I feel weird making a list like this, because I basically stopped being as obsessive over music around 2006… so I know I’ve missed out on a lot. (And the list is lacking in genres that aren’t mopey indie-rock.) But, here are my picks.

5. Cursive: Domestica
This is by far the most gut-wrenching, painful album made about a break-up that I’ve ever heard; it was written after frontman Tim Kasher and his wife divorced, and you can feel the bitterness in every single song. But he makes anger and frustration sound so damn good.

4. Sleater-Kinney: The Woods
Every time I see a list of the best guitarists of all time, and Carrie Brownstein isn’t on it, I want to slap the person responsible for making said list. This album is just incredible in so many ways – not least of which being that a band of awesome women is making really fucking loud hard rock.

3. Sufjan Stevens: Come On Feel the Illinoise
I really don’t know how to describe this album, other than “it’s awesome.” Like, I know he’s doing really amazing musical things, but I don’t know what they are. But Sufjan tells a really good story, and he creates really good music that perfectly accompanies each little vignette.

2. Radiohead: Kid A
The experimental nature that came to define the band was first fully realized on this album. To date, this is the only album that I’ve been so excited about that I waited outside of a record store for several hours to buy as soon as it was available. It will always remind me of college and winter in New York City.

1. The White Stripes: Elephant
This album deserves credit in its own right, but I’d be remiss in glossing over how cool the videos for this album were. “The Hardest Button to Button” is just a weird, trippy journey through NYC, and remains one of my favorites. But the album is pretty damn good too.

Honorable mentions, in no particular order whatsoever:
The Shins: Chutes too Narrow
The Postal Service: Give Up
Interpol: Turn On the Bright Lights
The Strokes: Is This It
Modest Mouse: Good News for People Who Love Bad News
The Beatles: Love
Dresden Dolls: S/T
Bright Eyes: Lifted, or the Story Is In the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Q and Not U: No Kill No Beep Beep
The Faint: Danse Macabre
Arcade Fire: Funeral
Broken Social Scene: You Forgot it In People
At the Drive-In: Relationship of Command
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever to Tell

Brett Dennen: So Much More
I fell in love to this album.

Bon Iver: For Emma
When I first heard this album, I listened to it for 2 weeks straight. Seeing him live in San Francisco was one of the most amazing music experiences I’ve ever had.

Belle & Sebastian: Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Summer of 2007

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat
I can finally be a part of that folk group I’ve been meaning to join.

Postal Service: Give Up
Every song is my favorite.

And some others that could have made my Top 5 on another day:

My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves

Josh Ritter: The Animal Years

Iron & Wine: Creek Drank the Cradle

Amy Winehouse: Back To Black (She’s crazy but I love that album!)

Band Of Horses: Everything All The Time

Cat Power: The Greatest

Feist: The Reminder

Regina Spektor: Begin To Hope

“Once” Soundtrack

In alpha order:

Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs

Arcade Fire: Funeral

Bon Iver: For Emma

Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People

Iron & Wine: Shephard’s Dog

Jesse Malin: The Fine Art of Self Destruction

Johnny Cash: American IV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgW7fHm610E

My Morning Jacket: Z

The National: Alligator

Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker (and all that came after, really)

5. The Good, the Bad and the Queen

5.75 Beck: The Information

5.25 Iron and Wine: The Creek Drank The Cradle

4. Arcade Fire: Funeral

3. Elliott Smith: Basement on a Hill

2. Beirut: Gulag Orkestar

1. Sigur Ros: Agaetis Byrhum (just made it being released in the US in 2000/01)

What almost made the list:

Okkervil River: Black Sheep Boy

Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes

Band of Horses: Everything All The Tim

Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow

Gomez: How We Operate

Josh Ritter: The Animal Years

Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s: The Dust of Retreat

The Shins: Sleeping Lessons

Spoon: Gimme Fiction

(ed. note: Frank did a list of his top songs, which is great! If anyone is interested in submitting a list of their favorite songs, send it to somuchforthe00s@gmail.com)

5. Andrew Bird: “Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left” – from Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs
One time a friend gave me a stolen Camaro Berlinetta. How did i know it was stolen? I don’t technically, but I have my suspicions as the previous owner was a user of certain flowers that grow in the Far East and the evil which those of the west believe will make you fall asleep, and the VIN was ripped out of the dash, plus there was no title. But, being that it was stolen, keeping my cool was a must and this album always helped.

