Justice in Kansas

Earlier today, Scott Roeder was convicted of first-degree murder. Prosecutors are calling for a "Hard 50" sentence, which basically means that he should get a life sentence and do at least 50 years before even being considered for parole. Roeder was convicted of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, a late-term abortion provider in Wichita, Kansas. For the pro-choice movement, a man getting life in prison for killing an abortion doctor in the state of Kansas, a pretty conservative state at that, I would consider it a victory.

George Tiller was controversial, to say the very least. I, for one, do not condone late-term abortions, unless you have a really good reason. The way I see it, and I could very well be wrong, by the time you've reached 21 weeks of pregnancy and you fully know it, a decision on whether an abortion should be had or not should have been made at this stage. However, in the case of George Tiller, many of the women who sought his services found out late in their pregnancies that the fetus had severe or fatal birth defects, or healthy fetuses were aborted when it was discovered by two or more doctors that the effects of the pregnancy would cause the mother "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function," or even death. I'm guessing pro-lifers would be more concerned with the damaged fetus' life than the mother's.

However, most pro-lifers spoke out against the murder of George Tiller, with most wanting to work out their differences legally, and non-violently. Yet there are those whackjobs who call Roeder a hero to the movement and a martyr, and those people miss the point entirely: One of them being Pastor Wiley Drake, the same guy who supposedly engage in an imprecatory prayer for God to kill President Obama, a human being, for his views on abortion, the termination of UNBORN FETUSES. They totally miss the point.

People should care about the people that are already here. I'm glad that jury in Kansas saw things that way, and took less than 40 minutes to come back with a guilty verdict. No matter what side of the fence you are with abortion, killing a person is not right. And I'm glad to feel like me and 12 jurors from the Wichita area are on the same page about something. It's one of those few moments that make me feel that the world is in perfect harmony, and that there are universal opinions on right and wrong, and all of that idealistic hippy-dippy crap I normally don't buy into.

Then, I see Bill O'Reilly on the next channel, and that notion goes straight to hell.

Enjoy prison, Scott Roeder!

Long May You Run: Conan O'Brien

Last night, after only 7 months on the air, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien came to a sudden end. I'm guessing his ratings weren't that great, but I also remember the days where they gave shows a chance before pulling the plug. If TV had the same approach it does now back in the late 80s, Married With Children would have only lasted one season. However, Conan certainly knew how to pull off a fantastic show, pulling no punches, making no secret of his disappointment with NBC. For the past couple of weeks there had been a war of words between him, Jay Leno and NBC. And for good reason. Leno was going to retire and give him the Tonight Show, however when Jay's bid into doing a prime time show didn't pan out, the network and Leno wanted to put him back to the 11:35 time slot and basically demote O'Brien back to late night programming. Only after Conan moved his entire family, staff, and life from New York to Los Angeles did they decide this. Nonetheless, Conan did walk out with a settlement deal in the range of 30-45 million dollars, so at least they didn't entirely screw him.

I've been a fan of Conan O'Brien since about 2002, partially thanks to Comedy Central playing reruns of his show in the daytime. I loved his sense of humor; quixotic, yet very dry at times. His show was very entertaining, especially Triumph the Insult Dog, his mock interviews, and he had a good ear for music; I got into bands such as the Black Keys because of him, and he had on Regina Spektor on several occasions. To me, he seemed to be the perfect candidate to replace Leno on the Tonight Show. Leno's really not that funny, in my opinion, and in the events following Conan's departure from the Tonight Show, Leno has proven to be a greedy fuckface. It sucks that Bill Hicks is dead, because he could do "Artistic Roll Call Redux." Well, it took a lot of doing, but he got his show back!

The most poignant part of last night's broadcast was that the musical guest was none other than Neil Young, who first called Conan to be on the final night. He did a very beautiful rendition of "Long May You Run," which seemed fitting. After the performance, Neil and Conan shook hands and Neil said "Thank you for all you've done for new music!" Despite the acrimony between him and NBC, he did say some very nice things about the network, having been employed by them for a good quarter of a century. You could tell that Conan was very emotional during this show, but was able to maintain his feelings and make everyone laugh. However, the closing bit was brilliant as well. Will Ferrell came on stage dressed as Ronnie Van Zandt from Lynyrd Skynyrd (complete with a Neil Young t-shirt), and lead him and the Tonight Show band in a rendition of Freebird that I actually enjoyed (me being a hater of all things Skynyrd). Conan also joined them on guitar, where he proved to be quite a good axeman himself! Beck and one of the guys from ZZ Top also joined in on the fun. It's really a damn shame that it was his final show, but goddamn he nailed it! He went out with a resounding bang that couldn't quite possibly be topped.

Starting March 1, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno will be back on the air (whopee), with the chin that won't shut up basking in his victory. I really hope it gets canceled. Most everyone I know who may have liked Leno at one point will no longer watch his show as a result of this bullshit, and those who hated him now hate him even more. Nonetheless, I hope that Conan will persevere through this mess, get another talk show and blow the lid off of Leno!!!

