The first decade of this millennium started off pretty weak for music. When I sort my iTunes by year and flip though the decade, the options from 2000 to 2005 are rather sparse, in 2006 I it picks back up again. I would also add that really good albums take a year or two to get traction in my collection so Veckatimist, Monsters of Folk, Hold Time and Blood Bank may have made the list if they came out earlier. So here you have it in no particular order:
In Rainbows | radiohead
I almost want to say that it is my favorite album of the decade, but it’s too close to call with Sky Blue Sky and Cease to Begin. Radiohead continued to progress and drop yet another album that is totally fresh and yet still Radiohead.
Sky Blue Sky | Wilco
I’m not a Wilco diehard; I came late to the party. This album might not be really high on the list for Wilco fans, but I love it. A really complete album that I love to listen to front to back.
Cease to Begin | band of horses
This one sat around in my iTunes library collecting dust for a while. I knew I liked it right away, I just needed to sit with it and get to know it more. The only bummer is that the album is only like 34 minutes long.
Fleet Foxes | fleet foxes
Music hasn’t seen much of anything earth shattering in terms of a fresh movement since grunge hit. From what I can tell the Northwest has delivered a ground swell again and we should feel blessed that it hasn’t caught on in the main stream. That movement is the Alt-Folk movement or whatever you want to call it. The whole genre has been a breath of fresh air and the Fleet Foxes are my favorite…my son’s too.
Bleed American | jimmy eat world
I think radio was in the middle of killing itself in 2001 and the web hadn’t quite become the source for new music that it is now. Bleed American slipped through the cracks of crap that was being played and showed everyone that good albums could be played on the radio.
Continuum | john mayer
To be honest I have to say that I can’t stand John Mayer prior to Continuum. He grew up or fired someone around him that was holding him back and put together what 20 years from now we might consider to be one of the best guitar albums of all time.
We Don’t Need to Whisper | angels & airwaves
I’ve said it before; I can’t figure out why I like this album so much, I just do. So there.
By the Way | red hot chili peppers
I know, every Chili Pepper’s album can get annoying, but this one is different for me. I think partially because I moved to Hawaii prior to its release and it was a perfect album for the place I was at in my life.
Silence | Blindside
I love me some hard rocking music. I first saw blindside when they opened for Project 86 and POD at a little club in 2000 and it was a refreshing spin on the genre. Was he singing? Was he screaming? Maybe a little of both?
Live at Stubb’s | matisyahu
The only reggae album you own is Legend, that’s okay, you’ll like Matisyahu. I’m still spinning tracks off this disc. And it was recorded right here in Austin at Stubb’s!
So what did I miss?
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I very much like this selection with the exception of Fleet Foxes, I’m not a hater they just put me to sleep.
Call me a pop sellout but John Mayer’s Continuum is one of the best albums of all time, it literally alters my mood every time i listen to it.
Good choices!
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