1. Radiohead - In Rainbows 2. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare 3. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular ——————- 4. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago 5. Kanye West - Graduation 6. Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High 7. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible 8. Paramore - Riot 9. The National - Boxer 10. St Vincent - Marry Me
Popping up on a few lists and new to me is Colours by Between the Buried and Me, which I was a bit iffy on. When it's heavy, it feels really boring, just generic kind of metalcore that sounds like 1001 other bands. When it's not being heavy, or more specifically, when it's stitching the heavier stuff with the lighter stuff, it's much more interesting, blending a bunch of different genres together. I did feel that the two styles were mostly disparate though, and it never managed to be heavy and interesting for me, the two were mutually exclusive - when it was heavy it was boring, when it wasn't, it was quite cool.
1. Matt Nathanson - Some Mad Hope 2. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light 3. Cary Brothers - Who You Are Some Mad Hope is one of those albums from this era that just means the world to me. Got me through a really tumultuous time in my life. For Matt, it was a “near divorce album,” and the songs really wrestle with some complex, nuanced emotions in a way that he sketches out so frankly and candidly in the songs. What I wrote about it for the 10-year is one of the 10 best things I've ever written: Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope Chase This Light was the album I listened to most that year. I remember just playing the absolute shit out of it that fall, and it’s tied to a lot of the same memories that Some Mad Hope is. These days, it’s probably my fourth favorite Jimmy Eat World album (I’m not in love with the mid-section, which takes it down a peg or two), but I love hearing them play with a poppier, glossier sound, and “Dizzy” might just be their greatest accomplishment as a band. Who You Are is such a rich, beautiful pop album. Brothers really tapped into that post-Coldplay sonic template, but he did it with a level of intimacy that I don’t think you got from a lot of those mid-2000s copycat bands. There’s an emotional warmth to this album that I’ve always felt to be extremely comforting. Excruciating cuts: Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me: My favorite MCS album. Similar to Chase This Light, these guys went full-on power pop, with an incredible production tag team of Ric Ocasek and Adam Schlesinger (double RIP). The title track is one of those big goosebump-inducing finales from this era of the scene. The National – Boxer: I’ve really come to love this one over the years. It used to be, like, my fourth favorite National album, and barely top 10 for this year. Now, it’s pretty handily the album of theirs I’d call the masterpiece. “Apartment Story” and “Start a War” is one of those mythically great 1-2 punches. Jon McLaughlin – Indiana: Should have been a breakout mainstream success on the level of Room for Squares. McLaughlin had such a knack for big, shiny hooks wrapped in smart lyricism, and he was a killer piano player as well. I’d recommend this to anyone who loves Andrew McMahon. Will Hoge - Draw the Curtains: There was a time in my life when this was one of my favorite records. For whatever reason, I haven’t gone back to it much in the past 4-5 years as I did in the late 2000s and early 2010s. But man, Hoge could write a breakup ballad. Some absolutely epic heartbreakers on this album. Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter: My favorite Malin record, wherein the former punk frontman makes big-sounding power pop songs with assists from Jakob Dylan, Josh Homme, Chris Shiflett, and The Boss himself (who lends a rare feature to the lovely “Broken Radio”). Also really love: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once OST: Goddamn, I remember hearing “Falling Slowly” for the first time and being absolutely floored. Few things will ever move me like hearing Glen Hansard wail at the top of his lungs. Bruce Springsteen – Magic: Late-period Springsteen at his brightest, his most anthemic, and his most nostalgic. I love how it’s basically split down the middle between this extremely sunny first half and this super dark, political second half. Moses Mayfield - The Inside: This band never really got noticed, but there are half a dozen perfect songs on this record that I still put on playlists to this day. Check out “Element” and “Keep My Distance” Matchbox Twenty - Exile on Mainstream: I remember being SO psyched to hear new music from this band back in 2007, even if it was just an EP's worth of new material. I love that, with the recent vinyl boxset, they retconned this as a full record. