, and this is a good time to do this, I feel. Anyway, on with the show.

Previously:
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.01: 100 to 81
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.02: 80 to 61
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.03: 60 to 41
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.04: 40 to 21
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.05: 20 to 01
My top 50 albums 2000-09 Pt.01: 50 to 26

25
The Axis of Perdition
The Ichneumon Method (And Other Less Welcome Techniques)
2003

"Industrial Black Metal from Middlesborough" is perhaps not the way to sell yourself as a band. But if you are looking for something extreme, heavy, and most of all dark, you've come to the right place. A viciously loud, murky production, with the vocals treated to resemble beasts emerging from the pits of hell, and the music itself is black metal as you may not have heard it before. Riddled with samples, programming and savage riffs, this such a fascinating spin on the genre that if you have any interest in it, it's worth giving it a listen.

24
Doves
Lost Souls
2000

We perhaps have a fire to thank for the way this album turned out. After a studio fire destroyed years of their work for dance act Sub Sub, they changed direction and ended up with this. A beautifully understanded, mellow album, in the main, it has moments though that are utterly extraordinary, and is also imbued with a surprising warmth, too. Some people have dismissed this band as dullards, but really, they are anything but, and are vastly more talented and interesting to listen to than a number of their peers.

23
Gojira
From Mars to Sirius
2005

An intriguing, unusual band in the metal scene - "progressive death metal" is about as close a description as I've seen, but frankly they cover so many genres that trying to nail it down too closely is all but impossible - they are a band who actually have something to say. Most of their lyrics have an environmental theme, some of their songs become epic soundscapes, but then they also rock like bastards. This was the album that I, and probably many others, discovered them on, and as concept albums go it's really pretty fucking special.

22
Deftones
White Pony
2000

The whole genre termed nu-metal hardly seems to have had much of a shelf-life, and to be frank I'd be happy never to hear some of those bands ever again (*cough*Crazy Town*cough*), but Deftones were always different and a cut above their peers. It wasn't just the astonishingly abrasive sound, or the use of actual tunes, but the way that Chino Moreno managed to include all of his influences, including bands like The Smiths and The Cure, in amongst the metal grooves. This all came together to amazing effect on this album, considerably darker and at points more experimental than ever before (or since).

21
Panic DHH
Panic Drives Human Herds
2004

Nowadays Robbie Furze has left this band behind for a perhaps more mainstream band in the form of The Big Pink. A damned shame, really - this, the only studio album Panic DHH ever released, is a brutal exercise in using power electronics to bolster what at points is otherwise somewhere in the realms of punk. The sheer savagery of this album really cannot be understated, particularly in the opening few tracks (Leader and Spare are pure power noise), and live they incredibly upped the ante even more. I only wish more material got released, although I really should check out The Big Pink.

20
Emperor
Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire and Demise
2001

The last new material from the greatest of the black metal bands, and what a way to finish. I've already mentioned the jaw-dropping closing track, but the rest of the album is hardly bad. In fact the rest of the album is nearly as astounding. Opening with a harpsichord intro (no, really), it explodes into the appropriately-titled The Eruption, before taking you on a nine-track, hour-long journey through an incredible, ultra-technical symphonic black metal masterpiece. It's probably a good thing that they never recorded anything more following this - they were never, ever, going to top this.

19
Six by Seven
The Closer You Get
2000

I'm not really certain that many people knew what to make of Six By Seven when they first appeared. Their debut single, European Me was lauded like the second coming in the music press, but in my view there are a number of far better songs on that album. But then, the barely disguised contempt for the world at points in it got unleashed in full on the follow-up, which really was quite a shock. Gone were the epic songs of the first album, instead a number of shorter, snarling beasts of tracks that were a torrent of fury and hatred. Opener Eat Junk Become Junk had psuedo-industrial beats and programming to add to the punch, while Ten Places to Die suggested a list of ways to finish it all. But then on the flip side was the joyous New Year, and the giddy rush of Another Love Song. While schizophrenic in mood at points, this remains an essential listen.

18
65daysofstatic
The Fall of Math
2004

In the development of the "post-rock" scene, 65DoS deserve more than a footnote, perhaps, judging on some of the bands that are now appearing here and there. More than anything else, they could be seen perhaps as trailblazers in realizing that the genre had so much more scope, and mixing in disparate influences, clever and targeted use of glitchy electronics, and an astonishing focus that came across in the quite staggering technicality and emotions that their music invokes. Obviously, they are even more astounding live, and you may have seen me wax lyrical about that before. But even so, on record they are still a thrilling experience.

17
Arcade Fire
Funeral
2004

I still don't quite understand how this album passed me by for over two years, maybe more. I don't think I'd ever noticed them on regular viewings on MTV2 or wherever else, never followed any links…and then one day, I did listen. And was sat there scratching my head. It sounded great, heartfelt, driving rock that was instantly memorable, and I had the tune (I think it was Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)) in my head for days. Once I got my hands on the album, I quickly realised that there was so much more to the band than what I had heard. There are elegant, beautiful ballads, songs that just demand to be sung by a huge crowd (Wake Up, I'm looking at you), songs that evoke extraordinary atmospheres (Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)), and more than anything a general feeling that life is too short, in an urgency to enjoy life to the fullest in the time we have. Maybe that's why this band are so loved. They somehow take cliched ideas that would feel like cheap shots with other bands, and make them into things that sound brand-new and life-affirming. And a great album to listen to, too.

16
Esa
The Sea and The Silence
2008

Released right at the end of 2008, this is yet another astounding step forward by Jamie Blacker, to the point of it probably eclipsing his two previous, really quite remarkable albums. Taking the basic premise of reasonably extreme, powerful industrial electronics, and stretching them into shapes and sounds that other contemporaries probably haven't even thought of trying yet. Again there is a concept, but this time rather more abstract, but musically this album destroys any idea of boundaries that might constrain it. There are elements of world music, of live instruments, of pitch dark black metal, dark ambient, and straight up industrial power. Either way, an absorbing listen that rewards repeat listens in spades.

15
In Strict Confidence
Exile Paradise
2006

This decade was an extraordinary one for ISC: they released four extraordinary albums, all of which showed a distinct growth and evolution, culminating in this absolutely exquisite darkwave/gothic/electro meisterwerk. A shimmering production, some of the greatest songs they've ever written, and a visually stunning theme that enveloped everything to do with the album (lyrical themes, videos, images, even the music at points). We're still awaiting the follow-up, but tracks from it are finally due to be unveiled in the coming weeks, I understand.

14
Aesthetic Perfection
A Violent Emotion
2008

As I noted when awarding this album of the year for 2008, this album's concept is seemingly all about channelling violent energy to make a positive difference, and in that respect - and in it's brilliantly varied musical conception - it works brilliantly. Yes, it has dancefloor-friendly tunes, but really this is all about so much more than that, and works equally well as an album to listen to at home miles from any dancefloor.

13
Collide
Some Kind of Strange
2003

Amazing to think that this is now six years old, really. An ageless sound that gently seduces your ears for just shy of an hour, it's an album to luxuriate in. Little on the album goes faster than languid, but then that suits Karin's vocals perfectly, as the songs unwind around her voice, sometimes used to great effect wordlessly. The opening pair of tracks are absolute belters, but the rest of the album takes it's time to work it's magic...

12
Amanda Palmer
Who Killed Amanda Palmer
2008

My girlfriend disagrees with me on this, I think, but I still believe that this AFP album is better than all her albums with The Dresden Dolls. Rather than being constrained by the stylistic and musical influences they made such a play of, here AFP and producer Ben Folds allow free reign for everything to come out, resulting in joyous blasts where everything and probably the kitchen sink too are chucked in (Leeds United, Guitar Hero), covers of show tunes, very, very dark ballads, and just generally a broader musical palate. And she even manages to crowbar in a jaunty, bright 60s-influenced pop tune about rape and a subsequent abortion (Oasis), and just about get away with it.

11
Edgey
Flawed
2007

An album that really took me by surprise, this. A staggering mashing of drum'n'bass, breakcore, glitchy electronics, and industrial/dark ambient atmospheres, it sounded like no-one else at the time, and it's still pretty damned unique now, too. A rare album in these realms, too, for me that I can happily listen to the whole thing in one go, too, rather than dipping into bits of it every now and again. Hardly one for the dancefloor - I'd love to see rivetheads try and dance to the seemingly-calculus-derived time signatures of Cohesion - but it is an awesome album to listen to at a hefty volume.

10
Stromkern
Light It Up
2005

Still a regular album to listen to in my house, Stromkern remain probably the only band in the industrial scene to successfully hip-hop stylings to their music. That and their searing, highly-charged political lyrics have them stand out as a band with something to say, even if they refuse to publish the lyrics, leaving you to interpret them for yourself. Some might still only know Stand Up following it's playing everywhere in recent years, but delve deeper and you'll find a great album too - even the shorter, intermission-esque tracks don't feel out of place, and both of the tracks with guest vocalists are awesome. Still waiting for that follow-up, though, and with changes to the political landscape since this, it will be interesting to see what they do do next.

9
Seabound
Double-Crosser
2006

The opener to this (Scorch The Ground (Version)) I named my track of the decade the other week, and really the album is not far behind. All about lust, obsession and revenge-best-served-cold, it's icy, gently-seething façade only breaks a couple of times to let some warmth in, and it's perhaps notable that these couple of tracks are the weaker songs here. Where the album really, really scores spectacularly is when Frank Spinath let's his hate and bitterness really spill out in the lyrics, devastating lines delivered with a lightness of touch that almost wrongfoot you every time. Also, musically, it's electronics fit the mood perfectly, and never intrude on the words taking centrestage - and when they are this good, as they should, too.

8
The Knife
Silent Shout
2006

Drenched in darkness in just about every way - not only musically, but in the look of the group, the artwork, the videos…this was an unsettling listen that was to begin with, pretty much inpenetrable to me. But I kept plugging away at it, and eventually just how brilliant this album is became clear. There isn't a single bad song here, but sometimes it can become all a bit much. Where they go from here should be interesting, but seeing as the recent Fever Ray album is almost a pitch dark as this, I'm not expecting it to be a ray of sunshine. I'm not sure being exposed to that much light would suit them, anyway...

