100 - Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For the Deaf
99 - Saturday Looks Good To Me - Saturday Looks Good To Me
98 - Sole - Selling Live Water
97 - The French Kicks - One Time Bells
96 - Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People
95 - Beck - Sea Change
94 - Murs - Murs 3:16
93 - Tortoise - It's All Around You
92 - Arab Strap - Monday at the Hug and Pint
91 - Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
90 - The White Stripes - De Stijl
89 - Daedelus - Of Snowdonia
88 - Larval - Obedience
87 - Espers - Espers
86 - Grandaddy - Sumday
85 - Busdriver, Radioinactive and Daedelus - The Weather
84 - DJ Shadow - The Private Press
83 - Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
82 - Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
81 - Murs - The End of the Beginning
80 - Matthew Shipp - Equilibrium
79 - Aesop Rock - Labor Days
78 - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
77 - Bjork - Vespertine
76 - British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power
75 - Matthew Shipp - Pastoral Composure
74 - Mr. Lif - I Phantom
73 - Magas - Friends Forever
72 - Junior Senior - D-D-Don't Stop the Beat
71 - Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
70 - TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
69 - Oneida - Secret Wars
68 - Deerhoof - Reveille
67 - Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
66 - Boom Bip and DoseOne - Circle
65 - Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
64 - Boom Bip - Seed to Sun
63 - Saturday Looks Good To Me - All Your Summer Songs
62 - Japanther - Leather Wings
61 - Goldcard - Goldcard
60 - Rjd2 - Deadringer
59 - Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
58 - Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
57 - El-P and the Blue Series Continuum - High Water
56 - Jackie-O Motherfucker - Fig. 5
55 - Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives
54 - The Dirtbombs - Ultraglide in Black
53 - AC Newman - The Slow Wonder
52 - Liars - They Were Wrong So We Drowned
51 - Themselves - The No Music
50 - Notwist - Neon Golden
49 - Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
48 - Oneida - Each One Teach One
47 - Xiu Xiu - A Promise
46 - Matthew Shipp's New Orbit - Matthew Shipp's New Orbit
45 - Larval - Predator or Prey
44 - William Parker - Painter's Spring
43 - Bardo Pond - Dilate
42 - Comets On Fire - Comets On Fire
41 - Tortoise - Standards
40 - Manitoba - Up in Flames
39 - Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
38 - Frog Eyes - The Golden River
37 - Deerhoof - Apple'O
36 - Why? - Oaklandazulasylum
35 - Enon - High Society
34 - Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
33 - Sightings - Absolutes
32 - Radiohead - Hail
31 - Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
30 - Architecture In Helsinki - Fingers Crossed
29 - Craig Taborn - Junk Magic
28 - Aesop Rock - Bazooka Tooth
27 - Animal Collective - Here Comes the Indian
26 - Tamion 12 Inch - Let's Suffer
25 - The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
24 - The New Pornographers - Electric Version
23 - The Avalanches - Since I Left You
22 - Spoon - Girls Can Tell
21 - Sonic Youth - Murray Street
20 - Broadcast - Haha Sound
19 - Adult. - Resuscitation
18 - Bardo Pond - On the Ellipse
17 - Hood - Cold House
16 - Clouddead - Ten
15 - Radiohead - Amnesiac
14 - The Shins - Oh Inverted World!
13 - Sightings - Michigan Haters
12 - Mclusky - The Difference Between Me and You is That I'm Not on Fire
11 - Neon Hunk - Smarmymob
10 - 1929 - Last But Not Leased
09 - Spoon - Kill the Moonlight
08 - Clouddead - Clouddead
07 - Liars - They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top
06 - El-P - Fantastic Damage
05 - Radiohead - Kid A
04 - Basement Jaxx - Rooty
03 - Giddy Motors - Make It Pop
02 - Adult. - Anxiety Always
01 - Mclusky - Mclusky Do Dallas

I will try to respond at some time since this obviously took some effort. But after I checked out Pitchfork's lists and even your website, Sweetie, I just came to the conclusion that the younger generation must see things differently than I do.

Have I well more than 100 albums to discuss in this millenium? Of course. Does anything I say about even a top ten have any relevance to anyone's life, at least, right now? Of course not. It may be fun and important to some, but it seems completely pointless to me.

Let me put it this way; have I NOT been exposed to at least 100 albums that could be on this so-called best-of list? Probably. Am I correct to make such a list? Who the hell knows, or even cares? Please share what's important, but what's important to someone might be BS trivia to someone else.

