997. Hot Fuss

Hot Fuss
The Killers
2004

Tracks
1. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine
2. Mr Brightside
3. Smile Like You Mean It
4. Somebody Told Me
5. All These Things That I’ve Done
6. Andy You’re A Star
7. On Top
8. Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll
9. Believe Me Natalie
10. Midnight Show
11. Everything Will Be Alright

Is there a person on this planet who doesn't enjoy "Mr. Brightside"? That has to be one of the biggest crowd-pleaser songs, along with "Sweet Caroline."

I like the Killers because they are reminiscent of The Cure, and they don't have the pretensions that some of the other bands on this List possess. They just want to make fun and danceable music, and they manage it perfectly here.

"Mr. Brightside" isn't the only great single on this album. "Somebody Told Me" and "Jenny Was A Friend of Mine" are also really good, and the synth work here was a fun throwback. Hopefully not the last five star album on this List, but if it is, it's a worthy finale.

RATING: 5/5

984. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
2004

Tracks
Abattoir Blues:

1. Get Ready For Love
2. Cannibal's Hymn
3. Hiding All Away
4. Messiah Ward
5. There She Goes, My Beautiful World
6. Nature Boy
7. Abbatoir Blues
8. Let The Bells Ring
9. Fable Of The Brown Ape

The Lyre of Orpheus:

1. The Lyre Of Orpheus
2. Breathless
3. Babe, You Turn Me On
4. Easy Money
5. Supernaturally
6. Spell
7. Carry Me
8. O Children

Even if I was inclined to dislike Nick Cave, I would have to love this album for containing the Harry/Hermione anthem we are all familiar with. However....

We can extrapolate from the 500th anniversary of Nearly Headless Nick's death day (which took place in 1492) that the events of Harry Potter take place in the 90s...meaning this song shouldn't have been playing on the radio. I know, I'm as shocked as you are. This is only one of 64 issues I have with the Deathly Hallow movies.

Ahem, but I guess I'll save my Harry Potter movie angst for my therapy sessions.

In any case, Nick Cave is amazing, and this album is excellent. Every track was essential and contributed to the tone and mood. Often, double albums have many skippable tracks, but that was certainly not the case here.

So the last Nick Cave album on the List and this goodbye is hitting me hard. Thank you, Nick, for all the wonderful music. May I borrow your Time Turner?

RATING: 5/5

983. Rejoicing in the Hands

Rejoicing in the Hands
Devendra Banhart
2004

Tracks
1. This Is The Way
2. It's A Sight To Behold
3. The Body Breaks
4. Poughkeepsie
5. Dogs They Make Up The Dark
6. Will Is My Friend
7. This Beard Is For Siobhan
8. See Saw
9. Tit Smoking In The Temple Of Artesan Mimicry
10. Rejoicing In The Hands
11. Fall
12. Todo Los Dolores
13. When The Sun Shone On Vetiver
14. There Was The Sun
15. Insect Eyes
16. Autumn's Child

It's odd, but I knew I loved this album when Devendra Banhart hit a certain note in "The Body Breaks." It just took me back to so many great folk singers we've had on the List...okay, I promise not to get weepy since we are almost done here.

So Devendra Banhart is obviously heavily influenced by Nick Drake. Nick Drake didn't leave the strongest impression on me, but he sure left an impact on many artists I like. Once again, a great album from 2004 is essentially a throwback to the 70s folk scene.

Two five star albums in a row! Will Nick Cave give us a third?

RATING: 5/5

982. Funeral

Funeral
Arcade Fire
2004

Tracks
1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
2. Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)
3. Une Année Sans Lumiere
4. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
5. Neighborhood #4 (Kettles)
6. Crown Of Love
7. Wake Up
8. Haiti
9. Rebellion (Lies)
10. In The Backseat

I don't mean to jinx us, but I think the last twenty or so albums on this List are going to be really good. We got Nick Cave coming up, more Rufus Wainwright, the White Stripes, and Kings of Leon. I have high hopes that the List is going to end on a high note.

This was an excellent album that's brilliance sinks in immediately, although I wasn't entirely sure why. I just knew instantly I was listening to something special. It was fascinating trying to puzzle out the lyrics, and the melodies were really beautiful.