And, for your viewing pleasure: Bill Hicks' rant against Jay Leno (1993)




Neil Young on Conan:

One Year "Progress" Report

Last night, the voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, arguably the most liberal state out of all of them, accomplished the near impossible task of replacing Ted Kennedy with a right-leaning Republican. Senate-elect Scott Brown's campaign was energized by the Tea Party crowd, as well as people generally disenfranchised with Democratic leadership, or lack thereof, the opposition to the healthcare bill (which has a snowflake's chance in hell in getting passed now), and the fact that unemployment is in the double digits. While Brown may not be a complete blowhard conservative amongst the likes of Bobby Jindal or Sarah Palin (he supports Roe v. Wade, and while personally opposed to gay marriage, he had no interest in reversing Massachusetts' legalization of gay marriage; he also supports the exploration of alternative renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power), the Democratic supermajority has taken a crucial hit with the election of Opposing Health Care Bill Senator #41.

There has been a lot of finger-pointing amongst Democrats on why this happened. And they need to look no further. Obviously they have not learned ANYTHING since the Clinton years. Time and time again, instead of being leaders, the Democrats have become dealmakers. President Obama, especially, has softened his approach towards governing. During his campaign, which was nothing short of electrifying, he vowed to end the War in Iraq, close Guantanamo Bay, create health care reform, and not resort to "business as usual" politics. His term as president got off to a pretty good start, with approval ratings hovering around 70%, and his reversal of the ban on stem cell research. He also signed legislation to have Guantanamo Bay closed by 2010. His nomination of Sonia Sotomayor marked a shift on the Supreme Court bench for the better, and honestly, for the first few months, I was relieved not to see Bush on TV anymore. However, we're still in Iraq, even if the war has significantly shifted its attention to Afghanistan (which we should have done ages ago), Guantanamo's still open, and so-called health care reform resulted in a bill that would benefit insurance companies more than anyone else, and basically all because the Democrats let Joe Lieberman win and have his way by permanently axing public option from the bill.

I probably have said this before, but I generally have a rule of thumb when it comes to presidents or politicians before I start having any criticisms or praises, and I give them one year. One year to get their feet wet, and to adjust to the hard tasks they face (especially during these hard times). Yes, I did not have this approach for George W. Bush when he first became president, probably because he usurped the election, but I was also 15, and not as politically aware as I am now; when I was 15, I was hung up on homosexual rights, abortion rights, and being virulently anti-religious. However, having voted for Obama, I gave him one year. Well, Mr. President, it has been one year to the day since you placed your hand on the Bible taking the oath, and your grace period with me is over. Consider yourself fortunate, Mr. President. There are many who never gave you a chance at all, and there are supporters who jumped off the Change Express before it hit the Nobel Peace Prize landmark in Norway. And right now, I'm in the bar car getting hammered!

Regarding the economy, I understand everybody's frustration. Many people are unemployed, underemployed, or not making enough money. I am one of them. Before the great economic collapse, I was making decent money for a guy still in college and still figuring life out (even if I squandered a lot of it in the name of being young and financially irresponsible). Now, if I get 20 hours a week, enough money to pay my bills, and have some money leftover to have some semblance of a life, I consider myself to be very fortunate. That said, I understand that people are mad that the economy has not gotten better. I do not fault President Obama for that. A collapse that was a good 25 years in the making, especially when our economy under Bill Clinton in the 1990s was at its definite zenith, is determined to hit hard and to linger for years. I didn't shit a brick when Obama passed the surplus bill, high price tag and all. You have to spend money to make money. It created jobs, probably saved a few jobs, and let's face it, some highways desperately needed to be repaved! I'm not an economist, and I probably could use a course in economics, but I do know that the economy is a human creation. It's an illusion. However, I am critical on the bailouts, particularly the bailouts that were given to the Wall Street assholes. They were able to get people scared that if they didn't get billions in taxpayer money, the effects would be traumatizing. In good faith, they got their bailouts under the premise that they would not use them for huge bonuses. Well, they did. I knew that they would. Remember when Obama said that the "trickle-down" approach to the economy doesn't work and hadn't worked for years during his campaign? Just because we changed presidents doesn't mean that the trickle-down approach will magically work, especially since Johnny Bourgeois Fuckface of Citibank got a 1.3 billion dollar bonus come Christmastime courtesy of the taxpayers' dime!

Considering the national debt is high anyway, although it was higher under Reagan in 1982-83 (of course, FOX News will never admit to that), what Obama should have done was give Americans a few thousand dollars apiece to spend however they want. He always said that the economy is built from the bottom up, so what better way to prove that point than to send a guy about to lose his house a check to possibly save his house from foreclosure? When people have extra money in their pockets, they are a lot more eager to spend it. This could give someone working in a store more hours, or quite possibly save their job from extinction. This is the touchstone of our economy, not the assholes on Wall Street who rob us of our money, buy 6 houses, and say "oh well" when the people who trust them become homeless after their hard-earned dollars are squandered. Despite my criticisms of the bailout, I am happy that Obama is asking for a good chunk of that money back. Whether he'll get it or not remains to be seen, but he has learned a good lesson, and has 3 years still of financial decisions to make, so perhaps his judgment will be better. Of course, this is my argument for government regulations on pretty much everything, but more on that later.

