100 The New Pornographers
Twin Cinema Maybe we shouldn't applaud the New Porno's going for a cleaner sound. I for one prefer this approach on the A.C. Newman songs. And the drums sound great on the whole album.
--2005
The 90s trip-hop gods shattered expectations in 2008 with an innovative experimental rock album; still sounding as dark as ever.
--2008
If you want to discover a secret internet goldmine, try digging through the lo-fi rock bands of the late 2000s. No Age were a seminal act in this movement, often switching from blaring noise pop to blissful shoegaze.
--2008
97 Bat For Lashes
Two Suns This thing is awesome. Album cover art and all. The Kate Bush influence is obvious, but consider how hard it is to write songs that actually live up to that standard. The artistic vision of Two Suns still holds up today.
--2009
96 Blackalicious
Blazing Arrow Sure Sacramento rap duo Blackalicious makes music for the old-heads, but in 2002, they felt it was time to give their style its magnum opus.
--2002
95 Black Dice
Beaches & Canyons I remember posting to Facebook during my first listen to this album: "WHAT IS THIS?" It's probably best labeled as post-rock. The song structures are based around unpredictable shifts in tone and tune.
--2002
94 Tim Hecker
Harmony In Ultraviolet Noise is not music. But Tim Hecker likes to blur the lines between the 2. He even blurs the lines between what may sound beautiful or just plain harsh.
--2006
Is it just me, or is this album freaking gorgeous? The orchestral pop arrangements are comparable to Pet Sounds. And Kurt Wagner's vocals range from crisp baritone to cartoonish falsetto.
--2000
92 Deerhunter
Microcastle Gotta be honest, everything Deerhunter does here, they improve upon on 2010's Halcyon Digest. On that note, this was the band's first attempt at writing songs with pop appeal, which was pretty cool at the time.
--2008
91 Deerhunter
Cryptograms Speaking of Deerhunter, it was their 2007 release that gave critics something to marvel in the first place. Amid the driving psychedelic rock crescendos and peaceful interludes washed in reverb, you can find more stable tracks like "Strange Lights" and "Hazel St."
--2007
90 TV On The Radio
Dear Science Fun fact: I bought this the week it came out. As a teen, I loved the instantly sticky melodies and utopian themes of love. Now I love it for its exceptional production. Each song is thick with synth layers and studio effects.
--2008
89 The Unicorns
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? If the album title and band name didn't tip you off, this is stoner music. Not like this would sonically sounds better if you were high, but these are the type of songs you'd write if you were high.
--2003
You're gonna want your headphones for this one. Fever Ray creates a deep and haunting atmosphere with hints of Peter Gabriel.
--2009
87 Clinic
Internal Wrangler I guess any band can be quirky. But this is the rare occasion where I cannot guess who the artist's influences are. You're a special band if you can make music this odd and diverse under such minimal means.
--2000
86 Unwound
Leaves Turn Inside You Not a lot of double albums in the post-hardcore world. Unwound does both the genre and the album length justice, serving an epic downward spiral into the void.
--2001
While Post and Homogenic are Björk's recognized classics, it's the fact that the rest of her discography is so solid that makes here an all-time great. Vespertine remains one of her most elegant and futuristic works.
--2001
84 Antony And The Johnsons
I Am A Bird Now One of my favorite approaches to chamber pop. Yes, ANOHNI's voice is stunning. And "Hope There's Someone" is a perfect song.
--2005
83 Common
Like Water For Chocolate So I've been big on Soulquarians stuff lately. I think if you tried making an album solely inspired by the encyclopedia of African American music, Like Water For Chocolate could be your final product.
--2000
Long before he was known as "the guy married to Beyoncé," Jay-Z was a hit factory. And I mean that in a good way. His plan was to retire on top and leave us with this. Can't blame artists for being conscious of their legacy.
--2003
81 Scott Walker
The Drift No artist has ever had an "old man" career phase quite like Scott Walker's. This was made to test people's patience and taste. And nobody expects those Satan/Donald Duck vocals at the climax of the album.
--2006
80 Fennesz
Endless Summer I've yet to find another album where cerebral electronic glitches coexist with warm, inviting acoustic guitars.
--2001
79 Lightning Bolt
Wonderful Rainbow So this noise rock duo makes an album built like a symphony. Most of it's set at a relentless pace. The vocals come off as fuzzed-out gibberish. And it's all held together by some monstrous bass playing. Wonderful.
--2003
Radiohead are professionals. I was spoiled to get into this stuff as a teenager, because it made me expect all experimental projects to be as focused and distinctive in their craft.
--2001
On occasion, I like listening to sad rock songs about girls. But I think it's worth noting this band was based in San Francisco. These songs were made for wading through the Pacific Ocean with the wind biting your face.
--2009
76 The Hold Steady
Boys And Girls In America The Hold Steady were the most American band of the decade. I don't think Craig Finn will ever run out of vivid stories about college kids and drugs.
--2006
Liars can be an easy band to miss when scanning through the 2000s indie scene, but they're hard to forget. Drum's Not Dead is a conceptual adventure I'm certain would make more sense if I was stoned.
