Top Ten Albums of the Decade (Part 1)
Top ten albums is a pretty predicatable subject as far as reviews of the year/decade go, but seeing the first of them before Xmas made me wonder what mine would be. Half an hour on iTunes and 45 albums later, I realised it would be like deciding what my favourite book or child was. Which is why there's 25 albums on the final list. I've always wanted to write more music reviews on here than I've had time for, so I will indulge myself.
I've followed the usual arbitrary rule of one album per band, but apart from that, these are basically the ones that I wound up playing the crap out of, for one reason or another. Ordered by year because this has caused enough scars already. There's a YouTube link for a song from each album as well.
1. Kittie - Spit (2000). All woman metal band from London. Ontario, that is. Notable for Morgan Lander's industrial strength vocal chords. Now, Spit!
2. Tim Finn, Bic Runga & Dave Dobbyn - Together in Concert: Live (2000). Three of NZ's best singer/songwriters collaborate on each other's work. Song choice was easy due to me only being able to find one. But I wanted a Dave Dobbyn song as he's the least well-known outside Aotearoa. Language is appropriate for this blog anyway.
3. Kings of Convenience - Quiet is the New Loud (2001). Did what it said on the tin. The live version of Winning A Battle, Losing A War isn't on there, but is too beautiful to resist.
4. Nesian Mystik - Polysaturated (2002). R&B/hip hop from those nice Auckland boys. Followed by other successful albums, but I prefer the raw sound of their debut. Fav song: For The People.
5. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (2002) It could've been a shorter walk, but that's Tori and the result is still lovely. Carbon, with obligatory Neil Gaiman shout out.
6. Blindspott - Blindspott (2002). Nu metal from some different Auckland boys. Can't understand why Mind Dependency wasn't released as a single.
7. Evanescence - Fallen (2003). Bring on the angst. Favourite: My Immortal.
8. Corneille - Parce Qu'on Vient De Loin (2003) - Because We've Come A Long Way. Corneille certainly has. His debut solo is themed around the loss of his family in Rwanda's genocide and is deeply impressive in all kinds of ways. Seul au monde is about trying to put on a brave face.
9. Green Day - American Idiot (2004). Has it been 5 years already? Wake Me Up When September Ends. Or December, in my case. *sniffle*
10. The Black Seeds - On The Sun (2004). Wellington seems to have endless supplies of all things dub related. Sort It Out. Btw, this was when Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords was still in the band.
11. Brooke Fraser - What To Do With Daylight (2004). This singer/songwriter's debut was a huge hit in NZ and she wasn't even out of her teens. Lifeline.
12. Tegan and Sara - So Jealous (2004). Only because it was my first acquaintance with these Canadian singer/songwriters, it could just as easily have been The Con from 2007. Walking With A Ghost.
13. Zazie - Rodeo (2005) French singer/songwriter known for her blithe use of language. Makes me smile. Lola Majeure.
Top Ten Albums of the Decade, Not Really (Part 2).
I've followed the usual arbitrary rule of one album per band, but apart from that, these are basically the ones that I wound up playing the crap out of, for one reason or another. Ordered by year because this has caused enough scars already. There's a YouTube link for a song from each album as well.
1. Kittie - Spit (2000). All woman metal band from London. Ontario, that is. Notable for Morgan Lander's industrial strength vocal chords. Now, Spit!
2. Tim Finn, Bic Runga & Dave Dobbyn - Together in Concert: Live (2000). Three of NZ's best singer/songwriters collaborate on each other's work. Song choice was easy due to me only being able to find one. But I wanted a Dave Dobbyn song as he's the least well-known outside Aotearoa. Language is appropriate for this blog anyway.
3. Kings of Convenience - Quiet is the New Loud (2001). Did what it said on the tin. The live version of Winning A Battle, Losing A War isn't on there, but is too beautiful to resist.
4. Nesian Mystik - Polysaturated (2002). R&B/hip hop from those nice Auckland boys. Followed by other successful albums, but I prefer the raw sound of their debut. Fav song: For The People.
5. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk (2002) It could've been a shorter walk, but that's Tori and the result is still lovely. Carbon, with obligatory Neil Gaiman shout out.
6. Blindspott - Blindspott (2002). Nu metal from some different Auckland boys. Can't understand why Mind Dependency wasn't released as a single.
7. Evanescence - Fallen (2003). Bring on the angst. Favourite: My Immortal.
8. Corneille - Parce Qu'on Vient De Loin (2003) - Because We've Come A Long Way. Corneille certainly has. His debut solo is themed around the loss of his family in Rwanda's genocide and is deeply impressive in all kinds of ways. Seul au monde is about trying to put on a brave face.
9. Green Day - American Idiot (2004). Has it been 5 years already? Wake Me Up When September Ends. Or December, in my case. *sniffle*
10. The Black Seeds - On The Sun (2004). Wellington seems to have endless supplies of all things dub related. Sort It Out. Btw, this was when Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords was still in the band.
11. Brooke Fraser - What To Do With Daylight (2004). This singer/songwriter's debut was a huge hit in NZ and she wasn't even out of her teens. Lifeline.
12. Tegan and Sara - So Jealous (2004). Only because it was my first acquaintance with these Canadian singer/songwriters, it could just as easily have been The Con from 2007. Walking With A Ghost.
13. Zazie - Rodeo (2005) French singer/songwriter known for her blithe use of language. Makes me smile. Lola Majeure.
Top Ten Albums of the Decade, Not Really (Part 2).