Vikings & Beekeepers

80. Boris Akuma No Uta (2003)

While Akuma No Uta may be the best entry point into the expansive Boris universe, it’s far from the band’s most accessible work. Like much of the band’s work before and after, Akuma provides a spectrum of sounds, some of it exceptionally difficult. “Introduction” is nearly 10 minutes of guitar drone, while the wailing wah and acid rock breakdowns of “Naki Kyoku” run for over 12 minutes. They’re both good songs, but they ain’t exactly welcoming. But Boris were never the type of band to withhold rewards, which come in the form of “Ibitsu” and “Furi,” two ridiculously explosive blasts of biker punk sneering. Elsewhere, you’ll get the druggy classic rock throwback “Ano Onna No Onryo” and the rifftastic title track both kicking all kinds of ass (they’ll skip having to take names). Akuma No Uta is a strange and dangerous record to be considered a good entry point, but Boris are a strange and dangerous band. You’re always bound to get a few war wounds when listening to them. Also, bonus points for having the best cover of the decade.

“Ibitsu”

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90. Passion Pit Manners (2009) 

The older I get and the more focused I am on the realities of life (work, kids, marriage, etc.), the less I care about the fickle nature of the Internet backlash or the cool capital of social currency. I no longer have time to worry about which bands I should be snubbing and which bands I should be championing. All I can rely on are my two ears and a few of my other parts for what’s good and what’s not. That’s why I have yet to turn my nose up on Passion Pit. A Seattle weekly recently described Passion Pit as a band enjoying the spoils of success that belonged to Cut Copy. By my ears (and heart and ass and crotch), Cut Copy has nothing on Passion Pit’s giddy and unabashed chipmunk-soul electro pop (neither do MGMT, Justice, Hot Chip or the Junior Boys for that matter). Maybe it’s my more rockist leanings that lead me to appreciate only the least subtle corners of electronic music, but Manners has an “It” factor that no other artists of a similar ilk have. It could be the joyous rainbow explosion that is album opener “Make Light” or the way that “Moth’s Wings” runs laps around Arcade Fire. Or maybe it’s the take-it-to-the-next-level drum shots that bring “Little Secrets” out of its first chorus or the call-and-response kids choir chorus on “The Reeling.” Or maybe it’s the pretty “Ooh woo oohs” of “Folds In Your Hands” or the over the top lead line that sets “Eyes In Candles” in motion. Or maybe it’s just “Sleepyhead.” Who knows? The highlights are plentiful; the music is fun, fresh and beautiful; and my ears, heart, ass and crotch are always happy to greet Passion Pit. Truth is, when Manners is playing, it becomes my favorite thing ever.

“The Reeling”

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The 2000s were a pretty important time for me. I turned 18 in 2000, graduating high school soon after, venturing out on my own to college, getting married and having kids. My life has changed drastically in that time and the music I have loved has as well. As I grew up and as my life’s trajectory altered, the music came with me. I didn’t necessarily have the benefit of adolescence in this time so obsession rarely set in the way it did when I was 14 or 15, but I made my way through the decade with a clear soundtrack. This is essentially that soundtrack.

Of course, a top 100 list is not a scientific thing. I could call this list my “Top 100 Favorite” or the “Top 100 Best” and it would make no never mind to me. It’s all the same.

You’ll notice my weak spots on this here list (musically speaking, anyway, I’m hoping there aren’t to many weak spots in my writing – although there most definitely are a lot of them). As varied as this list is in terms of genre and cultural representation, chances are the majority of the albums that pop up on here will feature white boys with guitars. I can’t help it, I’ve got rockist leanings. With that said, there isn’t any album here I would consider to be anything less than absolutely fantastic and worthy or at least a listen.

And while I am just one man and a list of 100 albums is actually quite a lot, there are a lot of bands and albums that didn’t make the cut and absolutely deserve mention. So all apologies to: My Morning Jacket, Pinback, The Flaming Lips, Black Dice, Separation Sunday, Why?, Black Mountain, Alcest, Apple O‘, The Game, Don Caballero, Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes, Phoenix, Broken Social Scene, Daft Punk, Sky Blue Sky, Big Business/Melvins, Sonic Nurse, Beanie Sigel, Bon Iver, Master And Everyone, Silkworm, Converge, Scarface, Ryan Adams, Joe Lally, Brightblack Morning Light, Queens Of The Stone Age, Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle, Calexico, Nachtmystium, The Mae Shi, Oxford Collapse, Electric Version, The Knife, Liars, Lightning Bolt, Hearts Of Oak, John Vanderslice and Neurosis.

I will be posting this list 10 songs at a time, ending appropriately enough, with the No. 1 album of the decade. I expect everything to be posted within two weeks. Then we can get back to my regularly scheduled programming (one update every three months). Enjoy (and comment)!

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It’s easy to overlook EPs. They’re usually intended as teasers or add-ons, just a little taste before the main course comes along. Sometimes, though, a smaller sample size can be a positive, with individual songs being given the opportunity to have more impact. On an EP, there really isn’t much room for filler. These 10 EPs are proof that good things come in small packages.

This is me officially kicking off my decade in review. I’m in the middle of my top 100 albums of the 2000s. There will be a couple lists following that and then it will be back to normal. Expect to see part one of my top 100 within the week. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s my top 10 from ‘09. Sorry it’s all so late. Between work, having a new baby and having a toddler, it sometimes seems that blogging takes a backseat. Shame on me. Anyway, these “write-ups” are a little half-assed. Sorry.

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