The Top 10 Albums of the Decade (Kolmin)

The task of summing up a decade in 10 albums was almost a weight too great for me to carry, and depending on the day and hour you asked me there were a great number that had cracked into the picture at least briefly. So I'm taking the easy way out and listing them anyways, the runners up included:

Damien Rice - O
The National - Boxer
Kanye West - College Dropout
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Rage Against the Machine - Renegades
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Robert Randolph and the Family Band - Unclassified
Royksopp - Melody A.M.
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
The Zutons - Who Killed the Zutons
The White Stripes - Elephant
The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
John Butler Trio - Grand National
Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Artifact

I know, I know. What's the point of a top 10 if you list every album made in the past decade? Well to those of you that agree with that sentiment: Bite me. And just think, I could have easily doubled that list if I included multiple albums from any band i.e. Radiohead, Wilco, Beck...

Tired yet? Just wait it gets good here...

Number 10 - Shadows on the Sun - Brother Ali (2003)

Brother Ali's debut studio album. Soul, gospel, jazz, blues, folk, rock, reggae all seemed to come together in Brother Ali's debut studio album. Highlights include Forest Whitaker and Prince Charming.

Number 9 - Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing (2009)

Manchester Orchestra's sophomore effort did not disappoint. The album is solid from beginning to end, with varying emotion and tempo. The band set the bar for albums in 2009 and has much to live up to in the rest of their very young career.

Number 8 - Elbow - Leaders of the Free World (2005)

My favorite album from one of my favorite bands. Leaders of the Free World showcased Elbow's ability to convey emotions and statements beyond the somberness of their first two albums. Hightlights include Mexican Standoff, Forget Myself, and Station Approach.

Number 7 - Beck - Guero (2005)

Some may argue for Beck's Sea Change but I was much happier with his return to Odelay with his 2005 release Guero. Make sure to include the bonus tracks when obtaining this album.

Number 6 - Give Up - The Postal Service (2003)

Ben Gibbard of DCFC and Jimmy Tamborello created quite possibly the greatest "side project" of all time. The electronic pop album manages to come off as classical and forward thinking all at the same time.

Number 5 - The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

The Lips' follow up to their award winning The Soft Bulletin (1999) was bound to disappoint. Problem is nobody bothered to tell little Yoshimi. Anxiously awaiting the rumored musical.

Number 4 - Tool - Lateralus (2001)

Five years in the making Tool's 3rd studio album was truly a work of art. More an album than a collection of songs, Lateralus, contains unusually long tracks that explore various timing signatures. Possibly the most complete album of the decade.

Number 3 - Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I'm not sure if there's ever been a bigger album by a smaller band. It changed so much for so many, or so I've heard.

Number 2 - Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (2002)

Why do you hate Spoon? This album is amazing and everyone needs to listen to it again and again and again until they get it. No forgetting Spoon.

Number 1 - Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

One of the first great albums released in the decade was never surpassed and most likely responsible for inspiring many other great albums through out the rest of the decade.

Blind Pilot at Lincoln Hall

On Wednesday I went to see Blind Pilot at the new Lincoln Hall. I felt like this was a step up from the solid Lollapalooza set back in August. The great sound quality at Lincoln Hall definitely contributed. The sound was very crisp and clear from a few different locations throughout the venue. Blind Pilot played all of their songs on the first and currently only album 3 Rounds and a Sound. I think they did a nice job of peppering in the more upbeat songs throughout the set. I would suggest anyone to check these guys out next time they're in Chicago, they do not disappoint. I brought my handheld camcorder along to catch some of songs. Below is "One Red Thread." You can see two other live songs "Paint Or Pollen" and "Go on say it" on our YouTube channel youtube.com/claptrapped. If you're in Chicago, I would look at upcoming shows at Lincoln Hall, it's a great venue and one of my new favorites.

Happy Thanksgiving from Claptrapped

Turkey for me, turkey for you...

Lincoln Hall, A Great Place to See a Show

The last two Friday's in Chicago I spent my evenings at a newer venue in Chicago called Lincoln Hall. It's owned an operated by the same guys who own Schuba's and is the old location of the 3 Penny movie theater. The completely renovated building is a great place to catch smaller, emerging bands. I saw The Walkmen and Brendan Benson. First off, doors generally don't open till 10pm and the headlining band doesn't go on till 11:30 or so giving you plenty of time to get there or pre-game. The beers are reasonably priced with $3 PBR's to boot. Inside there is a bar when you walk in, and behind that a room that holds about 500 at best guess. Above the room is a balcony with tables and chairs if you get there early enough to find a spot. The stage is propped high enough that there really isn't a bad spot in the house. Tickets are usually about $20 and are all will-call to avoid ticket-bastard charges. All in all this place is a very economical place to catch shows and I think I will be going there a lot more.