Music has existed since long before the 2000s, and God willing, we may get to the 2010s. I'd be more interested in someone's Top 100 of all-time, but even that sounds more- incomprehensible or pretentious than anything else. Shut up, mark.

Oh yeah, the greatest album ever made is... (oh wait a minute, I've only missed 99.99% of the albums ever made.) Shut the F**K up MARK, you heathen!!!!!


PS- even if it sounds like I'm an angry mofo, that isn't even remotely true. I'm just thinking about Machols. I think he's right that we're too obsessed about BS, and we seem to need some BS lists to make our lives meaningful. I believe that our honest sharing is more important, so I guess that means I need to toast Sweetie for sharing with us. Maybe I just need to go to bed, but it makes total sense to me, and I don't write anything like Joyce or Faulkner (too bad!, maybe I'd make some money.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

Obviously, none of you have to make your list so large. I was just being an ass, and also trying to see if I could actually do it.

All I can say about your list, Sweetie, is that I only own 11 of your 100 records, which may say something about my listening tastes.

Your list does seem quite varied, from indie to dance to electronic and back again, which is cool. Probably too cool for someone like me...you listen to the stuff the younger guys in my record store liked. And when they'd go to the bathroom, I'd put on a power pop record!

Kidding aside, kudos on such an impressive feat. I'll pop a list out, but it won't be 100. It'll be 10 or 20....

Sorry about back-to-back posts, but here's my list:

These are MY favorites, the records I’ve listened to the most, the ones that never left my record player, the ones I wouldn’t trade for anything, the ones I own multiple copies of, etc. I’m sure I’ve missed some obvious ones. (NB: I've already done some editing after having this posted for less than a day. I'm such a geek...) I’ve limited each band to ONE entry, but sometimes I’ll offer a commentary or explanation...

1. U2: All You Can’t Leave Behind.
2. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
3. Fountains of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers
4. The Pernice Brothers: The World Won’t End (but I could easily put Yours, Mine, and Ours at spot #5)
5. Lloyd Cole: The Negatives (this was recorded in 1997-1999 but not released until 2000 in France and 2001 in the US)
6. Cosmic Rough Riders: Enjoy the Melodic Sunshine
7. The Jayhawks: Smile (Rainy Day Music could slide in here as well)
8. Ryan Adams: Gold (or Heartbreaker, depends on my mood)
9. Richard Ashcroft: Alone With Everybody
10. Whiskeytown: Pneumonia (a fudge on the “one entry” but Whiskeytown is a different entity than Ryan’s solo work)
11. Beck: Seachange
12. Doves: Lost Souls
13. Proud Mary: Same Old Blues (a sentimental favorite…this Noel Gallagher fave was the soundtrack to my move from Atlanta to St Louis in the summer of 2001)
14. Farrah: Moustache
15. Witness UK: Under a Sun
16. Josh Rouse: 1972
17. Tsar: Tsar
18. Minibar: Road Movies
19. Red House Painters: Old Ramon
20. Kevin Tihista's Red Terror: Don't Breathe a Word (and Judo, if you listen to them as the double-album they were conceived as...)

Nearly there: Lambchop, “Nixon”; The Pearlfishers, “Across the Milky Way”; Del Amitri, “Could You Do Me Good?”; Tindersticks, “Can Our Love?”; World Party, “Dumbing Up”, the Supers, “Splkanng!”;
Radiohead, "Kid A"; Sugarcult, "Start Static"; Sun Kil Moon, "Ghosts of the Great Highway", Ultimate Fakebook, "Open Up and Say Awesome"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: philosopherEric,

First off, as to the bookkeeping, I have 20/100 of Sweetie's and 5/20 of philosopher Eric's. My list is probably too mainstream, and I have several albums loaned out which might make a list, but remember what I said a few posts back. This list is probably just as good as all the things I may have fogotten, and it will all change as time goes by.