7
Converter
Blast Furnace
2000

My entry into anything noisy-rhythmic-industrial came from this album, and I'm still not sure it's actually been bettered by any of his peers, although some have made a bloody good go. At points extraordinarily extreme (Red Crystal in particular), it perversely also spawned a massive industrial dancefloor hit for a while in the lengthy form of Death Time, and perhaps also was in some respects one of the most "commercial" "noise" albums yet released. Those who listened in casually, purely because of that track were in for a shock, though, but it was worth persevering. The Blast Furnace title was no accident, as metallic effects were all over the place, in samples, machine-like rhythms and even the atmospheres created. Little humanity was allowed a look in, but then why should it? The machines simply crushed all that out, and this is the soundtrack to that very event. Be afraid.

6
Rico
Violent Silences
2004

I noted the other week that five years have now elapsed since the last recorded output from Rico, and I'm increasingly of the fear that this was the last word from him on record. Shame. Also as I noted then, the second half of the album is much the stronger, some feat when the first half features contributions from both Tricky and Gary Numan - also a sign of the wide appeal of Rico's music. Unfairly pigeonholed early on as the "British Trent Reznor", he was never quite that, but deserved far more success than he ever got.

5
Machine Head
The Blackening
2007

Best. Comeback. Ever. Those three words are going to be endlessly associated with this - the hackneyed tale of a band fallen on hard times, the creative well empty, or so we thought, and then they roar back with this. Fucking hell. That was pretty much what most of us said once we'd heard the monstrous, ten-minute opening track, never mind the rest of the album. The good thing was, the rest of it was just as good. Making no concession to trends in metal, this was just simply the metal album that Robb Flynn and his band wanted to make, and not a minute was wasted in creating a brilliant, brilliant hour of thrash metal. They are still touring it now, mind, and while they are fucking ace live, it would be nice to hear something new soon...

4
Covenant
Northern Light
2002

The single most enduring and remarkable album to come from the futurepop/EBM/electro-industrial/call-it-what-you-like period in the early couple of years of this decade, this album transcended the usual limitations of the genre in some style. At first listen a cold, aloof creation (to go with the frozen figures and icy landscapes that dominate the sleeve), a few listens thaws it to an astounding effect. There are belting dancefloor monsters (Call the Ships to Port), astonishing pop songs (Bullet), choral-backed ballads (Invisible & Silent) and also one of the most euphoric, uplifting songs ever released in this scene (We Stand Alone). Oh, and not to mention the many, many references to Greek Mythology scattered through the album that makes the lyrics worth listening to (and fun to work out what on earth they are on about, too).

3
Battles
Mirrored
2007

I loved this band from the moment I first heard Atlas, and I've still not stopped loving it yet. An endlessly fun album, that twists and turns, playing with the structures of rock music, dance music and twisting them into a hugely enjoyable take on post-rock that pretty much immediately made everything else look deadly serious. That few bands have dared to tread the same path is telling - it took four seriously talented and respected musicians to even approach music this complex-but-accessible - and perhaps they will remain standing alone in a musical universe bathed in a bright spotlight.

2
Prometheus Burning
Beyond Repair
2006

I remember being played a couple of tracks from this as my first exposure to the band, and being bowled over to the point that it didn't take me long to go and hunt out the album. Starting with the template of industrial-noise - and at points, this band are unbelievably harsh - but adding in twisted, heavily treated vocals and rhythms, and emotional outpourings based on pure rage, this sounds different. Very different to what has gone before. Slowly twisting the knife further as you go into the album (the last couple of tracks being the harshest and closest to pure noise), before ending in an unsettling silence, this was an album that I'm not sure you were ever meant to unlock a deeper meaning to. The followup album, based much more on old-school industrial, was great, but never quite had the sheer visceral power that this one has.

1
Cyanotic
Transhuman
2005

I could equally have made a case for the reworked Transhuman 2.0 to be in the top spot with this, but there are reasons why this album makes it to the top spot on it's own. Firstly, for me this album gave my interest in industrial music a shot in the arm. In 2005, there wasn't a lot for me to be excited about. Most of the albums I was bothered about around that time were either not industrial, or were older bands making comebacks. So to hear this, a new band doing interesting stuff with a genre I was beginning to fear was stagnating badly, was seriously exciting to me. That and the fact that this album made a perfect synthesis of industrial and metal influences, nodding back to the past and Sean Payne's formative years listening to Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Numb and others, but also looking to the future and fusing other, outside genres to the sound to create a hybrid that sounded both familiar and new, and tremendously exciting, all at the same time. I'm not going to pick highlights from the album, as it's all great, and indeed as I've been DJing industrial to a greater extent in recent years, Cyanotic remain the one band I can play and get asked "who is this?" by punters more than anyone else. In addition, Sean Payne's ceaseless promotion of his peers on compilations, remix work, just linking to others, and high quality of all his musical output have opened my eyes to a whole scene across the Atlantic that gives me hope for industrial music in the future. There is so much more out there, we just need to look for it. And I'm glad I found this. I'm still a regular listener to this album now, as my play charts on Last.fm will attest, and with the medication generation finally nearing release, I'm sure I'll be playing this band for some further time to come yet, too.

This list consists of my favorite songs of the decade and nothing else. I generally made no attempt to account for how significant or influential the song was. I didn't care if a particular song captured how the 2000's "felt." I did take some consideration of how many songs each artist had, but not that much. Some of my favorite artists have many songs on this list. I think there are something around 100 artists on this list so each artist averages 2 songs or so. Also don't pay that much attention to the ordering of the list until you get to the top 50. I guess I think that it is hard to distinguish between you 120th and 153rd favorite song of the decade, so while I did make an effort for them to roughly be in order the order is not set in stone.

There are certainly tons of songs that got left off this list that could have made it, including a few that probably would be pretty high but I just forgot about. For the write ups I sometimes just list my favorite moment or lyric. For others I just have a sentence or two about it. For the latter ones I'll probably write a bit more. So with all that in mind here are my favorite 200 songs that were released in the last ten years.



200. Bloc Party - Banquet
Favorite Moment - The opening 20 seconds. It captures everything good about Bloc Party.
Favorite Lyric -
"And if you feel (and if you feel)
A little left behind (a little left behind)
We will wear you on the other side"

199. Dan Deacon - Wham City
Favorite Moment - The a capella recitation of the lyrics towards the end of the song followed by return of the music.
Favorite Lyric -
Of ghosts and cats
And pigs and bats
With brooms and bats
And wigs and rats
And play big dogs like queens and kings
And everyone plays drums and sings

About big sharks
Sharp swords
Beast bees
Bead lords
Sweet cakes
Mace lakes

198. Lifesavas - HelloHiHey
Favorite Moment - The part with the lyric below
Favorite Lyric - Word my crew is called the Cannibals (ah cool)/
Yeah we're 30 deep and each member's a mutant culmination of six animals/
See each MC is simultaneously (okay) six creatures, that's six styles with six features/
Man we're the wild kingdom of hip hop...

197. Apostle of Hustle - A Rent Boy Goes Down
Favorite Moment - When the last rendition of the chorus begins
Favorite Lyric - "Socrates is swaying the youth away"

196. M. Ward - Hi-Fi
Favorite Moment - No one moment really sticks out. How he say's hi-fi makes the song though.
Favorite Lyric -
So let me turn the volume up get a little bit of Hi-Fi/
Drown out all the sirens in the back of my mind

195. The Mountain Goats - No Children
Favorite Moment - The lyric below.
Favorite Lyric - I hope I lie
And tell everyone you were a good wife
And I hope you die
I hope we both die

194. Menomena - Wet and Rusting
Favorite Moment - The drums after the third "Its hard to take risks..."
Favorite Lyric - It's hard to take risks with a pessimist

193. Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe
Favorite Moment - When the piano and drums enter as sings "no fade: film begins with a kid in the big city"
Favorite Lyric -
It's just a life story, so there's no climax./
No more new territory, so pull away the imax.

192. Deerhunter - Octet
Favorite Moment - This song isn't about one moment but is great for the gradual build up throughout the whole thing. When the drums come in at around the 4:40 mark is pretty awesome though.
Favorite Lyric - There's only one lyric "I was the corpse that spiraled out
Into phantom hallways" which is barely even audible.

191. At the Drive-In - One-Armed Scissor
Favorite Moment - The drums coming in strong at the 3:00 mark as Ced screams right before the chorus comes in again.
Favorite Lyric - Any really, At the Drive-In/The Mars Volta are great for hilariously ridiculous lyrics. But this will do "banked on memory/ mummified circuitry/ skin graft machinery/ sputnik sickles found in the seats"

190. Kings of Leon - On Call
Why the song is great - Tight bass line and the guitar part before the chorus. I love the vocals on the song, particular the delivery of the chorus
Favorite Lyric -
I'm on call, so be there

189. Ludacris - Eyebrows Down
Favorite Lyric -
By the age of eighteen I was destined to make
My bank account read DISTURBING THE PEACE INCORPORATED

188. The Shins - New Slang
I still fucking hate you Zach Braff

187. Girl Talk - Play Your Part (Part 1)
Favorite Moment - The Pop Bottles sample mashed up with Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike. Which too me proves that Girl Talk can rise above the sum of his parts to create great musical moments
Favorite Lyric -
my bitch a choosey lover, never fuck without a rubber
never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover
money on the dresser, drive a compressor
top notch hoes get the most, not the lesser

186. The Raconteurs - Carolina Drama
Lyrics seem to be a pretty literal story just told with great intensity
Favorite Lyric -
Billy broke in and saw the blood on the floor, and
He turned around and put the lock on the door
He looked dead into the boyfriend's eye

185. The Roots - Game Theory
I just like how he puts together the first line of the lyric below.
Favorite Lyrics -
Dreams when M16's with infrared beams
Blowin' up presidents' cribs with cans of kerosene
Hijack the limousine with a strategic routine
Then blast my enemies, head for the Caribbeans

184. Japandroids - The Boys Are Leaving Town
The opener to one of the better albums of 2009. It's hard to argue with the enthusiasm and raw emotion Japandroids put into one of their songs, plus they're catchy as hell and great to sing along with.