My Top 10 Albums of the Decade (Haas)

Before I start, I would just like to say how hard it was to narrow this down to 10 albums. I am sure I will get ridiculed for some of my selections but I was honest to myself and its what I came up with. The 10 spot was up in the air, so if I could I would like to list some honorable mentions before we get into the meat and potatoes.

Honorable Mention:

Robbers and Cowards, Cold War Kids

Rabbit Fur Coat, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

American Idiot, Green Day

Illinois, Sufjan Stevens

Sea Change, Beck

Here is my 10 favorite albums from the 2000s:

10. Farmhouse, Phish
People say Phish's albums suck and you gotta hear them live to really appreciate what they do. Well that may be somewhat true, but the Farmhouse CD was probably played hundreds of times by myself the year I graduated high school. It will always have a special place in my heart and I can't leave it off this list. The dreadful "Heavy Things" aside, this album plays straight through on my stereo to this day.


9. The Swimming Hour, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire
Admittedly I listened to this album about 7 years after it was released. It is probably one of the most beautiful records I can think of. It is influenced by so many different kinds of music its amazing how it all came together. It has a song for everyone and transcends time. Andrew Bird's masterpiece.



8. Funeral, Arcade Fire
This high energy debut from one of the best emerging bands hit me right away with the song "Wake Up". Then I listened to "Rebellion/ Lies" and didn't look back. The lyrics, diversity in instruments, and just plain emotional rollercoaster that this album takes you through never gets old. I see Funeral as the ultimate coming of age record of the decade.



7. Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
At the start of the decade I would have never seen myself listening to any sort of electronic synth dance music. LCD Soundsystem is the group that changed all that. They brought me into the fold and opened up my ears to something new. Sound of Silver is a great party CD, and the title of the single "All My Friends" could not be more fitting.



6. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, Bright Eyes
Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis' studio experiment with synth may have upset some of their most hardcore fans, but it won me over. This album sounded so strange to me at first listen and I really couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Over time it grew on me and songs like "Arc of Time" and "I Believe in Symmetry" were ingrained in my head. After that the rest of the songs fell in line and I was hooked.

5. A Ghost is Born, Wilco
When this album came out I went to see Wilco at a bar near NIU. My face was melted. The extended guitar solos and experimental jams were refreshing and play great live. Jeff Tweedy plays guitar on Ghost more than any other Wilco record. This was Wilco's last great album and marked the end of Tweedy's addiction to painkillers. Hmm? correlation? Songs like "Handshake Drugs" and "Spiders/Kidsmoke" will never be composed again.

4. Elephant, The White Stripes
When "Seven Nation Army" got massive radio play The White Stripes blew up. While they probably gained fair-weather fans based on that single alone, I could not stop listening to Elephant on the whole. Elephant is just absurdity raw at times and then you get hit with a country jingle. Jack White is basically saying take it or leave it, hate it or love it, this is what I'm giving you. Simple and catchy songs are littered throughout.

3. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips
When Yoshimi came out I was told by a friend that I HAD to listen to it. It was like nothing else out there, he said. "The 'she don't eat jelly' band?" I replied. Well I gave it a listen and saw how far that weird band from the 90's had come. Yoshimi is epic, its weird, and trippy. Yet it has so many songs to sing along with Wayne Coyne too. One of the best concept albums to date.

2. I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, Bright Eyes
This is one of the greatest albums from one of the greatest modern songwriters. Its like a modern day The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The sweet country folk on this record turns out classic song after classic song. They are intense and emotional and no one could do this except Conor Oberst. Its an everyman CD and a real piece of Americana.

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco
To quote a fellow Claptrapper, "My favorite album from my favorite band, this was really a no-brainer." Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was a game changer for me. It made me realize what great bands who try something different and challenging can create. Take the simple folk song and then blow it up. At first listen it was chaos, but eventually it all came together. The lyrics and voice of Tweedy on top of the mixing of Jim O'Rourke and the late Jay Bennett make this album the best of the decade. I know every word and still hang on every note. When this claptrapper gets drunk, this is the first album he goes for. And this claptrapper gets drunk a lot.