1. Radiohead "Kid A"
2. The Soundtrack of Our Lives "Behind the Music"
3. Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire "The Swimming Hour"
4. PJ Harvey "Songs From the City, Songs From the Sea"
5. Radiohead "Hail to the Thief"
6. Bob Dylan "Love and Theft"
7. White Stripes "Elephant"
8. Loretta Lynn "Van Lear Rose"
9. Beck "Sea Change"
10. OutKast "Speakerboxx/The Love Below"
11. Radiohead "Amnesiac"
12. White Stripes "White Blood Cells"
13. Sleater-Kinney "One Beat"
14. Super Furry Animals "Rings Around the World"
15. Icarus Line "Penance Soiree"
16. Holly Golightly "Truly She is None Other"
17. Shins "Chutes Too Narrow"
18. Les Savy Fav "Inches"
19. Mclusky "Mclusky Do Dallas"
20. Wilco "A Ghost is Born"

OK, Dr. Jekyll is going to find something else to do, but watch out if Mr. Hyde returns!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark f:
Music has existed since long before the 2000s, and God willing, we may get to the 2010s. I'd be more interested in someone's Top 100 of all-time, but even that sounds more- incomprehensible or pretentious than anything else. Shut up, mark.

Oh yeah, the greatest album ever made is... (oh wait a minute, I've only missed 99.99% of the albums ever made.) Shut the F**K up MARK, you heathen!!!!!


PS- even if it sounds like I'm an angry mofo, that isn't even remotely true. I'm just thinking about Machols. I think he's right that we're too obsessed about BS, and we seem to need some BS lists to make our lives meaningful. I believe that our honest sharing is more important, so I guess that means I need to toast Sweetie for sharing with us. Maybe I just need to go to bed, but it makes total sense to me, and I don't write anything like Joyce or Faulkner (too bad!, maybe I'd make some money.)

---

mark f, If it makes you feel any better, Joyce and Faulkner did not make very much money. And by the way, I think you're a great writer. You're funny!

One thing is for sure, I have got to check out the band Mclusky. I am intrigued . . .

I feel like I'm missing out. I only have 4/100 on "Sweetie's" list, 2/20 on philosopherEric's and 7/20 on mark f's.

These discussion forums are fun because it's great to know there's so much good music out there. It's fun to "hang out" with other hard-core music fans. Okay, I'll stop geeking out . . .

Karen, is that really you at the website you put at the General Music- Intros section? I'm happily-married, as you are, but wow, hubba hubba!

It's times like these where I say, "I really need a job, 'cause I haven't heard enough music. God, I need to hear more music." And then I go up and rob a Best Buy, then scream at the cashier because of their meager selection. Of course, I'm Canadian, which means I must take this higher. Which is why I have built a deadly laser on the moon. If the Canadian businesses and government do not comply and stock more and more albums at their stores so I may buy them, I will fire on Ottawa.

Anyway, my woefully unfit list, which, after 30, should be taken with a grain of salt:

40: The White Stripes - De Stijl
39: The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
38: Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone Spirit They've Vanished
37: Air - 10,000 Hz Legend
36: David Cross - It's Not Funny
35: A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms
34: Beck - Sea Change
33: Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
32: David Cross - Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!
31: The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band and Choir - "This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing
30: Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
29: Radiohead - Hail To the Thief
28: Kanye West - The College Dropout
27: Jay-Z - The Black Album
26: Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
25: A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms
24: The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
23: Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan: the Great Lake States
22: A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
21: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
20: The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
19: Aesop Rock - Labor Days
18: Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
17: Mogwai - My Father My King EP
16: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
15: Air - Talkie Walkie
14: The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
13: Menomena - I Am the Fun Blame Monster
12: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
11: Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
10: The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
09: Radiohead - Amnesiac
08: Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
07: Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
06: Opeth - Blackwater Park
05: Sonic Youth - Murray Street
04: Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
03: ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
02: Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
01: Radiohead - Kid A

This turned out to be much harder than I expected. The lack of the filter time affords is something that I missed, and 1999-2002 were probably the three least active listening years of my life. I'm not including albums that I have only just discovered from earlier in the decade, so there are some highly notable ommissions. That being said, and (as always) in relentlessly alphabetical order:

Bob Dylan Love and Theft
Alejandro Escovedo A Man Under the Influence
The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Fountains of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand
Joe Henry Scar
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists Hearts of Oak
Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose
The New Pornographers Electric Version
OutKast Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Bruce Springsteen The Rising
The Strokes Is This It?
Joe Strummer Streetcore
Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Now Playing: NPR's Weekend Edition

I sure hope that everyone has heard the complete "Kid A", including the hidden track about 20 seconds after "Motion Picture Soundtrack" ends. The first time I heard "Kid A", on K-ROQ, a radio station which has steadily gone down-hill, but somehow played this in its entirety, before it was released, my mind was at least as much blown as it had been for all the Beatles albums. This was the EXACT point where I understood that Radiohead was the NEW Beatles. Too bad I didn't pay closer attention beforehand, since that would have made everything so much easier.