183. Yeasayer - 2080
Sunny dreamy pop music at its best

182. Franz Ferdinand - The Dark of the Matinée
My favorite song off Franz Ferdinand's debut.
Favorite Lyric -
I time every journey to bump into you, accidentally
I charm you and tell you of the boys I hate
All the girls I hate
All the words I hate
The clothes I hate
How I'll never be anything I hate
You smile, mention something that you like
How you'd have a happy life if you did the things you like

181. The National - Cardinal Song\
Why the song is great - typically great Berninger lyrics and vocals
Favorite Lyric -
never tell the one you want that you do
save it for the deathbed
when you know you kept her wanting you

180. The Hold Steady - You Can Make Him Like You
One of the catchiest most infectious songs I've ever heard.

179. Jay-Z - Lucifer
Why the song is great - Sick Kanye beat and great Max Romeo sampled chorus
Favorite Lyric -
I'm from the murder capital where we murder for capital

178. RJD2 - Ghostwriter
Favorite Moment - The last climax towards the end
Favorite Lyric - No lyrics but the vocals really are great on the song

177. TV on the Radio - Ambulance
Why the song is great - The awesome a capella beat
Favorite Lyric -
your slime frame
your simple stare
and your wrong wrong name
they keep me where i belong
all strung out in song

176. The New Pornographers - Streets of Fire
Why this song is great - Dan Bejar should do an whole album of duets with female vocalists. The combination is really fucking great.
Favorite Lyric -
This whiskey priest, he burned the church
To keep his girls alive

175. My Morning Jacket - It Beats 4 U
Favorite Moment - Jim James vocals at 1:20.
Favorite Lyric -
You know my heart, it beats for you.
It beats for you so in time we beat

174. Animal Collective - Brother Sport
Favorite Moment - 1:00 in when the song really blows up for the first time. Or the 3:00 mark when the 3rd part of the song starts
Favorite Lyric -
I know it sucks that daddy's gone
But try to think of what you want
You got to open up your
Open up your, open up your throat
Matt!

173. Madvillian - Accordian
Why the song is great - Fucking awesome beat.
Favorite Lyric -
Hey you! Don’t touch the mic like there’s AIDS on it
Yo, it’s like the end to the means
Fuck type of message that sends to the fiends
That’s why he brings his own needles
And get more cheese than Doritos, Cheetos or Fritos.

172. Justice - Stress
Not only captures the essence of a feeling but creates it in its listeners. Its hard not to be on edge listening to this.

171. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
Why the song is great - How Murphy does so much with so little. A simple piano riff repeated for seven and a half minutes goes a long way with this song.
Favorite Lyric -
You spent the first five years trying to get with the plan
And the next five years trying to be with your friends again

170. Belle and Sebastian - Mornington Crescent
I don't think Belle and Sebastian will ever be as good as their first two albums, Tigermilk and If You're Feeling Sinister but this song comes pretty damn close. Pretty piano and guitar piece with great vocals.
Favorite Lyric -
I was a joker, the wannabe punk
That got lucky
Had a good time
Life became fruitless
Egotistic swine to all your friends
All the ladies and the men
The possibilities suggest themselves to me
We're a little too free

169. The Decemberists - The Island, Come And See, The Landlord's Daughter, You'll Not Feel The Drowning
The Decemberists 12 minute 3 part epic is the best thing the Portland band has ever done. One of the easiest 12 minute songs to listen to The Island is engaging the whole way through. The highlight is the The Landlords Daughter, the middle part, where the songs builds to a frenzy of keyboard and guitar before segueing quietly into the You'll Not Feel the Drowning.
Favorite Lyric -
Go to sleep, little ugly
Go to sleep, little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning

168. Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Favorite Moment - When the music drops halfway through for a brief vocal only interlude before coming back in to help the song build to a quiet climax
Favorite Lyric -
And you will go to Mykonos
With a vision of a gentle coast
And a sun to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made

167. Feist - One Two Three Four
Amazingly catchy and Feist has an amazing voice.
Favorite Lyric -
Sweetheart, bitter heart,
Now I can't tell you apart
Cozy and cold,
Put the horse before the cart

166. of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit
Awesome vocals and lyrics over a simple groovy beat.
Favorite Lyric - There are three
(The surrealists were just)
Nihilists with good imaginations

I guess it would be nice to give my heart to a god
But which one, which one do I choose?
All the churches fill with losers, psycho or confused
I just want to hold the divine in mind
And forget all of the beauty's wasted

Let's fall back to earth and do something pleasant
We fell back to earth like gravity's bitches
(Physics makes us all its bitches)


165. Jurassic 5 - What's Golden
Favorite Lyric -
Yo...
Well, it's the verbal Herman Munster
The word enhancer, sick of phony mobsters controllin' the dance floor

164. Gorillaz - Last Living Souls
Good vocals.
Favorite Lyric -
What you say?
Cause all I was on
I got it down wrong
I see myself to get
And the Lord, seeing all now
Can you take us in
The part that comin' on
The coldest man doesn't see it's all

163. Kanye West - Amazing
Sick ass beat with the most hilariously perfect Young Jeezy guest verse
Favorite Lyric -
Standin' at my podium
I'm tryin' to watch my sodium (sodium)
Die of high blood pressure

162. No Age - Teen Creeps
The little guitar part before the crashing noise and distortion comes in makes this song

161. Sunset Rubdown - Nightingale / December Song
Why this song is great - The way it builds up without you noticing it doing so.
Favorite Lyric -
so let me hammer this point home
i see us all as lonely fires that have burned alive as long as we remember
but like all fireworks and all sunsets, we all burn in different ways

160. At the Drive-In - Pattern Against User
Another awesomely catchy and ridiculous song by AtDI. The drums are great and I love the quick little drum coda and yelp right at the end.
Favorite Lyric -
pattern against user- dilated
bastard waiting for nothing
circus carny guarding
the gates of heaven
like stuck in limbo abduction


159. Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
Catchy ass song

158. Animal Collective - Bluish
One of the best yet most simple melodies of the decade. The song is effortlessly beautiful.
Favorite Lyric -
When we're alone, I wanna say
Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment babe

157. The White Stripes - The Union Forever
The song just creates a great atmosphere unlike any other White Stripes song
Favorite Lyric - This entire verse is awesome
There is a man
a certain man
and for the poor you may be sure
that he'll do all he can
who is this one?
who's favorite son
just by his action has detraction
magnets on the run
who likes to smoke
enjoys a joke
and wouldn't get a bit
upset if he were really broke
with wealth and fame
he's still the same
I'll bet you five you're not alive
If you don't now his name


156. Iron & Wine - Naked As We Came
Pretty little song, nice vocals.

154. A.C. Newman - The Heartbreak Rides
Proving that AC Newman can write ballads that are still really great power pop songs at the same time.

154. Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You
The odd little percussion or horn or whatever that is before the chorus and the vocals that sound more natural and heartfelt then anything on Veckatimest really make this song.

153. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
If you like Alec Ounsworth vocals then this song has one of the most infectious hooks of the decade. Despite not actually having a proper chorus.
Favorite Lyric -
Far, far away from West Virginia
I'll try New York City
Explaining that the sky holds you in
The sun rushes in and a child
With a shotgun can shoot down the honeybees that sting
But this boy could use a little sting


152. My Morning Jacket - Gideon
Favorite Moment - The 2:00 mark till the end.
Favorite Lyric –
Truly, truly we have become
Hated and feared for something that we don't want
Listen, listen. Most of us believe that this is wrong

151. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others
Favorite Moment - The vocals starting at the 3:00 mark until the guitars and drums come crashing back in.

150. of Montreal - She's a Rejector
Most rocking and catchiest song on the album
Favorite Lyric -
There's the girl that left me bitter
Want to pay some other girl
To just walk up to her and hit her
But I can't, I can't, I can't

149. Yo La Tengo - Here to fall
One of the most bad ass songs of the decade. Was a great opener when I saw them live.
Favorite Lyric -
I know you're worried - I'm worried too
But if you're ready, I'm here to fall with you.
What else is there for us to do?

148. Neko Case - Look for Me (I'll Be Around)
Neko's voice is as beautiful here as it ever has been.
Favorite Lyric -
When the new crowd starts to bore you
Just remember there is someone to adore you
When you're weary of nights out on the town
Look for me, I'll be around

147. Songs: Ohia - Just Be Simple
Pretty song, great vocals by Molina, nice female background vocals by whoever that is.
Favorite Lyric -
Everything you hated me for... Honey there was so much more
I just didn't get busted.

146. Animal Collective - Alvin Row
Favorite Moment - The scream at 5:49 along with the crashing cymbals and piano.
Favorite Lyric - My singing voice is gone

145. The Exploding Hearts - I'm a Pretender
Great bit of power pop

144. Gorillaz - Re-Hash
Just a really chill song about doing drugs

143. Grizzly Bear - Colorado
Grizzly Bear at its most atmospheric and best.

142. Common - Electric Wire Hustle Flower
Sets the tone for the whole album
Favorite Lyric -
You was at your hardest when you didn't even try
Live like a bitch, then bitch you gonna die

141. No Age - Ripped Knees
Starts out as No Age's most balls to the wall song before ending in blissful feedback.

140. Sunset Rubdown - Silver Moons
A mostly piano driven piece that doesn't really build up but meanders around until the climax. Typically great Spencer Krug vocals and lyrics. The first time Camilla Wynne Ingr's backup vocals really add a lot to a Sunset Rubdown song.
Favorite Lyric -
maybe these days are over, over now
and i loved it better than anyone else you know
and i believe in growing old with grace
i believe she only loved my face
i believe i acted like a child
making faces at acquired tastes
and now silver moons belong to you

139. The White Stripes - Truth Doesn't Make a Noise
Great guitar and piano ballad.
Favorite Lyric -
You try to tell her what to do
And all she does is stare at you
Her stare is louder than your voice
Because truth doesn't make a noise
No, truth doesn't make a noise
The truth doesn't make a noise

138. The National - About Today
A simple guitar and drum piece that barely goes anywhere backed by some strings accompany Bernigers great but simple vocals. Bernigers lyrics are simple but heart wrenching. The song slowly gains steam without ever really changing. All this adds up to one of The Nationals most subtlety beautiful songs.
Favorite Lyric -
Hey, are you awake
Yeah I'm right here
Well can I ask you
about today

137. Portishead - Silence
I'd only listened to Dummy and s/t a few times before listening to Third and even I did not know what the fuck was going on with the first few seconds. The bizarre opening followed by a drum beat that just "feels" like Portishead was an absolutely perfect way to open their first album in ten years.

136. The Antlers - Two
Like most of Hospice Two is simple, atmospheric, and affecting. The power of the song comes from the slowly building guitars and drums along with Peter Silberman's vocals and lyrics
Favorite Lyrics -
There's two people living in one small room,
from your two half-families tearing at you,
two ways to tell the story (no one worries),
two silver rings on our fingers in a hurry,
two people talking inside your brain,
two people believing that I'm the one to blame,
two different voices coming out of your mouth,
while I'm too cold to care and too sick to shout.

