top albums of the 2000's #25-21

#25 “From a Basement on the Hill” by Elliott Smith
One of the biggest pains one can suffer is the loss of somebody way too young, and in 2003 music-lovers around the world felt that with the loss of Elliott Smith. A man whose problems made for some of the greatest music ever created, and who could so perfectly and poignantly paint a scene with his words that filmmakers for generations to come will use his music to illustrate their most emotional moments (Good Will Hunting, or The Royal Tenenbaums anyone?). While the loss of Smith is no doubt one of the great tragedies of the decade the one bright spot is the posthumously-released collection of his

#24: “Transatlanticism” by Death Cab for Cutie
Ben Gibbard should by my generations Morrissey. The man crafts songs with such genius and writes lyrics so poetic that they would fit in being studied with Keats and Donne as well as they fit in on someone's Chemistry notes. In addition to simply helping us feel like we aren't the only ones suffering with the trials of love, he makes us feel alright to be intelligent, witty, people who always want the right things, but aren't quite sure what they are. In Retrospect can anyone think of a better band to represent Seth Cohen? Sure, we all have problems, and sure, we know there are many pressing issues in our world such as Hunger, War, and the denial of human rights, but when you're 18 years old and your girlfriend is going to a different college, The Genocide in Darfur becomes a lot less important, and Gibbard makes you feel okay with that, instead of sounding like your parents, who insist you will get over it. Though one day your 10th grade girlfriend may not be the most important thing in your life, this album will always help you remember. It is an album we can all relate to, Gibbard makes us feel like we matter, and that our feelings matter. And that is all that really matters.

#23: “Get Behind Me Satan” by The White Stripes
The White Stripes were one of the biggest acts to come out of the “garage rock revival” that every one seemed to be into in the early 2000's, and they parlayed that into a pretty impressive career. That career became a whole lot more with this album. While the driving guitar riffs and Detroit-style blues influences were still there, The Whites had added a new twist. Varied Instrumentation, and a nod to many of the groups influences turned this album into a foray into greatness. Jack White's bluegrass, and country music inspired writing gave this album a depth that was missing from previous work, likely due to his close work with country music icon Loretta Lynn. The duo came together here to create something that was familiar enough to White Stripes fans to not alienate them, while also drawing in new fans, and making everyone happy in the process.

#22: “The Dresden Dolls” by The Dresden Dolls
The first thing you notice about the Dresden Dolls is that their look. The whole “dark cabaret” idea seems intriguing, but generally these are simply gimmicks used to hid that the performers are not necessarily very talented. Thankfully, this is far from the case with the Dresden Dolls. This album is incredibly listenable all the way through, from beginning to end, and never once do I think about performance art of face paint, but simply a very talented woman dinging her heart about some incredibly disturbing things (rape, paedophilia, and some serious gender issues are prevalent themes throughout the album). Never once however does this seems like cry for attention or a way to push controversy and sell records. The Dresden Dolls may be the most earnest group i've ever heard and that goes a long way in an industry plagued with people who will sell you any story for a burger and fries. This is an album that will hold up because of the honesty presented in Amanda Palmer's voice, and the superior songwriting, but it will always be great because of the believability of its participants.



#21: “The Beginning Stages Of” by The Polyphonic Spree
At first this seemed like a fun concept; The guy from Tripping Daisy forms a band with an obscene amount of members and combine music with a semi-religious experience, with Tim DeLaughter as the Jim Jones-esque messianic figure at the head of this symphony of pop music. The idea, while definitely interesting didn't seem like something that would translate well to the record. It would seem as if it would lose some of it's charm without DeLaughter there to encourage you at every turn to lose yourself in the music and free yourself of your inhibitions. What we didn't bank on, was DeLaughter being one of the foremost composers of our time. This music not only translates incredibly well it makes you want to stop listening, take up a tambourine and follow this group everywhere they go. This music is the perfect mix of sing-along praise and deep worship. What we're praising and worshipping is unclear, but it's irrelevant to the feeling of ecstasty that this album brings, we're all in this together and we're all happy and in love thanks to the wonder and merriment that this music has brought us