Initially I didn’t think I could write this post. It seemed like an impossible task. How on earth was I supposed to come up with and then rank my favorite albums from the past decade? I have enough trouble doing it for just one year. There’s simply too much good music out there (despite my occasional whining to the contrary).

But when I really started thinking about it, I came to the following conclusion: a decade is a terrible thing to waste. In all reality, I may not get another opportunity like this. After all, who knows what I’ll be doing ten years from now. Also, musically speaking, the past decade was an important one for me. Over the course of ten years, my muted appreciation of music gradually transformed into a full-blown obsession. I now spend most of my free time searching for, writing about, and listening to music.

In the end I guess it was a pretty easy decision. I would’ve been extremely foolish to let the decade pass without weighing in on my favorite albums. It was a lot of work, but I managed to compile a list of my 30 favorite albums from 2000-2009. Not necessarily the best or most important albums, but those that had the greatest impact on me.

With all that said, I proudly present the Top 30 Albums of the Decade…

ALBUMS 30 – 21

ALBUMS 20 – 11

ALBUMS 10 – 1

Like I said, compiling this list was no easy task. In the end, tons of amazing albums got axed. Check the comments to see which ones barely missed the cut. And leave comments to let me know which albums I missed completely!

Throughout most of 2009, I struggled to find inspiration to write on my blog. If not for my monthly Mike Mixes, my site would’ve been rather quiet. So what gives? After some thought, I’ve decided that 2009 just wasn’t that great of a year for music. There was plenty of hype but very few albums actually delivered.

With that said, I’m pleasantly surprised by how my list shaped up this year. Initially I couldn’t even come up with 10 albums worthy of the honor. But after spending several weeks reexamining the year’s output, I’ve assembled a list of 10 truly amazing albums. Normally I would write short blurbs about each one but I’m a little tired after the New Year’s Day tragedy (aka accidentally deleting my entire website and having to rebuild it from scratch).

So without further ado, I present the Top 10 Albums of 2009…

I kick off my year-end coverage with the Top 10 Songs of 2009. Unlike previous years, I assigned a specific order to the songs on the list. Click any of the cells below to download individual tracks, or grab all ten here. You can also stream the entire mix using the flash player at the end of the post.

THE BIG PINK :: VELVET A late addition to the list, “Velvet” is big, dramatic, and grabs your attention on first listen. Too bad the rest of The Big Pink’s debut can’t quite measure up to this fantastic song.

FANFARLO :: I’M A PILOT This song pretty much has it all: great lyrics, gorgeous strings, beautiful piano melodies, thunderous drums, and (of course) an epic climax.

DEER TICK :: SMITH HILL What’s the best way to lament losing your true love? There are many options, but on “Smith Hill” Deer Tick choose to sing an incredible, soaring chorus. I think it’s pretty effective.

CAMERA OBSCURA :: FORESTS AND SANDS I’m not the biggest Camera Obscura fan, but something about “Forests and Sands” really gets me. I love how the instrumentation perfectly matches the sorrowful lyrics.

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF :: DANIELLA I’ve said this before but it needs repeating: the intro to “Daniella” is one of the most beautiful and relaxing pieces of music I’ve ever heard. The rest of the song is icing on the cake.

BUILT TO SPILL :: THINGS FALL APART The song title pretty much says it all. On “Things Fall Apart” Built to Spill temporarily abandon their signature detachment for a more personal (and vulnerable) sound.

LONEY, DEAR :: DISTANT LIGHTS I had a very difficult time picking just one song from Dear John. On an album full of amazing tracks, “Distant Lights” shines slightly brighter than the rest.

ARCTIC MONKEYS :: DANCE LITTLE LIAR Every time I listen to this song I fall in love with a different part. First it was the hair-raising guitar solo. Then the monstrous drum beat. Now the cryptic lyrics. I can’t wait to see what’ll be next!

BRAND NEW :: BOUGHT A BRIDE On “Bought a Bride” Brand New sound almost unhinged. I thought their old material was as intense as it gets. I was wrong. This song is on another level.

THE ANTLERS :: TWO This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. I’ve been obsessed with this song since first hearing it back in June. Heartbreaking and epic, “Two” is damn near perfect.

Do you think I left out a song or two? You’re probably right. Let me know what I’m missing by leaving a comment!

Every time I make a new Mike Mix I’m amazed by how much good music falls through the cracks over time. After all, only a small number of songs on each mix have been featured previously on my site. There simply isn’t enough time to write about them all.

Which is why I love making these mixes so much: songs that otherwise would’ve remained permanently buried finally see the light of day. The 14 tracks of Mike Mix 09 are no exception. Many of them are appearing on my site for the first time; most of them should’ve been posted months ago.

With all that said, it’s time to introduce Mike Mix 09.

Despite its quiet start, Mike Mix 09 packs quite a punch. “Lookout Mountain” by Drive-By Truckers rocks incredibly hard; “Else” by Built to Spill bounces around nervously; and “Only In Dreams” by Weezer builds to an epic climax. At the opposite end of the spectrum, “My Lady’s House” by Iron & Wine plods along gently while “The Blackest Crow” by Justin Rutledge quietly refuses to end (in a good way).

As always, I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 09 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

Despite a hectic 4th of July weekend, I’m excited to get back to work. And by work I mean writing about music. Which is convenient because I suddenly have lots to write about. Who knows, I might even settle into my old routine: posting a Weekly Download every week and an Artist Spotlight every month. Imagine that. We’ll see what actually happens.