135. A.C. Newman - Miracle Drug
More perfect power pop from the best
Favorite Lyric -
He was tied to the bed with a miracle drug in one hand,
In the other, a great lost novel that, I understand, was returned with a stamp
That said "thank you for your interest, young man."

134. OutKast - Bust
Probably one of the most experimental Outkast tracks. With a hook that's mostly guitar and off kilter vocals. The electric guitar pervades the entire song right from the bizarre beginning.
Favorite Lyric -
My rap name Killer, my street name Skunk
I mastered the music that was born in the Bronx!
I switch my slang spit from my mouth
I'm still all coast my coast the South!!!

133. Venetian Snares - Hajnal
Aggressive strings open the song before cutting to samples of Igor Stravinsky's "3 Pieces for Clarinet" mixed with simple drums and piano before cutting back to the strings. It's not till this second cutback at 3:30 into the song that Aaron Funk decides to remind you that your listening to a breakcore record. The rest of the song brilliantly mixes the two at odds styles and is one of the best moments on a brilliant record.

132. Frog Eyes - Reform the Countryside
Frantic and ramshackle this song as a great vocal performance from Casey Mercer if your into his style. The kicks you in the gut from the start and never stops. The part at 4:00 after the "gonna gonna" repetitions is perfect.
Favorite Lyric -
Oh baby, I've got to know, when you sing that song
Where the singer sings he's got to know
I feel this deliverance that is gained from the right,

131. mclusky - Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues
Aside from having the most awesome song title of the decade and probably of all time the song is an amazing piece of hardcore power punk pop rock or however the hell you want to classify it.
Favorite Lyric -
The whole song has great lyrics but I can't help but pick this one -
I covered my eyes when she told me the news
Turning me on with my lightsabre cocksucking blues

130. RJD2 - Good Times Roll Pt 2
Best Moment - After the jazzy interlude in the middle the drums and vocals coming back in together

129. The Dismemberment Plan - Face Of The Earth
Great off kilter pop song

128. Wild Beasts - Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants
Great energy and vocal performance

127. Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U
The I Luv U intro is awesome and the whole song has great production.
Favorite Lyric -
she looks decent, she looks fine
but dont talk about wifey she's not mine
she got batches, 6 in a line, believe me thats not a good sign

126. Aesop Rock - Daylight
The below line is one of the funniest of the decade
Favorite Lyric -
Life's not a bitch life is a beautiful woman
Your only call her a bitch because she won't let you get that pussy
Maybe she didn't feel y'all shared any similar interests


125. The Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
Favorite Lyric - It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want
Because you cannot know yourself, or what you'd really do
Best Moment - The last "With all your power" at the 3:52 mark.

124. Amanda Palmer - Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing
Amanda Palmer's vocal performance and great piano makes this song. The live piano version is maybe even better
Favorite Lyric -
everybody's sick for something that they can find fascinating
everyone but you and even you aren't feeling well

123. The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
Segueing perfectly out of the opening ambient track Son et Lumiere, Inertiatic ESP is The Mars Volta at its best, aggressive, short, and to the point.
Favorite Lyric - Plenty to chose from like always..but -
are you peaking in the red
perforated at the neck
what of this mongrel architect
a broken arm of sewers set
past present and future tense
clipside of the pinkeye fountain

122. Tapes 'n Tapes - Insistor
One of the most infectious yet nonsensical choruses this side of the New Pornographers. The galloping guitar propels the song at a steady pace only to explode into a great last chorus.
Best Moment - The scream during the last rendition of the chorus
Favorite Lyric
And when you rush I'll call your name
Like Harvard Square holds all inane
And don't you know I'll be your badger
And don't be terse and don't be shy
Just hug my lips and say good lies
And know that I will be your bail bond

121. My Morning Jacket - Phone Went West
Even more so then most MMJ songs the highlight here is Jim James' vocals
Favorite Lyric -
tell me i'm wrong
tell me i'm right
tell me there's nobody else in the world

120. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
One of the best party songs of the decade
Favorite Lyric -
take me back to the states man
north american scum
where we can be all we want
north american
where the dj gigs are as fun
here in north american scum
don't blame the canadians
let go north america

119. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
The best thing about Fleet Foxes is pretty harmonized vocals. That is basically all this song is. And it's great.

118. Kings of Leon - Charmer
Badass song. I'm generally indifferent to KoL vocals but the screams on this are just absolutely perfect. Really great to see live.
Favorite Lyric -
Wow she's such a charmer oh no

That lyric is my favorite because it looks so hilariously tame in writing compared to how it is on record.

117. TV on the Radio - Lover's Day
A lot of songs are about sex but none celebrate it quite like this song.
Favorite Lyric -
I hunger for you like a cannibal.
Not gonna let you run.
I'm gonna take you.
I'm gonna shake you.
I'm gonna make you cum.

116. Destroyer - English Music
A nice piano driven piece from Bejar.
Favorite Lyric -
I know the altar boys, they just want to do me and that's fine
You got to have faith.
Yeah, you got to have it

115. Okkervil River - The War Criminal Rises and Speaks
Great vocal performance from Will Sheff.
Favorite Lyric -
Now he’s rising and not denying.
His hands are shaking, but he’s not crying.
And he’s saying “How did I climb
out of a life so boring into that moment?
Please stop ignoring the heart inside,
oh you readers at home!
While you gasp at my bloody crimes,
please take the time
to make your heart my home:
where I’m forgiven by time,
where I’m cushioned by hope,
where I’m numbed by long drives,
where I’m talked off or doped.
Does the heart wants to atone?

114. Phoenix - Lisztomania
The best pop song of 2009 and one of the best of the whole decade. The 1:10 part with the first "from the mess to the masses" is absolutely perfect.
Favorite Lyric -
So sentimental
No, not sentimental, romantic

113. Wilco - Company in My Back
Tweedy's delivery of "holy shit" really makes the song for me for whatever reason.
Favorite Lyric -
I move so slow, a steady crushing hand
Holy shit there's a company in my back

112. WHY? - Rubber Traits
The subtle backing vocals give the song an epic feel to it that only a few Why? songs have.
Favorite Lyric -
Unfold an oragami death mask
and cut my DNA with rubber traits
Pull apart the double helix like a wishbone
Always be working on a suicide note

111. Wolf Parade - California Dreamer
One of the best things about Apologies to the Queen Mary is the raw energy and exuberance that sustains the record nearly though whole way through. Though I think it is a decent album At Mount Zoomer mostly lacks this quality. Except for on this song.
Favorite Lyric -
Do the young stay pretty, do the pretty stay quick?
You know, but you never surrender
The city doesn't belong to you anymore
California dreamer

110. Bon Iver - Re: Stacks
Simple song with pretty imagery and great performance from Vernon.
Favorite Lyrics -
This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization
It's the sound of the unlocking and the lift away

109. The National - Mistaken for Strangers
Spectacular drumming
Favorite Lyric -
oh you wouldn't want an angel watching over
surprise, surprise they wouldn't wannna watch
another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults

108. Elliott Smith - A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free
A fitting last song on the closest thing Elliott Smith as to a last album.
Favorite Lyric -
Shine on me, baby
Because it's raining in my heart

107. At the Drive-In - Enfilade
The lyrics are actually tell a coherent story. I didn't think Cedric was capable of that. The lyrics aren't whats great about this song though. The absolute badassnes of it is. I love the the little, almost humorous, drumming right before the guitars come in for the first chorus. The subtle vocals(I think they're vocals, they could be some kind of feedback) during the chorus are also great. Like the rest of this CD this song is perfect driving music
Favorite Lyric -
Hello, mother leopard, I have your cub. You must protect her . . . but that will be expensive. Ten thousand cola nuts, wrapped in brown paper. Midnight, behind the box. I'll be the Hyena . . . you'll see.

106. WHY? - The Vowels Pt. 2
I'm not a ladies man
I'm a land mine
Filming my own fake death

That was the first Why? lyric I ever heard. I was hooked.

105. Animal Collective - Fireworks
Very heartwarming and sentimental lyrics accompanied frantic drums and a pretty piano. One of AC's more straightforward songs and one of its best.
Favorite Lyrics -
"What's the day?" "Whats you doing?"
"How's your food?" "How's that song?"
Man it passes right by me it's behind me, now it's gone

104. Radiohead - You And Whose Army?
The slight gasp of breath at the start of this song is one of my favorite moments in any Radiohead song
Favorite Lyric -
Come on, come on
You think you drive me crazy, well
Come on, come on
You and whose army?
You and your cronies
Come on, come on
Holy Roman empire
Come on if you think
Come on if you think
You can take us on
You can take us on

103. The Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
Both the EP version and the album version are great. The drums are particularly great on this song. Cathartic as hell even for an Arcade Fire song.
Favorite Lyric -
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream

102. The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
The most absurdly perfect song, possibly of all time. Some songs are just perfect. You listen to them and you almost know what is about to come next because nothing else could possibly happen. When you hear "I told my girlfriend I'd pick up the violin" you know your about to hear some awesome violins. Not a single second, lyric, note, or beat of this song could have been improved upon.
Favorite Lyrics - Too Many

That boy needs therapy, psychosomatic,
That boy needs therapy, purely psychosomatic
That boy needs therapy
Lying down on the couch, what does that mean?
You're a nut! You're crazy in the coconut!
What does that mean? That boy needs therapy
I'm gonna kill you, that boy needs therapy
Grab a kazoo, let's have a tune
Now when I count three
That, that, that, that, that boy.. boy needs therapy
He was white as a sheet
And he also laid false teeth

I promise my girlfriend I'd pick up the... the violin, violin, violin ...

Can you think of anything else that talks, other than a person?
Uh ohh... uh oh, a bird! Yeah!
Sometimes a parrot talks
Ha ha ha ha ha !!!!
Yes, some birds are funny when they talk
Can you think of anything else
A record, record, record !

101. Okkervil River So Come Back, I Am Waiting
The climatic song for Black Sheep Boy. One of Sheff's best vocal performances and some of his best lyrics. A beautiful song about succumbing to the inevitable.
Favorite Lyric -
So come back and we'll take them all on.
So come back to your life on the lam.
So come back to your old black sheep man.
He says I am waiting on hoof and on hand. I am waiting, all hated and damned.
I am waiting - I snort and I stamp.
I am waiting, you know that I am, calmly waiting to make you my lamb.

100. The Strokes - Soma
The Strokes are not who I'd expect to make a Brave New World reference but whatever. Great catchy song.
Favorite Lyric -
Tried it once and they liked it,
Then tried to hide it
Says, I've been doing this 25 years
But I'm not listening no more.
And these friends, they keep asking for more.
But that's it.

