Since the turn of the century what are the 10 absolute to-die-for indie albums? (Feel free to include 2007 releases because Lord knows there's been some good ones).

I'll start:

10. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
09. Animal Collective - Feels
08. Liars - s/t
07. Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens
06. M.I.A. - Arular
05. Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone
04. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
03. Islands - Return to the Sea
02. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer
01. Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah - s/t

This was really tough, but the following are definitely "must-haves" IMO... and in no particular order...

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
Metric - Old World Underground, Where Have You Gone
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Blonde Redhead - 23
Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Air - Talkie Walkie

Yummy. Exellent picks there sh6ne. Can't argue with any of them. Haven't heard the Metric or the Massive Attack albums, but of course, now... they're on my "radar".

It would be tough for me. The 2000s catalog of three bands could fill up my list quite easily (My Morning Jacket, The New Pornographers, and The Decemberists). Maybe a better thread would be Top 10 bands of the 2000s. In that case, in no particular order:

My Morning Jacket
The Shins
The New Pornographers
The Decemberists
Deerhoof
Sigur Ros
M. Ward
The Arcade Fire
Mastodon (!)
Sufjan Stevens

quote:

Originally posted by goathouse:
YHaven't heard the Metric or the Massive Attack albums, but of course, now... they're on my "radar".

Yeah, "OK Computer" followed by "Mezzanine" was the one-two punch that knocked me out of mainstream music and into the independent scene. And yes I know "OK Computer" was relatively mainstream, but not nearly as much as some of the stuff I was regularly listening to.

My opinion and I don't know if they are still "indie" but all of Spoon's albums. They are must haves if you are serious about top albums of the 2000s.

I also like both Interpol, Arcade Fire, and Broken Social Scene's albums. Also, anything by The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket, Bright Eyes and Yo La Tengo.

Let's see if I can do this without having the ipod to scroll through:

(by the way, I'd have multiple albums by AF, Spoon and CYHSY but I'm going to only allow one per band)

1) Arcade Fire-Funeral
2) Spoon-Gimme Fiction
3) Wolf Parade-Apologies to the Queen Mary
4) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-S/T
5) Menomena-Friend and Foe
6) Frog Eyes-Tears of the Valedictorian
7) Of Montreal-Hissing Fauna
8) Stephen Malkmus-Face the Truth
9) Kings of Leon-Aha Shake Heartbreak
10) Rock Plaza Central-Are We Not Horses


I love Modest Mouse, Deerhoof, New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene, the National and many others, but none have released an album that, for me, kills from start to finish.

Also, given the very recent slant of my list, I'm sure I'm forgetting some gems from earlier this decade. In addition, I've loved albums by Dylan, QOTSA, Wilco, etc. but I'm guessing they wouldn't be counted as indie.

quote:

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

That record came out in 1998, not this decade.

In the order they came into my head more or less, it was pretty tough to get it to 10.
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Badly Drawn Boy - Hour of the Bewilderbeast
Comets on Fire - Avatar
Feist - The Reminder

sh6ne's DQed.

in no order:

The Wrens - The Meadowlands
Blonde Redhead - 23
Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies (toss-up between this and Your Blues)
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Kashmir - Zitilites
Low - Drums and Guns
The National - Alligator (probably my #1)
Thee More Shallows - More Deep Cuts
The Black Heart Procession - 3

This message has been edited. Last edited by: a-light-so-dim,

quote:

Originally posted by jonathanbrisby:

quote:

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

That record came out in 1998, not this decade.

whoops. well, it was recommended to me in 01, so that's why I made the mistake.

Wolf Parade - Apologies to Queen Mary
The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
The Wrens - The Meadowlands
Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
The Unicorns - Who will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Modest Mouse - Moon and Antartica
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

I'm not sure I'm making a list, but where's Mclusky Do Dallas?

Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Spoon: Gimme Fiction
Ted Leo: The Tyranny of Distance
The Hold Steady: Boys and Girls in America
The Wrens: The Meadowlands
Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary
Broken Social Scene: You Forgot it in People
The Arcade Fire: Funeral
Modest Mouse: The Moon & Antarctica

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
I'm not sure I'm making a list, but where's Mclusky Do Dallas?

I agree.. such a great album

OK... In place of Mezzanine, I nominate Bloc Party's "Silent Alarm."

P.S. - I'm a big B and S Fan, but if I put one of their albums in my top 10, then half my list would end up with B and S albums.

I totally spaced out The Wrens. That would definately make my Top 10 any day. SO GOOD.

Can't keep my list to 10. I'll just throw out albums that haven't already been mentioned.

Death Cab for Cutie - We Have The Facts and We're Voting Yes
The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
Elliott Smith - Figure 8
The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales
The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended...
The Notwist - Neon Golden
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles...
Sleater Kinney - All Hands on the Bad One (or) The Woods
Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
The Dismemberment Plan - Change