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog: Sam Beam starts to lose me as he builds up his band and jettisons some of the whisper-sweet intimacy of his early records. But this album is the perfect balancing point, expanding the sonic palette and the range of influences without losing what made Iron & Wine so special. Emerson Hart - Cigarettes & Gasoline: A really strong solo record from the guy who fronted Tonic. Some thoughtful, melodically rich songs about his father’s passing. Yellowcard - Paper Walls: I’ve never quite ascribed to the “this is their best album” opinion (it’s probably fifth for me, at most) but I still have a lot of love for it. Sara Bareilles - Little Voice: I always felt like this one was almost a companion to Some Mad Hope. One big hit, and then a lot of charisma and a lot of beautiful melodies hiding some pretty heavy emotional weight. Really hoping to snag a vinyl copy of this on RSD this spring. Honorables: Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch: Isbell would take a few more years to reach his full potential as a songwriter and album maker, but it was still so clear from this solo debut that he had the goods – especially on “Dress Blues.” Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace: Been listening to a lot of Foos this week, for obvious reasons. I think this album is one of their most underrated, especially the really classic-singer-songwriter-leaning back half. Kanye West – Graduation: Kanye at his poppiest and catchiest. A few big duds, but the good songs more than make up for them. Radiohead - In Rainbows: Some days, my favorite Radiohead album. I still vividly remember punching in a pay-what-you-want price and downloading this one on release day. That whole release had so much novelty at the time. Ingrid Michaelson - Girls and Boys: The five-album run from this record to It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense is sneakily one of the most consistent runs of the 2000s and 2010s. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: Some of my very favorite Arcade Fire songs on this one (“Keep the Car Running,” “My Body Is a Cage”) even if it’s a pretty distant third on my ranking of their albums. Paramore - Riot!: My favorite Paramore record. They were really knocking it out of the park, hook-wise, on this album. “Misery Business” hasn’t aged well, but I still adore “When It Rains” and “Hallelujah.” Black Lab - Passion Leaves a Trace: “Mine Again” and “Weightless” are two of my favorite songs of all time, and no one ever talks about them. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - This Is Somewhere: “Apologies” is a pantheon-tier classic from this era. Love that song so much. Missy Higgins - On a Clear Night: Speaking of pantheon songs from this era, “Where I Stood” should have been a massive, massive hit. Just an unbelievably great song. Anberlin – Cities: A little samey (which tends to be a problem on Anberlin records for me) but with some absolutely towering high points (“Cable Car,” “Dismantle.Repair,” “Fin”). Sherwood - A Different Light: These guys really knew their way around a melody. "I'm Asking Her to Stay" is one of the all-time great "scene" closers. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: Spoon were always effortlessly cool. This is one of my favorite records of theirs -- just catchy, swaggering goodness. William Fitzsimmons - Goodnight: So, so gorgeous. If you haven't heard this record, just listen to "It's Not True." The Dangerous Summer - If You Could Only Keep Me Alive: They don't really transcend for me until their full-length debut, but this EP showed off a lot of potential, especially with "The Permanent Rain" and "I Would Stay." Jackson Waters - Come Undone: I think these guys are technically Christian rock (?), but they really had a knack for writing hooky, bombastic songs (“Center of Attention,” “Ready to Find Love,” “Different”). Not sure what happened to them. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests…: I viewed this one as a pretty sizable step down from The Animal Years for a long time. I’ve come around on it a lot in the past year or so, though. “The Temptation of Adam” and “Empty Hearts” are some of Ritter’s best. Ryan Bingham - Mescalito: One of the decade's great country LPs. "Southside of Heaven" is just about as perfect as songs come. He'd win an Oscar a few years later for Crazy Heart. The Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim: A rough sketch of what this band would become, for me. My unpopular take is that it’s their worst album. Still a lot to love here, though. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin: Probably my favorite Band of Horses album. What they manage to do with “Is There a Ghost,” which I think has 11-12 words in the entire song, is so impressive. Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees: “Chris goes back to his acoustic roots” sounds great on paper (and finally proved to be great this year), but this album disappointed me at the time. I still think it’s the worst Dashboard album, but I still adore a lot of it (especially the title track and “The Widow’s Peak”). Shouts to Sound of Silver and A Weekend in the City, albums I don't actually like that much overall, but that each contain a few of my favorite songs ever ("All My Friends," "Something Great" for LCD Soundsystem, "I Still Remember" for Bloc Party).
1. Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me 2. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light 3. Tegan and Sara - The Con Excruciating Cuts: Hanson - The Walk Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago The New Amsterdams - At the Foot of My Rival Brandi Carlile - The Story Anberlin - Cities Bruce Springsteen - Magic Jonah Matranga - And The National - Boxer Others I Love: Paramore - Riot! Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water Kanye West - Graduation Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog The Spill Canvas - No Really, I'm Fine John Butler Trio - Grand National Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Once Soundtrack Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home Circa Survive - On Letting Go Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where It Ends Moving Mountains - Pneuma Radiohead - In Rainbows Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees Ben Harper - Lifeline Matt Nathanson - Some Mad Hope The Honorary Title - Scream and Light Up the Sky Alicia Keys - As I Am Mandy Moore - Wild Hope The Dangerous Summer - If You Could Only Keep Me Alive EP Will Hoge - Draw the Curtains Feist - The Reminder Good ones: Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace The Academy Is... - Santi Envy on the Coast - Lucy Gray Rocky Votolato - The Brag and the Cuss Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full Shad - The Old Prince Elliott Smith - New Moon Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger Arcade Fire - Neon Bible Blu and Exile - Below the Heavens Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back As Cities Burn - Come Now Sleep The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour Xavier Rudd - White Moth Brightwood - Wake The Frames - The Cost Mayday Parade - A Lesson in Romantics Okkkervil River - The Stage Names The Rocket Summer - Do You Feel The Starting Line - Direction Sara Bareilles - Little Voice Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice Rilo Kiley - Under the Black Light The Junior Varsity - Cinematographic Dear and the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves New Pornographers - Challengers The Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On Prince - Planet Earth Copeland - Dressed Up and in Line Chuck Ragan - Feast or Famine Stars - In Our Bedroom, After the War The National Lights - The Dead Will Walk, Dear John McLaughlin - Indiana Hopesfall - Magnetic North Cassino - Sounds of Salvation Silverstein - Arrivals and Departures Cary Brothers - Who You Are Pierce the Veil - A Flair for the Dramatic Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre Justice - Cross Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer Brighten - Be Human EP Straylight Run - The Needles the Space Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank My American Heart - Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather My Favorite Highway - Anywhere But Here EP Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City Norah Jones - Not Too Late All Time Low - So Wrong, It's Right The Maine - The Way We Talk EP Bright Eyes - Cassadega Rush - Snakes and Arrows The Receiving End of Sirens - The Earth Sings Mi Fa MI Sullivan - Cover Your Eyes Just Surrender - We're in Like Sin Little Big Town - A Place to Land Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 2: No World for Tomorrow Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains Janelle Monae - Metropolis: The Chase Suite EP The Lives of Famous Men - Rehearsal EP Waking Ashland - The Well Steel Train - Trampoline Strata - Presents the End of the World Ryan Adams - Follow the Lights EP Maroon 5 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long. OneRepublic - Dreaming Out Loud The Spill Canvas - Denial Feels So Good EP The Secret Handshake - One Full Year Matchbox Twenty - Exile on Mainstream Chromatics - Night Drive Missy Higgins - On a Clear Night Oh Sleeper - When I Am God Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - This Is Somewhere Signal to Noise - Kodiak Kate Nash - Made of Bricks Jason Anderson - The Hopeful and the Unafraid Talib Kweli - Eardrum Common - Finding Forever Francis & the Lights - Striking EP Angels and Airwaves - I-Empire Emery - I'm Only a Man Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty The Killers - Sawdust Mae - Singularity Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago Damien Rice - Live at Fingerprints: Warts and All Mark Ronson - Version Faulter - The Other Side EP Brighten - King vs. Queen Holiday Parade - This Is My Year EP Sage Francis - Human the Death Dance Dashboard Confessional - The Wire Tapes, Vol. 1 Chiodos - Bone Palace Ballet Armor for Sleep - Smile for Them Menomena - Friend or Foe Foreverinmotion - The Beautiful Unknown Seal - System Blaqk Audio - CexCells Fair to Midland - Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True MGMT - Oracular Spectacular The Higher - On Fire Self Against City - Telling Secrets to Strangers Kids in the Way - Love Hate Masquerade Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor Not a fan: Raul Midon - A World Within a World Meg and Dia - If You're Poor, Find Something to Sue Somebody For... EP The Ember Days - Your Eyes Light Up Aislin - There's No I in Dreams Sevendust - Alpha Targets for Listening: Wilco - Sky Blue Sky Lil Wayne - Da Drought 3 Bomb the Music Industry - Get Warmer Jay Z - American Gangster Burial - Untrue Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam City Sleeps - Not an Angel Dance Gavin Dance - Downtown Battle Mountain Deas Vail - All the Houses Look the Same Frank Turner - Sleep is for the Week Baroness- The Red Album The Shins- Wincing the Night Away Lupe Fiasco- Lupe Fiasco's The Cool St. Vincent- Marry Me Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare The White Stripes - Icky Thump Beirut - The Flying Club Cup Kings of Leon - Because of the Times Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight Against Me! - New Wave LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver Yellowcard - Paper Walls Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin Portugal. The Man - Church Mouth Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone The Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist Biffy Clyro - Puzzle Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter Moses Mayfield - The Inside Emerson Hart - Cigarettes & Gasoline Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch Ingrid Michaelson - Girls and Boys Sherwood - A Different Light William Fitzsimmons - Goodnight Ryan Bingham - Mescalito
I feel like you'd love that Jesse Malin record, and will attempt to sway you by once again citing the Springsteen feature.
