The Darkest Times Lead To The Greatest Art

Mike's 50 Favorite Records of the Decade

50. Circulatory System, Circulatory System, 2001
I love Olivia Tremor Control so much that this record made it onto the list. Wonderful psychedelic fuzz-pop about walking around with dinosaurs and lamenting infinity.

49. Yo La Tengo, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, 2006
See, we've been doing this a long time now. And thing is, we're a lot better than you. So, while we appreciate the effort, it would probably be best for everybody if you just took a seat so we can show you how shit works around here. Take some notes. You're welcome.

48. Junior Boys, So This is Goodbye, 2006
The Junior Boys make sexy music if you're idea of sexy is chilly and sparse electronic elements underpinning songs about love and loss. Sounds like ice fucking. Delicious. Also, they're Canadian!

47. Beulah, The Coast is Never Clear, 2001
It sounds as if Miles Kurosky poured all the pain of a broken heart into this record. The cold, hypnotic opening song announces the death of the relationship, which he goes on to describe with every possible metaphor: magazines, love songs, sunburn, Gene Autry. So great.

46. Múm, Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today is OK, 2001
Electronic and acoustic instruments blend brilliantly on this debut: a rattle, some clicking, notes stretch into chords, and melodies form from fragments into lovely epics. Bonus points for being from Iceland!

45. Frightened Rabbit, Midnight Organ Fight, 2008
The very definition of a great pop record. Almost every song can induce bad dancing and off-key singalongs. Incredibly catchy, yet sad, songs about fucking = Yes!

44. Young People, Young People, 2002
I can't think of a way to describe Young People other than incredible. It's kinda like folk, if folk were sparse, loud, and dissonant. See for yourself. Please.

43. Stars, Set Yourself On Fire, 2004
I am already regretting this list. I don't know how Pitchfork does it. So many lists! I guess it helps to have a staff of dozens and ad revenue. God, I'm not even through the 40s yet. Fuck. I don't know if I can keep this up... Um, here's another record I liked a lot. Lots of girl vs. boy singing and great tunes. They're somehow related to Broken Social Scene. Or maybe it's the Arcade Fire. I've lost it.

42. Broadcast, HaHa Sound, 2003
Broadcast really should be bigger than they are. Who wouldn't like this? Atmospheric pop tunes that sound like they're soundtracking a French movie musical. Finally, someone combined the best parts of Warp Records and Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

41. Iron & Wine, The Creek Drank the Cradle, 2002
I met Sam Beam at a show once. After his no-shit jaw-dropping solo opening slot, he worked the merchandise table. I bought this record and complimented him on his set. He thanked me and we chatted. He said he was taking a leave of absence from being a film professor to do this tour. He was one of the nicest people I've ever met. A couple hours later, while my friends and I were leaving the show, he was still at the merch table, talking to some other new fan. At the door, I turned, waved, and said "Bye, Sam. Great show," and he actually replied, "Thanks, Mike." That's right, this record is so pretty and awesome that I felt I could waste all those words not talking about it. That's how good it is.

40. The Microphones, The Glow, Pt. 2
Imagine if folk music had thunderous drums. Then throw in stand-up pianos, bowed bass, harmoniums, and an obsession with nature, and you might be able to imagine what the Microphones are like. Maybe.

39. TV on the Radio, Dear Science, 2008
Okay, we're into the 30s now. I'm hoping for the writing equivalent of a runner's high, but it's not coming. I once described TV on the Radio as if Radiohead were American and black, but that does nothing to describe them. Punk-like, prog-like, soulful, gorgeous, and dissonant. They are the sound of a blend of many forms of underground music from the past 30 years, and this is their best record to date.

38. Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It in People, 2002
Get as many good musicians together as possible, put them in a studio, and see if you can keep topping each other. This record is so varied, it sounds like a mix tape. Songs range from straight up indie rock, sunny instrumentals, bedroom confessionals, and epic love songs to accompany John Cusak running to his girlfriend's house in the rain. Very great.

37. Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion, 2009
I saw Animal Collective back in 2002 at the Warehouse Next Door, and I hated them. I'm all for noise and weird stuff, but this seemed just like super-high dudes not even trying to play together or in any sort of order. They've spent the better part of this decade proving me wrong, and MPP is the highlight of their output.

36. The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, 2002
It's hard to follow up what many people think is a masterpiece, but the Lips do a pretty outstanding job here: expanding towards an electronic sort of psychedelic rock, but still with incredibly good songs at the core. I used to sing the title track to classes of two- and three-year olds. No shit.

35. Björk, Vespertine, 2001
By the time Björk put this record out, I was certainly taking her for granted. I remember talking to a friend about this record and saying something like, "Yeah, it's awesome and all; it just didn't change my life like her other records did." What a dick I was. Ms. Guðmundsdóttir had set such a ridiculously high bar in my mind that nothing short of her inventing a new kind of music would do. But looking back, this record is amazing. The beats are subtle and a little glitchy, the string arrangements are great, Björk sings as beautifully as she ever has, and Oh!Shit! those bells on "Frosti"!

