A select group of CL music contributors – Eric Snider, Scott Harrell, Joel Weiss, Evan Tokarz and Shawn Goldberg – helped me put together this well-rounded list of the decade’s best albums from 2000 to the present. Here’s the top 100 in no specific order. We'll be ranking these from 1-100 on Jan. 13 and you can help! Enjoy! Offer your top 10s (plus some of your favorites not listed here from the past 10 years) in the comments section below.
of Montreal, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (2007) of Montreal visionary frontman Kevin Barnes adopts a more personal lyrical style in the band’s eighth full-length, cleverly exposing his joys, fears and frustrations while showcasing the band’s evolved sound – fizzadelic pop with disco funky beats, washes of synths and multi-tracked falsetto vocal harmonies. Hissing Fauna also marked the birth of Georgie Fruit, Barnes’ glam rock alter-ego. –LP
Solomon Burke, Don't Give Up on Me (2002) The legendary soul singer made a remarkable comeback with this Joe Henry-produced platter of minimally arranged, heartfelt R&B, including songs by Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and others. –ES
The Lawrence Arms, Oh, Calcutta! (2006) With apologies to fans of this fun, thoughtful Chicago act's more frenetic early work, it was on the outspoken trio's third full-length for legendary imprint Fat Wreck Chords that everything — the brains, the balls, the ADD'ed-out riff shifts, the back-and-forth vocals, the unapologetic editorializing — came together flawlessly. It's a fierce, original and gleefully bridge-burning diamond set in a not-so-rough landscape of homogenized radio-punk. –SH
Here's The Lawrence Arms' "The Devil's Taking Names" from OH! Calcutta!.
The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (2006) Not many listens necessary before you’ll find yourself singing along with 10-minute epics like “The Island” or tapping your toes to “The Perfect Crime #2” and “O, Valencia!” The Crane Wife marks The Decemberists’ transition from earlier mellow material to the Jethro Tull-worship of The Hazards of Love. –JW
Elliott Smith, Figure 8 (2000) Even before Smith’s death solidified his transcendent status, Figure 8’s pop kaleidoscope swirled on its own merits, creating a blend of Beatlesque memories and folk sensibilities that towered alongside those masterpieces he echoed. –SG
Modest Mouse, The Moon & Antarctica (2000) The record that put Modest Mouse on the mainstream map – their fourth full-length and major label debut – mixes spare indie rock moments with bright sonic backdrops, pop-sensible melodies and the pristine production skills of Brian Deck. –LP
Shelby Lynne, I Am Shelby Lynne (2000) The first month of the new decade marked a startling transformation of Lynne from an also-ran Nashville pawn to a passionate purveyor of old-style pop-R&B, blues and torch ballads, conjuring up the ghost of Dusty Springfield. –ES
Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) The Lips evolution reaches an electrophantasmic psychedelic alt rock peak in their 10th studio effort, Wayne Coyne’s longing warble pondering love, hate, existence and transience via a loose, sci fi storyline about a karate-chopping heroine and her evil pink nemeses. –LP
Outkast, Stankonia (2000) Outkast, where art thou? The Atlanta group set the hip-hop gold standard with this epic of wit, social conscience, catchiness, fun and groove. Andre 3000 and Big Boi deftly merged their contrasting muses, which grew further and further apart as the decade wore on. –ES
Here's the video for their hit single from the album, "Bombs Over Baghdad."
This article appears in Dec 30, 2009 – Jan 5, 2010.