Culture Blues

The Best Albums of the Decade: 35-21

As pop culture aficionados, your friends at Culture Blues are not immune to the end-of-decade lists currently overwhelming the internet. As the year comes to a close, and we get progressively lazier, please enjoy Listmania, where Culture Blues ranks their favorite shit in a bunch of different categories.

 

The beat goes on, as we continue to countdown the top albums of the outgoing Decade. Here is a link to 50-36 if you missed yesterday's episode. Don't forget... If your curiosity is piqued, feel free to check out some of the tunes by clicking on those handy links!

Few bands are liked by more girlfriends than The Killers-this is scientific fact. Seriously, check out your ladies' iTunes library; you will find Hot Fuss in there amongst the Amy Whinehouses and Lady Gagas. She sings their songs in the shower, hums then as she reads... It is what it is... You expect it... It doesn't bother you... You just can't stand how much you like them too! You blamed it on her in the beginning, but before you knew it, you were checking for tour dates, firing up the ol' youtube to watch the Mr.Brightside video, and trying to keep your new found infatuation a secret from her. Whatever... You still like Tool and The Stones, you still watch sports and play first person shooters. You've also "got soul" but are not in fact "a soldier". Thus is the genius (I am being completely tongue in cheek here, people) of Hot Fuss, a record that was so huge, it somehow managed to make Brandon Flowers a rock star. This record has more hooks in it than a Portuguese fishing vessel; musically it does nothing to impress, but not everything has to be about transpositions and depth, some things are more like cotton candy... Mmmmm candy. (GC)

Sage Francis’ debut album came on the heels of his excellent song Makeshift Patriot, released in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, which created extremely high expectations. Those expectations were more than met by this album that strayed from the external criticism of much of his earlier work and did exactly what its title suggested. The album sees Sage go from being a helpless child (opener Crack Pipes) to a brother dealing with his sister’s self-mutilation (the perfect Inherited Scars) to a bitter and jaded adult (Message Sent). A humorist, an accomplished lyricist and spoken word artist, and an unhinged performer with punk rock sensibilities (Specialist – you must see this song performed live), Sage Francis has covered many topics in his impressive catalog, but none have proved as captivating as Sage Francis. (JW)

Veckatimest is a perfect example of how a modern, ultra-scrutinized, and painstakingly recorded album can still retain its organic and loose qualities. Spawned from the first true collaborative efforts between Ed Droste and Daniel Rosen (Grizzly Bears' previous releases were comprised of songs that were all gestated by individual members before recording), Veckatimest is the type of record any indie band would dream of making; Grizzly Bear has cultivated their sound and distilled their essence into a record that keeps its integrity, but also demands that you take notice. This is just about as tangible a cross-over success as you can have in todays music industry (Jay-Z and Beyonce were spotted at a gig last summer), but they are not by any means a household name. Fear not loyal fans, they are still in essence a Chamber-Pop/Psych-folk four piece, they are now just writing songs like the angelically glorious Two Weeks, and the spellbinding shuffle/stutter While You Wait For The Others. You don't have to be afraid of change...We can all reap the benefits of that. (GC)

In the 80's, Tom Waits went from being an offbeat crooner to a plain old psychopath.  Ever since, his output has always been singularly insane.  Alice is mostly songs written for the play of the same name, which is based on the love between Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell, for whom he wrote Alice in Wonderland.  For the most part, the album is demented lullabies.  "How does the ocean rock the boat?/How did the razor find my throat?" he sings on the opening title track and "I remember the showers/But no one puts flowers/On a flower's grave" on Flower's Grave.  The album takes a shocking turn on Kommienezuspadt which features Tom singing in fake German over what sounds like a swing band from the underworld.  After all the insanity, the album ends with Fawn, one of the loveliest instrumentals I've ever heard.  Definitely a worthwhile album from one of music's greats. (BM)

 

It is quite possible that you aren't too familiar with the work of Guff Rhys and his British five piece, Super Furry Animals. This sort of  ignorance (brought on by lack of visibility in our markets) needs to stop at once! Super Furry Animals are a spectacular band that has been consistently dropping quality records this entire decade; Phantom Power is an excellent record, and just about all of their LP's have some great moments on them. Paramount among all of their releases, however, is Rings around The World, an album that takes you on a cosmic voyage through a dizzyingly produced vortex of powerpop and sonic chicanery. The songs on Rings are diverse and dazzling; this record feels a lot like The Flaming Lips, only more restrained, and has all of the blips and fizzes you would expect from a record with its title (Sidewalk Surfer Girl),  while still maintaining a timeless sensibility (It's Not The End Of The World). This shouldn't be the last Super Furry Animals record you buy, but it should definitely be your first! (GC)

