JK's Best Albums of the 2000s

I started putting this list together back in August, shared it with NF, put it aside for awhile, and finally put the finishing touches on it today...I think. Albums that came out this year are tough to consider because they've haven't quite set in yet. Then again, I'm listening to so much more music now than I did 9 years ago, it's hard to say how much I will come back to albums released this year.

Here are my favorites:

50. Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)
49. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
48. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)
47. The National - Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)
46. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (2008)
45. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time (2006)
44. The White Stripes - De Stijl (2000)
43. Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South (2004)
42. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (2004)
41. The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (2004)
40. Muse - Origin of Symmetry (2001)
39. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009)
38. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (2006)
37. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
36. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
35. Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day (2003)
34. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief (2003)
33. Constantines - Shine a Light (2003)
32. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)
31. TOOL - Lateralus (2001)
30. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)
29. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)
28. TV On The Radio - Dear Science, (2008)
27. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)
26. Doves - The Last Broadcast (2002)
25. My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves (2003)
24. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
23. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (2005)
22. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
21. Dismemberment Plan - Change (2001)
20. The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
19. Muse - Absolution (2004)
18. TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
17. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
16. The Strokes - Is This It? (2001)
15. The National - Boxer (2007)
14. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
13. Queens for the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
12. The Wrens - Meadowlands (2003)
11. Cloud Cult - Advice for the Happy Hippopotamus (2005)
10. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
09. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
08. Broken Social Scene - Your Forgot It in People (2003)
07. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
06. Beck - Sea Change (2002)
05. The National - Alligator (2005)
04. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
03. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)
02. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
01. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

One More Reason to Love Muse

Glenn Beck Praises New Muse Album – Muse Ask For Retraction

If that wasn't enough, here's another example: An Italian TV show asks them to lip sync "Uprising," the band disagreed, so all three members switched places to "perform" the song. Unfortunately, the video has been pulled but Matt Bellamy on drums hamming it up for the camera was absolutely classic.

The new album is growing on me. There are 3 really bad songs on it but I'm happy with the rest. I'm sure they picked up a lot of new fans opening for U2 on this stadium tour so I'm hoping they come back soon for a headlining tour. Few bands bring it on the stage like they can.

The Mars Volta @ the Palladium, 08.30.09

A minute into the Morricone suite and the mob begins to push. Closer.

"Omar coming. Omar coming."

Ikey Owens initiates the mayhem and from the opening notes, the crowd knows its done for. Cedric in peak form, Omar on interstellar overdrive. Tighter and heavier than ever before.



SETLIST:

"Son et Lumiere"
"Inertiatic E.S.P."
"Goliath"
"Cotopaxi"
"Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)"
"Viscera Eyes"
"Halo of Nembutals"
"Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus"
"Desperate Graves"
"Eunuch Provocateur"
"Ilyena"
"Teflon"
"Drunkship of Lanterns"
"Luciforms"
"The Widow"
"Wax Simulacra"

The National @ the Wiltern, 08.29.09

Raw and unwound from the opening bars of "Runaway". Halfway through "Mr. November" and Matt Berninger's clawing his way to the middle of the art deco theater. A lone light searches. Camera phones float in the dark. The brothers Dessner come unglued at the strings in front of him. Behind him. Twisting through the crowd hitting every word on the way. Standing above the crowd. Screaming. Reeling.

"I won't fuck us over. I'm Mr. November."

SETLIST:

"Runaway" (new)
"Start a War"
"Mistaken for Strangers"
"Brainy"
"Secret Meeting"
"Baby, We'll Be Fine"
"Slow Show"
"Vanderlylle Cry Baby" (new)
"Squalor Victoria"
"Abel"
"All the Wine"
"Available"
"Ada"
"Apartment Story"
"Blood Buzz Ohio" (new)
"Fake Empire"

*****

"Green Gloves"
"Mr. November"
"About Today"

Them Crooked Vultures

How much longer until I can hear a damn song? 30 seconds is not enough, damn it.

Pearl Jam's Backspacer Cover Art

Plug in the pieces here to join in on the treasure hunt. I can't find 4 and 7.

Only in New York...

...can you literally walk outside of work to see Sir Paul McCartney performing live. I just caught the last 30 minutes of his performance on top of the Late Show marquee at the Ed Sullivan Theatre. He ended with "Back in the USSR."

Awesome.

Of course, I forgot my phone when I was on the street and could actually see him but I did take these photos from our office floor. Unfortunately, that tree is covering the stage. Letterman tonight.