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I’m a few days late with this, big deal. Just like the list of Top Historical/Archival albums for the decade I wanted to put together a list of my favorite new albums from the past decade. Live albums can count in here, but only if they’re released right after the tour they were recorded from. No historical live releases here. Reissues don’t count in either list, even though there have been some fantastic reissues the past decade. I mean, do you really want this list to be a bunch of Beatles albums? No, no one does. This is all about the NEW stuff that was released from 2000-2009. There was a lot of great music released this decade so it was REALLY hard for me to come up with a Top 20. I think my initial list started at 50 or so and it took some time to whittle it down. I know that some of these may not be consistent with the grades given for the album reviews. I approached it with the thought in mind: what’s my top 20 *today*? Not what I wrote in reviews a few years ago on some albums. So this isn’t completely consistent with the individual reviews, but it’s close enough. To read the reviews I’ve written for these albums (if done), click on the links in the titles. Enjoy!
20. Dethklok – The Dethalbum (2007)
This is my newest discovery in the list and one that got in just under the wire. While I’ve been a fan of the show for a couple of years, I didn’t really appreciate the music until I saw them live a couple of months ago. They absolutely blew me away and I bought this a few days later. The album is fantastically brutal. I’ve rarely heard *any* death metal band that was this good, and this supposed to be “just” comedy music? Hardly. The performances of Brendan Small and Gene Hoglan on this album are nothing short of outstanding. Dethklok are one of the best live metal bands I’ve ever seen and this first album is nearly as good.
19. King Crimson – The ConstruKction of Light (2000)
Proving that whatever decade we’re in, you can always count on King Crimson to make excellent music. There are one or two slight missteps on here, but mostly it’s a great album and continues to push what the band is capable of. The title track is one of the coolest things the band has done in nearly 20 years and the ending bit of Larks’ IV>I Had a Dream is an amazing moment. I love that as Crimson age they refuse to rest on their laurels and act like “dinosaurs”. They continue to push themselves and challenge the audiences. The true meaning of progressive music.
18. Chick Corea – Past, Present and Futures (2001)
Another album I got into after seeing the band live. The compositions on this album are stellar and the playing from Corea, Jeff Ballard & Avishai Cohen make this such an exciting release. Whether it’s rock or jazz, there’s something special about the trio. It’s all you need in many cases and when you put the music in hands master musicians like these guys, it’s going to be great stuff nearly every time. This album succeeds in every way. The sound of the piano-bass-drums is perfect and the playing is outstanding. I love hearing Chick Corea in an acoustic trio format. This album is plenty proof that exciting jazz is still being released.
17. Liz Williams – Senseless EP (2008)
So far, this is the only album released by the Dallas, Texas, singer-songwriter, but if this is any indication of what’s ahead…watch out. Liz knocks it out of the park in all areas on this album – fantastic soulful voice, excellent guitar playing & all-around musicianship, well-written songs and perfect production. It’s all here on this EP. There’s a freshness and attitude present in this music that I don’t hear much from young singer-songwriters. The songs themselves just knock me over every time I hear them. The title cut and Somewhere in Between are my two favorites on here. They’re excellent compositions. I look forward to more from Liz in the future.
16. Davíd Garza – Oh Dread EP (2005)
I originally had another Garza album in this list, but it actually got knocked out by Dethklok. Such is life. Of course I have his box set, A Strange Mess of Flowers, in the Archival releases, but this is his only “new” stuff that makes my top 20. To be honest, outside of the box set and the 2005 EP’s, Garza’s work this decade has been kinda spotty. Some is outstanding, some…isn’t. This EP is definitely the highlight as a consistent piece of work as far as this decade goes. He pushed some more boundaries with his songwriting here and his voice is in fine form as well. Ill Troubadour is still one of his cooler songs in recent memory.
15. Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life and Death (2006)
Maiden’s lone representation in this countdown. With the 3rd album following the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith they finally made a consistently excellent album. AMOLAD is most definitely their most progressive album since 7th Son, and it’s probably the overall best one since then too. The album features a lot of intricate musical passages, great songs (check out Janick Gers’ The Legacy…awesome) and just overall outstanding playing from Maiden. This was the Maiden album we’ve been waiting a long time for and they really delivered with it.
