Best of the Oughts: Albums 91-100

This is the first installment of my Best of the Oughts series. Today's post is the first ten of my best albums of the decade list. I love all the records on this list. Just because these ten are at the bottom does not mean I dislike them.

Numbers 91-100 actually have a decent representation of women. Despite my feminist leanings, I am not very good at filling my collection with female performers. However, the ones I do include are typically among my favorites. I'll spend loads of money on mediocre-to-crappy male musicians for some reason. I guess those are the limitations of gender roles on one's record collection.

There are also some marginal releases from really great bands at this end of the list. I sometimes prefer an OK album from a great band because even their worst material is better than the best unknown bands. That or I am a sucker for rock tradition.


100. St. Vincent - Marry Me
I bought this months after it was released on a trip to Seattle. I have to say that I was blown away from the first listen, so intense and complex. The layers, textures, and incredible performances on this album made me wonder whether Annie Clark is the female Sufjan Stevens or the other way around.


99. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
The last two tracks get me every time with this one. It's no Apologies to the Queen Mary, but it's not as bad as some thought. This is the album Wolf Parade meant to make before Isaac Brock got a hold of them. (Also, this is easily the worst album cover of the decade.)


98. Silver Jews - Bright Flight
David Berman is maybe the most gifted wordsmith on this list. His best work was in the last decade, but this was a good send-off to his musical career.


97. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat
This was Sleater-Kinney's protest album. What were they protesting? What have you got? 9/11 just happened and George W Bush was running the country into the ground. This provided some good material.


96. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow
I have forgiven Devendra Banhart for his hippie ways. How can you not when someone records an album like this that transcends jam bands, indie rock, and punk?


95. The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
Dirty and fat are the licks on this record. You should only listen to this on vinyl. Oh, and they're from Ohio.


94. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
There's a ton of Vancouver all over my top-100. This is another from from the Wolf Parade co-op. Difficult but so worth the effort.


93. Radiohead - Amnesiac
It's amazing what Radiohead has done this decade. Here's the first of several Radiohead efforts on the list. I never saw the direction they've taken in this century since OK Computer. Truly inspired.


92. The White Stripes - Elephant
By the time Elephant came out, the Stripes were huge. The sound on this record matches their hugeness better than any other point in their oeuvre.


91. Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
I don't know exactly where I'd rank this among the Belle and Sebastian records, but it does hold some special memories for R and I. I haven't been impressed much from the material coming out of B&S alums since. This may have been the beginning of the end.

The Revinylization Project: Iron and Wine, White Rabbits, and Cursive

Iron & Wine - Around the Well

Music
There are few bands that one could envision would put out as compelling a rarities album as Iron and Wine. Lost in recent albums is the back porch feel of Sam Beam's whisper and faint slide guitar. Still, to this day, one of the most profound shows I've seen is Beam, his sister, and a guy switching between slide guitar and banjo play as hushed a show as one can imagine. You could hear a pin drop that night. That sound returns on this collection, including Death Cab and Flaming Lips covers. This record is essential Iron & Wine listening as far as I'm concerned.

Insert
The insert is a large fold-out with album artwork on the outside and lyrics on the inside.

Sleeve
The artwork features a painting of nearly as many records as one finds in the sleeve. It's both aesthetically

Extras
The free MP3 was included.

Record
This whopping LP includes three records of music. However, the third disc is one-sided, with the other side featuring a cool etching of more album artwork. I love it when bands do this.

whY?
Because you should know what this "band" sounded like before they embraced calypso or Hotel California.


















White Rabbits - It's Frightening

Music
I liked the White Rabbits first album. Sure, it sounded like every other Brooklyn band not featuring a turntable, but it also featured good, solid songwriting. This album sees the Rabbits developing into their own sound while holding onto quality songcraft.

Insert
The insert is simple. One side is a photo of a solitary drum in front of a dark background. The reverse side has the liner notes with "Britt Daniels" in big letters so that you don't forget that indie's King Midas produced this fine record.

Sleeve
The cover is a fine black-and-white blur of a drummer slamming away in front of an old piano. The black-and-white with simple white and red text remind me so much of a Spoon record.

Extras
There was no download (unless I missed it), but there was a CD with all the songs. That's something for the car. It's sort of odd how now the CD is the novelty. Things are coming full circle.

Also, I'm not sure this was intentional, but a 7" of "Percussion Gun" b/w the non-album track "Foxhunting" was included. I used to love singles. It's sort of cool Insound sends me one every once in a while.

Record
Classic, simple, black vinyl with simple label. I'm not sure if it's 180 gram, but it's solid.

whY?
If you're reading this blog, you're most likely connected to COMO in some way. The White Rabbits are from here and deserve some support. Besides that, they've recorded a really balanced and enjoyable record.


















Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

Music
I honestly haven't listened to Cursive in a long, long time. When I saw them play with Bald Eagle not too long ago, I didn't really listen to them then either. I think it's the fact that their crowds are so young. Hell, they were young eight years ago when I saw them before that.

Anyway, I forget how great this band can be. Sure, one could simplify their sound as "emo" or whatever, but it's way more layered, textured than that. Plus, Tim Kasher strings together themes of pain and loss better than most. The instrumentation is is varied and diverse without losing that rock edge. I think this album is a grower. I'll have to give it time before I give a final verdict, but I bet that it will rank high by year's end.