99. The Mountain Goats - This Year
Pretty song of the Sunset Tree
Favorite Lyric -
i played video games in a drunken haze
i was seventeen years young
hurt my knuckles punching the machines
the taste of scotch rich on my tongue

and then Cathy showed up
and we hung out
trading swigs from a bottle
all bitter and clean
locking eyes
holding hands
twin high maintenance machines

i am going to make it through this year
if it kills me
i am going to make it though this year
if it kills me

98. Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows
David Grohl is awesome on the drums here.

97. Spoon - The Way We Get By
A nearly instant classic
Favorite Lyric -
We get high in back seats of cars
We put faith in our concerns
Fall in love to 'Down on the Street'
We believe in the sum of ourselves

96. Songs: Ohia - I've Been Riding With the Ghost
The backing vocals are great on this song
Favorite Lyric -
I've been looking door to door to see
if there was someone who'd hold me
I never met a single one who didn't see through me
None of them could love me if they thought they might lose me
Unless I made a change

95. Kanye West - Gone
Great production and instrumentation on this track. All the verses flow great into each other. I love the little instrumental part before Kanye's last verse.
Favorite Lyric -
But if they ever flip sides like Anakin
You'll sell everything includin the mannequin
They got a new bitch now you Jennifer Aniston

94. The National - Slipping Husband
Builds up amazingly and ends with one of Berningers best and most aggressive screams.
Favorite Lyric -
Dear we better get a drink in you
before you start to bore us
Dear we better get a drink in you
before you start to bore us
Dear we better get a drink in you
before you start to bore us

93. Grizzly Bear - On a Neck, On a Spit
Pretty two part song.
Favorite Lyric -
Each day, spend it with me now
All my time, spend it with me now
But each day spend it with you now
All my time, spend it with you now
But out here, no one can hear me
Out hear no one can hear me

92. The White Stripes - I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman
A classic from White Blood Cells.
Favorite Lyric -
Well I never said I wouldn't
Throw my jacket in the mud for you
but my father gave it to me so
maybe I should carry you
then you said
"You almost dropped me"
so then I did
and I got mud on my shoes

91. OutKast - Gasoline Dreams
From the first guitar riff you know this isn't a typical hip-hop track
Favorite Lyric -
Arrest me 4 this dope I didn't weight it up or cook it
You gotta charge the world cause over a million people took it

90. Elliott Smith - Everything Means Nothing to Me
A brilliantly atmospheric piece off Figure 8.

89. WHY? - Gemini (Birthday Song)
Great piano driven piece
Favorite Lyric -
It starts with you
on a mattress in your parents' old room,
clipping your toenails into the room
like the room will fade
and you will move
onto other rooms
and you will go
to other places.
Then the wedding,
Then the woman passed out
in the driver's seat
at the order board at White Castle.
We woke her up and she went
'round to the pick up window
like she knew exactly where she was.

88. Panda Bear - Take Pills
The peaceful first half perfectly sets up the slightly more vibrant second half
Favorite Lyric -
i don't want for us to
take pills
anymore
not that it's bad
i don't want for us to take pills
because we're stronger
and we don't need them

87. The Mars Volta - Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore
On my comments on Inertiatic ESP I said that The Mars Volta were at there best when they were direct and to the point. This song is the exception to that rule. This song contains all the excesses that have led people to criticize The Mars Volta since Frances the Mute came out. It takes four minutes or so before we can actual note of music from an instrument, before that the song consists of static feedback and chilling vocals. But the ambiance flat out works perfectly on this song. The feedback and vocals slowly build up until your yearning for the song to start. What comes next is an atmospheric guitar and vocal piece that completely justifies the first four minutes.
Favorite Lyric -
And when Miranda sang
Everyone turned away
Used to the noose
They obey

86. My Morning Jacket - Death Is the Easy Way
Stunningly beautiful song
Favorite Lyric -
'cause nothing gets you high, you're poor the day you die,
and alcohol it only makes you tired.

85. The Shins - Caring Is Creepy
Zach Braff can suck on my balls

84. Wolf Parade - We Built Another World
One of the only songs on Apologies where both Krug and Boeckner sing lead vocals. This song has one of my favorite intros, just diving right into the song. The drums and backing vocals during the chorus are great.
Favorite Lyric -
At the party we got chained at the wrists
Outside there's girls saying
It's not gonna be just only a kiss
Everyone's disguised just a little bit

83. The Microphones - I Want Wind to Blow
Light drumming and pounding drums pervade the song. This continues till one of the most unexpectedly great moments in any song ever at the 4:24.
Favorite Lyric -
The sound of cars,
The smell of bars,
The awful feeling of electric heat.
And the fluorescent lights,

82. Modest Mouse - The World at Large
The bittersweet counterpart to Float On that makes that song better then it already is in context of the album.
Favorite Lyric -
I like songs about drifters, books about the same
They both seem to make me feel a little less insane
Walked on off to another spot
I still haven't gotten anywhere that I want
Did I want love, did I need to know?
Why does it always feel like I'm caught in an undertow?

81. The New Pornographers - The Bleeding Heart Show
Part of the problem with Challengers compared to other New Porno's albums is that it finds AC Newman intent on writing ballads instead of power pop songs. Ballads aren't the reason I(or anyone) listen to the New Pornographers so it is disappointing when they are the major component of the album. However in small doses they can be spectacular. Part of the reason The Bleeding Heart Show works is that it has real teeth and rocks out despite starting out much like many of the songs on Challengers. By the time Neko Case chimes in for the outro chorus its hard not to be absolutely enraptured with the song.
Favorite Lyric -
We have arrived too late to play the bleeding heart show

80. Radiohead - Life In A Glasshouse
Oddly enough this song, a jazzy very traditional number, is probably the oddball of Radioheads discography. They've done nothing else even remotely similar. The song consists of Yorke's vocals accompanied by simple drums and the trumpeting of traditional jazz artist Humphrey Lyttelton and his band. The jazz component works beautifully with Yorkes vocals and the repetition of "only" towards the end of the song is one of my favorite moments of Amnesiac
Favorite Lyric -
Well, of course I'd like to sit around and chat
Well, of course I'd like to stay and chew the fat
Well, of course I'd like to sit around and chat
Only, only, only
Only, only, only
Only, only, only
Only, only, only
There's someone listening in

79. Elliott Smith - Junk Bond Trader
The up side of the the production on Figure 8
Favorite Lyric -
And you tell off when you tell it like it is
Your world's no wider than your hatred of his
Checking into a small reality
Boring as a drug you take too regularly

78. The New Pornographers - The Fake Headlines
A great piece from The New Porno's debut
Favorite Lyric -
I wrote the news today
In the tent outside the midway rides
And when my money flew
Singing to their pockets I
I filled the whole front page
With the catchiest words I could find

Fake headlines, believe me come back
Fake headlines, believe them come back

77. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Easily the most well known bass line of the last ten years


76. The National - Fake Empire
A beautifully atmospheric song. A lot of peoples(including mine) introduction to The National and its great
Favorite Lyric -
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


75. Daft Punk - One More Time
The a capella part in the middle is great. Its hard to not smile when listening to this song.

74. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Storm
The first 7 minutes build up endlessly. Every time you think the song can't keep going it does. The other 16 or so minutes are just icing.

73. Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened
The outro is spectacular

72. WHY? - Fatalist Palmistry
Why?'s most joyous song.
Favorite Lyrics - Too many
i sleep on my back cause it's good for the spine
and coffin rehersal
i know a psychic who reads her own palms
and her findings are personal
she keeps her fists shut tight and she sleeps on her side,
well maybe she knows something i don't know

but your painted pony is fading
lost like a snakeskin in high grass
and out there thrashing like a pet bird caught in a jet stream, that's me
you count them blessings cause your net worth
oughta be less cream in your best dreams
but god put a song on my palm
that you can't read
i'll be embalmed with it long before you'll see

71. Animal Collective - Did You See the Words
The song just exudes sexuality.
Favorite Lyric - Do the elderly couples still kiss and hug and grab their big wrinkly skin so tough wrinkly wrink wrink wrinkly rough....

70. Interpol - Untitled
The gorgeous opener from Interpol's debut.

69. The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Spectacular opener to one of the best albums of the decade.
Favorite Lyric -
Soft hair and a velvet tongue
I want to give you what you give to me
and every breath that is in your lungs
is a tiny little gift to me

68. Amanda Palmer - Runs in the Family
Great flow and delivery from Amanda on this song. Hits the ground running and only builds up more.
Favorite Lyric -
My friend has maladies, rickets, and allergies that she dates back to the 17th century
Somehow she manages in her misery.
Strips in the city and shares all her best tricks with me
well, I'm well well I mean I'm in hell well I still have my health at least that's what they tell me.
If wellness is this what in hell's name is sickness?
But business is business and business runs in the family.

67. Destroyer - The Bad Arts
Three part song with typically great Bejar lyrics and a coda that consists of a twist on a Joy Division lyric of all things.
Favorite Lyric -
The world woke up one day to proclaim - Thou shalt not take part in, or
make, bad art.

66. A.C. Newman - On the Table
I can just see AC Newman saying "shit I need a chorus...fuck it, do re mi"

65. The National - Cherry Tree
loose lips sink ships

64. The Unicorns - Sea Ghost
The high pitched flute at the beginning of the song initially set me against what is now one of my favorite songs on this spectacular album. A very pretty song about wondering how you got to where you are now.
Favorite Lyric -
Who was I with, what time was it?
And where-ere-ere-ere
Who was I with?
What time was it?
And where-ere-ere-ere
Did you go?

63. Eminem - 'Till I Collapse
A highlight from The Eminem Show. Em kills all three verses. Unfortunately he has not kept true to his promise in the below lyric.
Favorite Lyric -
Till I collapse I'm spillin' these raps long as you feel 'em
Till the day that I drop you'll never say that I'm not killin' 'em
Cause when I am not, then I'ma stop pinnin' 'em
and I am not hip-hop and I'm just not Eminem

62. Destroyer - Hey, Snow White
This Night is an overlong, sloppy, mess of an album in the best way possible. This song is a microcosm of the album. The song goes on for 7:55 but by the time the fading "all rights" take over the song I honestly could listen to for another 10.
Favorite Lyric - The only lyrics
Hey Snow White, it's gonna be all right
It's gonna be all right
How can you win some?
When the company goes public
You've got to learn to love what you own

61. Sunset Rubdown - The Taming of the Hands That Came Back to Life
Somewhat of the thematic center of Random Spirit Lover and one of the more accessible songs on the album.
Favorite Lyric -
She said, "My sails are flapping in the wind."
I said, "Can I use that in a song?"
She said, "I mean the end begins."
I said, "I know. Can I use that too?"

