Bombs Over Baghdad: Best of the Aughts
No decade would be complete without an End of the Decade "Best of" List
BEST BOOK, FICTION
1. "The Amber Spyglass" by Phillip Pullman
BEST BOOK, NONFICTION
1. "Ballad of the Whiskey Robber (A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts)" by Julian Rubinstein
2. "Heat" by Bill Buford
3. "The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule" by Thomas Frank
BEST BOOK, MUSIC HISTORY OR CRITICISM
1. "Our Band Could Be Your Life" by Michael Azzerad
2. "The Fallen: Searching for the Missing Members of The Fall" by Dave Simpson
3. "Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records"
4. "Drugs Are Nice" by Lisa Crystal Carver
5. "Going Underground: American Punk (1979-1992)" by George Hurchalla
WORST MUSIC CRITICISM:
1. "Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture" by Kaya Oakes
(Did you know that "Dos" is "Spanish for 'two,'"? Or that the word is actually "pronounced 'dose,'"? I had no idea, either. Thankfully, Kaya Oakes is there to keep us all informed.)
2. Pitchfork.com
BEST ALBUM (TAKEN AS A WHOLE)
1. Howard Shore: "Music from the Lord of the Rings"
2. Lifter Puller: "Fiestas and Fiascos"
3. Björk: "Vespertine"
4. P.J. Harvey: "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea"
5. Yann Tiersen: "Amélie (Original Soundtrack)"
6. Outkast: "Speakerbox / The Love Below"
7. Tom Waits: "Blood Money"
8. John Cameron Mitchell and Bob Mould: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Original Cast Recording"
9. Tan Dun and Yo Yo Ma: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)"
10. Triakel: "Sånger från 63° N (Songs from the 63rd Latitude)"
11. The Fall: "The Real New Fall LP"
12. Slim Cessna's Auto Club: "Self-titled"
13. The Mekons: "Punk Rock"
14. Franz Ferdinand: "Franz Ferdinand" (self-titled)
15. The Ex: "Ex Orkest: Een Rondje Holland"
16. Ladytron: "The Witching Hour"
17. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: "Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!"
18. Turbonegro: "Scandinavian Leather"
19. Gogol Bordello: "Super Taranta!"
20. Various Artists: "No Hold Back, All Attack" (3 record set, a compilation of 54 Twin Cities punk and hardcore bands, that originally sold for $8.99 on three vinyl LPs)
21. Shigeru Umebayashi "Music from the House of Flying Daggers"
22. Joel R.L. Phelps and the Downer Trio: "Customs"
23. The Gossip: "Standing in the Way of Control"
24. 3 Inches of Blood: "Advance and Vanquish"
25. The Hives: "Veni Vidi Vicious"
BEST SINGLE, or BEST SONG from an inconsistent (or otherwise lackluster) album
1. Outkast: "B.O.B."
2. R. Kelly: "Trapped in the Closet, No. 1-12"
3. Björk: "The Dull Flame of Desire"
4. Radiohead: "Idiotique"
5. Shellac: "Prayer to God"
6. The Mountain Goats: "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton"
7. Art Brut: "D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshake"
8. The Stnnng: "Grand Island, Neb."
9. Finntroll: "Trollhammaren"
10. Tortoise and Bonnie "Prince" Billie: "Love is Love"
11. FT (The Shadow Government): "Momo Eat the Tax Man"
12. The Mekons: "Thee Olde Trip to Jerusalem"
13. The Hold Steady: "Stay Positive"
14. The Ex: "Huriyet"
15. Steve Earle: "John Walker's Blues"
16. The Hives: "See Through Head"
17. Slim Cessna's Auto Club: "This is How We Do Things in the Country"
18. Gang of Four: "I Love a Man in Uniform 2005"
19. 3 Inches of Blood: "Destroy the Orcs"
20. Gogol Bordello: "Tribal Connection"
BEST BOOK, FICTION
1. "The Amber Spyglass" by Phillip Pullman
BEST BOOK, NONFICTION
1. "Ballad of the Whiskey Robber (A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts)" by Julian Rubinstein
2. "Heat" by Bill Buford
3. "The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule" by Thomas Frank
BEST BOOK, MUSIC HISTORY OR CRITICISM
1. "Our Band Could Be Your Life" by Michael Azzerad
2. "The Fallen: Searching for the Missing Members of The Fall" by Dave Simpson
3. "Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records"
4. "Drugs Are Nice" by Lisa Crystal Carver
5. "Going Underground: American Punk (1979-1992)" by George Hurchalla
WORST MUSIC CRITICISM:
1. "Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture" by Kaya Oakes
(Did you know that "Dos" is "Spanish for 'two,'"? Or that the word is actually "pronounced 'dose,'"? I had no idea, either. Thankfully, Kaya Oakes is there to keep us all informed.)
2. Pitchfork.com
BEST ALBUM (TAKEN AS A WHOLE)
1. Howard Shore: "Music from the Lord of the Rings"
2. Lifter Puller: "Fiestas and Fiascos"
3. Björk: "Vespertine"
4. P.J. Harvey: "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea"
5. Yann Tiersen: "Amélie (Original Soundtrack)"
6. Outkast: "Speakerbox / The Love Below"
7. Tom Waits: "Blood Money"
8. John Cameron Mitchell and Bob Mould: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Original Cast Recording"
9. Tan Dun and Yo Yo Ma: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)"
10. Triakel: "Sånger från 63° N (Songs from the 63rd Latitude)"
11. The Fall: "The Real New Fall LP"
12. Slim Cessna's Auto Club: "Self-titled"
13. The Mekons: "Punk Rock"
14. Franz Ferdinand: "Franz Ferdinand" (self-titled)
15. The Ex: "Ex Orkest: Een Rondje Holland"
16. Ladytron: "The Witching Hour"
17. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: "Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!"
18. Turbonegro: "Scandinavian Leather"
19. Gogol Bordello: "Super Taranta!"
20. Various Artists: "No Hold Back, All Attack" (3 record set, a compilation of 54 Twin Cities punk and hardcore bands, that originally sold for $8.99 on three vinyl LPs)
21. Shigeru Umebayashi "Music from the House of Flying Daggers"
22. Joel R.L. Phelps and the Downer Trio: "Customs"
23. The Gossip: "Standing in the Way of Control"
24. 3 Inches of Blood: "Advance and Vanquish"
25. The Hives: "Veni Vidi Vicious"
BEST SINGLE, or BEST SONG from an inconsistent (or otherwise lackluster) album
1. Outkast: "B.O.B."
2. R. Kelly: "Trapped in the Closet, No. 1-12"
3. Björk: "The Dull Flame of Desire"
4. Radiohead: "Idiotique"
5. Shellac: "Prayer to God"
6. The Mountain Goats: "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton"
7. Art Brut: "D.C. Comics and Chocolate Milkshake"
8. The Stnnng: "Grand Island, Neb."
9. Finntroll: "Trollhammaren"
10. Tortoise and Bonnie "Prince" Billie: "Love is Love"
11. FT (The Shadow Government): "Momo Eat the Tax Man"
12. The Mekons: "Thee Olde Trip to Jerusalem"
13. The Hold Steady: "Stay Positive"
14. The Ex: "Huriyet"
15. Steve Earle: "John Walker's Blues"
16. The Hives: "See Through Head"
17. Slim Cessna's Auto Club: "This is How We Do Things in the Country"
18. Gang of Four: "I Love a Man in Uniform 2005"
19. 3 Inches of Blood: "Destroy the Orcs"
20. Gogol Bordello: "Tribal Connection"