While I do keep in mind that Obama really walked into a terrible situation, the "blame Bush" record is starting to get warped due to repeated playing, and my needle is getting worn down to the nub (can my record player get a bailout?). Different people cite when the bubble started to form; some date it back to Carter. Others blame it solely on Bush fucking up. That said, the economy rode high for at least two decades before collapsing significantly. This leaves for a lot of mess, already adding to the mess endured over the last decade. What Obama needs to do is stop playing the blame game. Time, simply, does not stand still because there's a new guy in the Oval Office, and the blame game does not work for very long. People need to make money. People have bills to pay and lives to lead. I think Obama knows this, and I think Obama is fully smelling the coffee.

Unfortunately, Obama no longer has a supermajority of Democrats in the Senate. Election Day came early this year. If this doesn't serve as a catalyst to both Obama and the Democrats to serve the people, and, you know, do stuff, the results come November could be even more cataclysmic. I'm with Barney Frank on working with the Republicans (or at least the few rational ones) and not rushing to pass a bill that sucks anyway.

The election of Scott Brown is a disappointment, especially he ran for Ted Kennedy's seat, leaving me to feel that Ted Kennedy is rolling around in his grave right now since his life's work may be heading down the toilet. Sure, there are ultra-conservative nutjobs in Massachusetts, and the people voted for Brown mostly because the Democrats piddled around in dealing with Wall Street effectively, but it could be a hell of a lot worse. Massachusetts hasn't had a Republican in the Senate since 1972, and just how conservative can one guy from Massachusetts be?

The Top 100 (+20) of the 2000s Part Five: 20-1

Here we are. The final stretch. The final 20. Again delayed. My band's show was a success, for a first show anyway. A lot of our friends showed up, and we got a good response from those from other bands and other people there. We didn't make any $$$ but that's OK. Pics, audio, and video and a blog entry will soon follow.

Anyway, the final 20.... in my opinion. Again, I am not a music critic, even if I did consider journalism as a major when I first started college.

20. The Microphones - The Glow pt.2 (2001):



Thank God that my Journalism teacher in high school was into good music. He turned me on to a lot of awesome shit (wazzup Mr. Cass, in case you're reading). The Microphones was one of the many bands he got me into, and I listened to this album so much, I wore out my CD-R copy of it.... and immediately made another one. Challenging as hell, sure, but Phil Elverum perfectly mixes noise, and lo-fi acoustic weird- folk nonchalantly.
Key Tracks: "The Moon," "Map," "You'll Be In the Air," "Headless Horseman"

19. M83 - Saturdays = Youth (2008):



This album was on repeat back when I delivered newspapers. "Kim & Jessie" perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being young on a spring day after a cold winter.
Key Tracks: "Kim & Jessie," "Coleurs," "Dark Moves of Love"

18. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar (2006):



Heavily influenced by Balkan folk music, Zach Condon created one of the most appealing albums I've heard this decade. He probably took a few cues from Devotchka, but he's very much an original voice in music these days. His voice also sounds like an old Italian singer, and he's from Albuquerque!
Key Tracks: "Rhineland (Heartland)," "Postcards from Italy," "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)"

17. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (2007):



If Aesop Rock isn't the decade's most captivating rapper, then I must be deaf. Fewer rap records can create such an atmosphere as this one. This is some pretty serious shit!
Key Tracks: "None Shall Pass," "Fumes," "Bring Back Pluto"

16. Isis - In the Absence of Truth (2006):



This is the album that made me a true fan of the band. From the first listen of this album, I can say without hesitation that this is what music should sound like, especially in the metal genre. Aaron Turner and co. don't create songs: they create atmospheres that only a few other bands are capable of.
Key Tracks: "Holy Tears," "1000 Shards," "Garden of Light," "Wrists of Kings"

15. The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree (2005):



The second Mountain Goats album to contain a biological theme, John Darnielle focuses his angst and craft towards an abusive stepfather. "Pale Green Things" is one of his most moving songs.
Key Tracks: "This Year," "Dilaudid," "Love Love Love," "Dinu Lupatti's Bones"

14. Portishead - Third (2008):



Eleven years since their last album, Portishead definitely made up for lost time. Darker and completely detached from the trip-hop they helped perfect, Third sounds so vital that I have a hard time listening to Dummy these days.
Key Tracks: "Machine Gun," "Plastic," "The Rip," "Small"

13. Joanna Newsom - Ys (2006):



The Milk-Eyed Mender is easily one of the best debut albums of all the time. Miss Newsom, not content with releasing the same album twice, switched gears by creating epic-length songs woven in intricacy, laden with elaborate orchestration, and containing nothing short of a maelstrom of emotion. No joke: during performances of "Only Skin," people were seen openly weeping.
Key Tracks: Well, there are only 5...