So a thoughtful album that is over much too soon. 

RATING: 5/5

978. Medulla

Medulla
Bjork
2004

Tracks
1. Pleasure Is All Mine
2. Show Me Forgiveness
3. Where Is The Line
4. Vökuró
5. Öll Birtan
6. Who Is It (Carry My Joy On The Left, Carry My Pain On The Right)
7. Submarine
8. Desired Constellation
9. Oceania
10. Sonnets/Unrealities XI
11. Ancestors
12. Mouth's Cradle
13. Midvikudags
14. Triumph Of A Heart

Finally a concept album where I am interested in the concept. Bjork makes an album that is almost entirely composed of human voices, without any instrumentals. Which would be interesting even if the execution wasn't great.

Fortunately, it's Bjork so it turned out really well. I will always find her voice fascinating, and making it the focal point of the album was a great idea.

Our last Bjork album on the List, and I am much more sad to see her go than Morrissey. 

RATING: 5/5

966. Elephant

Elephant
The White Stripes
2003

Tracks
1. Seven Nation Army
2. Black Math
3. There's No Home For You Here
4. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
5. In The Cold Cold Night
6. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart
7. You've Got Her In Your Pocket
8. Ball And Biscuit
9. Hardest Button To Button
10. Little Acorns
11. Hypnotise
12. Air Near My Fingers
13. Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine
14. Well It's True That We Love One Another

I am going to dress up as Meg White this Halloween, by which I mean I will be wearing a red t-shirt. But I relate to Meg White; I also strive to be a loud introvert.

Jack and Meg White have such an interesting dynamic, and it's that push-pull relationship that makes their music so fascinating to listen to. None of the recording equipment used in this album was newer than 1963. This makes for a very rich sound that still manages to be modern.

We have one more White Stripes album to go, and it's the last album on the List. So in a way, dressing up as Meg White will be a tribute to finishing this List, and now I have to get it done by Saturday.

RATING: 5/5

955. The Rising

The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
2002

Tracks
1. Lonesome Day
2. Into the Fire
3. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
4. Nothing Man
5. Countin' on a Miracle
6. Empty Sky
7. Worlds Apart
8. Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)
9. Further On (Up the Road)
10. Fuse
11. Mary's Place
12. You're Missing
13. Rising
14. Paradise
15. My City of Ruins

I was delighted to find that we still had another Springsteen album on this List. This was written in tribute to the lives lost in 9/11. Honestly, I would like the Boss to hold my hand through every national crisis. Hopefully, we will get our corona album soon.

Once I understood the concept of the album, I was a little wary. Patriotism is dubious virtue, and I thought this might be a knee jerk nationalistic rhetoric. I should have trusted Bruce more. He's an amazing lyricist, and has sympathy for the attackers as well as the victims. A great artist can empathize with anybody, which is exactly what he does here.

Obviously this album is deeply rooted in a particular time and place, but I think it has a timeless quality and is relevant today. Too relevant, actually.

RATING: 5/5

950. The Coral

The Coral
The Coral
2002

Tracks
1. Spanish Main
2. I Remember When
3. Shadows Fall
4. Dreaming of You
5. Simon Diamond
6. Goodbye
7. Waiting for the Heartaches
8. Skeleton Key
9. Wild Fire
10. Bad Man
11. Calendars and Clocks

950! This is the last milestone I will reach before I am finished with this project. I'm really excited for it to be over, but I know I will miss it when I'm done.

I had only heard the occasional Coral track in movies and television shows, so I was pleased to finally experience an entire album of their work. They have an interesting blend of influences that range from psychedelica to folk rock. My favorite track was "Dreaming of You" but there isn't a bad song on the album. 

They just have a really fresh sound that serves as a nice change of pace from what I've been listening to lately. Highly recommended.

RATING: 5/5

945. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
2002

Tracks
1. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
2. Kamera
3. Radio Cure
4. War on War
5. Jesus, Etc.
6. Ashes of American Flags
7. Heavy Metal Drummer
8. I'm the Man Who Loves You
9. Pot Kettle Black
10. Poor Places
11. Reservations

I thought it would be impossible to top Mermaid Avenue, but somehow Wilco manages to pull it off here. They have a good blend of experimental influences and pop driven sensibilities. 

