The Top 50 Albums of the Decade - Honorable Mentions

Those of you keeping up with my Twitter feed (@audiooverflow) should be aware that when I decided to compile my Top 50 Albums of the decade for Audio Overflow, I narrowed down the decades huge collection of great music to 118 album that I thought deserved to be nominated.  Then came the difficult task...narrowing that list to 50.  In the process, a lot of great albums that I though for sure would make it in the Top 50 got cut.  But I love these albums!  So in the interest of honoring properly, here are albums 70-51 in my best of the decade list. The honorable mentions, if you will.

#70.  Of Montreal:  Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies:  A Variety of Whimsical Verse (2001)
#69.  System of a Down:  Toxicity (2001)
#68.  Fiona Apple:  Extraordinary Machine (2005)
#67.  A Perfect Circle:  Thirteenth Step (2003)
#66.  LCD Soundsystem:  Sound of Silver (2007)
#65.  Sufjan Stevens:  Seven Swans (2004)
#64.  Fleet Foxes:  Fleet Foxes (2008)
#63.  Midlake:  The Trials of Van Occupanther (2006)
#62.  Tilly and the Wall:  Bottoms of Barrels (2006)
#61.  Tegan and Sara:  The Con (2007)

#60.  Rogue Wave:  Out of the Shadow (2003)
#59.  My Morning Jacket:  Z (2005)
#58.  The Flaming Lips:  Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots  (2002)
#57.  My Brightest Diamond:  A Thousand Shark's Teeth (2008)
#56.  Conor Oberst:  Conor Oberst (2008)
#55.  The Shins:  Wincing the Night Away (2007)
#54.  Rogue Wave:  Descended Like Vultures (2005)
#53.  Mates of State:  Bring it Back (2006)
#52.  Jaymay: Autumn Fallin' (2008)
#51.  Bright Eyes:  Cassadaga (2007)

Just a little something to hold you over until the full list, complete with photos and commentary, is posted sometime in the next week.

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Moods - Patriotic

Sometimes you don't need to wear an American flag lapel pin to show your patriotism.  Sometimes expressing your dislike of unjust wars, or questioning the motives behind those wars is just as patriotic, though probably more so.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Patriotic Playlist.  Full of songs of true patriotism.  Even if some of the artist aren't from America....

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Perfect Summer Soundtrack - Week 2

In our continued mission to give you, the reader, something good to listen to in almost any situation or mood, we have been kind enough to begin our Perfect Summer Soundtrack feature.  Every week, we'll give you music to get you through all of your summer activities, be they tame, exciting, or somewhere in between.  We always have you covered!  You should know that by now.

The Picnic Playlist

Quite the conundrum we have here, ladies and gentlemen.  For as great as picnics are, there's almost so way to take your computer to the park with you to jam on this playlist; unless, of course, you live in one of the handful of cities with municipal wi-fi.  In which case, lucky you.  But assuming you don't, you'll have to either resort to downloading (be it illegal or iTunes...I won't judge) or spending a ridiculous wad of cash getting all these songs together.  Personally, I'd opt for the downloading route.

So without any further ado, I give you the picnic playlist; a collection of 20 songs that will make even the most mundane, bologna sandwich taste like a bitching Quizno's Black Angus sub!*  And if you're lucky, and happen to be going on a picnic with a member of the opposite sex, you might as well go ahead and pack some rubs.  This playlist will totally get you laid.**  Enjoy!

*Results not typical.
**Results extremely typical.

Week 1 - Rooney's Self-Titled Debut (Beach Trip, Road Trip, Skateboarding)

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The Top 5 Songs of 2005

I was blogging about music as far back as 2003.  But they were on different blogs, sites, and pages that are now either completely forgotten about, or just plain dead.  On January 24, 2006, a few months before I started Audio Overflow, I posted The Top 20 Songs of 2005 to my myspace blog.  But I just listed the songs, without explanations.  I'm surprised how well this list held up too.  I pretty much agree with the Top 5 still, so that's why I've decided to post it here.  Of course, this time, there are explanations.  Not like it matters.  You won't read them.

#5:  Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" - The shining star on Death Cab's 2005 album and major label debut, Plans, was undoubtedly this song.  About love that transcends the boundaries of this life, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" is arguably the most beautiful Death Cab song of all time.  Simple, poetic, and gorgeous, you can't help but love every bit of this song.  Its place on this list is well-deserved. 

