Favorite Albums of 2000-2009: #20-16

(20) Smile - Brian Wilson (Nonesuch, 2004)

36 or so years after the original fact, The Beach Boys' mad genius Brian Wilson rerecorded the Smile sessions to optimal effect. I cannot deny that this over-produced, totally cheesy 2004 version is a novelty. However, that doesn't take away anything from the brilliant arrangements and melodies present on this album. In fact, a certain kind of charm is lended to these songs because of this. I listened to Smile a ton when it first came out, and very rarely listen to it anymore, but every time I do, it is a real treat.

Top jam: "Heroes & Villains"

(19) The Photo Album - Death Cab for Cutie (Barsuk, 2001)

After years of inner-dialogue and debate, I think I can admit to The Photo Album representing Death Cab for Cutie at their peak. The production, lyrical flow and content, guitar sounds and performance, and drumming are all at their absolute best. It helps that "A Movie Script Ending," "Blacking Out the Friction" and "I Was a Kaleidoscope" have to be three of DCFC's five greatest songs. There are not enough good things I can say about this record to do it justice. There is just something about Ben Gibbard's melodies, the way the snare drum snaps, the way the guitars chime, etc., etc., etc.. There are a lot of miniscule, subtle elements that just add up to make The Photo Album special. Also, I find it appropriate that I really fell in love with this when I was emotionally transitioning from high school to college. It breaks my heart that we will never see this side of DCFC again, as we all know what sort of terrible band they've turned into.

Top jam: "I Was a Kaleidoscope"

(18) Oui - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 2000)

It's crazy to me that The Sea and Cake's most critically acclaimed album probably isn't even my favorite of theirs. But, when all eight of your albums are no worse than really great, does this even matter? No, of course not. That being said, what makes Oui just slightly better than the band's other three albums that were released last decade is that, not unlike The Photo Album, it features three of their greatest songs, ever ("Afternoon Speaker," "All the Photos" and "Midtown"). In addition to this, drummer John McEntire's production is impeccable (as is his drumming, obviously), and at this point in their career, The Sea and Cake had already mastered their addition of subtle synths and electronic grooves to their signature combination of jazz, Caribbean, rock and pop styles. Anyway, One Bedroom, Everybody and Car Alarm might've deserved this spot, but Oui just barely rises above.

Top jam: "All the Photos"

(17) Funeral - Arcade Fire (Merge, 2004)

Yes, I know, Arcade Fire's groundbreaking debut, Funeral, is an important statement that was made during the temperate, inconsistent climate of indie rock during the middle of the last decade. Though this statement led to a slew of terrible wannabes (like, every band that got together in 2005 and 2006 and started using an acoustic guitar, keyboards AND violins and the like) every critic and nerdy music fan alike seemed to love it, and for good reason. In addition to being epic and dramatic in surprisingly tolerable ways, Funeral is beautiful, emotional and just really awesome. Its production is great, the variety of instruments used was very interesting at the time (it sorta still is, I guess), and the raw energy and emotion is virtually untouchable. There was a span of about a year or so where I thought I liked 2007's Neon Bible more, and then one day during a trip to the Traverse City area in early 2009, I was slapped in the face and ears with reality.

Top jam: "Haiti"

(16) Up in Flames - Manitoba (Domino, 2003)

I'll be surprised if this doesn't surprise pretty much everyone who cares to follow this list. I don't talk about Up in Flames much, if ever, but it really is the best thing that Dan Snaith (who traded in his Manitoba moniker for that of Caribou for 2005's The Milk of Human Kindness) has ever done. Snaith has done no wrong in my eyes, and everything he has created as Caribou has been either really good or excellent. I guess Up in Flames is just more my style. Here, he uses virtually no filter. A lot of the songs are all or nothing, or at least build to that level at some point. It features a lot of things I really like, such as completely insane double drumming, beautiful and entrancing samples, awesome melodies sung by a singer who's voice is technically mediocre at best, and subtle, video game synth sounds. There is a certain indie rock swagger here, and as much as I hear The Zombies and even a little Byrds on 2007's Andorra, Up in Flames is certainly the most psychedelic recording Snaith has produced yet. This was a real eye opener for back in my college days. That the organic and electronic could be married and manipulated in such a way blew my mind then, and still intrigues and impresses me to this day. Thank you Dan Hopper for randomly introducing me to this album during finals week of the fall 2004 semester. I've kept it close ever since.

Top jam: "Crayon"