I honestly think Talib is one of the best rappers from this era. For his debut album, he made each song sound like a statement.
--2002
If you think this is the only metal album from the 2000s I've heard...That's almost true. I'm not big into metal. In fact, I only find myself going back to metal albums that blend the genre with hipster sophistication.
--2005
Produced by psychedelic studio god David Fridmann, the once raw and skeletal punk band takes a whack at ambitious alt-rock.
--2005
I was wary of trying this out because these guys sound a darn lot like Daft Punk. But where was Daft Punk in 2007? Not doing this stuff. This is built like DJ set for a rave, but with all the cheeky melodramatic qualities of 70s disco.
--2007
This one is really just me pretending like I know shit about electronica.
--2007
An important release for both IDM and folktronica, England's Kieran Hebden (which is way harder to say than Four Tet) reimagines samples to construct a dream-world made with painstaking precision.
--2003
Usually not a fan of music made with a shtick attached. But the use of real surgical recordings takes me to the hospital bed; my mind somewhere between fearing medical mishaps and dozing off from laughing gas.
--2001
Somehow, every artist who makes it out of Iceland manages to produce music that makes me feel really cold.
--2000 (technically 1999, but who cares)
I kinda see this album as a foretelling of what was to come from America's indie acts. Probably more accessible than weird. But I'd say My Morning Jacket hit the sweet spot at the right time.
--2005
Falling down the Phil Elverum rabbit hole will change the way you think about low-fi production, folk music, songwriting, and abrasive noise. This album isn't easy to swallow. But it stands singular as its own artistic monument.
--2003
I don't think anyone predicted an emo project from Nebraska to be one of the most successful indie bands of the decade. But once in a blue moon, good fortune smiles upon special songwriting talents.
--2000
This is obtuse music. Over 70 minutes of sweet melodies and complicated arrangements that can turn on a dime at any given moment.
--2004
Electropop was always supposed to be both parts fun and nerdy. While the DFA-produced "Over And Over" is the obvious catchy lead single, I think these guys artistically outdid themselves on "Boy From School."
--2006
Opinion: I don't think Dan Bejar ever thought he'd have this much money. This was easily his most studio-refined album at the time, and he seems to push the limits of just how lush his oddball songs could sound.
--2006
There is no musical narrator like Bill Callahan. This album might be his easiest to understand. Universally beautiful and pristine Americana.
--2009
This has been a personal favorite for a long time. Sufjan definitely tones things down here, but I guarantee that you'll never hear "Christian" music like this anywhere else.
--2004
Everything about The National's music at this time was just so stark. Drugs and relationships don't mix, but that never stops us from trying.
--2005
I think this is the only album on this list recorded straight to tape. For John Darnielle, that's all he needs to tell a memorable story.
--2002
I don't think I fully get IDM. "Intelligent Dance Music." Have you listened to this? You don't dance to this. In fact, this is more like a soundtrack to pondering the apocalypse.
--2002
I'm gonna spoil something for y'all: This is my favorite M83 album. Before his successful crossover into synth-pop, Anthony Gonzalez showcased himself as an artist who could use the synthesizer to create a natural ambience.
--2003
After years of experience in the hip-hop underground, El-P's debut solo album is full of his trademark industrial instrumentals, as well as his "New York rat" personality behind the mic.
--2002
Depression isn't just a sad experience. It's awkward. It's uncomfortable. Any sign of sunlight on this album is covered by a dark sheen of self-loathing.
--2005
Maybe there's something lame about the band that defined post-hardcore to end their dynamic career with a whisper. But the approach is 100% Fugazi. And each individual instrument is produced excellently.
--2001
I guess this can come off to some as something sterile and dry, while it's trying to be raw and simplistic. If anything, I think PJ's vocal performances steal the show.
--2000
I'd personally call this a noise rock album. Although some of these songs venture into shoegaze and metal. Opener "Farewell" is a stunner.
--2005 (technically 2006, but who cares)
Sampling is a much more difficult task than you think. To collect old sounds and somehow turn it into your own unique aesthetic takes artistic maturity. I listen to this and it's clear to me that The Books knew their identity.