Some might argue they are too poppy here, but I actually really enjoyed it. I particularly liked "Kamera" which had a great hook. "Jesus, Etc," was also very catchy. Wilco really excels with their lyrics, and for me they were the highlight of the album.

Wilco is always a good antidote to a bad day. And they might help me remember my radio codes.

RATING: 5/5

935. Is This It

Is This It
The Strokes
2001

Tracks
1. Is This It
2. The Modern Age
3. Soma
4. Barely Legal
5. Someday
6. Alone, Together
7. Last Nite
8. Hard To Explain
9. New York City Cops
10. Trying Your Luck
11. Take It Or Leave It

An argument could be made that Strokes fans are fairly insufferable, but the album is still good anyway. The Strokes bring the sounds of the Stooges and Television into the 21st century. Some might say that makes them derivative, but I felt like they updated the style enough to keep themselves relevant.

It's a very enjoyable album filled with catchy songs. I feel like the dark predictions other List followers have made about the early 2000s are appearing unfounded. Yes, there's the occasional Eminem and Destiny's Child album, but there have also been some great discoveries as well. I wasn't paying much attention to the music scene at the time, being six years old, so I missed a lot of this.

Great album from a great band.

RATING: 5/5

933. Gold

Gold

Ryan Adams
2001

Tracks
1. New York, New York
2. Firecracker
3. Answering Bell
4. La Cienega Just Smiled
5. The Rescue Blues
6. Somehow, Someday
7. When The Stars Go Blue
8. Nobody Girl
9. Sylvia Plath
10. Enemy Fire
11. Gonna Make You Love Me
12. Wild Flowers
13. Harder Now That It's Over
14. Touch, Feel & Lose
15. Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues
16. Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.

I watched the music video for "New York, New York," which was apparently filmed four days before 9/11. You can see the World Trade Centers behind him while he plays his guitar...definitely eerie.

Ryan Adams continues to give us quality folk/alternative rock music. "Answering Bell" is the highlight of the album and possesses clear influences harking all the way back to Fairport Convention and Gram Parsons. 

This a little more commercial friendly than Heartbreaker, which might lead some to claim he is selling out. But I really enjoyed it, you have to love an album with a track called "Sylvia Plath."

RATING: 5/5

931. Vespertine

Vespertine
Bjork
2001

Tracks
1. Hidden Place
2. Cocoon
3. It's Not Up To You
4. Undo
5. Pagan Poetry
6. Frosti
7. Aurora
8. Echo A Stain
9. Sun In My Mouth
10. Heirloom
11. Harm Of Will
12. Unison

I actually thought we were done with Bjork and am delighted to discover that this is not the case. She is still wonderfully weird and possesses a unique sound that you can't help but enjoy.

She also uses microbeats throughout the album which she created with various household sounds, like the cracking of ice and the shuffling of cards. It's a very sensual, intimate album. I know her vocals might be off putting to some, but I can't get enough of her.

A talented singer and composer, you can't ask for much more than that. 

RATING: 5/5

915. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea

Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea
P.J. Harvey

2000

Tracks
1. Big Exit
2. Good Fortune
3. A Placed Called Home
4. One Line
5. Beautiful Feeling
6. The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore
7. This Mess We're In
8. You Said Something
9. Kamikaze
10. This Is Love
11. Horses In My Dreams
12. We Float
13. This Wicked Tongue

This is actually the PJ Harvey I was familiar with, it was the older stuff that was new to me. So I enjoyed revisiting these songs. 

Her older songs were probably a bit rougher, which may lead some to argue that she's become too polished and lost her edge. But I really enjoyed this album. Also, I am so here for the tea on her breakup with Nick Cave. Ahem, but that's clearly irrelevant to the music...

She's just a really cool chick and every album she's created has been a delight.