4. Hank Williams III: “Counrty Heroes” – from Straight to Hell
I’ve gone through about 7 or so cars in my short 25 years of being, and I think the inner hick in me is proud of that fact. This albulm here just about sums up everything I love about country and my inner hick without all the razamataz those other Pop Country singers have out there, giving it a bad name and such.

3. Gogol Bordello: “Wonderlust King” – from Super Taranta
While my favorite Gogol album is definitely their first one, this CD got plenty of air time on the wavelengths of my Suzuki Forenza, which, to say the least, can’t do much wandering these days. And some day when I drive again and wander the streets of some random town, it will get more play then it does on the sidewalks of New York.

2. Flogging Molly: “Drunken Lullabies” – from Drunken Lullabies
I guess I only have myself to blame that people I met after high school thought I was Irish as this would be heard any time I pulled up in my Dodge Raider.

1. NOFX: “Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing” – from Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing
Oh teenage angst and how NOFX was such a very big part of that for me as I drove around in my Geo Prizm… minus a sun roof… minus a driver side window and mirror… and minus part of a quarter panel… but PLUS some kick ass spray painted flames, checkers and cow skin seat covers, pfft who needs windows? I never thought I’d get those feelings back again after Linoleum but much to my delight i did with this lovely diddy.

Hope this helps make your Christmas wishes all come true.

4. Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf
This has everything I look for in a badass record. Brilliant song writing with help from tasty riffs, solid producing, cohesiveness, etc. And just to spice it up a bit, Josh Homme had a lil’ known dude named Dave Grohl behind the kit. Cool songs names as well if I might add.

3. Game Theory: The Roots
I’m beginning to sense a common trend among my selections so far. Another 00 record with phenomenal drumming. A darker, grittier venture for the well-respected group, who prove you don’t need to rely on samples and drum beats alone to come up w/ a good hip hop group. With Game Theory, they kept it more minimal than previous attempts and it suits them well.

2. Yankee Foxtrot Hotel: Wilco
For me, nothing beats traveling through the city on a drizzling Seattle night in December with this playing on the car stereo.

1. Kid A: Radiohead
Yeah it’s cliche, but this much-anticipated album changed the way I listened to music immediately after I bought back in 2000. It would be impossible to come up with a better follow-up album to ‘OK Computer’. It’s a scientific fact!

Other epic albums from the 00′s
Armchair Apocrypha: Andrew Bird
Keep It Hid: Dan Auerbach
Sea Change: Beck
Aha Shake Heartbreak: Kings Of Leon
( ): Sigur Ros

Fugazi: The Argument

Godspeed You Black Emperor!: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

Mogwai: Rock Action

Don Caballero: American Don

Tortoise: Standards

And another 15 that should be on there:
Ted Leo/Pharmacists: Hearts of Oak
PJ Harvey: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Deltron: Deltron 3030
Califone: Heron King Blues
Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker
New Pornographers: Twin Cinema
DangerDoom: The Mouse and the Mask
Mission Of Burma: OnOffOn
Crooked Fingers: Crooked Fingers
Karate: Pockets
Radiohead: Kid A
Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clinentele
Iron and Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days
The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

5. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

I’ve been a pretty big fan of The Flaming Lips for quite some time, but this, for my money, is their masterpiece. Richly textured and combining moments of quietude with raucous, soaring peaks, this album has it all. This album came out while I was in college and for a long while was one of the staple albums in the apartment music mix.

If you haven’t seen it, check out the movie, “The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks” at hulu; it’s worth your time:

4. Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

To some extent, you never know what to expect from Yo La Tengo, but usually it turns out pretty good. This album blew my mind the first time I heard it. It probably helps that I was stoned to ba-jesus at the time, but nevertheless, subsequent listens did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for it. If nothing else, this album has to win best title of the decade.

3. M. Ward: Post-War

This was a tough pick. I knew I had to put M. Ward on this list. The trouble was, which album? Well, this is the one I most often reach for when I’m in the mood for him and deservedly so, it’s filled with some damn fine songs, such as Poison Cup, Chinese Translation, Magic Trick and my personal favorite, the Daniel Johnston cover, “To Go Home,” featuring one Neko Case.