60. Jay-Z - 99 Problems
The production is the highlight with a simple guitar riff forming the core of the beat.
Favorite Lyric -
"Son, do you know why I'm stoppin you for?"
Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low
Or do I look like a mindreader, sir? I don't know
Am I under arrest or should I guess some more?
"Well you was doin fifty-five in the fifty-four;
license and registration and step out of the car -
are you carryin a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are"
I ain't steppin out of shit, all my papers legit
"Well do you mind if I look around the car a little bit?"
Well my glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk in the back
And I know my rights, so you gon' need a warrant for that
"Aren't you sharp as a tack! You should try out
for lawyer or somethin, somebody important or somethin"
Child I ain't passed the bar, but I know a little bit
Enough that you won't illegally search my shit
"Well we'll see how smart you are when the canine comes"
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one
hit me!

59. Grouper - Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping
A simple and beautiful song.

58. Wilco - I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
The song meanders around for nearly 7:00 perfectly setting up Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Favorite Lyric -
i am an american aquarium drinker
i assasin down the avenue
i'm hiding out
in the big city blinkin'
what was i thinkin'
when i let go of you

57. Radiohead - 2+2=5
The song perfectly builds to a frenzy
Favorite Lyric -
Oh, go and tell the king that the sky is falling in
But it's not
But it's not
But it's not
Maybe not
Maybe not

56. The Strokes - Take It or Leave It
Hard to argue with this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csD4ZgMPgvg

55. Sunset Rubdown - Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days
The obvious litmus test for Random Spirit Lover and Sunset Rubdown in general. If you enjoy this song you will probably love everything Spencer Krug has ever touched. Spencers Krugs voice is at its most hysterical here, which is enough to drive a good amount of people away.
Favorite Lyric -
Well shit, I know we're all growing old.
But where there's a will, there is a way
So way to go
Say goodbye to your feral days.

54. Swan Lake - All Fires
The layer of fuzz that wraps up all of Beast Moans is present here but it doesn't hide the fact that this is just a simple acoustic guitar ballad. It just happens to be a brilliant one.
Favorite Lyric -
Five hundred pieces
Means five hundred float.
One thousand people means
Five hundred don't.
And it's Teresa they love the best.

53. Deerhunter - Dot Gain
The song opens a pretty cool little guitar piece. Pundt's vocals accompany as the guitar repeats for about 2:00. Things only subtly change up until that point, things get a little louder, some extra effects are added in. You can feel that the song is about to break open and, just when you can almost not take it anymore, it does, into quite literally one of my favorite little parts of any song ever. I really don't know how to describe it even.

52. Radiohead - Reckoner
Radiohead fairly commonly makes sad music(see - Exit Music, Fake Plastic Trees, No Suprises), downbeat yet uplifting music(see - Let Down, There There), somewhat scary music(see - climbing up the walls, sit down stand up, idioteque), and straight up rock music(see - My Iron Lung, Bodysnatchers, Go to Sleep). Radiohead as a band generally makes "pretty" music so all of these songs have some beauty in them. What makes Reckoner special is that it is the only Radiohead song that the focus is beauty. It perfectly captures a feeling of pure, calm, comforting, unadulterated beauty with only a minimal amount of melancholy.
Favorite Lyric -
Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore
In rainbows
Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore

51. Broken Social Scene - It's All Gonna Break
10:00 of euphoric rocking out. I wonder how many people actually listen to the lyrics because they are absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible. The screaming of "its all gonna break" is spectacular. The song sounds like its getting ready to end at 3:30, then it just keeps going.
Favorite Lyric -
i know your dying
i know it's true
i know theirs seven thousand things you rather be and rather do,
and i know........that you fuck what you love
and you love what you fuck.

50. WHY? - These Few Presidents
Some of Yoni's best lyrics. A rather dark breakup song filled with great lines.
Favorite Lyric -
even though i haven't seen you in years
yours is a funeral i'd fly to from anywhere

49. Eminem - The Way I Am
Eminem at his angriest, he's great on all three verses.
Favorite Lyric -
I sit back with this pack of Zig Zags and this bag
of this weed it gives me the shit needed to be
the most meanest MC on this -- on this Earth
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse

48. Deerhunter - Cover Me(Slowly)/Agoraphobia
These songs obviously go together. I feel like Cover Me(Slowly) was written after Deerhunter asked themselves "How can we open microcastle as epically as possible?" It would seem forced if it wasn't so fucking amazing. Cover Me is like a deep breath and Agoraphobia is the exhalation as the lyrics alternate between "cover me", "comfort me" and "come for me" which for some reason I really like. Combined they are one of the best openers of the decade.

47. M. Ward - Vincent O'Brien
A joyous and bittersweet song. It was a classic for me the first time I heard it.
Favorite Lyric -
He only laughs when he's sad and he's sad all the time
So he laughs the whole night through
(Yeah he laughs in the daytime too)

46. Elliott Smith - Pretty(ugly before)
One of the prettiest songs of Elliott Smith's last album. Great instrumental interlude in the middle.
Favorite Lyric -
Sometimes
Is all I feel up to now
But it's not worth it to you
Because you got to get high somehow

45. Sunset Rubdown - Us Ones in Between
Some of Krugs best lyrics and one of his more minimal tracks. For the most part only a simple piano piece accompanies Krugs vocals
Favorite Lyric -
I've heard of pious men
and I've heard of dirty things
but you don't often hear
of us ones in between
and I've heard of creatures
who eat their babies
and I wonder if they stop to think about the taste

44. Beach House - Gila
Quite simply one of the most beautiful songs of the decade. The vocals are absolutely perfect.
Favorite Lyric -
Man, you got a lot of jokes to tell

43. Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl
A simple heartwarming song with an amazingly apt title. Emily Haines distorted vocals are great.
Favorite Lyric - Might as well put them all
Used to be the one of the rotten ones
And I liked you for that
Now you're all gone, got your make-up on
And you're not coming back

Bleachin' your teeth, smiling flash
Talking trash, under your breath
Bleachin' your teeth, smiling flash
Talking trash, under my window

Park that car, drop that phone,
Sleep on the floor, dream about me

42. Radiohead - Idioteque
The prototypical example of everything that Kid A is that OK Computer isn't. A glitchy beat and odd sound effects prevade the song with not a traditional guitar riff in sight. What carries the song is some of Thom Yorke's best vocals.

41. The New Pornographers - Testament to Youth in Verse
Great lyrics including a nice Bob Dylan reference that builds up to an amazing coda.
Favorite Lyric -
Oh, my sweet witness
Can't you hear the voices?
They're telling the children to rock
For their choices
The bells ring
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no . . .

40. Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
A great infectious dance song

39. Swan Lake - Are You Swimming in Her Pools?
One of Krug's most straightforward songs. Filled with great lyrics and nice melody. I particularly like the part where he falters on the "Are you running up the river banks..." line only to come back with Bejar backing him.
Favorite Lyric -
And how the lines that appear around your eyes
When you are smiling
Are revered for the way in which they always reappear

38. Animal Collective - Grass
A joyous pop song that could almost be a radio hit if it wasn't for the fact that the chorus consists of Avey screaming in time with crashing guitars.

37. The National - Mr. November
One of the few times that The National just let it all go and it works brilliantly.
Favorite Lyric -
I wish that I believed in fate
I wish I didn't sleep so late
I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders
I'm the new blue blood, I'm the great white hope
I'm the new blue blood
I won't fuck us over, I'm Mr. November
I'm Mr. November, I won't fuck us over

36. Neko Case - Star Witness
Neko's epic, a perfectly beautiful song.
Favorite Lyric -
there were no survivors
none found alive

35. Modest Mouse - Lives
The dull sound of sharp math line is one of my favorite Modest Mouse lines period. Has the typical modest mouse structure of intro part-different middle part-end with reprise of intro part but the opening guitar part is great as are the lyrics throughout.
Favorite Lyric -
Everyone's afraid of their own life
If you could be anything you want
I bet you'd be disappointed, am I right?
No one really knows the ones they love
If you knew everything they thought
I bet that you'd wish that they'd just shut up
Well, you were the dull sound of sharp math
When you were alive
No one's going to play the harp when you die
And if I had a nickel for every damn dime
I'd have half the time, do you mind?

34. TV on the Radio - I Was a Lover
My introduction to TV on the Radio was the first few seconds of this song. As poppy and catchy TV on the Radio can be, this song is pretty bizarre. It opens with absolutely pounding bass and then, I don't honestly know what that next instrument is some kind of distorted string insturment, and then they add in more distortion. And that's how the song continues with only a brief piano interlude. What makes it great is the combination of bizarre and familiar aspects that make a very intriguing song.

33. Okkervil River - Another Radio Song
An instantly classic cathartic masterpiece from the Black Sheep Boy Appendix. The whole stanza starting with "bless this tiny alley" is about as captivating as music gets.
Favorite Lyric -
when you rise up to recover
when you leave this tiny alley
when you meet me in the garden
with your horns all hung with cedar
every spirit brushing past me
brushing past them in the ether
scream all this is window dressing
all you are is flimsy curtains
watch you flame up with a word from us
and won't know that you're burning

32. The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??
A transcendent song from the opening distorted "one, two, three four." An effortlessly epic song that would be cheesy if it wasn't so good.
Favorite Lyric -
Do You Realize - that everyone you know
Someday will die -
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

31. Modest Mouse - The Stars Are Projectors
The thematic centerpiece of The Moon and Antartica.
Favorite Lyric -
God is a woman and the woman is an animal
That animal's man and that's you
Was there a need for creation?
That was hiding in a math equation and that's this:
Where do circles begin?

30. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
The symphonic masterpiece from Illinois. I really wish he'd make another real album though that looks like it might not happen for a while
Favorite Lyric -
I drove to New York
In the van, with my friend
We slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
In my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
In my mind, in my mind

29. Modest Mouse - Life Like Weeds
Great lyrics and a great final statement of Moon and Antarctica.(What People are Made of is really more of a coda)
Favorite Lyric -
All this talking all the time and the air fills up, up, up
Until there's nothing left to breathe
And you think you feel most everything
And we know that our hearts are just made out of strings
To be pulled, strings to be pulled
So you think you've figured out everything
But we know that our minds are just made out of strings
To be pulled, strings to be pulled
All this talking all the time and the air fills up, up, up
Until there's nothing left to breathe
Up until there's nothing left to speak
Up until the better parts of space

28. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings
Showcases Spencer Krug's penchant for writing good melodies as well as any song of his. Three distinct parts all brilliant.
Favorite Lyric -
I'm afraid of the water;
I'm afraid of the sky.
I'm tired of waiting.
Oceans never listen to us anyway [2x]
And if I fall into the drink,
I will say your name, before I sink.
So don't make a sound.
Don't make a sound.

