top five albums of the last decade, part one: 2000 & 2001

This will be a five-part series to celebrate the musical awesomeness that was the naughties, now that they're just about over. The new millenium has become a tween, how exciting! I originally divided this up into country of origin, but decided to do a top five list by year instead because it was easier. It's also good this way because I can include both nostalgia albums and great albums that I didn't discover until years after their release.

2000

5. Country Grammar - Nelly

First rap album I ever had, and I still rock out to it when my itunes shuffles it on. Andale, andale, mama EI, EI! Don't judge.

4. The Moon And Antarctica - Modest Mouse

I've never been a huge Modest Mouse fan, but this was the album that everyone always told me to get if I wanted to try to get into them. So I finally got it and realized that yeah, its actually pretty good! I still don't love the band exactly (although I did get-and like-We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank because of Johnny Marr), but this is one of those CDs that should be in any music fan's collection.

3. Parachutes - Coldplay

I've gone through several stages with Coldplay. I actually remember hating the band around this time. They played "Yellow" on DC101 radio all the time, and I thought it was whiny and dull. It wasn't until A Rush Of Blood To The Head came out and my sister played it over and over again that I started to like them and rediscovered this album. Since then, they have both grown and...shrunk on me, but this is still a fantastic debut album from an iconic band of the 00s.

2. Mass Romantic - The New Pornographers

The debut album from one of my favorite bands. It's not as good as Twin Cinema, but I still love it. The title track is one of the best on the CD, and I also love "Jackie", which is slightly strange but fun.

1. Kid A - Radiohead

First Radiohead album of the decade, and it was certainly a good one. It was definitely boundary-pushing with it's weird electronic feel, which is one of the reasons it is so memorable. Another reason is that it produced one of the best songs to be performed live in "Idioteque". The crowd turns into a giant rave dance floor and Thom Yorke does his crazy dance.


2001

5. Room For Squares - John Mayer

I don't listen to this album much anymore, but whenever I do, I get serious flashbacks to ninth grade. Katie and Alex, my two gym/health class buddies, introduced me to it when we were supposed to be watching a Kevin Costner baseball movie. It wasn't one of the good ones, so we were bored. So I spent a few months listening to it through Alex's headphones, then got it for Christmas and it didn't leave my CD player for ages.

4. Rockin' The Suburbs - Ben Folds

I was introduced to Ben Folds by my best friend from high school, who is a pianist so gets excited when any artist uses the piano in their music. We saw him in concert at the beginning of junior year during his Songs For Silverman tour, and it was amazing. Only the second concert I ever went to but it was still one of the best because he is such a great performer. I love this album because it is a mix of silly Ben Folds Five-esque songs and more mature songs, like the father's anthem "Still Fighting It".

3. Up The Bracket - The Libertines

I didn't know about The Libertines until right about the time that they broke up, but this was one of the first British indie bands that I heard that really sparked the whole obsession. I like this album better than their second, because it's kind of rough and loud and weird, like how The Clash would sound today. Pete Doherty grosses me out a little, but he and Carl Barat really were a great songwriting team and I miss them together.

2. Oh, Inverted World - The Shins

I also got this album from Emily, right around the time when we were discovering good music. The Shins became one of my favorite bands then, and they remain so now. I now like Chutes Too Narrow a bit better, but this holds a special place in my heart because it was my introduction to a fantastic band, and it was my favorite CD for a very long time. "New Slang" is of course a gorgeous song and probably their most well known, but the whole album is full of great songs.

1. Origin of Symmetry - Muse

Oh Muse. I still miss the Muse of this era, even though I have grown to like their new sound. Absolution was the first of theirs that I got, but Origin of Symmetry was always my favorite after I discovered them all. This album wasn't even released in the US until 2005, but my sister's boyfriend at the time had a UK copy of it, so we were in luck. "Citizen Erased" is still my favorite song of theirs (specifically the live version that was on Hullabaloo, but the album version is great too).