12. Beck - Sea Change (2002):



His own Blood on the Tracks for sure. Written in the aftermath of a dissolution of a relationship that lasted 8 years, Beck's sadness on this album is apparent from the first chord on. He dabbled in acoustic music before, but Sea Change proves that he's just as capable of making effective music without samplers. Sea Change also revitalized his creativity,
Key Tracks: "The Golden Age," "Guess I'm Doing Fine," "Lonesome Tears," "Round the Bend"

11. Feist - The Reminder (2007):



My sister sent me the leak to this album two or three months before its release (naughty, naughty). Upon first listen, Feist had me at "I'm sorry." Sure, it's more rock-oriented with a few ballads, and the bossa-nova influence is absent on this album, but I don't mind. I also don't mind that iPod commercial either.
Key Tracks: "I Feel It All," "The Water," "Honey Honey," "My Moon My Man."

10. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007):



Pay your own price! I did! Five bucks! Best damn 5 buck I've ever spent! I didn't like this album at first. That didn't stop me from listening to it six more times in the course of a Wednesday evening while working on an English paper. By the third time around, this album's magic finally set in with me.
Key Tracks: "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," "Videotape," "House of Cards," "Al I Need"

9. Deerhunter - Microcastle (2008):



More song-oriented than Cryptograms, Deerhunter made one of the best albums this decade (I mean, duh! I did put it at #9). it's hard to describe the beauty of this album, but albums this great are usually hard to put into words.
Key Tracks: "Agoraphobia," "Little Kids," "Saved By Old Times," "Green Jacket"

8. Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch (2004):



Regina Spektor has always had a problem with making cohesive albums. Her albums, before or since Soviet Kitsch, have always been incredibly choppy. She gets it right on this album. It builds a perfect bridge between her more raw and jazzy early albums and her more straightforward recent work. I saw her open for the Dresden Dolls in 2005 back when they were nobodies, and her set blew them away.
Key Tracks: "The Flowers," "Ode to Divorce," "Us," "Somedays"

7. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped (2006):



Their last album for Geffen Records may have contained shorter songs, but Rather Ripped just may be one of their best albums, and is a good starting point for any new Sonic Youth fan along with Daydream Nation, Sister, or even Goo.
Key Tracks: "Reena," "Light Out," "Incinerate," "Jams Run Free"

6. Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender (2004):



The average first impression of Joanna Newsom's music is, typically, "What the fuck is this?!?!?!?!?" Her sound either wins people over or completely alineates them. I first heard this album in a friend's car, and thought that Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa Simpson) made an album. Nope. It was by a harpist from Northern California. I had to listen to this album again and again, and I eventually fell in love with it (and her).
Side note: New Joanna album on February 23rd??? Awesome! It better not disappoint! And I'm going to see her in Philadelphia on March 20!!!!!
Key Tracks: "Sadie," "Sprout and the Bean," "Cassiopeia," "Peach, Plum, Pear"

5. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000):



Some albums come to you during the right moments in your life. For me, it was when I was 19, confused, depressed, misguided. This album got me through all of that. If existentialism had an album to define it, this would be it.
Key Tracks: "Alone Down There," "A Different City," "Lives," "Gravity Rides Everything"

4. The Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004):



It has always compelled me that the Arcade Fire's debut album was called Funeral, which usually is associated with closure and endings. Yes, every critic has kissed this album's ass to no end, but it deserves it unequivocably.
Key Tracks: "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)," "Rebellion (Lies)," "Une Annee Sans Lumiere," "Crown of Love"

3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002):



Wilco's first few records didn't do much for me. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as much as I tried avoiding all the critical hype surrounding it, made me a Wilco fan. Often called an OK Computer doused in Americana, this album is chock full of guilt, heartbreak and reflection.
Key Tracks: "Reservations," "Radio Cure," "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," "War on War"

2. Sigur Ros - ( ) (2002):



The songs on this album don't have titles, and aren't even sung in a real language (they're sung in Hopelandic, which is soley an invention of singer Jonsi, and even lacks words or definitions). Who knew that nothingness could say so much?
BTW: People are wondering "Where is Agætis Byrjun on this list?!?!?!?!" Answer: Not on this list. Agætis Byrjun was recorded in 1998-99, and released in its native Iceland in 1999. It might not have seen a proper American release until 2000, true, but I have to go by technicality here. Since it originally saw the light of day in 1999, regardless of where, Agætis Byrjun is a NINETIES RECORD!!!!!! And if I were to make a list of the best albums of the 90s, this would certainly be up there.