#4:  Sufjan Stevens - "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us" - A song with such a silly name should never be this serious, but leave it to Sufjan Stevens to do the exact opposite of what we'd expect.  This timeless story of childhood friendships, loss, and regret is incredibly poignant, and one of the best songs on the Illinois album.  To many, it went unnoticed as "John Wayne Gacy Jr." and "Chicago" stole the show.  But for me, it remains one of his greatest achievements as a songwriter, and easily one of the best songs of 2005.

#3: Bright Eyes - "Land Locked Blues" - Conor Oberst released two albums in 2005, and this was the best song on either one of them.  I'd be willing to say that it's probably his best song, which for a guy with such an extensive catalog is saying quite a lot.  With stunning lyrics, somber guitars, and convincing vocal performances, there's nothing to not love about this one!  Take this line, for example:  "Greed is a bottomless pit/ and our freedom's a joke, we're just takin' a piss/ and the whole world much watch the sad comic display/ if you're still free start runnin' away/ cause we're coming for you!"  It's followed by a triumphant trumpet solo, which only heightens the impact of it all.  This is truly a perfect song.

#2: Stars - "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" - This story of two one-time lovers meeting again through chance and reliving old memories in a single night is quite the tale to tackle.  But Stars has never been one to let a difficult subject stop them from making beautiful music.  The lead-off track to Set Yourself on Fire, this is easily their strongest song to date.  Torquil and Amy harmonize beautifully as they sing, "Live through this and you won't look back," oh...and the rest of the song too.  If you've never heard it, shame on you.  I've provided a streaming version below to get you up to speed.

#1:  Sufjan Stevens - "John Wayne Gacy Jr." - In 2007, I made sure that each artist only had one song on the year-end list.  However, prior to all of that, it was never an issue.  That's why Sufjan has two songs on this list.  And can you blame me.  With an album as perfect as Illinois, you can't help but fill the list up with his songs.  Sufjan's song about serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, is a chilling tale, accentuated by the fact that Sufjan draws comparisons between himself and the killer ("In my best behavior/ I am really just like him/ look beneath the floorboards/ for the secrets I have hid").  His vocal performance is unfathomably strong.  They grab you and take you for a ride.  Will you be sympathizing with the killer by the song's end?  Will you be thinking Sufjan is a weirdo?  Either way, you simply can't deny the beauty of this song.  It is easily the best song of 2005, and by far the strongest on Illinois.

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Moods - Depressed

There's a difference between being sad and being depressed, and that mostly has to do with the state of mind of the individual. You see, when you're sad, you typically want to be happy. However, when you're depressed it often means that you're more than willing to stay in that state of depression. Of course, I'm speaking specifically of the "teenage angst" form of depression and not the more serious medical condition.

So for all those teens out there who are willfully depressed for the attention they receive, here is a playlist to feed that depression. Just what Dr. Cale ordered! There are some songs to make you numb, some that make you angry, but all of them should do the trick!

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The Top 31 of 2007 - #2

Cale's Pick

Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Released: January 23, 2007

Over the last decade or so, Of Montreal has released a lot of albums. Cherry Peel was the first LP that the band ever put out. It was filled with a bunch of quirky guitar pop songs, each with their own unique sound (nearly every word was accompanied by it's very own chord). From there, the band (or Kevin Barnes) spiraled into what I have lovingly called "drug-induced circus music" on their two brilliant concept albums, The Gay Parade and Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. After that, they brought things back down closer to where they had started with Aldhils Arboretum, a decent, but flawed album. After taking two years off, Kevin Barnes started to craft Of Montreal albums almost entirely on his own. 2004's Satanic Panic in the Attic shows Kevin's first real foray into electronic pop, though guitars and real drums were still very prevalent. Then came the band's (mainstream) breakout album, The Sunlandic Twins. With that album, Of Montreal became to favorite "drive across town with your window down" CD to every pubescent girl in the world. It's electro pop was absolutely captivating, and and strange for those who had been with the band since the beginning.

Hissing Fauna, shows Of Montreal as a band who has finally come into their own, carving out a spot in indie music history in the process. It is, in my opinion, their best album; not to mention the first Of Montreal album that takes an introspective approach to music. It is a dark, dark album. Therein lies the genius of it. Despite it's darkness, it is also incredibly fun to listen to, to dance to, to sing along to, and to freak out with. Folks could deny the genius of Kevin Barnes prior to it's release, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who could say such a thing now! It is a magnificent record. One that never grows old, and one that reveals new things to enjoy every time you put it on. I downloaded the leaked copy of Hissing Fauna in September of 2006 and I've been listening to it pretty consistently ever since! The fact that this album has been around so long and yet still can make it in the Top 3 of 2007, should really tell you a lot about it.

