The Old 97's have long been my favorite country band. Their songs are heartfelt and catchy, and often uplifting. "Rollerskate Skinny" is a perfect marriage of pop and country. "Question" might be an example of a perfect song. A love song about proposing is about as cheesy as it could get, but they pull it off magically.
118. Anaal Nathrakh, The Codex Necro (2001)
Anaal Nathrakh play a unique combination of black metal and grindcore. I usually loathe grindcore's cold, abrasive sound, but it works here. It combines with black metal to evoke frightening images of industrial wastelands. These guys have yet to release a bad album, but The Codex Necro, their first, remains their most fully realized work.
117. Deftones, White Pony (2000)
I've been really surprised to see this on more than a couple decade end lists. It's a great album, but I never really knew anyone besides me had noticed. With White Pony, Deftones broke away slightly from their nu-metal chains and created a deeply contemplative and soulful heavy record. "Change" and "Digital Bath" are two great standouts here.
116. Hot Water Music, A Flight and a Crash (2001)
Hot Water Music's greatest achievements were all in the late '90s, but after signing to Epitaph they proved they could still crank out their powerful brand of punk rock successfully. The title opener is one of the greatest album openers I've ever heard, and most of the tracks are great head banging, sing-a-long anthems.115. One Reason, All Rivers Run South, All Roads Lead Home (2003)
This Southern infused folk punk band released an emotional bomb on the punk scene from out of nowhere with this record. From the Plan-it-x stable, this group featured male and female vocals yelling about anarchy and white guilt. It's wonderful. They made the line "the songs that we sing will have meaning," a regular chant among my friends.
114. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Yanqui U.X.O. (2002)
People seem to overlook this album because it didn't hold a candle to their previous releases. Well, not holding a candle to a few of the greatest records of all time is okay,because this is still great in its own right. The songs are epic and beautiful, and the dystopian hell imagery evoked by the music can be down right disturbing. And "Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls" is definitely one of the best Godspeed tracks.113. NOFX, Pump Up the Valuum (2000)
Yeah, I included NOFX. After the heavy hitting humorless 18 minute epic "Decline", NOFX came back the next year with a brilliantly crafted comic album. "My Vagina" aside, these songs are all legit, and this record marks the first time the group acknowledges their comfort with being old men in a young man's punk world. I consider most of these songs classics, but if I had to pick favorite, it would have to be "Herojauna", a semi-ballad on the relationship between state and drug use.
112. Do Make Say Think, Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn (2003)
Do Make Say Think play a great style of jazz-infused post-rock, and this record is their best. It's the most epic, and features the most variety of any of their releases. It plays out in three distinct movements, the first being the best, opening with the beautiful "Fredericia."
111. The Microphones, The Glow, Pt. 2 (2001)
Phil Everum's lo-fi psycadelic folk thing never gets old for me. This massive album feels like one big exercise in dark, haunted isolation. This also feels like it was recorded in a cave, enhancing the mood. It's not quite the level of his Mount Eerie project that started a couple years later, but it's still truly great.
110. Red House Painters, Old Ramon (2001)
Mark Kozelek's legendary slowcore band played all throughout the '90s, and only released one album this decade. It seems like no one cares about it, but it's almost as great as their peak releases. Mark's writing is simple, yet poetic, and the music slowly sweeps through a range of emotional levels.
109. We Were Promised Jetpacks, These Four Walls (2009)
Jetpacks will probably never escape the shadow of their more popular Scottish labelmates Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad, but this release proves they've got a sound and energy to make it on their own. "It's Thunder and Lightning" sets the mood for 40 minutes of Scottish dudes rocking the fuck out. Initially, I didn't take to this, but it keeps growing on me. I can't stop singing these tunes.
108. M83, Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts (2003)
No M83 album has sounded the same, and they've all been great, but their electronic semi-instrumental shoegaze album, Dead Cities..., is one their best. This album feels like a journey through a landscape of industry noise, all repetitve and druggy.107. Moonsorrow, Kivenkantaja (2003)
Moonsorrow from Finland play blackened folk metal in the form of huge metal epics. This is their first great release, and the first displaying their matured folk influences. They also begin their love for extremely long songs here. Sometimes brutally agressive, but other times mellow and uplifting.106. Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf (2002)
For years, I only knew this band for "No One Knows." Then I actually listened. QotSA are a band that knows how to masterfully mix radio-friendly rock, such as "Go With the Flow", to genuine stoner metal. It's really strange, when you think about it, but unnoticeable when listening to it. Josh Homme is a rock god, and having Dave Grohl contribute the best drumming he's ever done sure helps this one reach classic status.
No comments:
Post a Comment