34. Saturday Looks Good to Me, All Your Summer Songs, 2003
The most aptly titled record on the list. Fred Thomas and his revolving cavalcade of band members settle in and craft a perfect pop record. It's all here: sun-drenched Brian Wilson-isms, some Motown rhythm, and sad and lovely love songs. Sounds great in the middle of winter, too.

33. The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic, 2000
Canadian indie supergroup blitzing through song after song of near pop perfection. One of the best things in the world is when Neko Case sings a Carl Newman song, and this record has three of the best examples of that. And Destroyer shows up with his most accessible and awesome songs yet.

32. The Organ, Grab That Gun, 2004
I admit I have a penchant for lesbians singing sad love songs, but this is still a fucking awesome record. There's an urgency here, a desperation to the singing that's punctuated by shimmering guitar parts and dour keyboard lines. Cathartic.

31. The Grates, Gravity Won't Get You High, 2006
Some motherfuckers think they're born to dance. And some motherfuckers make records that sound like three people in a room having the most fun ever. You know you're really good when such good, catchy tunes sound tossed off and nonchalant. Oh, this amazing song you keep singing to yourself? Yeah, we wrote that in about a minute. It just came out perfect. Hey, let's go grab a burrito.

30. Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, Know Better Learn Faster, 2009
I've only had this record for two months and it still is this high on the list. That's how much I love it. The chanting singalong opener leads into some of the best folk-based rock-pop around. They then get downright beautiful on "Oh. No." Thao whispers near the end of the record that "sad people dance, too." If they don't, they should put this record on, and start.

29. Steven Malkmus & The Jicks, Steven Malkmus, 2001
I really don't know how Pavement fans feel about this record, or about the Jicks in general. But this is, from start to finish, a terrific record. Malkmus still has the clever wordplay and sense of humor, but the songs sound more accessible, more focused. Whatever the reaction, this record is brilliant.

28. Radiohead, In Rainbows, 2007
Am I almost done yet? Fuck. I can't possibly write anything novel about Radiohead. They make great songs, their records are impeccably produced and sequenced, and they practically gave this record away. They are the best, and they'll be more from them later in this list.

27. Built to Spill, Ancient Melodies of the Future, 2001
What I love about Built to Spill is that even though they're technically masterful musicians, their extended jams or weird time signatures don't come off as showy or wankery, but serve the song they're playing at the time. Here, they try to get streamlined and produce a fantastic record.

26. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Ease Down the Road, 2001
Another record on this list that is the follow up to a heralded 90s classic. Will Oldham recovers from the omnipresent doom of I See A Darkness to make a sort-of hopeful record filled with resignation, occasional joy, and really dark love songs. Just beautiful.

25. Q and Not U, Different Damage, 2002; X-Polynation/Book of Flags, 2003
This was the part of Q and Not U's history after they'd kicked out the bassist and before they went to Brooklyn to make that bad record (and then broke up.) But here, for about 18 months, they had it down: fantastic beats, squealing guitar spazzing, and dual shout-singers cryptically braying for you to dance to revolt. They are missed sorely.

24. The Gerbils, The Battle of Electricity, 2001
A record of weird and wonderful pop songs. I also met Scott Spillane at a show. He seemed freaked out that I was a fan of his band. He also had the longest beard I had ever seen. I'll stop writing about musicians I've met now.

23. Liars, They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, 2002
God, the drums! So spastic and aggressive -- even the drum machine beats seem vaguely threatening. This sounds like the soundtrack to a riot, but a riot where the participants know they have nothing to win and are just trashing shit to get out the anger.

22. Mirah, You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This, 2000
It's difficult for me to write about Mirah without gushing, but I will try. This record is simple, really: a beautiful voice, wonderfully crafted songs, and flawless lo-fi production. More on Mirah later.

21. The Mountain Goats, All Hail West Texas, 2002
John Darnielle writes best when he writes fiction, and this record may just be his "White Noise." Characters beaten and bruised (some by their own bad choices; some by the forces around them) trying to connect with anyone out there in this world. Possibly the best opening song of a record ever. Hail Satan, indeed!

20. Beirut, The Flying Club Cup, 2007
Zach Condon shows some serious songwriting chops on this, his second record. His vagabond marching band follows him to Paris and produces an incredible record filled with regret, longing, and joy. Worth the price of the record alone for the final movement of "Cherbourg."

19. Elliott Smith, Figure 8, 2000
Elliott in full-on Beatles mode, making a record as vital, heartbreaking, and awesome as any of his Kill Rock Stars albums. Don't let the polished studio sound keep you from listening to some incredibly crafted and performed pop tunes. Tasty.