Chances are that the only things you know about Pete Doherty are that he has a slew of legal issues, a serious drug problem, and he used to be engaged to Kate Moss. Well, that dude also used to front a band called The Libertines, which at the turn of this Century were a bonafide product of the feverish, yet ephemeral, British hype machine. They were Britains first answer to The Strokes (like the Arctic Monkeys but more dangerous), complete with their own neo-garage sound, and a record full of catchy songs- but with cockneys and hard drugs. You can tell when you are listenting to this record that this band was great,  and you can also hear why they couldn't last. There is an element of instability to the song on Up The Bracket that is audible from the moment you press play; Vertigo (the opener) kicks off the racket with a serpentine opening riff and a chorus full of God awful (yet fucking great) harmonies. As you continue to listen you hear the untrained (Death On The Stairs), and uninterested brilliance (Up The Bracket) of a band that was more into the free drinks than the autographs. (GC)

Cat Power has always been more than the sum of her parts.  She doesn't have the greatest musical chops, or even the best writing skills, but somehow she manages to air out her demons in a way that is original and exciting.  She spent the 90's producing what is essentially misery set to music and having drunken meltdowns nightly on stage.  On 2003's You Are Free, she pulls from her blues-rock roots, adding some piano songs and bringing on some high-profile guests like Eddie Vedder on vocals and Dave Grohl on drums.  The album opens with I Don't Blame You, a clunky piano ballad about a rock star brought down by fame (possibly Kurt Cobain).  On Good Woman she gut-wrenchingly sings the simple sentiment "I want to be a good woman/And I want for you to be a good man".  The album is not all total downers, however;  Speak for Me and He-War (one of the best singles of the decade, in my opinion), both powered by Grohl's drumming, are fun and unique sounding.  The heart of the album might be Maybe Not, a four-chord piano ballad where she sings "We could all be free/Maybe not with words/Maybe not with a look/But with your mind".  The music and lyrics are so simple, but somehow Cat Power creates a sound that doesn't exist anywhere else. (BM)

Few cities in America can match the kind of track record that Austin, TX has when it comes to homegrown bands and local music. We are talking New York, L.A., Seattle... And that is about it. The capitol of Texas has a diverse and lengthy list of groups that cover just about every genre that you can master with a six string. The best of the indie bands to come out of Austin is without question Spoon; a band that emerged from the mid-nineties alternative scene and has managed to fare a lot better than their peers.-THIS is what kids with beards and square framed glasses were listening to back in 2002 (in Austin that is). Kill The Moonlight has a profound duality to it; a sonically varied record with Hammonds, Wurlitzers, and an extensive revisiting of all of their finest reverberations. On the one hand you can sit back and listen to cunningly clever songs like The Way We Get By (Sorry I couldn't find a better vid), or you can lose yourself in the sound hunting that is a composition like Paper Tiger. Either way you are sure to have a great time, and realize that you don't have to be in the NorthEast to be indie. (GC)

There have only been a few moments in my life where I have been utterly shocked by how good a record was upon first listen. We're talking Exile on Main Street, Loveless, and, most recently (and surprisingly) , Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens. This is modern folk masterpiece of such high quality and grandeur that it amazes me that you haven't heard it. Part of his as-yet-incomplete 50 state collection, Illinoise is the follow up to Greetings From Michigan, a record that also could have found itself on this countdown (even Black Swans was under serious consideration) . There is practically no flaw in this aural gem; Sufjan (stepson of Cat Stevens) delivers elegantly crafted songs, eloquently worded lyrics (this record is both very political and spiritual), and arrangements that are as classic in feel as they delightful in experiencing. The albums first offering, Concerning the UFO Sighting in Highland IL, is a beautifully quiet, piano-driven, two minute lullabye that lulls you into this record's majesty. You then drift like a feather past wonderful uptempo numbers (Come On Feel The Illinoise), homages to his roots (Decatur), and colossal instrumentals (The Black Hawk War). (GC)

Anyone who hasn't been in a coma all decade already knows that Kanye West is a total dick. Some of his antics this decade have been awesome ("George Bush hates black people"), and some have been absurdly awful (Taylor Swift), but this isn't a list of the decades' personalities. This is a list of the best albums of the decade, a list that Kanye will be showing up on multiple times (just accept it). His first entry on the list is Graduation, the album that brought auto-tune pitch correction technology to the proletarians. Before this record was released there were a lot less singing robots in hip-hop;  today it seems there is a mandatory auto-tune requirement that has to be adhered to before a record is even sequenced. I can't hate entirely though... Kanye is a very intelligent and sophisticated emcee, his rhymes are tight and extremely clever (as he will be the first to tell you). As good as his flow is, it pales in comparison to his skills as a producer; the evolution of his trademark Chipmunk Soul has reached a point of peerless greatness. I mean, think back to some of your favorite Tribe records, then spin Stronger and listen to the difference. The man is like the Hendrix of producers (I can't believe I just made that correlation) and the tracks on this record are slicker than the Exxon Valdez (Good Life), but better for the environment. (GC)

