Here it is, a list of my favourite 21 albums of the first ten years of the 21st century. There are 21 because I felt there are 21 albums worthy of making the list. The criteria is simply which albums have I listened to the most since the new millenium.
I also cross referenced my fading memories of yearly album lists I compiled when I worked in a record shop and lists made with friends after this. Here is a podcast released in Dec 2008 reviewing that year in music with my friends Jack Mountain and TheoGb. My Lastfm profile is here. The decade list seems to favour the first half with no albums from 2007 at all. The list is currently in chronological order and features only one act from the UK, one from Japan and two from Canada.
Tracks From My Albums Of The Noughties
Animal Collective - “Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished”
(2000) Paw Tracks, reiussed 2003 by Fat Cat Records
Related - Flaming Lips, Black Dice, Forever Changes, Roland SH-2, psychedelic, feedback loops
Track -
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - “Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven” (2000) Constellation Records
Related - A Silver Mt Zion, field recordings, strings
Track -
At the Drive-In - “Relationship Of Command” (2000) Grand Royal
Related – Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Texas, post-hardcore, afros
Track – Quarantined
Cannibal Ox - “The Cold Vein” (2001) Def Jux
Related - Wu-Tang Clan, El-P, Harlem, backpacks, indie hip hop
Track -
Hood - “Cold House” (2001) Domino Records
Related - Doseone, Why?, Anticon, Yorkshire dales, lo-fi, shoegaze, electronic
Track - You Show No Emotion at All
Les Savy Fav - “Go Forth” (2001) French Kiss
Related – Dismemberment Plan, Pixies, Talking Heads, live performance, art, indie
Track -
Do Make Say Think - “& Yet & Yet” (2002) Constellation Records
Related – Fridge, Hood, Kranky, jazz, post rock
Track - Classic Noodlanding
Xinlisuprime - “Tomorrow Never Comes” (2002) Fat Cat Records
Related – Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Japanese noise, murder, death, kill
Track - Amaryllis
Sonic Youth - “Murray Street” (2002) Polydor/Universal
Related – Pavement, The Year Punk Broke, Jim O'Rourke,indie
Track - The Empty Page
El-P - “Fantastic Damage” (2002) Def Jux
Related– Edan, Company Flow, Cannibal Ox,Brooklyn, indie hip hop
Track - Dr. Hellno & The Praying Mantus
Black Eyes - s/t (2003) Dischord Records
Related – Silver Daggers, Mi Ami, Fugazi, rhythmical punk, two drummers
Track -
Viktor Vaughn - “Vaudeville Villain” (2003) Sound Ink
Related – MF Doom, KMD, comic book, super hero rap
Track - Vaudeville Villain
Black Dice - “Beaches + Canyons” (2003) Fat Cat Records
Related – Autechre, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, electronic, drones
Track - Big Drop
The Hunches - “Hobo Sunrise” (2004) In The Red Records
Related- Sebadoh, The Replacements, In The Red Records, indie, garage
Track -
Meneguar - “I Was Born At Night” (2005) Troubleman Unlimited
Related – The Van Pelt, The Lapse, Bruce Springsteen, anthemic
Track - House of Cats
Shipping News - “Flies The Field” (2005) Touch & Go Records / Quarterstick
Related – June Of 44, Rodan, Enablers, Chicago indie
Track - The Human Face
Enablers - “Output Negative Space” (2006) Neurot Recordings
Related – Slint, Polvo, Shipping News, spoken word, post rock, indie
Track -
Marnie Stern - “This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That” (2008) Kill Rock Stars
Related – Hella, Fleetwood Mac, Zach Hill, Kate Bush, prog, punk, indie
Track - Crippled Jazzer
Abe Vigoda - “Skeleton” (2008) PPM Records
Related – The Mae Shi, No Age, LA, The Smell, tropicalia, punk
Track - [track artist=
Abe Vigoda[]Bear Face[/track]
HEALTH- "GET COLOR” (2009) Lovepump Unlimited
Related – Squarepusher, Fuck Buttons, Crystal Castles, LA, avant rock, indie, punk
Track – [track artist=Health]Die Slow[/track]
Oneida- “Rated O” (2009) Jagjaguwar
Related – Liars, Can, neu, classic rock, avant rock, experimental
Track – [track artist=Oneida]I Will Haunt You[/track]
Bubbling under - Radiohead- "Kid A" (2000), Tortoise- "Standards", Hot Snakes - "Suicide Invoice", Edan- "Primitive Plus", Tom Waits - "Real Gone", cLOUDDEAD- s/t, Dananananaykroyd- "Hey Everyone"
Thanks for reading!