--2006
Finally, an area of electronic music I don't feel like a total imbecile talking about: House. Basement Jaxx helped push house music to ecstatic extremes, bringing the bangers with insanely bold production technique.
--2001
73 Cat Power
You Are Free Here come the boring singer-songwriter albums. You Are Free gives us a variety of stories and concepts, trying to find clarity in the indefinite and depressing.
--2003
I don't know what Vladislav Delay does these days, but I'd like to think he just composes and produces fashion show runway music in his sleep.
--2000
71 Songs: Ohia
The Magnolia Electric Co. While Jason Molina is often known for painfully moaning his Neil Young voice over a naked electric guitar, this album has a full country band involved, and the lyrics describe the beauty and struggle of overcoming addiction. Produced by Steve Albini of all people.
--2003
70 Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Fever To Tell Yeah Yeah Yeahs weren't supposed to be a popular alt-rock band. While their debut is a mess of New York punk songs, I think Karen O's voice was instantly accepted as a marvel worthy of stadium-filled audiences.
--2003
69 Spoon
Kill The Moonlight Being cutting edge doesn't always mean swinging for the fences. My favorite Spoon albums have a 60s art pop aesthetic to them. Made in black-and-white with a blazing cigarette between your fingers.
--2002
68 The White Stripes
White Blood Cells Speaking of bands mistakenly stumbling upon achieving "cutting edge" status, The White Stripes breakout album draws inspiration from seemingly forgotten eras of rock history.
--2001
67 Ghostface Killah
Supreme Clientele It's really hard for me to follow the Wu-Tang Clan solo careers. Ghostface is a little easier to follow, with his consistent run of serious albums throughout the 2000s. After 4 years of no follow-up to Ironman, this album came out as a power move, marking the beginning of a new age of Ghostface.
--2000
66 Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest There were a few years where indie pop albums were getting tons of rollout hype. The funny thing with Grizzly Bear is that they were hardly a "pop" act at all up until this release. So in a way, "Two Weeks" was a big deal before it landed a Super Bowl commercial.
--2009
65 Grizzly Bear
Yellow House This is where Grizzly Bear found their left-field, psychedelic folk sound. The melodies are dizzying. And I'm always impressed with how each instrumental part is composed so intricately.
--2006
64 Raekwon
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II To clear the air a bit, I do prefer the original 1995 Cuban Linx project. But was it worth it to come out with a sequel in 2009? Oh yes. Very much so. Arguably the best rap album from the late 2000s
--2009
63 The Knife
Silent Shout It's not right that this Swedish electronic music duo gets mentioned in the same conversation as mid-2000s indie bands. Their music and persona are covered with pitch-black mystery and obscurity.
--2006
62 Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend has turned into the band I hate to love, over the years. I bought this around the time I graduated high school, and I still see it as a collection of indie pop's most lovable songs.
--2008
61 Interpol
Turn On The Bright Lights The 2000s post-punk revival came with its more refined moments. The Interpol debut captures the feeling of a late-night New York subway, with a compelling mix of alt-rock styles.
--2002
A lot of these songs have a delightfully shaggy approach to them. Some tracks even toy with space rock. If anything, this is my favorite Spoon album because it's the most personal the band has sounded
--2007
This might be too patient or quiet of a listen for some of y'all. But I remember the 2007 music scene fondly, and not only is this a perfect musical snapshot of that time, but Feist's songwriting skills are impeccable.
--2007
58 Wolf Parade
Apologies To The Queen Mary Montreal songwriters Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner joined forces to make some creative rock music, got Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock to produce their debut album, and the planets just kinda aligned from there.
--2005
57 The Clientele
Suburban Light The Clientele made their name as a promising dream pop outfit in the late 90s. When they finally released this album, it showed their commendable maturity and ability to emotionally drain the listener.
--2000
56 The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 1999's The Soft Bulletin was a lot to take in. Yoshimi stayed true to their newfound psychedelic pop sound, while still touching on heavy subjects like death and anxiety. They simply made it easier to digest. Case in point: The opening song was co-written by Cat Stevens.
--2002
55 Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? This is nuts. I mean, it's often catchy. But it's nuts. Of Montreal presents a flamboyant acid trip conceptually based on Kevin Barnes's mental health struggles. The instrumental layers and production quality are insane.
--2007
54 Erykah Badu
Mama's Gun I think this my favorite Erykah Badu album. Made during the peak of The Soulquarians' creative streak, this dishes out some of Erykah's most serene and straight-up dope music with raw, natural performances.
--2000
53 The Books
Thought For Food The Books made folktronica by way of sound collage, and somehow--dare I say, turned it into an emotive experience. The music sounds so small and tight-wound. Yet it finds a place of belonging here; a home for lost sounds.
--2002
52 The Flaming Lips
Embryonic This might be the most underrated Flaming Lips album. It's a dynamic journey through the human psyche's common flaws. An unsettling, abysmal listen.
--2009
51 Sufjan Stevens
Michigan (sigh) Yes, this should be in the top 50, I messed up. Not only has this been a personal favorite for years; nobody else was making music like this at the time. There's a cold melancholy about this album that stirs up your very soul.
--2003