I saw him open for Gaslight once and he was very solid. Your love for the album definitely puts it high on my list to check out. Have you heard the New Amsterdams or Xavier Rudd albums on my list? For some reason they strike me as ones that you might dig.
1. Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II 2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago 3. Circa Survive - On Letting Go 4. Biffy Clyro - Puzzle 5. Menomena - Friend or Foe 6. The National - Boxer 7. Radiohead - In Rainbows 8. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works 9. Against Me! - New Waves 10. Dustin Kensrue - Please Come Home 11. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice 12. El-P - I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
@Craig Manning the limits of streaming once again apparent: looks like Spotify has every Malin album BUT Glitter
Interestingly, while I was compiling my list, I stumbled upon a track from that New Amsterdams record that was inexplicably in my iTunes. I liked it! Will definitely check that record out. Xavier Rudd is a name I've heard, but I'm not sure I've ever listened. You know, I actually recall that from when I wrote up a "Favorites of 2000s" list a few years ago and there were 3-4 albums on my list that weren't on streaming. Check your DMs in a minute.
Yeah I knew they were around this time. Not something I’ve gone back to much recently though. Maybe with the weather warming up I will change that. Along with Four Year Strong. I loved that album when it came out. Yeah very interesting. It’s a gothic literature album. The songmeanings.com descriptions will never get old for me.
Xavier Rudd was one that El Jeffe Craig from ap.net really evangelized for and I loved that dude so I listened a bunch. It weirdly feels, like, one with the open expanses of the outback and shit. Though that could be exoticized Western fetishization on my part. I dunno.
Spirit Bird is a beautiful Xavier Rudd record from 2012. He blends traditional aboriginal style music and instruments with more classic folky stuff. Really talented and interesting songwriter.
1. Radiohead - In Rainbows 2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago 3. Tegan and Sara - The Con 4. Sara Bareilles - Little Voice 5. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare 6. The Starting Line - Direction 7. Say Anything - In Defense of the Genre 8. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City 9. Paramore - Riot! 10. The Honorary Title - Scream and Light Up The Sky 11. Foo Fighters - Echos, Silence, Patience & Grace 12. The Academy Is - Santi 13. Yellowcard - Paper Walls 14. Coheed & Cambria - No World For Tomorrow 15. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light 16. Angels & Airwaves - I Empire 17. Four Year Strong - Rise or Die Trying 18. Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees 19. Explosions in the Sky - All of A Sudden I Miss Everyone 20. Avril Lavigne - The Best Damn Thing 21. Dustin Kensrue -Please Come Home 22. Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist 23. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Realized I hadn’t heard the Signal to Noise album on my list since my first listen when I yes’d it in 2010-2011 (a problem for quite a few albums on my list this year) and it actually holds up REALLY well
Wait it dawns on me: was the track “Fountain of Youth”? It may have been on mix I sent you a million years ago
Ah totally forgot about Kings of Leon's Because of the Times. Probably would've ranked somewhere between 10-15 for me. Also saw some people mention Ingrid Michaelson's Girls and Boys. I think this was technically a re release, and for the life of me I cant remember if I included it in my 2006 list originally. If I'd include it for 2007 I'd throw that in my top 10.