One thing I know for certain, however, is that I’ll post a new Mike Mix every month. And it is with great pleasure that I present the latest installment: Mike Mix 07.

Darker and moodier than its predecessor, Mike Mix 07 might require a few listens before it grows on you. It starts quietly with beautiful songs by Tiny Television, Hurray For the Riff Raff, and Spiritualized. City and Colour’s “What Makes a Man?” transitions the mix to a louder section of music, which is anchored to two fantastic songs by Brand New. Following this intense emotional apex, the mix mellows out big time (and stays that way until it ends). I could talk specifically about the next eight tracks but don’t think it’s necessary. Each song is fantastic, otherwise it wouldn’t have made the mix. The only thing left to do is give it a listen! And then maybe another…

As always, I recommend listening to Mike Mix 07 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

This post is dedicated to my grandmother, who passed away May 27. She was an amazing woman and will be missed dearly.

When I first launched Mike Went West nearly 3 years ago, one of my site’s main features was a monthly podcast of music. Sadly, I abandoned this feature after releasing only 5 mixes. I felt like each podcast took an inordinate amount of time and energy. I also felt like the quality of each mix was sliding steadily downhill.

As it turns out, I lacked the proper motivation. About 10 months ago, I started dating my girlfriend. To help her better understand my crazy little world, I decided to make monthly mix tapes for her (which I coined “Mike Mixes”). So far I’ve made ten and I’m still going strong. I hope to post a new mix every month. I decided to start with Mike Mix 06 for one simple reason: the first five are decent but nothing special. Also, it seems appropriate that I should pick up where my podcasts left off — with number six.

Now a few quick words about the pacing and sequencing of the mix. Mike Mix 06 starts off with “If Only It Were True,” a slow, lumbering song by The Walkmen. Two consecutive tracks by Brand New help transition the mix to a slightly faster pace, which is maintained by the next four songs (fantastic tracks by Okkervil River, Frightened Rabbit, MGMT, and Arctic Monkeys). Following this upbeat middle section, two tracks by The Rural Alberta Advantage help slow things back down. The mix ends with three of my all-time favorite songs: “3 Rounds and a Sound” by Blind Pilot, “A Desolate Angels Blues” by Justin Townes Earle, and “Okkervil River Song” by Okkervil River.

I highly recommend listening to the songs in this order (a full track listing is provided below). Download the entire mix as a zip file here, or download individual songs below. Or listen to the entire mix using the player below!

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PS — I just finished integrating Twitter into my site. Make sure to check out the sidebar widget for my most recent updates!

So I have a theory that there are two basic responses to breaking up with someone: sadness or anger. The first reaction produces the kind of music I normally listen to — sorrowful, introspective stuff — while the second produces punk music.

And I support this theory with the following observation. I’ve never really warmed to punk music. The reason for this is simple: I’m a moper. My response to most situations (including break-ups) is sadness. I rarely get mad — unless I happen to be driving. As a result, I have a hard time identifying with angry, bitter music.

Or so I thought. A few years ago I stumbled upon Deja Entendu by Brand New. While I remember cringing at some of the louder, heavier tracks (especially the ones with screaming), I really enjoyed the album’s slower songs. Especially “The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot” and “Play Crack the Sky.”

But lately I’ve been warming to the entire album (including the screaming). It’s just too good — amazing hooks, epic riffs, and heartbreaking lyrics abound. It took a few years, but I’ve finally come to appreciate both the quiet and loud moments of Deja Entendu.

The song posted below isn’t necessarily my favorite track from the album, but it features the band sounding both quiet and loud. There’s even some screaming!

Note: For those of you worried about the direction of my blog, rest assured. At my core, I’m still a moper (and always will be). But every now and then I feel like screaming and rocking out.

[mp3] Brand New :: Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis

Whenever I am about to begin a new stage of my life, I always get a little depressed. It doesn’t matter how excited I am, it still happens. Tomorrow I officially start grad school at Cal, which could be a particularly rough transition seeing as how I spent last winter snowboarding in Tahoe. Add to that the fact that, for the last month, I haven’t been able to find an apartment and you can potentially see why I’m bummed.

My second podcast definitely reflects my current mood. It’s a mix of slow, somber songs – both old and new. I titled it “Late Night Drinking” because I feel that the songs were originally recorded under those conditions. It’s definitely mood music; listen to it late at night on your headphones for full effect. Sorta the exact opposite of my first podcast, which I feel works anytime.

Here’s the track listing:

1. My Morning Jacket :: Strangulation!
2. Brand New :: Play Crack the Sky
3. Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s :: A Light On a Hill
4. The National :: Lucky You
5. Ryan Adams :: Oh My Sweet Carolina
6. The Mountain Goats :: Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise
7. The National :: Daughters of the Soho Riots
8. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals :: How Do You Keep Love Alive
9. Shearwater :: Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine
10. Jeff Hanson :: Something About
11. The National :: About Today
12. Songs: Ohia :: Blue Chicago Moon

Directly download my podcast here. Visit the archives here.

PS – I wanted this mix to be an enhanced podcast, meaning you can easily skip from track to track within the mp3, but I couldn’t get it to work. Hopefully I can figure it out by next month. Also, there will be no Weekly Download on account of the podcast. Bonus points to anyone who reads this far into the post, and extra bonus points to whoever can guess which of the 12 tracks is my all-time favorite song.