The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (34-44)

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (34-44):

34. TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (2006)
- No album felt as obscure as TV's sophomore release. And no obscure album ever rocked this hard. It was like the band knew that rock was growing stale and they were going to show us all how it was done...the right way.

35. Feist - Let It Die (2005)
- Feist's debut played like a classic album. With one half original work and one half covers, Feist followed in the footsteps of her vocal idols who commonly did this on their albums. The result was an emotionally rich tapestry that had as maturity as it did youth.

36. Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales (2000)
- Since JJ's break into commercial success, I think everyone has forgotten how much indie cred he scored on his debut. This was one of those albums that spread through word of mouth...in the way good music is supposed to succeed. Years after its release it was still gaining momentum. none of his other albums are as true as this one...and the reason why this one lands so high on this list.

37. Coldplay - Viva La Vida (2008)
- If the 80s had Joshua Tree...then the 00s get Viva La Vida. Yeah...that's right, I'm comparing the epic 80s U2 album to Coldplay. Like JT, VLV was a statement. It was Coldplay thinking big and not holding back. One million people logged into the website at 4 in the morning to grab the first song, "Violet Hill." If you get that much buzz doing anything, you're doing something right.

38. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006)
- There's no argument that Amy is a trainwreck and maybe she's one of those people who shouldn't be a star. That doesn't mean her album sucked. Quite the opposite. Most people were blown away after first hearing her...especially when they found she was a Jewish kid from England...and not some songstress from the Bronx. Her vocal range puts to shame anyone who has stepped on the American Idol stage. Folks...this is how it's done.

39. The Frames - The Cost/The Once Soundtrack (2007)
- This is the only true cheat on the list. It was hard to choose between the two since The Once Soundtrack is really just a recreation of The Cost. And without the strength of the Cost...the movie Once would have never been as good or as successful...they would have never won an Oscar...making the Soundtrack more notable, which in turn helped the original album. Get it? (People Get Ready)

40. Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (2004)
- A true landmark album. Was it proof that the Beatles were the greatest rock band of all time...or that Jay-Z was the best rapper? Or was it a combination of a brutal one-two musical punch? It took balls for Danger Mouse to be so confindent to use the Beatles...and it took a lawyer to keep him from getting his pants sued off. It was one of those albums that everyone had to hear...and there was no way to hear it. But if you were lucky enough to find a friend of a friend who could burn it for you...you were not disappointed. (Encore)

41. Kings of Leon - Because The Times (2007)
- The Kings third album feels like a wild party. It starts off mild enough...but with every track, it escalates to a new level of rowdiness. There's a definitely drunken stupor that permeates through the tracks...and an uncertainity of which song will be coming up behind the next corner. This isn't just an album...it's an experience...and one that leaves you with a great feeling just like a wild party worth remembering.

42. Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001)
- Though the brainchild of Damon Albarn of Blur...the truth is the band doesn't really exist. In fact, they are a purely virtual band...and the best selling virtual band of all time. (19-2000)

43. Weezer - The Green Album (2001)
- Very few bands are ever able to come back from the dead. But no one did it with more style and more pure kick ass lightning in a bottle than this Harvard alum. The whole album clocks in at a mere 28 minutes...shorter than most Timo Maas remixes. But it's not the size that matters...it's how you use it. (Photograph)

44. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight (2002)
- Spoon really became indie rock's little brother over the decade. Though they came out of the underground...more than anyone. They've spent most of the deceade flirting with big time commercial success...but staying just under the surface. All the while, Britt Daniel continued writing rock solid songs. This second album on Merge exhibits the evolution of their style...that wouldn't stop here.

Buy these albums now...yes...right now!!

The 11 Best Albums of 2007

Okay, yes, I own a calendar. I know it's only February. But just yesterday, I was talking to a friend of mine who said 2007 was the worst year in music he's ever lived through. Granted I thought he was talking out his ass and was accidentally saying 2007 when he really meant 2006. But he didn't. He claimed that usually by February there has been at least 2 or 3 great records released. This year, the best thing he heard was the new Shins and he hates the Shins. He challeneged me to come up with the 11 Best Albums so far this year...so, for Zack...here you go.

1. Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City - It's not as commercial as their debut but that's what makes this album so good. Scoping musical tracks push the band's sound in way that makes you think that these guys will surely outlive the 80s revival trend.
2. Bloc Party - Another Weekend in the City - Their internet only album is every bit as digestable as their debut. If that's the Bloc Party you want, then hunt this puppy down.
3. The Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future - A new generation of dance rock has been born. And these guys are leading the way. Think of them as the opening act for the new LCD Soundsystem out in March.
4. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? - It's not a dance record but it sure as hell moves like one. Stuck somewhere between Beck and the Flaming Lips, it's one helluva good time. Helluva? I sound like a freaking teenage girl.
5. Explosions in the Sky - - 10 years after the math rock trend was in it's last throws, EITS re-invents the genre by mashing it with emo grooves.
6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder - Not as delicious as their first album but ten times more mature. It's like the band concentrated more on making interesting ever-evolving music rather than 3-minutes pop ditties.
7. Vietnam - Vietnam - They sound like a stoned version of Kings of Leon. Vietnam reminds of the cool guy at all the high school parties who would always share his weed with you.
8. The Good, The Bad, And The Queen - The Good, The Bad, And The Queen - No, I didn't just pick them because of their clever band name (well, sorta). A supergroup, featuring memebers of Blur, The Verve, The Clash, and Danger Mouse. The album sounds like a cross between Blur and Verve, but seriously, were you expecting it to sound differently?
9. The Frames - The Cost - If you're a fan of Damien Rice or Jose Gonzalez, this might be the record for you. A beautiful lo-fi acoustic journey with soft vocals that will melt your ice cream on the coldest of winter days.
10. America - Here & Now - Everybody's likes America, if you don't, then you're a terrorist. The soft rock kings make a pretty hefty comeback with an album produced by James Iha of the original Smashing Pumpkins and Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne . If that's not enough cool cred for you, Ryan Adams and Jim James of My Morning Jacket make guest appearences.
11. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away - If you haven't heard of this record then there's no reason to even be talking to you in the first place.