RATING: 5/5

914. The Hour of the Bewilderbeast

The Hour of the Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
2000

Tracks
1. The Shining
2. Everybody's Stalking
3. Bewilderbeast 1
4. Fall In A River
5. Camping Next To Water
6. Stone On The Water
7. Another Pearl
8. Body Rap
9. Once Around The Block
10. This Song
11. Bewilderbeast 2
12. Magic In The Air
13. Cause A Rockslide
14. Pissing In The Wind
15. Blistered Heart
16. Disillusion
17. Say It Again
18. Epitaph

Wow, this album really came as a surprise. I had never heard of Badly Drawn Boy before, but based on the album title, I thought this was going to be some angry metal album. Happily, that was not the case.

Instead, I was treated to a beautiful folk rock album that manages to move effortlessly through a variety of styles. As soon as I heard "The Shining" I knew I was listening to something special. 

It's interesting listening to this after Figure 8. They had much of the same vibe, but I think I liked this better. I felt like the arrangements were a bit more complex. Badly Drawn Boy proves there's more to Manchester's music scene than derivative britpop.

RATING: 5/5

905. Heartbreaker

Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
2000

Tracks
1. (Argument with David Rawlings Concerning Morrissey)
2. To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)
3. My Winding Wheel
4. AMY
5. Oh My Sweet Carolina
6. Bartering Lines
7. Call Me On Your Way Back Home
8. Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)
9. Come Pick Me Up
10. To Be The One
11. Why Do They Leave?
12. Shakedown on 9th Street
13. Don't Ask For The Water
14. In My Time Of Need
15. Sweet Lil Gal (23rd/1st)

My only experience with Ryan Adams was his cover of Taylor Swift's 1989 album. So all I knew was that the man has good taste. I actually really enjoyed this as well, which shows he has talents beyond covering the best pop album of all time.

Every song was thoughtfully written and genuinely moving; there's not a bad track here. Even the somewhat silly beginning is justified by setting the tone of the album. Adams is clearly serious about creating beautiful arrangements but still has fun and possesses an interesting sense of humor. 

Hey, so far 2000 hasn't been so bad. Maybe the List haters were wrong, or maybe I just supremely jinxed us.

RATING: 5/5

885. 69 Love Songs

69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
1999

Tracks
Disc: 1

1. Absolutely Cuckoo
2. I Don't Believe in the Sun
3. All My Little Words
4. Chicken With It's Head Cut Off
5. Reno Dakota
6. I Don't Want to Get Over You
7. Come Back from San Francisco
8. Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
9. Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits
10. Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be
11. I Think I Need a New Heart
12. Book of Love
13. Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long
14. How Fucking Romantic
15. One You Really Love
16. Punk Love
17. Parades Go By
18. Boa Constrictor
19. Pretty Girl Is Like
20. My Sentimental Melody
21. Nothing Matters When We're Dancing
22. Sweet-Lovin' Man
23. Things We Did and Didn't Do

Disc: 2

1. Roses
2. Love Is Like Jazz
3. When My Boy Walks Down the Street
4. Time Enough for Rocking When We're Old
5. Very Funny
6. Grand Canyon
7. No One Will Ever Love You
8. If You Don't Cry
9. You're My Only Home
10. (Crazy for You But) Not That Crazy
11. My Only Friend
12. Promises of Eternity
13. World Love
14. Washington, D.C.
15. Long-Forgotten Fairytale
16. Kiss Me Like You Mean It
17. Papa Was a Rodeo
18. Epitaph for My Heart
19. Asleep and Dreaming
20. Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing
21. Way You Say Good-Night
22. Abigail, Belle of Kilronan
23. I Shatter

Disc: 3

1. Underwear
2. It's a Crime
3. Busby Berkeley Dreams
4. I'm Sorry I Love You
5. Acoustic Guitar
6. Death of Ferdinand de Saussure
7. Love in the Shadows
8. Bitter Tears
9. Wi' Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget
10. Yeah! Oh, Yeah!
11. Experimental Music Love
12. Meaningless
13. Love Is Like a Bottle of Gin
14. Queen of the Savages
15. Blue You
16. I Can't Touch You Anymore
17. Two Kinds of People
18. How to Say Goodbye
19. Night You Can't Remember
20. For We Are the King of the Boudoir
21. Strange Eyes
22. Xylophone Track
23. Zebra

69 tracks, and almost three hours of music. That's a crazy length for an album, and I fully expected to this to wear me out quickly. 