1. Radiohead - Kid A (2000):



Not an original choice for the top spot because everyone else pretty much picked it. But what do you want? I was hoping that Radiohead could follow up OK Computer without it sucking, and I thought they couldn't. I also didn't know that they were influenced by Sigur Ros and German music at the time (probably because when I was 15, I hadn't delved into muisc THAT much). The first notes of "Everything In its Right Place" were like a vacuum, and throughout the album, it sucked you in with no warning and hardly any tracks that even remotely resembled their earlier work ("Optimistic" and "How To Disappear Completely" come somewhat close, but even they have more of a darker and abstract atmosphere than anything on OK Computer). Radiohead surpassed all expectations by making something completely different than their 90s work and having it be completely original.
Key Tracks: All of it.... This is an album you can't skip around, otherwise you'd be depriving yourself of the full experience.

Well, there you have it. A pretty good list, I must say. Hopefully, you think so, too. Sure, I'm probably missing some albums on this list. There are other albums that may appear on other critics' "Best of" lists that I just don't give a damn about (Flaming Lips, Kanye West, Jay-Z and Animal Collective come to mind, although the jury's still deliberating on the latter-most). I always check out new shit, and I'll kick my own ass for not including a few other albums as I keep listening, but whatever. Hopefully, the 2010s will provide my eardrums with some good music.

The Top 100 (+20) of the 2000s Part Four: 40-21

Again, yes, I've been slacking. Actually, I've been busy. My band's first gig is tomorrow night and we've been working our asses off, fine tuning our songs, arguing, arguing, arguing, jamming, some more arguing, perfecting our songs, arguing... you get the idea. In case anyone reads this and is in the CT area, we're playing tomorrow at the Space in Hamden. Doors at 6, and we're expected to play from 6:45-7:15. Any support would be greatly appreciated, this being our first show. We have a Myspace (we're so 2006): www.myspace.com/clarkandthekents for some bad quality demos (that really need to be re-recorded).

Enough self-promotion. Let's get back to this list-a-roo!

40. Atlas Sound - Logos (2009):



Bradford Cox is definitely one of this decade's most vital musicians. Between Deerhunter and Atlas Sound, his solo project, he's released some great shit. Noah Lennox from Animal Collective and Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab collaborate with him on a few tracks on this album, and Cox is capable of making very compelling soundscapes.
Key Tracks: "Attic Lights," "Shelia," "Washington School"

39. Crystal Castles (2008):



I'm not really into electronica/electro/whatever the fuck you wanna call it, but I was very impressed by Crystal Castles. I was mesmerized by the fact that Ethan Kath used a keyboard with an Atari 5200 sound chip as an oscillator, and vocalist Alice Glass' caustic vocals give Lydia Lunch a run for her money.
Key Tracks: "Untrust Us," "Reckless," "Courtship Dating," "xxzcuzx me"

38. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (2005):



Their best album so far, Black Sheep Boy may not be as melancholy as Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See, but it's still moving as anything they've ever released.
Key Tracks: "A Glow," "So Come Back, I Am Waiting," "In a Radio Song"

37. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006):



In a perfect world, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift would not be considered country and people would not listen to them. Unfortunately, the world's far from perfect, but at least Neko Case is around. Even if she's not 100% country, she gives its influence a damn good name.
Key Tracks: "Hold On, Hold On," "The Needle Has Landed," "Dirty Knife," "That Teenage Feeling"

36. Mission of Burma - The Obliterati (2006):



Heavier than their first post-breakup record, ONoffON, the best band ever to come out of Boston rock harder in their 50s than most people do in their 20s. It's also probably their most resonant album, or at least up there with Vs.
Key Tracks: "13," "Is This Where," "Nancy Reagan's Head," "Spider's Web."

35. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002):



Paul Banks does kind of sound like Ian Curtis, but this album sounds like they took Unknown Pleasures and added a huge shot of New York energy.
Key Tracks: "Obstacle 1," "Hands Away," "PDA," "NYC"

34. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely (2006):



John Darnielle once said something along the lines of the only way you can understand this album is if your girlfriend (or boyfriend, spouse, what-have-you) left you. Hopefully I won't experience a breakup anytime soon, but I reckon that along with The Meadowlands by the Wrens (see #61), and Beck's Sea Change (on this list somwhere) this is one of the decade's best breakup albums.
Key Tracks: "In the Hidden Places," "Wild Sage," "If You See Light"

33. Sleep - Dopesmoker (2003):



It took three years to make, and the label would not take it, so they released it as Jerusalem in 1999, shortly before the band broke up, but as nine seperate tracks, and with some parts slightly done over. This 2003 release puts the track "Dopesmoker" as the band wanted it; as one solid track over an hour long, no frills, no bullshit.
Key Tracks: Well, there are only two; the title epic and a live track called "Sonic Titan," and out of the 2, the first one's better.

32. Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003):



Mark Kozelek, formerly of the Red House Painters, forms a new band that doesn't sound that much unlike his former band, but Kozelek proves himself still capable of making some incredibly moving music. Focal point: "Duk Koo Kim," a 14 minute track which refers to the late Korean boxer.
Key Tracks: "Carry me Ohio," "Duk Koo Kim," "Gentle Moon"

31. Cat Power - You Are Free (2003):



Other than an album of covers, Chan Marshall hadn't released an album of material since 1998's sublime Moon Pix. You Are Free boasts better production, and I suppose Marshall was more stable, but there are some very emotionally draining moments on this album. I hope "Names" isn't autobiographical.
Key Tracks: "He War," "Free," "Shaking Paper," "Names"

30. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond (2007):



After 19 years, the original Dinosaur Jr. lineup released the band's best album since they were last together. I'm certainly glad that J. Mascis and Lou Barlow resolved their differences because their music had gotten pretty medicore by the end of the 90s.
Key Tracks: "Pick Me Up," "Almost Ready," "We're Not Alone"

29. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts (2002):



Out of all the Decemberists' albums, this one resonated with me the most. I remember picking this up on vinyl, and hearing "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" and felt that it was one of the most beautiful songs ever.
Key Tracks: "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect," "Odalisque," "Coccoon"

28. The Microphones - Mount Eerie (2003):



The last record under the Microphones moniker is definitely a strange one. Consisting of five tracks, Phil Elverum made some of the atrangest music of his career on this album, and "Universe" ends the album with perhaps the most unsettling feeling ever: uncertainty.
Key Tracks: Only five songs on this album, all amazing. Not picking favorites.

27. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (2009):



They changed gears for sure on this album. They sound almost like a completely different band on It's Blitz, with guitars for the most part forsaken in favor of synthesizers, but one thing remains constant: Karen O's reputation as one of the premier women in rock music in the 2000s.
Key Tracks: "Zero," "Head Will Roll," "Dull Life"

26. Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000):



My personal favorite Yo La Tengo album, some of the band's most heartfelt songs are on this album. Just as long as your average latter-day YLT album, but not nearly as much of a hodgepodge as other albums.
Key Tracks: "Night Falls on Hoboken," "Our Way To Fall," "You Can Have It All," "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House"

25. Japandroids - Post-Nothing (2009):



Another two person band making it without a bass player. However, they manage to do it by creating awesome riffs and utilizing amazing songcraft that anything else added to their mix would be overkill.

24. Tom Waits - Alice (2002):



Released on the same day as Blood Money (see #81), this may be Waits at his most delicate (which really isn't that delicate). A theater production before making the album, it's theatric in a way only Tom Waits can make it.
Key Tracks: "Lost in the Harbor," "Everything You Can Think," "Reeperbahn," "Flower's Grave"

23. Songs: Ohia - Ghost Tropic (2000):



Few albums have the capacity to be visualized, in my opinion, and Ghost Tropic is probably a near-perfect soundtrack to a quiet walk alone on a September night, about 50 degrees out, after a breakup or a fight with a significant other, and having it wind down a desolate beach, watching the waves and wanting to work your problems out.
Key tracks: "No Limits on the Words," "Incantation," "The Ocean's Nerves"

22. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse (2004):



Yet another amazing album by Sonic Youth, it's definitely less jam-oriented than Murray Street, but continues in a similar style as their late 80s-early 90s records. If radio didn't suck, "Unmade Bed" could have been a big modern rock single.
Key Tracks: "Stones," "I Love You Golden Blue," "Dripping Dream," "Unmade Bed"

21. Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Life Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000):



Two discs, 4 songs, and unlike a similar album that has the same format (Yes' "Tales From Topographic Oceans," I'm looking directly at you!), these compositions go somewhere.
Key Tracks: Yeah....


And for the last 5 that didn't make it in the final 100....

105. Mogwai - Rock Action (2001):



Rock Action may not be as spellbinding as Young Team, though I don't think they'll make another album as good as that. That said, "Take Me Somewhere Nice" is their best song ever, and it'll be even harder to make a song that good.
Key Tracks: "Take Me Somehwere Nice," "Secret Pint," "Dial: Revenge"

104. The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed (2004):



The first Mountain Goats album to be at least biographical, Darnielle's songwriting rose to a newer plateau with this album. Darnielle's tales of people he knew as a teenager "who are probably dead or in jail by now" make me look back on my own teenage years a bit more fondly. At least I didn't know any meth addicts!
Key Tracks: "Cotton," "All Up The Seething Coast," "Palmcorder Yajna"

103. OutKast - Stankonia (2000):



I don't love this album as much as everyone else in the music press does. It's still a great album, and I always gave OutKast credit for being the most intelelctually quixotic of all the hip-hops groups out there.
Key Tracks: "B.O.B." "I'll Call Before I Come," "Red Velvet," "Miss Jackson"

102. The xx (2009):



I usually say "Consumer Beware!" when it comes to bands both Rolling Stone and every "hip" music blog/publication out there love, and I was skeptical about The xx. One listen and I was hooked. Reminds me a bit of early Cure, but not as.... Cure-ish.
Key Tracks: "Stars," "Infinity," "Crystalised"

101. Tool - Lateralus (2001):



Very much like Ænima but on a bit of a darker trance, Tool loses the mock-industrial tracks sung in German about a recipe, but they still follow in the tracks of Bill Hicks of following their own vision and playing from their hearts. A bit more melodic, most likely due to Maynard James Keenan's tenure in A Perfect Circle, but just as heavy and epic, Lateralus was Tool's last great album.
Key Tracks: "The Patient," "Lateralis," "Reflection"

The Top 100 (+20) of the 2000s Part Three: 60-41

Sorry for the delay. I've been a bit lazy the past few days. But there are blog entries on the way, and I will finish this damn thing.

