50 Favorite Albums of the 2000s: 31-40
40. Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade (2005) - Isaac Brock famously produced this album, Wolf Parade's first full-length, and while you can hear the stylistic similarities to Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade have definitely crafted a sound all their own. The vocals are frantic and intense, and the guitars and synths build sometimes to a frenzy. These quirky, catchy songs weasel their way into your head and won't get out. ("Modern World", "Shine a Light", "I'll Believe in Anything")
39. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips (2002) - Though it has relatively absurd title/premise, this album is surprisingly full of gorgeous melodies and arrangements, as well as a lot of emotion. At times Wayne Coyne's "deep" lyrics can seem trite, but there is a real heartfelt sincerity to these songs. The later part of the album tends to drag for me, but the high notes are irresistibly sweet. ("Fight Test", "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1")
38. Give Up, The Postal Service (2003) - Ben Gibbard is a great songwriter, and his collaboration with Jimmy Tamborello is one of his best efforts in what has been a prolific decade. Tamborello's electronic beats are as awesome as Gibbard's songs, and really make the record something special. This is definitely an album for, and of, the 21st century. ("The District Sleeps Alone Tonight", "Sleeping In")
37. Gimme Fiction, Spoon (2005) - Even as the lowest Spoon album on my list, Gimme Fiction is really awesome, and has some of my very favorite Spoon songs. I was slow to warm up to Spoon, but now I think all of their output this decade has been stellar. As is the case with many of these artists, seeing them live really helped me to appreciate their music more. ("I Turn My Camera On", "Sister Jack")
36. Amnesiac, Radiohead (2001) - Often it seems to be classified as the less-attractive cousin of Kid A, but I think Amnesiac is a worthy album in its own right. The opening and closing tracks, two of my favorites, show the range of genres they are able to pull off here, from chilling electronica to New Orleans funeral march, with all sorts of things in between. And then there's "Pyramid Song", one of Radiohead's most hauntingly beautiful ballads. ("Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box", "Pyramid Song", "Life in a Glasshouse")
35. Strawberry Jam, Animal Collective (2007) - This is the Animal Collective album which most clearly features the band's singing, putting the vocals more up-front in the mix, and to me that's a good thing. This record is bursting at the seams with energy, full of crazy electronic sounds and beats, and every so often erupting with Avey Tare's screams. It's an unusual but satisfying delight. ("Peacebone", "For Reverend Green", "Fireworks")
34. Good News for People Who Love Bad News, Modest Mouse (2004) - This is the album where Modest Mouse finally broke into the mainstream, but to me it's just as awesomely weird as all of the albums that preceded it. Isaac Brock shows striking range, at times singing almost sweetly, other times barking out crazed lines like "Please, bury me with it!" I love all the horns and banjos and interesting instrumentation. ("The World At Large", "Ocean Breathes Salty", "Blame It On the Tetons")
33. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend (2008) - At first, these guys were just one of those buzz bands that I was ready to write off. Then I really started listening to their music, which is full of exuberance and all the energy and confidence of The Strokes' debut album. A little afro-pop, a little punk, and lots of great melodies and charm. It's far from perfect, but it's such a sunny, enjoyable album. I hope VW can continue to put out records this good. ("A-Punk", "Bryn")
32. Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors (2009) - This record is very interesting, if nothing else. There are so many intricate guitar and vocal parts playing off each other all at once, crazy rhythms and time signatures that I still can't always follow, and lyrics that are complete head-scratchers. Somehow all of that adds up to something that is really entertaining and satisfying, at times even danceable and singable. These guys are really good at what they do, and this is music that no one else is making, or could make. ("Stillness Is The Move", "Two Doves", "No Intention")
31. The Stage Names, Okkervil River (2007) - Will Sheff can write catchy tunes and clever lyrics, and deliver them both with a lot of emotional intensity--and he does it really well on this record. The Stage Names encapsulates the best parts of Okkervil River in one awesome album, which is solid from the great opening track to the "Sloop John B"-quoting closing track. ("Our Life Is Not a Movie Or Maybe", "A Girl in Port", "John Allyn Smith Sails")