But it didn't! The Magnetic Fields is keenly aware that they are asking a lot from their listeners, so they are constantly shifting sounds and offering bite size, delightful songs. The lyrics are really funny too. They say everybody has their own love language. Well, this band is fluent in my love language. Romantic, without being sappy. 

It's hard to select the best track when there are so many great choices, but some of my favorites were "I Think I Need a New Heart," "If You Don't Cry," "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side," and "Papa Was a Rodeo." A wonderful album.

RATING: 5/5

882. Apple Venus, Pt. 1

Apple Venus, Pt. 1

XTC
1999

Tracks
1. River of Orchids
2. I'd Like That
3. Easter Theatre
4. Knights in Shining Karma
5. Frivolous Tonight
6. Green Man
7. Your Dictionary
8. Fruit Nut
9. I Can't Own Her
10. Harvest Festival
11. Last Balloon

Okay, we really needed this album. Well, I needed it at any rate. I was starting to lose it with the recent stretch of albums. Even the ones that have been of medium quality have been really dreary, or just not my style of music. Then XTC comes along and kisses me back to life.

XTC has clear influences in the Beach Boys and the Beatles. That's not exactly the well other bands of the 90s are drawing from. So XTC is really a refreshing change of pace, even if they are retro in their style. Their lyrics are always smart, funny, and catchy. My favorite tracks were "Green Man" and "I'd Like That" but honestly, they were all good.

This brightened my day considerably. Highly recommended. 

RATING: 5/5

863. Mermaid Avenue

Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg & Wilco
1998

Tracks
1. Walt Whitman's Niece
2. California Stars
3. Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
4. Birds And Ships
5. Hoodoo Voodoo
6. She Came Along To Me
7. At My Window Sad And Lonely
8. Ingrid Bergman
9. Christ For President
10. I Guess I Planted
11. One By One
12. Eisler On The Go
13. Hesitating Beauty
14. Another Man's Done Gone
15. The Unwelcome Guest

Billy Bragg teamed up with Wilco to record selected songs from Woody Guthrie's back catalogue. And the result is pretty amazing.

I really did not enjoy the previous Billy Bragg album on the List, but I have been consistently impressed with Wilco. They are not the musical dream team that I would personally assemble, but they actually really work well together here. The arrangements here are just simple and easy to listen to, with "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" being my personal favorite.

A really great tribute to a legend.

RATING: 5/5

848. The Boatman's Call

The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1997

Tracks
1. Into My Arms
2. Lime Tree Arbour
3. People Ain't No Good
4. Brompton Oratory
5. There Is A Kingdom
6. Are You The One That I've Been Waiting For?
7. Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere
8. West Country Girl
9. Black Hair
10. Idiot Prayer
11. Far From Me
12. Green Eyes

Goddamnit, Nick Caves makes me feel things. I was not ready for this on a Sunday morning. He wrote this after his break up with PJ Harvey, and the album's entire tone reflects it. 

This is completely different than Murder Ballads, but just as haunting. It's incredible how versatile Nick Cave is. Oh, and is there a more depressing song in the universe than "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?" If there is, I am not emotionally stable enough to hear it. 

Amazing vocals, arrangements, and lyrics. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

RATING: 5/5

836. If You're Feeling Sinister

If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle and Sebastian
1996

Tracks
1. Stars Of Track And Field
2. Seeing Other People
3. Me And The Major
4. Like Dylan In The Movies
5. Fox In The Snow
6. Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying
7. If You're Feeling Sinister
8. Mayfly
9. Boy Done Wrong Again
10. Judy And The Dream Of Horses

I didn't realize there was another Belle and Sebastian album on this List, so this was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, I think we are done for good now.

I actually liked this better than the previous entry, Tigermilk. Others will disagree, of course; they will view the lack of a random electronica track as proof that the band is compromising its sound. But I think they were still searching for their voice in Tigermilk, and this album is a lot more certain.

Just an amazing album from start to finish, and essential listening.

RATING: 5/5