My Top 100 Albums of the Decade (80-71)
80. The Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder (2007)
"And you don't even know my name, and you know every constellation"
All you need is ELO. Of all the Elephant 6 bands, The Apples in Stereo have always created the most straightforward pop music. As it turns out, Jeff Lynne-style production is what the Apples were missing all along. The band sounds vibrant and whole on New Magnetic Wonder. "Turn up your stereo," indeed.
The Apples in Stereo - "Can You Feel It?"
79. Interpol - Antics (2004)
"We ain't going to the town, we're going to the city"
Interpol is a good band with a limited sound. That may be a backhanded compliment, but it's better than being a bad band with a limited sound, is it not? Bands shouldn't have to constantly reinvent the wheel, but any self-respecting musician wants to stretch out. And a group like Interpol can only stretch so far without falling apart. Their sound is too distinct, their songs too similar. When Interpol added new instruments and got big ideas on Our Love to Admire, the group released one of the decade's most disappointing albums.
Antics is where they pushed things just enough. The group concentrated on stripped-down, upbeat (for Interpol, anyway) songs. The result is a lean, mean album that will probably end up being the group's best.
Interpol - "Evil"
78. The Shins - Oh, Inverted World (2001)
"And if you'd a-took to me like a gull takes to the wind, well I'd a-jumped from my tree, and I'd a-danced like the king of the eyesores, and the rest of our lives would a-fared well"
I love "New Slang," Zach Braff does, we all do, but there's no reason to skip around here. Oh, Inverted World is concise and sneaky. It's more like a expanded song suite than a full-length album, which speaks to both its charm and its limitations. But most bands would kill to be limited to such pretty tunes.
The Shins - "New Slang"
77. Islands - Return to the Sea (2006)
"They want me raw and smooth like glass, they want it fast, but they don't want flaws, I'm a girl's best friend, can you cut? — I can cut — 'Cause I'm a rough gem"
In the category of opening statement songs, Return to the Sea kicks off the existence of Islands with "Swans (Life After Death)," a nearly 10 minute epic that announced Nick Thorburn was distancing himself from the whimsical, madhouse outbursts of the Unicorns. But not completely — he turned whimsy into a professional curiosity while increasing the scope of his songs. That being said, "Rough Gem," a three-and-a-half minute pop song, is still the best thing he's ever done.
Islands - "Rough Gem"
76. Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004)
"Ice age, heat wave, can't complain, if the world's at large, why should I remain?"
Just as A-Rod will never be a "true Yankee," I'll probably never be a "true" Modest Mouse fan. The group's older work doesn't do it for me, and — spoiler alert — you won't find The Moon & Antarctica on this list. Don't get me wrong, it's a good album with some amazing tunes, especially "3rd Planet," which is one of my favorite songs of the decade, period. But I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have a hard time getting through that slow middle part of the album.
Good News doesn't have such a stretch. It's also when the band became popular, but that's due to "Float On," which was too good and too weird of a hit to ever really become played out. I appreciate that the Mouse does whatever it feels like — success just happened to come along the way.
Modest Mouse - "Satin in a Coffin" (live)
75. Tim Fite - Fair Ain't Fair (2008)
"I think I need to make more dough so I can buy more clothes, so I can look like them folks who buys clothes"
I think of Tim Fite as a sort of backwoods Beck. I was surprised to learn that he was once Little T, in another musical life. This album traipses and tramples through styles, with love. Few other albums released this decade have two songs as good as "Big Mistake" and "More Clothes."
Tim Fite - "Big Mistake"
74. Kanye West - Graduation (2007)
"Good morning, and look at the valedictorian, scared of the future while I hop in the DeLorean, scared to face the world, complacent career student, some people graduate but be still stupid"
This is the only hip-hop album you'll find on the list. It's not that I don't like rap. I do, but I don't seek it out too often. It's fair to say that I like it but I don't love it. And for me, few hip-hop albums work as a whole. Hip-hop is a singles genre in a singles world.
So why Kanye West, and why this album? I mean, was there no fear about how blatantly white it looks for one Kanye album to be thrown into this list? It's all about honesty. And this is the 00's hip-hop album that keeps bringing me back. Great rhymes, stellar production, and the songs stick for days and days, if not longer.
Kanye West - "Homecoming"
73. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (2005)
Choosing between New Pornographers albums really just comes down to what collection of high-quality songs you like best. Twin Cinema sounds bigger than the group's first two efforts, but really, it's the same formula. Fantastic melodies and different voices taking turns in the spotlight.
The New Pornographers - "Sing Me Spanish Techno"
72. Björk - Vespertine (2001)
Her soaring, incomparable voice can carry any song. That much we knew. But as Vespertine proved, she could even shine when it was oh, so quiet. There are many great summer albums. This is a great winter album. But is this the last great Björk album? I hope not.
Björk - "Pagan Poetry" (live)
71. Man Man - Rabbit Habits (2008)
I wish there were more albums like this, but I understand that few bands are able to pull it off. Man Man doesn't just dabble in different genres — it's a bull in a record shop. It's an experimental band, sure, but it doesn't sound like an experiment. The songs are all attacked with equal enthusiasm. I love the frantic freak-outs. And the twisted soul songs.
Man Man - "Rabbit Habits"