Favorite Albums of 2000-2009: #10-6

(10) Feels - Animal Collective (Fat Cat, 2005)

I'm not sure if Feels is my favorite Animal Collective record because at that point, there weren't any other bands or artists in existance who sounded remotely close to it, or if it just really is better than Merriweather Post Pavilion. Regardless, I prefer Feels, but only slightly. I'm not sure I can even explain why specifically, aside from the fact that this is the album that first won me over. Sometimes I think its because Feels is much more organic. There are actually drums, guitars and pianos being played. But, I like the synth-affected, sample heavy sounds of their more recent material just as much. "Brother Sport" is better than anything heard on Feels, and "My Girls" and "Taste" might be as well. My slightly more intense fondness for this album might have everything to do with my simply appreciating the moodiness presented on these songs. Also, MPP helped to create a slew of terrible acts in its wake, while Feels is completely untouchable and to this day I've never heard anything quite like it. I'll quite my rant at that.

Top jam: "Banshee Beat"

(9) Designing a Nervous Breakdown - The Anniversary (Vagrant/Heroes & Villains, 2000)

Just before The Get Up Kids got really shitty, they must have passed on some of their powers to Lawrence, Kansas friends, The Anniversary. The bands much underrated debut LP, Designing a Nervous Breakdown, combines the best of TGUK's first two albums (the rawness and emo-ness of Four Minute Mile and the catchiness of Something to Write Home About) and that is stirred up with even more 80s synths (mostly if not exclusively of the Moog variety), a girl singer and vague, literary lyrics. I love everything about this record, including but not being limited to the huge, detuned drums, bouncy bass, boy/girl vocals and somewhat classically emo guitars. Believe it or not, even the lyrics are great in a similarly literate and nostalgic way as Bob Nanna's for Braid. Even though it's another record that brings me back to my high school days, if I even had one complaint, it would be that the closer, "Outro in No Minor" goes on a little too long. Otherwise, Designing a Nervous Breakdown is still perfect to this day.

Top jam: "Till We Earned a Holiday"

(8) Apologies to the Queen Mary - Wolf Parade (Sub Pop, 2005)

Even though at the time I had ranked Sufjan Stevens' Illinois as my favorite album of 2005, in retrospect, it is easily Wolf Parade's debut full length, Apologies to the Queen Mary, that I am foremost reminded of when I think back to that year. Being the only truly great Wolf Parade album to exist thus far, it came from that special time of "blog rock," but has outlasted absolutely everything that came from that culture. Along with the ghostly feel of the record, the anthemic, warbling vocals, gnarly guitars and drums and all those cheesy, fantastical, catchy-as-hell synths always have been and always will be what draws me to this record. Everything just lined up wonderfully for this band at this time, and I am thankful for it, because it produced a perfect record.

Top jam: "Shine a Light"

(7) Change - The Dismemberment Plan (DeSoto, 2001)

I am always going back and forth between Emergency & I and Change as to which album by The Dismemberment Plan I prefer. It usually just depends on which version of the band I want: the somber, introspective and zany one, or the somber, introspective and mature one. It doesn't matter, they're both perfect for some of the same reasons, and a lot of different ones. Change first came to me at around the middle of my freshman year of college. It was an incredibly awkward time in my life, and I think that that's one of the main reasons why I have so much attached to it. The specificity of the lyrics and the ambiguity and all those minor chords throughout the songs really just hit the spot during that weird time, and I've never looked back. Plus, I don't know that there's a better opening to a record ever like the one-two-three punch here of "Sentimental Man," "The Face of the Earth" and "Superpowers." No big deal, just one of two perfect albums from one of the greatest underground bands to ever exist.

Top jam: "Sentimental Man"

(6) In Rainbows - Radiohead (TBD/ATO, 2008)

If you know me at all, you knew that this list was going to feature a Radiohead album. There's so much to be said about In Rainbows, and I'm going to try really hard not to say it all, but I am making no promises. To start, I'm not even going to say anything about the strategy of which it was released (as fun and amazing as it was). At its most basic, In Rainbows is Radiohead's return to rock 'n' roll that Hail to the Thief was supposed to be. But, obviously, it's much more than that. First off, and in spite of what the band have said retrospectively about the recording process, it sounds like Radiohead are actually having fun on In Rainbows. Apparently that's not actually true, but whatever, the record sure sounds that way. There are way more upbeat songs than usual. There are some different production ideas (like close miccing the drums instead of using the room, to name one). Some of the songs even sound like love songs. Unlike all their previous albums, which are full of paranoia and anxiety, In Rainbows is warm, lush and absolutely gorgeous, with layers upon layers of shimmering guitars, tight rhythms and all the other usual Radiohead characteristics. These songs just have faster tempos and like I stated earlier, warmth, for once. Although "Videotape" is one of my least favorite Radiohead closers, I probably don't even need to tell you that I still think this is a perfect album.

Top jam: "House of Cards"