60. Sonic Youth - Murray Street (2002):



NYC Ghosts & Flowers was a tremendous disappointment, for they had been on a wave of overly consistent (and some absolutely fantastic) material for a good 15 years. However, few bands have the longevity and creativity that Sonic Youth has, so they are allowed one or two missteps here and there. Murray Street certainly makes up for any mediocrity, and contains some of their most enduring material.
Key Tracks: "Rain on Tin," "Disconnection Notice," "The Empty Page."

59. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone (2000):



Proof that metal can be good when it's slowed down to Melvins speed (particularly "Boris" or "Hag Me"). The thematic elements of this album are a bit silly, but who cares?
Key Tracks: "Vinum Sabbathi," "Weird Tales," "Barbarian"

58. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale (2006):




A hip-hop album so good, the Wu-Tanger had to release another album of pretty good shit that didn't make it onto this album.
Key Tracks: "Whip You With a Strap," "The Champ," "Be Easy," "Back Like That"

57. Swallow the Sun - The Morning Never Came (2003):



I first heard this album at a friend's house while I was high, and it moved me in a way that few metal albums have. When I sobered up, I downloaded it at home and felt just as moved by it. It's one of those metal albums that I listened to a lot even as my interest in my genre as a whole was dwindling, and the more mainstream metal was getting more dumb.
Key Tracks: "Deadly Nightshade," "The Morning Never Came," "Hold This Woe"

56. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (2006):



Ridiculous album title aside, Yo La Tengo managed to create another excellent album 20+ into their career. Perhaps their most experimental album probably ever, the band focuses less on their traditional fuzzy shoegazing inspired minimalist music and add in piano ballads, and other genres of music.
Key Tracks: "Sometimes I Don't Get You," "Beanbag Chair," "The Race Is On Again"

55. Andrew Bird - Armchair Aprochrypa (2007):



A slight departure from the more acoustic The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Andrew Bird plugs in more on this record and puts down the violin a little bit on this record, and creates some of his most instantly enjoyable material, whereas his other albums took me a while to get into. Few albums have ending songs as beautiful as "Yawny and the Apocalypse"
Key Tracks: "Heretics," "Armchairs,” “Imitosis,” “Plasticities”

54. Feist - Let it Die (2004):



A flawless combination of indie rock, bossa nova and jazz, Feist made one of the most appealing albums of the decade. Half covers and half originals, even the songs that weren’t hers to begin with she makes her own.
Key Tracks: “Mushaboom,” “One Evening,” “When I Was a Young Girl”

53. Explosions in the Sky - All of the Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007):



I was in Boston at a friend's, and they had on a college radio station that played the Minutemen, Sigur Ros and Feist all in a row (among others). They also "premiered" "Welcome, Ghosts," by far one of the band's most intriguing songs. I wanted more. And I got more.
Key Tracks: "Welcome Ghosts," "What Do You Go Home To," "Catastrophe and the Cure"

52. Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth (2009):



Few other bands that I know of can mix Krautrock, psychedelia, and electronic music as nonchalantly as Bear in Heaven. "Teenagers In Love" was probably the most hypnotic single of 2009.
Key Tracks: "Teenagers In Love," "You Do You," 'Casual Goodbye"

51. Neko Case - Blacklisted (2002):



Back during my Starbucks days, they played many of the tracks off this album in the store. During shitty days, Neko Case helps me get through it. Blacklisted may be the perfect soundtrack to the 9 AM Starbucks rush with people screaming at you for not making their quad-venti-skim-2 pump vanilla-latte 182 degrees instead of 183.
Key Tracks: "Deep Red Bells," "I Wish I Was the Moon," "Things That Scare Me"

50. Tom Waits - Real Gone (2004):



If you take a piano away from Tom Waits, except it to get ugly. Real Gone is, by far, Waits' ugliest album. Scratchier than an irritated cat, sludgier than a mudslide, Waits' voice has rarely been as hoarse and demonic as it is on this album. That's not to say that "Trampled Rose" and "Day After Tomorrow" are two of his most beautiful and poignant songs.
Key Tracks: "Hoist That Rag," "Trampled Rose," "Shake It," "Baby Gonna Leave Me"