Insert
This album is loaded with extras and loads of stuff just falling from the sleeve. I'll start with the insert which is a giant book attached to the sleeve. The pages are hand-written (or scribbled) lyrics and liner notes. One can see why the kids love this band.

Sleeve
The cover is a dark and doctored photo of the moon over water. Coffee stains, some red paint, and other alterations give it an eerie feel.


















Extras
This album came with extras galore. I received both the digital download as well as a CD copy. That's the best of all worlds. Again, the CD is the novelty here. The download card is a credit card-like picture of the band on one side and info on the other.

Record
Red. The vinyl is red with some black marbled features. I love colored vinyl and this was a nice surprise.

whY? Well, Kasher is as a good a songsmith as there is in indie circles. A band that's been around, creating quality music as long as Cursive has deserves your dollar. Also, this album is easily the best packaged release that I've come across this year.

_____________________________

Since I ordered the Sunset Rubdown LP, I also received an MP3 of the album. I will reserve my opinion for after I have the entire package in my hands. However, as with most of the Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs/Frog Eyes/Sunset Rubdown material (sans Apologies to the Queen Mary), they're growers not show-ers.

Kate's List

As my list of the year's best albums nears its end and as you all anticipate my other year-end lists, I wanted to share my sister's list. Enjoy.

i must, must make a year-end list. i can't continue with my life if i don't make a year-end list. mockers be damned, i am making a list.

5 best albums of the year

1) feist-the reminder
the 1 and 2 spots were really tough for me but in the end i had to go with feist because i had been listening to it since june and i took the time to actually figure out the piano part on "my moon my man". granted the ipod/lifetime song has gotten annoying but it's still a good song. if i can be embarrassing, i'd say that this album is my generation's Exile in Guyville, only nicer and less f-bombs. feist is the nice canadian girl who doesn't have to skank it up to get your attention. plus she's in broken social scene, which automatically makes her my best pretend friend.
best song: the park
best line: he's the dirtiest clean i know.

2) bonnie "prince" billy-ask forgiveness
i just got this a week ago and the only reason it's not 1 is because 1) i just got it, 2) it's an ep so it doesn't seem right to put it first when everything else is a full-length and 3) it's covers...but damn good covers. i got it a few days before my birthday. it's amazing, old will knows my pain. best song: it's a tie. sometimes i like "i came to hear the music" but i think i probably like "cycles" the best.
best line: you know it's almost funny/but things can't get worse than now/so i'll keep on trying to sing/but please, just don't ask me how

3) arcade fire-neon bible
maybe this should be 1 but i've kind of gotten over the excitement of it. i still love it though, and i still don't wanna work in a building downtown. this was probably the best live show i saw all year and i wasn't even drunk! that says something...lot's of dancing and hooting and hollering. there also fun songs to drive too. "no cars go" makes me think of going towards the light...in a good way.
best song: no cars go
best line: see 2nd sentence

4)sunset rubdown-random spirit lover
i also just got this one but it's slowly been growing on me...just like their last release. i wish i could say more but i think i have a canadian theme going on here. for some reason, they remind me of queen. it's their arrangements or something very operatic, perhaps...or am i just trying to sound smart?
best song: the mending of the gown (criminitly, that guitar!)
best line: spencer krug's emoting, in general...he just doesn't seem to hold back.

5) i'm not there (movie & cd)-ok, so i'll admit it, i didn't get a whole lot of new music this year unless i could get it from the library or a friend. and since the library is somewhat limited in what they order and i only have two friends, i didn't really hear a lot from 2007. i got a lot from the 60's because i needed to...anyway, i'm getting off course. i went to the fancy bob dylan movie...kind of got parts of and really liked the soundtrack from seeing. when i finally got it at the library, i was somewhat disappointed in the songs...it just wasn't as good without the movie, i suppose. first the gripes: eddie vedder & antony and the johnsons. two people i never want to hear again. antony, you giant, please lose your voice. i don't care how much lou reed likes you, he's wrong. on the upside, however, i think the ladies outshine the men on this one, which is ironic since i'll pegged dylan for a bit of a mysogynist...or maybe it's not so ironic, really. oh, yeah, and what about that mason jennings?
best song: the cat power one, stuck in mobile with the memphis blues again, maybe? seriously, i'm so tired of the cat power haters. so what if she gave up the bottle and became friends with karl largerfeld? i like happy cat power just as much as sad-sack cat power.
best line: really? i'm not answering this. but desolation row is my favorite dylan song, surprise, surprise.

6) charlott gainsbourg-5:55
ok, i'm cheating, i was going to stop at 5 but then i remembered that this came out in 2007. anyway, quickly, very very good...i like her voice but she didn't write any ove the songs.
best song: operation
best line: our love goes under the knife...i only picked this line because for a long time i thought she was saying "olive goes under the knife" and i always pictured olive oil from popeye sitting on an operation table freaking out because someone was about to cut her open.

#26 of 2007: Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover

Thirty-One Words: Sunset Rubdown is just Wolf Parade without guitars and guts. Between dramatics, toy xylophones, and eighties keyboards, the listener can pick up on the complexities applied to the indie pop formula.

The one song that makes it worth $17.95: "Winged/Wicked Things"

Pitchfork Says: 8.5