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Writer/Journalist - check out my film review blog @ www.moviemandan.com
With few of the 90s bands releasing anything resembling a 'classic' (although fans of Radiohead's Kid A might disagree), it was left for a new crop to emerge amidst the talent-show talentless drivel. While many such as Arcade Fire and Artic Monkeys released albums with outstanding songs sandwiched between filler and others came close (Coldplay, The Shins) even the old hands were having a go, with The Boss and Dylan releasing some quality material. However these five albums really were the top of the crop. Boxer - The National Brooklyn's finest excelled after 2005's Alligator with a dark and brooding effort and a sound REM would have killed to rediscover. Matt Berninger's deep voice and Bryan Devendorf's superb drumming made for an instant classic that rewards with each play. They may have even gone and bettered it with this year's High Violet. Defining Track - Fake Empire is a masterclass for National newbies. Hidden Gem - Racing Like A Pro is the sort of quiet, acoustic affair they've come to perfect.
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes If there's one good thing to come out of the decade, it's the re-emergence of folk and Seattle-based Fleet Foxes pulled off a surprising coup for the crown out of nowhere with their debut effort. Stunning harmonies, melodic guitars and warm tunes leave the listener beaming from ear to ear. Defining Track - White Winter Hymnal builds from a simple choral chant to something special. Hidden Gem - He Doesn't Know Why - A soaring song that shows off Robin Pecknold's voice to the full.
Gold - Ryan Adams Perhaps timing helped the bad boy of alternative folk in September 2001 with lead single 'New York, New York' optimistically popular amongst the city-loving dwellers. While the second half of Adam's overstuffed album isn't up to the standard of the first when the opening five songs are as good as they are, who cares? Brilliant. Defining Track - New York, New York - what else? Hidden Gem - The Rescue Blues - A soulful blues song with a rousing gospel choir to boot.
A Grand Don't Come for Free - The Streets Concept albums are notoriously difficult to pull off but Mike Skinner managed it with his second release. The story of a man who descends further into a bad day after losing £1000, it brought garage hip hop to the masses and ended up in many a guitar-lovers CD collection. Defining Track - Dry Your Eyes showed men it's okay to cry. Very useful after Euro 2004. Hidden Gem - Empty Cans though, with its double plot ends the album on the most optimistic note you could wish for with a refreshingly sweet melody.
Með suð à eyrum við spilum endalaust - Sigur Ros Meaning"With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly' in Icelandic, the fifth album from the Scandinavian masters of ethereal classic pop brought a more playful sound to their music while keeping the darker melancholy that characterised their earlier releases. The result was their best complete album to date. Defining Track- Við spilum endalaust might have been the crowd-pleasing main single… Hidden Gem - But it's the nine minute Ara Batur that emerges as their best song yet. Stunning. Just try not to shiver. |
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Comments
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soundbunny on Sat 24 Jul 2010 @ 12:52 said:
Hmmm... I think my top five would be Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem, Geogaddi - Boards of Canada, Los Angeles - Flying Lotus and Further Complications -Jarvis Cocker.
bobdobelina on Sun 25 Jul 2010 @ 10:30 said:
No Strokes!!!!!! Ryan effing Adams!!!! Top 5, The Strokes - Is This It, YYYs - Show Your Bones, At The Drive In - Relationship of Command, The Horrors - Primary Colours, Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion. Then again, first two LCD albums, Rapture - Echoes, first two Coral albums, Interpol and seriously, no joke, Andrew WK - I Get Wet.
Alec Eiffel on Sun 25 Jul 2010 @ 14:35 said:
I'm afraid I must also say: "Ryan effing Adams!!!!" Sorry, Bob, can't agree about The Strokes though. Over-priveliged, over-pampered, and over-rated. I'd make a case for Arcade Fire's Funeral, Low's Things We Lost in the Fire, Joanna Newsom's Ys, and I'm agreed on LCD's Sound of SIlver.
danclay77 on Sun 25 Jul 2010 @ 16:13 said:
Not a Strokes fan but I am partial to a bit of Ryan Adams (as you can tell. "Love is Hell" is another great album!) Arcade Fire are great but not enough across a whole album.
bobdobelina on Sun 25 Jul 2010 @ 17:18 said:
The Strokes debut is 35 minutes of perfection. Music had got so bad before that came along, Travis, Starsailor and bloody Coldplay. This and White Blood Cells changed everything. Can't get my head around Joanna Newsom though.
thrownlikeastone on Sun 25 Jul 2010 @ 20:37 said:
1. Explosions In The Sky - Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
2. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
3. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
4. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
5. Mew - Frengers
Closely followed by:
Low - Things We Lost In The Fire
Blonde Redhead - 23
Hood - Cold House
Godspeed You Black Emporer - Lift Your Skinny Arms Like Antennas To Heaven
Mountain Men Anonymous - Krkonose
all cracking stuff!!!
soundbunny on Mon 26 Jul 2010 @ 17:13 said:
Oh, and also Big Lousy Moon by Phoebe Kreutz which hardly anyone knows about but it's on Spotify and if you're reading this you should check it out!
brownstone27 on Tue 27 Jul 2010 @ 12:19 said:
Think i'll go for;
1. The Broken Family Band- Welcome Home, loser (2005)
2. Joanna Newsom- Ys (2006)
3. Comet Gain- Realistes (2002)
4. Belle & Sebastian- Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003)
5. Grinderman- Grinderman (2007)
All been pretty important to me...
brownstone27 on Wed 4 Aug 2010 @ 11:10 said:
...not to go on but after some further thought on the matter Pissed Jeans 'Hope for Men' (2007), Earth 'The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull' (2008), Let's Wrestle 'In the Court of Wrestling Let's' (2009), Black Mountains self titled debut (2005) and the Melvins comeback 'A Senile Animal' (2006) all deserve a mention in the 00s hit parade....
Disfordangerous on Thu 9 Sep 2010 @ 18:38 said:
This is a tough one for me as i don't think that decade has been that brilliant for music, but maybe that's just me and my taste in music. I would go for:
1) Beck - The Information
2) Underworld - A Hundred Days Off
3) LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
4) Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
5) Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
5)