The Hold Steady is simply the marriage of Craig Finn’s street poetry to loud classic rock stylings replete with sing along choruses and monster guitar solos. It’s at once inviting and totally inaccessible, which is one of the things so great about them. Music that begs to be listened to on the open road and absurdly rich lyrics that beg to be decoded. Separation Sunday offers supreme satisfaction on both counts. This tale of three recurring characters is told against a backdrop of violence, drug deals, vision quests and baptisms. And it features The Hold Steady at their most cryptic (The Cattle and the Creeping Things), their most anthemic (Your Little Hoodrat Friend) and their most poignant (Multitude of Casualties). Separation Sunday is a twisted, convoluted tale you should spend the better part of the next decade attempting to decipher. (JW)

TV on the Radio is the kind of band that can ONLY be formed in New York City. An electro/alternative/free jazz/indie band from Brooklyn, TVotR spent the earliest years of this Century playing clubs that YOU could land a gig at, to crowds smaller than a murder of crows. From the moment I first learned of them, I thought they were destined for great things, and when they released Return To Cookie Mountain (their major label debut), I was a little scared of my precognitive abilities. Return To Cookie Mountain is a brave, stimulating, and singular record, that isn't so much challenging as it  is uncommon. This album is like a tasty goulash that is flavored with everything from break-neck, spinning-sample glow (Wolf Like Me), to warped-stutter groove (I Was A Lover), all while the INCOMPARABLE Tunde Adebimpe croons, moans, and shows off what may be the best damn pipes in indie -nay, all music- today. (GC)

Of all the members of Wu-Tang, Ghostface Killah has enjoyed the most solo success, and this album is where he really started to create a legacy of his own rather than just being an offshoot of the Clan. Heralded as one of the greatest rappers of his time, Ghost’s style has developed into a loud, in-your-face blend of vivid storytelling, non-sequiturs and impenetrable slang, and his music is generally more in the R&B tradition than the typical Wu-Tang dungeon rap. The Pretty Toney Album is Ghost at his finest, including a sex song involving a charley horse (Tush), a harrowing tale of running from the cops (Run), and a genuine soul throwback (Holla). (JW) 

I am NOT the kind of guy who goes out to "tha club". I prefer spending my nights drinking whiskey and listening to Fender Twins breakup over having a bass drum thump in my chest. As true as these facts may be, I do LOVE E.D.M (Electronic Dance Music); there is something about the drones and production that fascinates me (I just happen to be more of an Aphex Twin kind of guy, but this isn't a 90s list). Daft Punk's Discovery is without question the best "pure" dance record of the Decade; it's the kind of album that will encourage even the most staunch anti-dance loyalists to snap their fingers and move about (even if just subtly). I am talking about the sort of ProTools meets Reason marriage that you know computers were made for; the production is flawless, the flangers sweep  across the moon (Digital Love), the auto-tune is pitch perfect (One More Time), and there is even some bad-ass phased-out guitar playing (Aerodynamic). Next time you are throwing a party, and NOT playing Rock Band, try giving this record a spin... If your friends are dancing that makes you do doing it slightly more excusable... I will be judging though. (GC)

 (Album of 2009)

Animal Collective have been lurking on the outskirts of the mainstream this entire decade. The four piece from Baltimore had dropped 7 studio albums before M.P.P. and, although the vast majority of their records have been fantastic, none had managed to capture the imagination of the plebians like their latest release. Merriweather Post Pavilion comes off as the culmination of an entire Decades' worth of experiments; throughout their catalogue Animal Collective have been pushing the boundaries of neo-psychedelic noise pop, stretching the limits of form and exploring the depths of rhythm. Those explorations have not only forged the band, but have served as a form of freeing catharsis... They have been there, they have done that, and they are fucking amazing at it. You get the sense as you listen to M.P.P that this is the record that Animal Collective has been building their entire career toward, the destination they always had in mind, and once they got there they broke out the Ecstasy and threw an amazing party! This is without a doubt the Album of 2009; I suspect as the years pass that the legend of M.P.P will continue to grow and inspire (imagine a generation that grows up on this record!), the hyperbole will be piled to the moon and it will become a record collection staple. As it is, I have taken to referring to this album as Tech Sounds (an homage to the Beach Boys classic record Pet Sounds, but you already knew that) a nickname that is earned not due solely to the AMAZING (AMAZING!!!) West-Coast harmonies that saturate this record, but also because of the STELLAR production and, of course, the unbelievable and sensationally catchy songs, My Girls, Summertime Clothes, Brother Sport ...I can go on and on. Its all here!!! The African Chant cadences, the reverb dripping samples, the pulsating bass-drums, and the splendor... Don't forget the splendor. (GC)

Tagged as: Animal Collective, Cat Power, Daft Punk, Ghostface Killah, Grizzly Bear, Kanye West, Sage Franics, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, Super Furry Animals, The Hold Steady, The Killers, The Libertines, Tom Waits, TV On The Radio