--2003
Sam Beam introduced himself as an obvious fan of Nick Drake, but made sure we all knew he was from the South. It's also worth noting some of these lyrics sound like he's addressing a former spouse. I mean, he isn't. But still.
--2002
Even in 2021, the most popular songs from this album sound like hipster campfire classics. Maybe that's not a compliment. But I'd recommend this stuff to any folk music fan out there.
--2004
And here we have my favorite Iron & Wine album. I'm totally biased about this artist, because looking back, he's not my favorite lyricist. But this album has consistent colorful themes of young summer adventure. And I'm impressed with how well he applies vast instrumentation to each track.
--2007
Pissing on George W. Bush was one the most fun parts about the 2000s. Even Radiohead got in on the game, with some of the most fiery music in their discography.
--2003
It would be one thing to call this an energetic power pop album. But it's really the lyrical stamina that punches you in the face, track after track.
--2000
People don't talk about this album anymore. It was huge at the time. Gen-Z kids know literally nothing about Jay-Z and it breaks my heart. Rappers rarely release quality stuff like this so deep into their career.
--2007
As plain and pretty as this music may sound on the surface, it covers a lot of emotive ground. The high's are so heavenly, it makes the low's seem all the more devastating.
--2003
The guitars here are loud as hell, just relentlessly pummeling through the entire album. Yet all this rock 'n' roll force is supposed to be mind-numbing. Josh Homme's sleazy vocals remind us that sin should be a little fun.
--2002
Neon Bible churns out both Arcade Fire's most conceptual and epic songs. Because God and capitalism and death deserve some heavy instrumental layers.
--2007
Battles captured the magic of 2000s experimental rock with each performer displaying their own chaotic personality.
--2007
A young harpist from Nevada gives us a homespun freak folk album that sounds like an old woman who lives in a tree telling surrealistic tales with her own twisted vocabulary.
--2004
While the performances are full of life and clarity, I can never avoid how slow and sad this album can be. So this is how depressed alt-country artists find their peace.
--2000
This is a patient listen. Even patient for ambient music. That being said, making this album must have been a bitch and a half.
--2001
LCD Soundsystem were already internet critic darlings by the time they released their debut. They made sure to keep bringing the hits while dabbling in every subgenre of dance music in pop history.
--2005
Some albums present a listening experience that makes you feel like you're a solving a mystery. The mystery here: Why is this album called "pop"?
--2000
This is probably the most instantly gratifying folktronica album I've heard. It's a psychedelic rush of instrumental and rhythmic variety.
--2003
The early works of Beach House were made by meager and humble means. But they weren't your average lo-fi band. Devotion delivers drunken pop melodies and passionate vocals alongside their signature seawater guitar tones.
--2008
I used to think of this album as an attempt to make Ziggy Stardust on a $5 budget. But that doesn't do it justice. How often do we get music industry commentary from the songwriting likes of Dan Bejar? We should cherish this.
--2001
This is a lot to take in. Rarely does a concept album share such a direct story. The main character is so pathetic yet so relatable at the same time. And the music/production is just as dope as it is anxiety-inducing.
--2004
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes good music. But definitely not an introduction to the Badu sound. This is her only release that dives deep into funk, and I'd say it's her most hip-hop-influenced work.
--2008
Before submersing himself in psychedelia, Dendra Banhart made a name for himself as weird little folk singer. Produced by the guy from Swans, these songs are somehow both as warm as they are discomforting.
--2004
I guess this doesn't offer anything new from what we already got on Is This It. But can we just appreciate how freaking good these songs are? "Reptilia" gets all the popular glory, but I'd personally rank most of the album over that.
--2003
Death Cab sold out. They ditched their bleak emo and sadcore roots for anthemic alt-rock ballads. But for 1 album, the tradeoff seemed worth it. This tracklist is spotless. This is how you pave your way to indie superstardom.
--2003
When I was 17, this was my favorite album of all time. It was depressing, it was alternative, and I could play every song on my acoustic guitar. There's really nothing wrong with this album. I think I just overplayed it as a hormonal teenager and now I've condensed its value to that.
--2002