If I was making a Top 5 videos of the naughts list, this one would be a serious contender:

2. Beck: Sea Change

I’ve noticed this is on a lot of people’s list, so I won’t say too much. I will say that I once listened to this on a very sad day, in a very strange place and the memory of listening to “Guess I’m Doing Fine,” especially with the company I was keeping that particular day, pretty much single-handedly puts it on this list for me.

1. Wilco: A Ghost is Born

Wilco. What can one say. Tweedy’s a genius, etc., etc. I know most people would go with YFT, but there are some tracks on Ghost that make this my favorite Wilco album of the decade, if not their career (ok, nothing will ever top Being There for me). Some favorites include the N. Youngesque riffing on “At Least That’s What You Said” and the goosebump-inflicting lyrics of “Hummingbird.” Personally though, I think “Hell is Chrome” might be the most well produced Wilco song of all time.

Not an official video obviously, but the only one I could find with the album track on it:

And honorable mentions:

Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

The Beatles: Love (kind of cheating)

Ben Folds: Ben Folds Live

The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow

Okkervil River: The Stage Names

Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker

Magnetic Fields: I

4. The Shins: Oh, Inverted World
The album that made everyone want to get into Natalie Portman’s headphones, but were too full of shame to admit it.

3. Cassiotone for the Painfully Alone: Etiquette
The poor man’s the Postal Service. Full of beats, angst, and beards. I started listening to this album as a joke and yet, I’m still listening and singing along.

2. Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf
If “Go with the flow” is on a jukebox I will play it every time. It’s one of my favorite songs of the 00’s. Plus, any ginger capable of snagging the likes of Karen O is good in my book.

1. Wilco: A Ghost is Born
This album is the perfect rainy day driving album. I love nearly every single song on it.

Honorable mentions:
Arcade Fire: Funeral and Neon Bible
(I’m exhausted just thinking about how mind bogglingly good these albums are)

Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
(YES, I know, so played out. I get it. But we can’t ignore the fact that they singlehandedly made boat shoes and Paul Simon “cool” again.)

Radiohead: Kid A
(Lost my V card to this, nuff said.)

Heartless Bastards: All This Time
(If I were religious, this lady’s voice would make me want to denounce God and worship at the church of “this lady’s voice.”)

4.  Arcade Fire: Funeral
I couldn’t put together an honest top five and not have this album in the list. You get the impression that there is more to Funeral than what you’re hearing in that it produces thoughts and feelings available only because it is presented in a perfectly beautiful way, like a John Steinbeck book or the state of Vermont. Funeral is a work of art and it should be noted that “Wake Up” is one of the best songs in the history of the world.

3.  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
CYHSY obviously considered each song as a part of a whole, as evidenced by the transitions between songs, be it an actual or implied segue. Were it not for this effort, this album it would be just another collection of wonderful indie pop songs, but it is consequentially the shit. Third best shit, even!

2.  Band of Horses: Everything All the Time
I will be listening to this album for as long as I’m listening to albums. Not a bad song here. As a matter of fact, every single one is relatively amazing. Band of Horses is also quite good live.

1.  Iron and Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days
I came upon this album because my girlfriend was living in New York and saw a picture of him in a magazine, so she cut it out and sent it to me in Indiana with a note that said I look like him. I was in a record store and saw the CD with what looked like my face on it, so I bought it without having any idea what it sounded like. I have compared every album I’ve heard since to this one, and soon after buying the album I moved to New York to marry the girl that sent me the picture. Our Endless Numbered Days is important to me, if not an outright life changer.

Like the Chris that posted before me on this here blog, I considered my top five albums to be ones that I could listen to forever and, coincidentally, this album is also on his list. Sam Beam has the ability to play or sing exactly the right note at exactly the right time, which can give you religion, for lack of a better term. Our Endless Numbered Days makes me want to do things, and that is why it’s the best album I’ve heard during the past ten years.

Many thanks to Tori for giving us an outlet to discuss such an interesting topic. And now my honorable mentions, in a particular order:
Andrew Bird: Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs
The Beatles: Love
Beirut: Gulag Orkestar
Belle and Sebastian: Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
Gillian Welch: Time (The Revelator)
Iron & Wine: The Creek Drank the Cradle
Okkervil River: Black Sheep Boy
Outkast: Stankonia
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Naturally
The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
Sufjan Stevens: Come On Feel the Illinoise
Super Furry Animals: Love Kraft