14. Tool – Lateralus (2001)
This album just blew me away the first time I heard it. Everything about this album was completely unconventional, from the artwork all the way down to the songs and lyrics. I was never a Tool fan until I heard this album. I love the performances from all of the guys, but drummer Danny Carey completely steals the show here. His drumming is simply inspiring throughout…and I’m not even a drummer! There’s plenty of heaviness here, but enough of the lighter textures to keep it consistently interesting.
13. Yo-Yo Ma – Obrigado Brazil (2003)
I love Yo-Yo Ma’s cello playing on this album, but it’s really the whole package that gets me so excited. The co-contributors all play these songs with such passion and authority that this became an instantly infectious album for me. I love Brazilian music so this was a perfect fit for me as a listener. Also, Ma continues to explore different areas of music rather than just “classical” and he always gets it right. Yo-Yo Ma tackling Brazilian music? Yes please! This is such an excellent album.
12. Millicent Friendly – Downtime (2005)
Fantastic rock/pop music from Dallas, TX. I haven’t heard from these guys in quite a few years, but I hope they make another album because this, their debut, is such fun. The songs really knocked my socks off when I first heard them back in 2002 and the wait was so worth it for this album. Singer/guitarist/songwriter Chris Machart has such a great feel for writing a pop song, just really catchy stuff with tremendous background vocals. The Queen & Beatles influences are strong here with enough surprises to keep it from being purely derivative.
11. Djugdish – Standards (2001)
The band has since evolved into Shaolin Death Squad and they continue to create excellent music. I’m still partial to their first album, produced under the name Djugdish. I know a lot of the reason I love this so much is the presence of guitarist/co-songwriter Matt Talbert who left after the following album. There’s a lot of heaviness to this music, not to mention the wonderful melodic side. Though this early stuff may not be as theatrical as the new music, Standards remains a compelling listen. I loved it from the first time I put this CD in the player and I continue to find moments in the music that floor me. Talbert’s solo on No Inhibitions is absolutely the highlight of this excellent disc.
10. Zero 7 – When it Falls (2004)
I was familiar with & enjoyed a few tracks from Zero 7’s first album, but this album totally blew me away. Even if you’re working in the “chill out”/electronica genres, you still need great songwriting and this album is just overflowing with it. The music is more interesting this time around too, to make it an album that always puts a smile on my face when I put it in…which is often. I haven’t been too impressed with the stuff following this one, but I’ll allways give them a chance based solely on the greatness of this album. Great songwriting and musicianship here and a perfect album to put on and chill out to. Love it.
9. Jeff Freling – Jeff Freling (2000)
So far, this is the only solo music released by the Grumpy/Mongol Beach Party guitarist/singer. I really, really wish he’d release another album! Freling’s one of my absolute most favorite songwriters and a huge inspiration to me. Naturally, these songs are a lot more “mature” than the Grumpy and Mongol stuff, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less fun or creative. This is a short album, only totals around 35 minutes, but it packs a punch that most bands would kill for. Jeff’s songs are just fantastically creative and so well-written. The music is certainly quirky so if you enjoy either of his previous bands or music like Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Steely Dan and Frank Zappa then this is highly recommended.
8. Bryan Dunn – Vicious Waltz (2009)
This is an excellent album and by far the best thing Bryan’s ever done. To be honest, this barely missed out on being my favorite album of the year and it’s certainly the best new music *anyone* put out in the later part of the decade. These songs are so, so excellent and the performances even better. There’s such a high level of emotion to these songs that was never fully present in so much of Bryan’s previous work. I think it’s more honesty and “real-ness” that make these songs so outstanding. I mean, I just really connect with the tunes here. Whether it’s the joy of Ballad of Emily Rose or the gut-wrenching sadness of Ten Dollar Ring or Hailey Goodnight, this album just oozes greatness. Yes, there’s one misstep on the album (guess which one?), overall it’s an amazing solid album. I can’t wait for the next one.
7. Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings (2001)
Radiohead have the reputation as a fantastic live band and so far this is the only release that shows what the band can do on stage. I love how the band isn’t confined by how they performed these songs on the original albums and that they completely reinterpret some of them for live performance. Absolutely ferocious playing here and the band confidently shows why they’re one of the best out there right now. This is a short album, but I think it’s a great snapshot of what they’re about live.
6. TJ Dovebelly Ensemble – TJ Dovebelly Ensemble (2002)
This one was really unexpected for me. I just bought this album about a year ago and it became an instant favorite. The band is led by Saxophonist/Tape Jockey Mark Southerland and it’s one of the most creative albums I’ve heard in a long time. There’s certainly a large jazz influence here, but the music mostly falls into the electronica category. Just imagine mellow electronica played by a hot jazz band with the leader using tapes as a DJ uses records. Nothing else sounds like this album, and it doesn’t surprise me considering all of the different things Southerland does in his various projects. This is the only thing the band ever did, but it’s a truly outstanding album.
5. Mike Keneally – Guitar Therapy Live (2006)
Man, this band is on fire! This live album features some of Mike’s most ferocious guitar playing ever put to disc. The band just sounds so amazing on this disc. Both old tunes and new tunes alike are played with such intensity and fun that I can’t get enough of this album. It’s raw, but also tight. The band were so connected on this tour, it’s no wonder Mike wanted official documentation of it. There’s a reason that Keneally fans travel all across the country to hear his shows. The phrase commonly used for Keneally’s live performances is “Mike Keneally ripped my head off”. No doubt about it, total head-rippage on this album.
4. Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
Don’t get me wrong, I also love Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief & In Rainbows, but this is definitely the best album Radiohead’s made this decade. There’s not remotely a bad moment on here. I love OK Computer, it’s actually my favorite Radiohead album, but Kid A somehow pushed their creativity even further than OK Computer did. Just knocked it all into the stratosphere. I could have never, ever predicted that the band would make *this* music just three albums after “Creep”. No way. It’s like it’s not even the same band. As far as creativity goes, no one did more than Radiohead the past decade. Kid A is the finest example of what these guys were capable of in the past 10 years.
3. Bebel Gilberto – Tanto Tempo (2000)
I’m probably one of two people in the world who would say this album is better than nearly everything else produced this decade, but I don’t care. Tanto Tempo is simply a beautiful album. I’ve enjoyed Bebel’s following albums, but none of them come close to her debut. The combination of the bossa nova/samba music with just enough electronica to make it interesting is absolutely infectious. Bebel’s voice is wonderful throughout this album and she completely melts me. This album always puts me in the best mood, right from the first notes. That’s all it takes, that first guitar chord and I’m gone.
2. Mike Keneally – Wooden Smoke (2001)
This is THE perfect fall album for me. I always associate it with my first Autumn in North Carolina and it seems the acoustic textures here are perfectly tailored to the changing leaves. This album was a complete change of direction from Keneally’s previous album, Dancing, and that’s one of the reasons I love his music so much. While that album explored pop, prog & rock in such a fulfilling way, this album feels like the players are in your living room with their guitars playing this amazing music just for you. There’s a lot of subtlety on Wooden Smoke and I think the delicateness of the recording really brings this out. It’s one of the best headphone albums by anyone and one that I can just soak into. Every time.
1. Mike Keneally – Dancing (2000)
Yeah, Mike gets 3 albums in the top 5 of the decade. To say he was “Artist of the Decade” for me is an understatement. I think more than any other music I encountered over the past 10 years, Mike’s definitely made the strongest impression on me. It all started with Dancing. It’s such a perfect combination of pop and prog with really well-written songs and inspiring performances from Mike and the band. This is one of those few albums that on first listen I knew it was automatically one of the best albums ever made. BY ANYONE. I mean that sincerely. When I first had the idea to do this list my immediate thought was “well #1’s easy – Dancing”. No question about it. Dancing is easily the best album of the decade, written by the musician of the decade who just also happens to be the best live show I’ve ever seen.
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