(25) Night Falls Over Kortedala - Jens Lekman (Secretly Canadian, 2007)
Back then, I didn't think that Jens Lekman could get any better than on 2005's collection, Oh You're So Silent Jens. But, alas, he did. Lekman's symphonic pop songs are bigger and sometimes heavily orchestrated on Night Falls Over Kortedala (and thus, more dramatic), which these days would have been a turn off to me. However, especially in the instances of "And I Remember Every Kiss," "The Opposite of Hallelujah" and "Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig," these songs are just too catchy, awesome and beautiful to be troubled by their musical and emotional weight. In fact, it's all just so charming coming from Lekman. Pretty much perfect.
Top jam: "A Postcard to Nina"
(24) Turn On the Bright Lights - Interpol (Matador, 2002)
What an album, am I right? Interpol's debut full length of moody post-punk is better than a lot of bands at their absolute peak. My favorite things about Turn On the Bright Lights have always been the droning yet jagged guitars, funky bass and driving drums. More recently, I finally realized the brilliance in Paul Banks' vocals, mainly how there are great melodies hidden under all of that monotone. I actually did (and still do) like their sophomore effort, Antics, but, unfortunately, Internol were never able to build on the potential that was brought forth on this masterpiece.
Top jam: "Obstacle 1"
(23) Since I Left You - The Avalanches (Modular, 2001)
Two of my closest friends from college (and to this day) have always talked The Avalanches' Since I Left You up to me. So, I have no idea why it took me so long to finally cave. Had I removed my head from my ass sooner, this would rank much higher on this list. Since I Left You is an electronic album of the highest caliber. It pretty much sounds exactly like what it is: a bunch of dudes getting together and mixing funk, soul, R&B, hip hop and power pop records together, creating completely amazing soundscapes/songs. It's amazing how an album that was assembled from approximately 3,500 vinyl samples can sound so fresh, organic and sentimental, all at the same time.
Top jam: "Electricity"
(22) Women - Women (Flemish Eye, 2008)
When I came up with my 2008 year-end list, I believe Women's self-titled debut ranked somewhere around #35 out of 40. My love for this album has grown deeper and deeper with each and every listen since then. Women were probably the first of the late 2000s lo-fi revival bands that I got really into, and to this day they are still the best. Women sounds like a complete mess with distorted drums, buried, droning vocals and clanging guitars. There is definitely a pop edge, namely on one of the best songs from last decade, "Black Rice," but they disguise it very well. Chad VanGaalen's production assistance is just as much an instrument as anything else on here, helping to make this debut tremendously special.
Top jam: "Shaking Hand"
(21) Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective (Domino, 2009)
It's sort of not fun when your #1 album at year-end is the first big "indie" release to come out. It happened for me in 2008 with Vampire Weekend, and again in 2009 with Merriweather Post Pavilion. In retrospect, things changed with 2008, but definitely not so with 2009, the year Animal Collective completely dominated. Merriweather Post Pavilion is a game changer. Panda Bear's incredible Person Pitch strongly hinted at where underground music was going to go back in 2007. Animal Collective put the nail in the coffin and hugely popularized it in 2009. Luckily for us, they are the kind of band that never really repeat themselves. Regardless, Merriweather Post Pavilion was an amazing statement at a hazey time in music, and its warm synths, hypnotic rhythms and stunning melodies will forever be welcome to my ears.
Top jam: "Brother Sport"
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