All I can say is, whether you missed them or not, please give Radiohead the respect they deserve, especially since they deserve more than anyone could ever give them!

Pssst...Eric [eyes shifting side to side]...I think he's talkin' to US!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LinnTate,

You guys are great, but I find it extremely difficult to believe that "Sweetie" really believes that "Hail to the Thief" is only #32 of the 2000s, or that Monheim can go with #29. pE and LT, I can believe your "no comments" easier, but not if you were up to the power curve. Come on, does anybody else think that I have a more-realistic concept of "Hail to the Thief"? After all, it is almost flawless. Even if you don't accept the music as flawless, the lyrics would have to grab you, even wong828!.

To tell you the truth, LT and pE, I wasn't actually talking about you, but I'm glad you are talking about them, not because I believe that there's something wrong with you, but because it actually makes me feel good if someone I love and respect pays attention to me, even if I'm not directly talking to them. Not only do I enjoy getting to know you and your family, LT, I enjoy getting to know that you actually believe that I'm worth paying attention to. The same goes with you, pE. You definitely have nothing to prove to me. You are both as flawless as Radiohead, as far as I'm concerned. Just make sure the Cards always beat the Giants and Padres and lose to the Dodgers. Now, that really sounds believable! [I think that edit is a bit less confusing, mark - LT]
Later, Gators.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LinnTate,

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark f:
You guys are great, but I find it extremely difficult to believe that "Sweetie" really believes that "Hail to the Thief" is only #32 of the 2000s, or that Monheim can go with #29. pE and LT, I can believe your "no comments" easier, but not if you were up to the power curve. Come on, does anybody else think that I have a more-realistic concept of "Hail to the Thief"? After all, it is almost flawless. Even if you don't accept the music as flawless, the lyrics would have to grab you, even wong828!.

---

My problem, if I have one, with Hail To the Thief is that it takes the backroad and resigns to playing it safe. So, while its experimental moments like "The Gloaming" are absolutely delectible, it too often resigns to "eh, it's nice." Lots of songs are incredible, but aren't as intense, wonderful or idiosyncratic as Kid A or Amnesiac. Also, the album has a lot of awkward lyrical problems that aren't easy to get around -- in "Backdrifts," when Thom goes "OH OH OH!," or the ballad-by-numbers "Sail To the Moon" -- in addition to its library nuggets. If Hail To the Thief deserves accolades for anything, it's that it lyrically probes literature for some inspiring bits of philosophy. Even if it's obviously political, there is something undeniably inspiring that Radiohead would turn to their libraries, mining Beckett, Homer, Levin, Orwell and the Bible for subject matter and metaphor.

So, while Hail To the Thief has lots of ideas -- "2+2=5," "The Gloaming," "A Wolf At the Door," "Scatterbrain" -- it is also bogged down by disposable songs -- "Sail To the Moon" -- some less-than-perfect lyrics -- "Where I End and You Begin," "We Suck Young Blood" -- and a slight tendency towards cliche (slight enough to not be troublesome). It's a great album, sure, but not as transcendent as Amnesiac or Kid A.

Sorry if you don't like my take on it. I love Radiohead, I really do, and Hail To the Thief is another step in a new direction -- even if it's a little wobbly here and there.

Hail to the Thief is a really awesome, possibly flawless album. Your comment made me look at my rankings, which are certainly not flawless, to see if it should have been higher. Yes, Hail to the Thief is great, but god damn if there aren't some phenomenal albums ranked even higher. In this case, I stand by my rankings.

Also, these are some I should have put on the list. Thanks to whoever put them in your own lists:

Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
Kaito - Band Red
Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone
Andre 3000 - The Love Below
Ted Leo- Hearts of Oak
Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown

I've never really "gotten" either Amnesiac or Hail to the Thief like I've gotten earlier Radiohead. But I'm a fan of Pablo Honey (the only one around, it seems) and that may signify my sonic tastes. I tend NOT to pull it out because I have the special "book pack" which is NOT in the alphabetical R's, so it doesn't get seen as often as it could. I'm going to give "Hail" another set of listens, just so I can be sure that I didn't miss anything. And so that we can all just get along!

