Thursday, December 31, 2009

My Albums of the Decade

Compiling "Best of" lists is a fool's endeavor, yet I persist. Today I offer my favorite 40 albums of the Aughts (in alphabetical order). I bolded my favorite 10 of the bunch, but otherwise I don't see much point in trying to rank them -- suffice it to say that I hold these albums in very high regard. The rules I applied in making my selections -- no jazz, no live albums, no compilations, and no more than one album per artist.

Arctic Monkeys -- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
The Avett Brothers -- Emotionalism (2007)
Belle & Sebastian -- The Life Pursuit (2006)
Blind Pilot -- 3 Rounds and a Sound (2008)
Bright Eyes -- Cassadaga (2007)
Calexico -- Carried To Dust (2008)
Neko Case -- Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (2006)
Clem Snide -- End of Love (2005)
Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers -- Songs In The Night (2009)
Death Cab for Cutie --Plans (2005)
The Decemberists -- Picaresque (2005)
Steve Earle -- Jerusalem (2002)
Kathleen Edwards -- Failer (2003)
Alejandro Escovedo -- A Man Under The Influence (2001)
Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard -- One Fast Move or I'm Gone (2009)
The Flaming Lips -- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002)
Fountains of Wayne -- Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
Sarah Harmer -- You Were Here (2000)
John Hiatt -- Crossing Muddy Waters (2000)
The Hold Steady -- Boys and Girls In America (2006)
Interpol -- Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
The Jayhawks -- Rainy Day Music (2003)
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings -- 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007)
Aimee Mann -- Bachelor No. 2 (2000)
Anaïs Mitchell -- Hymns for the Exiled (2004)
My Morning Jacket -- It Still Moves (2003)
The National -- Boxer (2007)
The New Pornographers -- Twin Cinema (2005)
Radiohead -- Hail To The Thief (2003)
The Sadies -- Favorite Colors (2004)
Richard Shindell -- Somewhere Near Patterson (2000)
The Shins --Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros -- Streetcore (2003)
Sufjan Stevens -- Illinoise (2005)
Vampire Weekend -- Vampire Weekend (2008)
Varnaline -- Songs in a Northern Key (2001)
M. Ward -- Transfiguration of Vincent (2003)
The Weakerthans -- Reconstruction Site (2003)
Wilco -- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
Yo La Tengo -- Summer Sun (2003)