18. The Microphones, It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water, 2000
I really admire Phil Elvrum's attention to detail: the sway-like guitar panning, the super soft voices, and the drums -- big, heavy, awesome drums. Songs fade and change abruptly and merge into each other. Motifs or patterns from one song show up again later, creating this kind of insular world. All of that, and a lot of terrific pop tunes.

17. The Shins, Oh, Inverted World, 2001
I thought the Shins had it down cold, what with all that hazy atmosphere and gorgeous songs that sound like an updated Donovan. I thought they were on the way to make The Record. But regardless of my expectations, they made one of the best records of this or any other decade.

16. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, 2000
In the epic, medieval battle I play out in my mind, this is the soundtrack, a record that seems to have been made specifically to score a revolution. It's all brass build-ups to mountainous crescendos and it makes me want to go protest some shit. Math is wrong!

15. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver, 2007
James Murphy gets kind of serious (for a little bit) and still cranks out a fantastic record, proving that you can still dance to songs about mortality and loss.

14. Summer Hymns, Voice Brother and Sister, 2000
Maybe the most evocative record on the list. I can't listen to this without feeling like an old man sitting on a porch, looking over the tall grass of a rural, Southern field, the vengeful summer sun just starting it's early evening decent. Majestic.

13. The Arcade Fire, Funeral, 2004
Surrounded by death and hamstrung by grief. What would you do? Would you turn inward and pity yourself for your loss, or would you get your friends together to laugh and cry and sing, because you're still here and you're going to shout about how great it is to be alive while you still can? Me, I'd probably do the former. Just one of many reasons why I am not the Arcade Fire.

12. Spoon, Kill the Moonlight, 2002
When some bands mature, they start adding orchestras and unnecessary instrumentation to sound bigger. Spoon actually got leaner and tighter as they went on, and this record is them at peak restraint. They learned when to pounce and when to let an echo fill in the space. It sounds perfect.

11. Jay-Z/Danger Mouse, The Grey Album, 2004
Stephen Colbert joked a while ago that the song "Birthday Sex" was a hit simply because whoever wrote it just took two things that everybody likes and put them together. That's exactly what The Grey Album is for me. I admit that I probably would've loved it even if Danger Mouse had simply mashed these two great records together, but what he does is so much better: mixing and warping the Beatles' into the perfect musical playground for Jigga to let loose.

10. Sigur Rós, Ágætis Byrjun, 2000
Orchestral post-rock with sonar blips that sound underwater and from outer space at the same time. Proof that words don't matter. The language of alien angel babies. Like nothing I had ever heard before. Gorgeous.

9. Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary, 2005
Beautiful pop songs with killer melodies buried under thunderous drums, frantic guitars, and squealing synthesizers. They create beauty from what seems to be noise and chaos, with expertly crafted songs underneath all that spastic energy.

8. Mirah, Advisory Committee, 2001
It starts with a widescreen epic western and closes with an acoustic folk anthem. In between, it takes you wherever her imagination damn well pleases: dance beats, lovelorn lyrics, pop perfection, and a torch song. Blissful.

7. Portastatic, Summer of the Shark, 2003
Side projects shouldn't be this good, but every song here is awesome. Written in the wake of September 11, 2001, Summer of the Shark is both fearful and poignant, expressing things that only a tragedy can release, set to some of the best pop-rock songs around.

6. Radiohead, Kid A, 2000
If OK Computer feared a world overcome by technology, Kid A actually lives in that dystopic nightmare world of isolation, blinding lights, and desolate landscapes. It sounds cold, with Thom Yorke's voice often computerized and manipulated. He begs to be alone, to escape. But by the end, he's resigned. We can't run or hide because there's nowhere to go. This is what we've become.

5. Panda Bear, Person Pitch, 2007
Panda Bear buys a sampler and starts fucking with his record collection. The DJ as Phil Spector or Brian Wilson. Just beautiful.

4. LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem, 2005
Disco made by a punk kid. A fat guy in a t-shirt doing all the singing. The world's best hipster-baiting, Daft Punk-worshiping dance party. A record that makes me wish I could dance.

3. Avalanches, Since I Left You, 2001
Four Australian DJs take every kind of sound recording ever pressed onto vinyl to create a parallel dimension that occasionally sounds like "The Love Boat," but in the best possible way.

2. Fugazi, The Argument, 2001
The last word from the best thing out of D.C. since Duke Ellington. Fugazi, how come when we needed you the most this past decade, there are only one set of footprints?

1. Radiohead, Amnesiac, 2001
A song cycle questioning whether death is preferable to the pain of life. A fractured, frightening, and beautiful record. John Darnielle wrote about this record eight years ago. There's no way I could put it any better, so I won't try.

Well, that was extraordinarily difficult, and way not worth the effort. I wanted to put album cover art with each listing, but I wanted more to get this over with.