27. Animal Collective - Winters Love
With all their weirdness people forget that Animal Collective generally make very pretty music.

26. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Gardener
A great creepy love song. Taken literally its about a guy who murders people to hide secrets from his lover and then uses the dead bodies to fertilize his garden. But the song feels so romantic its easy not to notice that
Favorite Lyric -
I sense a spy up in the chimney
From all the evidence I've burned
I guess he'll read it in the smoke now
And soon to ashes I'll return

I know the spy is going to tell you
It's not my flag up in the pole
So now he's buried by the lilies
So I could stay forever more in your eyes, babe

25. El-P - The Overly Dramatic Truth
One of the sickest beats of the decade, the drums are amazing and the distorted vocals are a great complement.
Favorite Lyric -
You think I'm a genius?
I know I'm a whore

24. The New Pornographers - Ballad of a Comeback Kid
Some great Bejar lyrics matched up with as euphoric of power pop as The New Pornographers ever came up with.
Favorite Lyric -
Pray for content
Settle for free rent
The tenements recall Rome

High five
Look up, look alive
As the scions of history
Guess another mystery wrong

23. Radiohead - The National Anthem
A spectacular bass line is the center of the song and it never changes. Instead the drums, sound effects, and vocals build around it until the trumpets enter to take over the song. The song climaxes with a cacophony of horns until the bass line finally cuts out and all that is left is the horns.

22. Okkervil River - A Stone
Amazing lyrical and vocal performance.
Favorite Lyric -
You love a stone,
because it's dark and it's old,
and if it could start
being alive
you'd stop living alone.
And I think I believe that,
if stones could dream,
they'd dream of being laid
side-by-side,
piece-by-piece,
and turned into a castle
for some towering queen
they're unable to know.

And when that queen's daughter
came of age,
I think she'd be lovely
and stubborn and brave,
and suitors would journey
from kingdoms away
just to make themselves known.

And I think that I know the bitter dismay of a lover who brought
fresh bouquets every day
when she turned him away
to remember some knave
who once gave
just one rose, one day, years ago.

21. The Walkmen - The Rat
One of the angriest sounding songs ever made. Great vocal performance
Favorite Lyric -
When I used to go out, I would know everyone that I saw
Now I go out alone, if I go out at all

20. Panda Bear -Bros
Along with the rest of Person Pitch I got into Bros only when I was just a little bit drunk. Suddenly the wall of sound was catchy, though not in a traditional way. I read in some review of Bros some that I agree with that the song was catchy but only in a stretched out way, no 30 seconds of Bros would work as a ringtone.

19. OutKast - B.O.B.
My most enduring memory of this will be waiting at the light after it turned from red to green to hit gas in time with the beat coming in after andres "one, two, one, three, yeah."

18. Animal Collective - For Reverend Green
Some of my favorite Avey Tare vocals. The opening distortion that pervades the song is bizarrely catchy.
Favorite Lyric -
Now I think it's alright we're together
Now I think that's a riot
Now I think it's the best you've ever played it
Now I think that's a riot
Now I think it's alright to feel inhuman
Now I think that's a riot
Now I think it's alright, we'll sing together
Now I think that's a riot

17. Sunset Rubdown - The Mending of the Gown
The opening guitar riff is one of the most euphoric things ever
Favorite Lyric -
She had a name,
she had a spirit,
she had a line in the play if you wanted to hear it.
But the master of disguises, her demise was her design, they said.
Was it the mending of the gown,
or the running, and the running and the running it around?

16. The National - All the Wine
A spectacular feel good song
Favorite Lyric -
I'm so sorry but the motorcade will have to go around me this time
Cuz God is on my side
And I'm the child bride

15. The Roots - The Seed(2.0)
A great mix of rap, rock and soul. Also this has happened a lot over the course of making this list but the Mending of the Gown transitioned into this amazingly.
Favorite Lyric -
I push my seed somewhere deep in her chest
I push it naked cuz I've takin my test
Deliverin' Mary it don't matter the sex
I'm gon' name it rock and roll
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work becuz I'm pushin it right
If Mary drop my baby girl, tonight
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll yeah
I would name it Rock-N-Roll

14. The Unicorns - Les Os
The magic of this song is how it manages to be epic at three minutes and thirty-two seconds long. It has everything to do with the guitar in the "chorus".
Favorite Lyric -
Is this love of ours alive?
Is it killing me alive?
Is this love of ours a lie?
Is it chemically derived, to ascertain
and sequester the pain

13. of Montreal - The Past is a Grotesque Animal
It's somewhat bizarre that of Montreal's masterpiece would be a nearly 12 minute epic. You'd expect some goofy but infectious pop piece to be their statement song. A frantic but repetitive beat slowly builds and accompanies Kevin Barnes brilliant vocal performance. The acoustic version is an interesting alternative take on the song.
Favorite Lyric -
The mousy girl screams, "Violence! Violence!"
The mousy girl screams, "Violence! Violence!"
She gets hysterical because they're both so mean
And it's my favorite scene
But the cruelty's so predictable
It makes you sad on the stage
Though our love project has so much potential
But it's like we weren't made for this world
(Though I wouldn't really want to meet someone who was)

12. Wolf Parade - Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts
I considered putting this at number one. All of Spencer Krugs strengths are here in a brilliant song about wanting something more.
Favorite Lyric -
I got a hand
So I got a fist
So I got a plan
It's the best that I can do
Now we'll say it's in God's hands
But God doesn't always have the best goddamn plans, does he?

11. TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
The song where TV on the Radio really lets it all hang out.
Favorite Lyric -
Charge me your day rate
I'll turn you out in kind
When the moon is round and full
Gonna teach you tricks that'll blow your mongrel mind

Baby doll I recognize
You're a hideous thing inside
If ever there were a lucky kind it's
You you you you

Ok, so following on from my rundown of my top 100 tracks of the decade (see previous entries linked below), it's now time for my top fifty albums of the decade, which starts today and will be concluded next week (I wanted this done by Whitby, and the end of the month).

Previously:
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.01: 100 to 81
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.02: 80 to 61
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.03: 60 to 41
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.04: 40 to 21
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.05: 20 to 01


50
Marilyn Manson
The Golden Age of Grotesque
2003

Maybe it was the company, maybe it was the gorgeous (now ex-)wife, maybe it was just an accident of timing. Whatever happened, for the first time in a while the artist Brian Warner dresses up as and taunts Middle America with had an album of quality tunes to match the scandal and image. Yes, mOBSCENE was overplayed, but it wasn't as if it was the only track to filled the club here. Every track without exception up to track nine (ignoring the intro) is pretty much MM at the top of his game, and while it dips a little for the second half, it's this first half that carries it through. It has malice, it has sneering humour, and it has sleaze in spades. In fact, pretty much MM always should have been, but with the exception of Antichrist Superstar never really carried it off apart from this. Obviously, things went seriously downhill since, but I'm happy to stick with this.

49
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
2003

A vicious, take-no-prisoners kind of comeback that was the sign of a reconvened band chomping at the bit to take things further. A very, very loud production suited this album fine, as the only way to appreciate it was to play it just as loud. There aren't any bad songs, but some are certainly head and shoulders above others. Like opener The Death & Resurrection Show, whose menacing opening is swept away by that monstrous, tribalesque drumming. I've not been mad-keen on the material since, but I'd love to hear some of the older stuff recorded with this kind of power and production...

48
Alice in Chains
Black Gives Way To Blue
2009

I thought long and hard about including this, with it being so new, but repeated listens have simply confirmed what I thought the first time around - this is one of the most extraordinary comback albums I've ever heard. It simply bristles with defiance, of respect for what came before but also of what can happen now, and is a surprisingly positive sounding album in light of what the core of the band have been through. And then, the new vocalist, William DuVall, fits perfectly into the mix. There aren't really highlights here, as all of it is. In time, I'm sure I'll place this higher, but for now it deserves it's place here.

47
Mastodon
Leviathan
2004

This should never have worked. "Prog-influenced, ultra-technical metallers release concept album based around Moby Dick" should, really, have had punters running for the hills, but then we all heard lead single Blood and Thunder, and all bets were off. How they pulled this off I'll never know, but the concept works, and pretty much all of the songs stand on their own, too, which is always the sign of a concept album that was a success.

46
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Ire Works
2007

Sell out? Hardly. A couple of songs here may have sounded a little less abrasive (Black Bubblegum was nearing pop), but one listen to the vicious fury of opener Fix Your Face should have been enough to remind you who exactly we are dealing with here. Their infinitely complex "math-rock"/hardcore hybrid is still present and correct, just perhaps with a better set of actual songs rather than just blasts of noise as they have occasionally done in the past.

45
Nine Inch Nails
Year Zero
2007

The best NIN release in years, this, and also the beginning of Trent Reznor's various experiments in widening the appeal of the band by being more creative with marketing the album, and by simply offering more to the fans - the clever, multiple websites and USB stick tricks being notable at the time. The other notable thing about this album, of course, was a different lyrical angle - rather than the dark introspection of previous albums, this was, in the main, a thinly veiled attack on the Bush administration - and the fury this invoked helped to shape a great album.

44
Daft Punk
Discovery
2001

Four years on from the techno-house mastery of Homework, Discovery surprised a lot of people, including me. Not quite what I was expecting, really - lead single One More Time was euphoric, vocal house music, and much of the rest of the album had 70s AOR-influences all over it. It's perhaps a credit to the musical skill of Daft Punk that they managed to pull this off, and it perhaps makes all the more sense when you watch Interstella 5555, which the album soundtracks (in order).

43
Apoptygma Berzerk
Welcome to Earth
2000

Perfect timing, maybe, but following 7 a few years before, Stefan Groth took things into a far more electro territory than the gothic/darkwave leanings of before, and hit upon his best album by miles. Basically eight songs linked by a number of lengthy soundscapes, much of the album had a space or alienation theme, and even managed to take in Metallica and the Twin Peaks theme along the way. It also probably features three of Apop's greatest songs (the incredible opening one-two of the trance-futurepop masterpieces of Starsign and Eclipse, and then the lengthy Paranoia), not to mention probably their best-loved ballad in Kathy's Song (Come Lie Next to Me). Groth's desire to move on musically has seen him leave this kind of material far behind, and while his keenness to try other things is admirable, it's never been the same.