I do play "2+2+5" as the intro to the section of my intro philosophy class where we do Orwell's "1984", so I haven't totally ignored it.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark f:
Karen, is that really you at the website you put at the General Music- Intros section?

---

Yes, that's really me!

Here are the names of my favorite CDs of the decade. Making these lists is somewhat geeky and pointless (sign, that's true), but TOTALLY therapeutic and fun.

1. Elliott Smith, Figure 8
2. Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
3. Beck, Sea Change
4. Deftones, White Pony
5. Radiohead, Hail to the Thief
6. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
7. Jane’s Addiction, Strays
8. The White Stripes, Elephant
9. Blur, the Best of
10. Outkast, Speakerboxx / The Love Below
11. Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won
12. Marilyn Manson, Holy Wood (in the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
13. The Cure (self-titled)
14. Wilco, A Ghost Is Born
15. Rage Against the Machine, Renegades
16. The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
17. Prince, Musicology
18. Audioslave, (self-titled)
19. The Chemical Brothers, Come With Us
20. Queens of the Stone Age, R
21. Gorillaz (self-titled)
22. NERD, In Search Of . .
23. The Crystal Method, Tweekend
24. Probot (self-titled)
25. Madvillain, Madvillainy
26. Static-X, Machine
27. Jet, Get Born
28. Modest Mouse, Good News for People Who Love Bad News
29. Blur, Think Tank
30. The Roots, Phrenology
31. Iggy Pop, Skull Ring
32. The Stills, Logic Will Break Your Heart
33. Longwave, The Strangest Things
35. The Vines, Highly Evolved
36. Jack Johnson, On and On
37. Basement Jaxx, Kish Kash
38. Marilyn Manson, Golden Age of the Grotesque
39. Hot Hot Heat, Make Up the Breakdown
40. The Mooney Suzuki, Electric Sweat

Karen, great call on the Figure 8. It seems to not get as much credit as his other records, but it has so many great tunes. "Everything Reminds Me of Her" was the first Elliott song I heard, and it has always been a favorite. If I wasn't at work, I'd listen to it right now actually.

Also, I'm really impressed with Sweetie's list. Not that I would agree w/everything, just the fact that he was able to make it. What a task! I'm curious, how long did it take you to do the whole thing?

In the tradition of Mark F, I'm going to shoot for 20.

20. New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
19. Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
18. Modest Mouse - Goods News
17. Mirah - Advisory Committee
16. The Books - The Lemon of Pink
15. Ted Leo - The Tyranny of Distance
14. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
13. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
12. The White Stripes - De Stijl
11. Interpol - Bright Lights
10. Badly Drawn Boy - Bewilderbeast
9. Microphones - It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water
8. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
7. Elliott Smith - Figure 8
6. Radiohead - Amnesiac
5. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
4. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
3. Radiohead - Kid A
2. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
1. Microphones - The Glow, Pt. 2

ps. I have a feeling Sufjan is worthy of the list too, but I just got "Michigan" last week. I'm afraid I would feel premature putting it in the company of records I've spent months and years with

Well, here's my running count: 19/100 of Sweeties (this explains partially the first mix), 3/20 of Philosopher Erics, 20/20 of Mark f's (how did that happen), 15/40 of Monheims, 11/14 of LinnTates, 17/40 of Karen's and 8/20 of St Ides. So much good stuff I have missed, so little time.

Anyway, I have 21 I can think of in some sort of order.

1. Yoshimi
2. Hail To the thief
3. YHF
4. Speakerbox
5. Elephant
6. World Without Tears
7. Behind the Music - Soundtrack of our Lives
8. Veni Vedi Vicious
9. Kid A
10. Sea Change
11. The Rising
12. Mono/Stereo
13. Youth and Young Manhood
14. Fever to Tell
15. White Blood Cells
16. In Search of...NERD
17. A Ghost is Born
18. Relationship of Command - at the drive-in
19. Rings Around the World
20. Welcome Interstate Managers
21. Is this It?

I hope this doesn't set machols f, I mean Dr Jekyl off again.


xoxo, hal

Holy Shiite! I think that's enough to have a born-here citizen such as you to be deported, but who in the hell would accept you? 20/20 of mf's...that sounds like blasphemy. Come on, all you patriots, let's clear this "patriot" outta here!