A Decent Decade of Music.

Top 29 Albums from 2000 - 2009.

As the Decade comes to a close, I've been looking back and thinking about the Music that shaped me and helped me grow (wank).

Back in 2000, i was a gawky little guy in year 8, now i'm a gawky guy in my 20's. A lot has changed in ten years. It was really hard to chart my top albums efficiently. I mean, I need to pay homage to the likes of New Found Glory and Killing Heidi, for shepherding me through puberty and angst. We all made mistakes, did we not?

So this list consists of albums that majorly defined a period of my life and are very meaningful to a certain memory bubble of my brain.

Before we go ahead i'd like to point out that I deliberated LONG and hard over this damn list, and that there have been a number of drafts, re-workings of the lists, and even a slideshow presentation (upon which I realised I had some things in wrong places), and even now as i'm typing this out, i'm still a bit nervous about my choices.

I guess the important thing (for me) to remember is that, hey AT LEAST they made the damn list, regardless of what order they ended up being in...

Anyway, without any further shame or hesitation, I present to you my top 29 albums from 2ooo to 2oo9 (cause you know, if you take out the o's you get 29...whatever)

29. Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (2004)

This album was important to me back in 2004, I specifically remember listening to it alot at work, and being really upset cause I wasn't old enough to go see them when they played at ding dong, and I wasn't cool enough to have a fake id.

28. Annuals - Be He Me (2006)

A good little album that I couldn't go without including in my list. Some amazing arrangements on a lot of the tracks. Unfortunately for Annuals, everything else they've released is utter shit.

27. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals (2007)

An amazing album from start to finish, but unfortunately it's too recent to have ranked higher. But Yeasayer do have a really unique sound to them, and know how to craft a song creatively. You should all watch the take away show of them playing 2080 in an apartment in Paris, that'll pretty much sum up why I love them/this album.

26. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (2007)

This album reminds me of living in St.Kilda in my first apartment with my close friend Ange. It has some amazing songs, Fireworks is a beautiful song, and I debated hard and long about whether or not to put this or Feels in, but I feel Strawberry Jam is a better album as a whole, so it won out. Peacebone is an excellent opener (with an amazing filmclip to boot) and For Reverend Green is a manic and somehow happy song.

25. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)

This album makes me think of finishing my first year of uni, visiting Lorne during that summer, and again, is a great album start to finish. I'll Believe in Anything is a masterpiece of a song, and Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts is equally epic.

24. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

So i'll probably be castrated for choosing this as my Radiohead album of the decade, and don't get me wrong, I enjoy their other albums. Kid A is great and Amnesiac is beautiful yadda yadda yadda. Truth be told, this is the album that I can listen to in it's entirety and not skip a track, it has it's soft and quiet moment as well as it's more upbeat. A very well structured album with at least one song suitable for any and every mood.

23. Yann Tiersen - Amelie Official Soundtrack (2001)

So this entry is a bit of a copout, cause it's technically a soundtrack or whatever, but it's a epic soundtrack for an utterly fantastic film. It did partially win it's spot here because of my love for the film, but having said that, my love for the film is partially due to the soundtrack. It's a bit of a chicken or the egg scenario. I just think Yann Tiersen is a brilliant composer and his music ties in with everything in the film so well. It reminds me of being in year 9 and going to see the film with my mum, and falling in love with french cinema, and deciding I wanted to make films like Jean Pierre Jeunet.

22. Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (2000)

Granted I didn't hear this album until about 2004, but it's one that has stuck with and followed me since. It reminds me of catching the bus to sandy every morning, it reminds me of living in Church St four years later. It has sad and happy associations and has deservedly earned it's place.

21. Múm - finally we are no one (2002)

Such a beautiful album, from start to finish. One for falling asleep to and dreaming of icelandic landscapes and oceans. This album helped kick start my love for iceland.

20. The Distillers - Sing Sing Death House (2002)

This Album reminds me of being year 10 and marks the start of my properly paying attention to music. It's a minor secret shame of mine, but whatever, The Distillers were great in their own right, Hole/Courtney Love comparisons aside, they knew what they were doing and Brody was an excellent front woman. It reminds me of having my friends over to my house while my parents were away for the weekend (Hi Mum!)

19. The Strokes - Is This It? (2001)

Remember that time when everyone loved the strokes? They, along with the White Stripes lead the "garage revival" or whatever, but all that bullshit aside, this again, is an excellent album from start to finish. Reminds me of year 11 & 12, dancing to new york city cops with maz whilst drunk on goon. Good times. Someday is a beautiful song, and Hard to Explain is dazzling. Yep. D A Z Z L I N G.

18. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)

It's a shame that ol' Bon has been slightly spoilt by the twihard and jjj bogan male crowd, alas, he's still a genius songwriter with songs that can tie your guts up into tiny little knots. Everyone knows the story of how the album was written shortly after he broke up with his girlfriend and he retreated to the woods, well all that really does come across when listening to the album, before you even know it. There are severe tones of loss and sorrow, yet also hope, as wanky as that sounds. There is hope and promise shining through all the sadness. Yep. Bon Iver is derived from the French Bon Hiver which means good winter, and it is a good damn winter album. Also, bon hiverrrr is a nice thing to say to a close (breast) friend when toasting them a glass of wine, wouldn't you say?

17. CocoRosie - La Maison de mon Reve (2004)

This album reminds me of floating about my friends flat in St. Kilda (aptly named the Rabbit Hole) at 6am in the morning, not knowing exactly what the hell was going on as a cast of drag queens, sailors, cult leaders, virgins and secretaries all floated past. And further back than that, to 2004, it reminds me of being in Adelaide and making friends with old enemies, and forging new friendships with future wondrous people. And remember, if every angels terrible, then why do you welcome them?

16. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning (2005)

Unfortunately not all associations with this album are happy ones. But the power of hindsight has managed to turn most of them good. But it does mainly remind me of a time of severe heartache etc etc blah blah, but it is a beautifully written album, and is seriously enjoyable from start to finish. Even Landlock Blues, which was a reworking of a previously recorded song by Bright Eyes was alright (i prefer the original, but I let it slide). Poison Oak is a gut wrenchingly beautiful song, and gah. This album is just great.

TO BE CONTINUED...