42
The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
2004

Sounding like no-one else before or since musically, lyrically and vocally Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls is much like many female-singer songwriters, in that many of the songs are extraordinarily confessional. But to add to that well-thumbed book comes a wicked sense of humour and that very different musical backing, and a set of songs that are memorable for many different reasons. It's not hard to see why the band have gained such a devoted set of fans, that's for sure.

41
Imperative Reaction
As We Fall
2006

IR had always been good, but nothing more, in my opinion - until an early version of the title track from this arrived on a Das Bunker compilation, and suddenly it was IR taking their sound to another level entirely. The thing is, when the album arrived there were a number of other songs on it that plainly and simply knocked the title track into the shade. They don't do anything too unusual - dancefloor-friendly electro-industrial (or hard EBM, if you wish) - but what they do, they do very, very well indeed. The follow-up album to this - Minus All - continues in the vein of high quality, too.

40
Combichrist
Everybody Hates You
2005

Love it or hate it - and I'd say of people I know there are probably equal numbers of each - this was Combichrist's breakthrough album, moving a little from the aggressive, heavy-duty, and mainly instrumental, industrial of debut album The Joy of Gunz towards a more accessible, more vocal-based dancefloor attack, and it paid off in spades. I can think of few other albums in the wider industrial scene where of thirteen songs, no less than ten of them will fill the club dancefloors still, four years after release. Yes, bits of it are grossly overplayed, and people in clubs could really do with requesting other things once in a while, but perhaps this never-ending torrent of requests for tracks from it suggests one thing, at least - Andy La Plegua delivered exactly what the punters on the dancefloor wanted, and that was pounding industrial-electro to dance to, and not to have to think about too much while doing so.

39
Rotersand
Truth Is Fanatic
2003

This album - in fact, the band - kinda snuck up on me and a fair number of others, as many of us discovered them as support for Assemblage 23 way back in the mists of time. They were quite a find, too - somehow balancing the fine line of heavy-duty club beats with a sense of melody and songcraft that had tripped up so many in the past. And pre-Dalek-sampling days, they were still a fascinating proposition, with a debut album full of dancefloor epics that frequently actually engaged brain as well as body, a rare commodity in the scene nowadays, sadly. I could take or leave the acoustic ballads, frankly, but rest of the album is so sodding good that I'm beginning to wonder if they will ever top it - and that's saying something seeing as they've barely put a foot wrong since, either.

38
Opeth
Ghost Reveries
2005

This release, much like the rest of Opeth's output, was met with euphoric reviews, but this album deserved them more than any other they've done. Despite the album's vast length, not a second is wasted, and the songs move effortlessly between sections and genres without any jarring. The return to the crunching guitars from the mellow middle-section of Ghost of Perdition is one perfect example (the soaring guitar solo that follows is simply glorious), but there are any number of moments that have you just mouthing "wow", and everything - while musically complex - seems so effortless. Not noly that, it may be verging on prog, but it's an utter joy to listen to.

37
Rammstein
Mutter
2001

It's taken until their comeback this year - and three albums - to even come close to matching the enormity of this album. By the time this album was released, anticipation was, to put it mildly, pretty fucking high. It had been nearly four years since the release of Sehnsucht which had brought the band worldwide attention and notoriety for their spectacular, fiery live show, and the great thing was that Mutter delivered on every level. It had the crunching, stadium-sized metal tracks, it had the ballads without sounding too twee, and then it had tracks like Zwitter that reminded us of their wickedly dark sense of humour. Probably one of the few bands to crack America while rarely straying from singing in their native German, that very fact perhaps speaks volumes about their appeal, and this album is without a shadow of a doubt the place to start if you've not really heard them before. But then you need to work back to the early material, before coming back to the new one...

36
Glasvegas
Glasvegas
2008

It took me ages before I really paid much attention to this band - having long been wary of "indie" bands being hyped to a ridiculous degree by the music press - but by the time I did I was kicking myself for not having paid attention sooner. Somewhere between Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine's more melodic moments and sixties doo-wop, the entire album is an enthralling listen, it's gritty tales of life in Glasgow all really quite affecting. Top moments? The impossibly sad tale of the boy who hasn't come home in Flowers And Football Tops, never mind it's use of You Are My Sunshine, Geraldine's tale of a social worker, and most of all, the devastating, withering Daddy's gone, that in some respects I can relate to far too much (although more about my mother, obviously). Quite how they follow this, of course, is another question...

35
Gogol Bordello
Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike
2005

An album so unhinged at points that it's a wonder that it doesn't all fall apart, the majority of this album sounds like it was recorded at one of the best parties of all time. And that's one of the things that is so great about this band - a motley gang that sound like they are having the time of their lives, and the songs simply jump out of the speakers at you and drag you into the maelstrom. Obviously material like this is best experienced in the live environment, but even on record it's a whole bag of fun, and at points - Start Wearing Purple, I'm looking at you - it's madder than a box of frogs, too...

34
Explosions in the Sky
The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
2003

One of the more interesting "post-rock" bands, and arriving a little later than many of their peers, this lot could have been written off as mere copyists were it not for the fact that so much of their material is so heart-stoppingly gorgeous. Working within the confines of the usual "rock" set-up of guitar-bass-drums, they somehow create lengthy soundscapes that evoke strong emotions, admittedly mainly of sadness and loneliness, but there are parts that are sheer, total joy. But it's that almost wilful manipulation of emotions that is the most remarkable thing here - proof perhaps this is music that really does transcend it's humble origins and make you feel part of it. And all without vocals.

33
Goldfrapp
Black Cherry
2003

I mentioned the other week that this was the band's real breakthrough to the mainstream, and in retrospect it's filthy lyrics and sound make it somewhat miraculous that it wasn't censored in some way. But then, the overt sexuality of the album it part of the attraction, and, er, stripped of it this album wouldn't be half as good, or as fun. It's the full-on, uptempo electro numbers that are the core of the album (the domination/submission of Strict Machine, the sexual demands and orgasmic heights of Twist, the barely disguised innuendo of Train, for starters), but the ballads are equally deserving of your attention.

32
ohGr
welt
2001

It's worrying me to realise just how old this is, particularly as, I seem to recall, that many songs on this album had been kicking around for a few years previously, too. One of those classic examples of an album ahead of it's time, perhaps, freed from the confines of Skinny Puppy nivek ogre and Mark Walk clearly let things take some very different directions to the parent band. This is, at least in part, extremely twisted synthpop, and up to the point of it's release sounded like pretty much nothing SP had done. Subsequent album SunnyPsyOp was not half as rewarding as this, but then, little else has been since either: there is simply so much going on that it's fun going back and listening again and again. Quite a trick, really.

31
Tool
Lateralus
2001

It was a long, long time coming, this, but it was worth it in the end. A staggering technical achievement, of course, but the songs are what made it so good, not just the musical mastery on show. It's not just a rehash of Ænima, either, instead having a very different atmosphere and feel and perhaps that is what made it so successful as an album. Like all Tool material, it rewards repeated listening to the whole album, rather than individual songs, trying to get your head around the songs, their complex construction, the insane time signatures (Lateralus itself is apparently based around the Fibonacci sequence both musically and lyrically!) and deep lyrical detail. So, not one for the casual listener, but worth it all the same...

30
Interlock
[album artist=Interlock]Crisis%252F%252FReinvention
2005

Call them a British Fear Factory if you must, but Interlock were always perhaps a little more varied than that tag might have suggested. Despite something of an unstable lineup in their later years - and then splitting for good on the eve of the second album's release (which never did ever see the light of day, sadly) - the one full album they did deliver is awesome. From the full-on industrial roar of Skinless and Straight to the surprisingly tender ballad of This Waking Moment, they managed to cover far more bases than I ever would have expected, and as a result ended up with an album that was pretty special. Nowadays, by the way, my favourite track is the last one - the stomp of In Stasis that gets better with every listen. Gone, and missed, this lot.

29
Draconian
Turning Season Within
2008

A glorious album of romantic doom metal, that didn't put a single foot wrong and perhaps was never quite as appreciated in the UK as it should have been. A shame, really, as it was easily a match for anything the homegrown kings of the genre have put out in recent years, and indeed went one step further by including dual vocalists, with the sweet tones of the female vocalist being used to spectacular effect and adding that extra dimension that many of their peers so sorely lacked.

28
Alter der Ruine
The Giants From Far Away
2009

There was a marvellous sleight-of-hand pulled off by ADR here. The previous album State of Ruin was dark, and pre-occupied in part with a bleak present and future. The follow-up, going on press releases and apparent theme, seemed to suggest more of the same, so it was something of a surprise to say the least when it turned out to be a blast of bouncing, *fun* noisy electro-industrial, riddled with humorous and cleverly-placed samples - oh, and the best use of Chris Morris in music for a while, too. And along the way, they've managed to widen their fanbase, too, if the reaction to this band's material in clubs (and my girlfriend loves this album, too, which was a little bit of a surprise) is anything to go by...

27
16Volt
FullBlackHabit
2007

Nine years had elapsed by the time this, the follow-up to Supercoolnothing finally arrived, and remarkably, perhaps, it was well worth the wait. More electronics, more crunch, more tunes, in fact it was the archetypal "turn up to 11" that worked in spectacular style. Ok, so there were a couple of tracks that I wasn't especially keen on, but an album where I like every song on it is bloody rare. Either way, it's worth it alone for tracks two through to four, which are probably three of the best industrial rock tracks ever recorded.

26
Icon of Coil
Serenity is the Devil
2000

Back in the days BC (that's, Before Combichrist), Icon of Coil were one of the most thrilling of the "Futurepop" bands by some distance, and this reputation was plainly and simply thanks to the early singles and the extraordinary first album. Starting out with the lengthy, Strange Days-sampling intro to Activate, the icy, detached vocals perfectly matched the smooth, sleek music that at points was nearing trance-techno, but always had that extra gear to shift into that set so many of the songs apart. The use of female vocals (in the form of the sultry tones of Computorgirl) on a handful of songs was a good move, too, as it provided some variety (even if the single version of Situations Like These, remixed with a slamming beat and Andy on vocals, was even better). None of La Plegua's projects have sounded as unique, or as brilliant, as this since.

Next week: My top 50 albums 2000-09 Pt.02: 25 to 01