For giving me more than I ever could have imagined (yes, it is cheesy), Of Montreal is #2.

The Top 31 Songs of 31 - #2
"I Must Belong Somewhere" by Bright Eyes, from the album, Cassadaga.

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Jill's Pick

Sondre Lerche: Phantom Punch
Released: February 6, 2007

when i listen to this album i get the urge to talk really fast but in this case type really fast and use long run on sentences devoid of capital letters, proper grammar, and punctuation that all just flow together because well this album is absolutely flouncy hyper quirky frantic fun and really when i put it on it's like i've loaded up on a whole bunch of sugar and coffee and i'm on a high that makes me as predictable as this album (read: not predictable at all) that's going to leave me sobbing like a two year old when i finally come down yes it's that much fun even the songs that you wouldn't think are that much fun are that much fun.

The best track: "John, Let Me Go"

My favorite tracks:
--"John, Let Me Go"
--"Say It All"
--"Face the Blood"
--"If Not Now, Then When"
--"She's Fantastic"
--"Airport Taxi Reception"
--"Well, Well, Well"

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The Top 31 of 2007 - #5

Cale's Pick

Bright Eyes: Cassadaga

Released: April 10, 2007

My list has seen a lot of changes since I began compiling it months ago. #1s shifted constantly, an album that was once in the Top 10 didn't even make the list, and other crazy things went down too. Through all that, pretty much the only constant was Cassadaga, an album that started at #5 and stayed at #5. Conor Oberst's unique style of making music is so familiar to me now, that it's hard to be surprised by anything he does. I either like it or I don't, and that feeling is pretty concrete at the beginning so it rarely changes. Fortunately for Bright Eyes, I loved Cassadaga. It is, in my opinion, the best Bright Eyes album to date. Conor spends less time wallowing in sorrow, and more time dwelling on personal antecdotes or commenting on the state of the world (without using names...I hate when people use names). The songs are sometimes catchy (really?), sometimes touching, always poignant and relevant. As it is with pretty much Conor Oberst has ever been a part of, many people will be turned off by his admittedly horrendous voice (he does sing, "Well I could've been a famous singer if I had someone else's voice" afterall). But if you can suck it up and just take it for what it is, you'll walk away entirely satisfied. Hopefully.

For outdoing himself, Conor Oberst (and whoever else is in Bright Eyes) make it to #5.

The Top 31 Songs of 2007 - #5
"1, 2, 3, 4" by Feist, from the album, The Reminder.

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Jill's Pick

Kanye West: Graduation

Released: September 11, 2007

I personally think that Mr. West is some kind of musical genius. (There's that word again and someday we'll talk about that.) I do. I can't help it. The beats are tight (to borrow a phrase from, oh, I don't know, NWA) and the lyrics tend to run on the smirking smart side. I always look to his lyrics for the cleverness, the subtle jabs, the oh-so-poetic groupings of words that either make me chuckle (like "...since OJ had Isotoners...") or snort out a "Oh, that's so true."

There's a lot to be said about Kanye West. To me, it's like he gets what Hip-Hop and Rap was and what it should be. If you don't like him, this album won't do a thing for you. If you do, you should be able to appreciate, as I do, the ways he forges ahead even further into his ego, his talent, and his production standards. That genius thing puts so much space between himself and other rappers that maybe he is as awesome as he says to be.

My favorite thing about this album is his use of Labi Siffre, a 1970's Folk/Jazz performer on the track "I Wonder". I like that rappers like Kanye West and Nas aren't afraid to push the limits of their genre by bringing in a little Jazz or Folk or Gospel, all things you wouldn't expect to hear on a Rap album.

The best track: "I Wonder"

My favorite tracks:

--"I Wonder"

--"Stronger"

--"Good Life"

--"Can't Tell Me Nothing"

--"Flashing Lights" (which really I think is my favorite song on the entire album)

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Go News Go! - The Weekly News Recap

General

• I read "Sufjan" so that's all I care about.
• The Mars Volta distracts from the fact that their music is going downhill.
• Portishead album coming soon (I don't care)
• Conor Oberst + M. Ward = Bandmates?
  

Tour Dates

• Stars tour more.
• Hooray to new St. Vincent!
• New Band of Horses tour dates for you to not attend.
• Radiohead dates?! Kinda....
• Arcade Fire
  

Photos

• Electrelane
• Los Campesinos! and Most Serene Republic

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