Lala.com Review

Forget about any music you currently download for free before you read. This more about a legit music site that I think has moved in the right direction. Lala.com is one of my favorite new websites out there today. It blows away any music provider on the web. The founder believes that almost everything lives in the browser and I agree. Just think all the times you listen to music at home or at work. Instead of paying for those songs through iTunes for .99 a song or a monthly fee subscription based site like Napster. For Lala.com, the first listen is free, then all you need is 10 cents a song and you can listen any time you want in your browser. For the songs you want to download and listen on your mp3 player for your travels to the job or when your working out, you can buy a DRM-Free download for .89. You can also upload any mp3 you currently own to your Lala account for free and again since this lives in the browser, you can access it at any computer. It also has all the social aspects of the site if you want it, you can be given recommendations to artists and follow other members to see what they're listening to and all that jazz. There is no software, no advertisements, and you can access your music if you have an internet connection. I think giving the option to buy a web album or the mp3 and being able to upload anything you already own was a fantastic idea for music fans.

This is not a public service announcement for anyone who downloads pirated music. It's just an FYI for those who don't choose that route. This seems to be the best option out there. Below are some quotes from the press.


"This unique, inexpensive model enables Lala to do something nobody else can: offer an encyclopedic, licensed, on-demand music service that doesn't include a single advertisement."


"Lala May Have Just Built The Next Revolution In Digital Music. The company has the best streaming music product on the Internet today, and a business model that doesn't burn cash... It's the joy of using products like Lala that keeps me excited about startups."

Lala.com

My Top 10 Albums of the Decade (OD)

Over the next few weeks, members of Claptrapped will be posting their top 10 albums of the 2000s. Stay tuned for our Top 10 albums of 2009 sometime in December.

Here is my 10 favorite albums from the 2000s:

10. It Still Moves, My Morning Jacket
I really like this album top to bottom. “Magheeta” sets the tone right from the beginning. Heavy reverb on vocals throughout the album provides an eerie, but pleasant, sound. This is the album that turned me onto My Morning Jacket, and it’s probably my favorite album from them.



9. A Ghost is Born, Wilco
I’m not the biggest Wilco fan, but I love this album. It features a good mix of tight, solid songs and extended, experimental songs. While Yankee Hotel Foxtrot might be more well-known and have more allure, A Ghost is Born is a better album in my opinion.



8. Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
This punk-dance album is just plain fun. It features songs that build in energy to the point of explosion, the best of which being “All My Friends” – a song that begins with a simple piano part that builds throughout the entire 7.5-minutes. Other favorites on this album include “Us v. Them” and “Watch the Tapes.”



7. Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade
My favorite aspect of this album is the way lead singers Spencer Krug (keyboard) and Dan Boeckner (guitar) alternate songwriting duties. It provides such a good balance, yet doesn’t sound disjointed. I love “Shine a Light,” and then two songs later comes a truly great rock and roll song: “I’ll Believe in Anything.”



6. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips
Although not as good as Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi holds a special spot in my heart. (Soft Bulletin was released in 1999, or else it would definitely be in my top 10 list.) The album is trippy and nostalgic, and it has a ton of songs that are fun to sing along to when you see the Lips live.



5. In Rainbows, Radiohead
Not only did Radiohead break waves by releasing this album early in an online format with a “pay what you want” option, but they managed to come out with a very solid album in In Rainbows. This album features one of my favorite Radiohead songs of all time – “Reckoner.”



4. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
My No. 1 album of 2008, Fleet Foxes was a breath of fresh air with an old-time sound. The vocal harmonies of the group and the songwriting skills of Robin Pecknold make this a must-listen album.




3. Funeral, Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire shows off its strong suit right from the start of this album – high energy, multiple instruments, thoughtful lyrics. The album flows wonderfully, especially “Wake Up” > “Haiti” (my favorite song on the album) > “Rebellion (Lies)”. Funeral is moving and uplifting, and it’s an album I can listen to over and over again and not get tired of it.


2. Boxer, The National
I don’t think I could count the number of times I have listened to “Fake Empire,” the first song on The National’s Boxer in the past couple years. The way the song builds with the piano and culminates with a swirl of guitars and horns sums up The National perfectly. I love the way the three songs in the middle of the album – “Slow Show,” “Apartment Story,” and “Start a War” – tell a story, and I think it’s the highlight of the record. Boxer plays with your emotions in an ultimately satisfying way.


1. Kid A, Radiohead
My favorite album from my favorite band, this was really a no-brainer. Kid A was way ahead of its time. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 10 years since it was released. I think part of what made this album so great for me was the surprise of it. I hadn’t read much about it before its release, and I was expecting something similar to the band’s previous release, OK Computer. The difference was shocking, and it showed why this is one of the most talented bands making music today.

2010 Lollapalooza suggestions

Today, the Lollapalooza mailing list sent out an invitation to suggest 5 bands that fans would like to see at next year's festival. Unfortunately, I can't find a link to the voting, so I think you have to access it from the fan email list.

I think this will be my 5 suggestions:

1. Arcade Fire
2. Beck
3. Wolf Parade
4. Yeasayer
5. M83

Who would you vote for?