49. The White Stripes - De Stijl (2000):



The White Stripes' second album, definitely one of their rawest (although all of their albums are pretty raw) and very moving in some parts. After this album, the Stripes expanded their sound a little and made maybe some better material, but their music never was as direct and real as De Stijl.
Key Tracks: "Why Can't You Be Nicer To Me?" "Sister Do You Know My Name," "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise"

48. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001):



Recorded during the same sessions as Kid A, but this album was not Kid B. This kid was an Amnesiac. Slightly more straightforward and less cold and clinical than Kid A, Amnesiac was just as barren as its predecessor, like feeling as if you're in an emotional wasteland.
Key Tracks: "Pyramid Song," "Knives Out," "Like Spinning Plates," "I Might Be Wrong"

47. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones (2006):




Rejecting their loud, abrasive, No-Wave influenced beginnings, Yeah Yeah Yeahs may have turned it down a bit on Show Your Bones by incorporating (*gasps*) acoustic guitar and more vulnerability than on "Maps," which lead to a derision of this album. Screw those who didn't get it though. Karen O. can be just as primal and just as much of a rock goddess by wearing her emotions on her sleeve.
Key Tracks: "Way Out," "Warrior," "Cheated Hearts"

46. PJ Harvey - White Chalk (2007):



By far her most beautiful album, White Chalk retreads the rather stark territory she visited on Is This Desire? but on a different level. Her vocals have never been better, and on some songs, she never sounded so broken and vulnerable.
Key Tracks: "When Under Ether," "The Piano," "White Chalk"

45. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (2002):



The first Mountain Goats albums to be 100% non-lo-fi, the transition from a cassette recorder to more developed arrangements and higher-quality recordings seemed to serve John Darnielle's often-brilliant storytelling very well.
Key Tracks: "First few Desperate Hours," "See America Right," "No Children"

44. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lakes State (2003):



Sufjan Stevens first installment of the now-aborted 50 States Project, and about a state now ravaged in unemployment, Michigan is full of intricate yet sublime arrangements, and it makes me want to go to Michigan.
Key Tracks: "All Good Naysayers Sepak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!" "Romulus,"
"Vito's Ordination Song," "

43. Isis - Panopticon (2004):



Another brilliant record by Isis, and often at times overlooked in favor of Oceanic, some of the band's most capitvating moments are on this album.
Key Tracks: "So Did We," "Wills Dissolve," "Grinning Mouths"

42. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (2004):



Elliott Smith's untimely death was one of the decade's biggest tragedies in music. Released two days before the first anniversary of his death, From a Basement on the Hill contains some pretty harrowing lyrics that probably was a sign of events to come, but is also done so beautifully that it's like he was saying goodbye.
Key Tracks: "Let's Get Lost," "Twilight," "The Last Hour," "A Fond Farewell"

41. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (2005):



Fiona Apple's lone album of the decade, finally released six years after her last one and amid struggles with her label, Extraordinary Machine shows a slightly less somber Apple and a lot more mature. Then again, some of the stuff in this album is pretty bizarre.
Key Tracks: "Not About Love," "O Sailor," "Get Him Back"

And now for 5 more just outside of the Top 100

110. At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command (2000):



It had been swirling around in the media around the time of this album's release that these guys would be the next Nirvana. I'm not sure if I feel the same way, but "One-Armed Scissor" was one of the freshest and visceral songs to have a hit on modern rock radio. Considering that the Mars Volta, for the ost part, is an overindulgent, turgid mess, and Sparta's just mediocre... Supposedly these guys may reunite soon.
Key Tracks: "Invalid Litter Dept." "One-Armed Scissor," "Arcarsenal," "Quarantined"

109. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (2002):



Before she spent the rest of the decade churning out pure turgidity (I really like that word!), Myra Ellen Amos could still write some very compelling material. An 18-song snapshot of traveling through America, and defining it post-9/11, Scarlet's Walk contains some of Tori's best stuff. "Messiahs needs people dying in their names" should be posted in philosophy books everywhere.
Key Tracks: "Pancake," "Carbon," "Sweet Sangria," "I Can't See New York"

108. Foo Fighters - One By One (2002):



I don't care if the band hates this album, because I think, after their debut, it's their best one! After this album, I kind of stepped off the Foomobile. They recorded this album quickly, and some of their most aggressive moments are on this record.
Key Tracks: "Low," "Come Back," "All My Life," "Disenchanted Lullaby"

107. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007):




I kind of expected Win Butler & Friends to hit the classic sophmore slump with Neon Bible. While it is not as immediately captivating as Funeral, repeated listens warmed me up to this album, and is just as resonant as Funeral, but on a different level.
Key Tracks: "Ocean of Noise," "My Body is a Cage," "No Cars Go"

106. Sleater-Kinney - One Beat (2002):



Their first album post-September 11, the riot-grrl trio is at their most political on this record, critical of the Bush administration and draped in personal angst. Tracks like "Hollywood Ending" also take on preconceived notions of beauty in modern day America. One Beat may be even more powerful than Dig Me Out.
Key Tracks: "Light Rail Coyote ," "Combat Rock," "Oh!"