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!

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!

2007 was a great year for music. New albums from Radiohead, Interpol, The National, Andrew Bird, Okkervil River, and Spoon all rocked hard. My discovery of The Acorn, Kings of Leon, The Everybodyfields, and Menomena, coupled with an impressive debut from Deer Tick, made the year that much more amazing.

So when it came time to assemble my annual Top 10 Songs of 2007 list, I just couldn’t chop it down to size. As a result I’ve decided to expand the list to 15 songs. Plus I’ve already blogged about 9 of the 15 songs on the list, so the 5 extra slots allow me to post some new mp3’s.

Continuing to break with tradition, I’ve decided to categorize the 15 songs into 5 separate categories based on their mood and style. Enjoy!

Songs I listen to when I am happy (aka pop songs):

[mp3] The Shins :: Australia
[mp3] Okkervil River :: Unless It’s Kicks
[mp3] Modest Mouse :: Missed the Boat

Songs I listen to when I am sad (aka bawlers):

[mp3] Andrew Bird :: Cataracts
[mp3] The National :: Slow Show
[mp3] The Acorn :: Glory

Songs I listen to when I party (aka rockers):

[mp3] Interpol :: Rest My Chemistry
[mp3] Spoon :: Eddie’s Ragga
[mp3] Kings of Leon :: McFearless

Songs I listen to when I drive (aka rollers):

[mp3] The Everybodyfields :: Aeroplane
[mp3] Deer Tick :: Dirty Dishes
[mp3] Magnolia Electric Co :: Nashville Moon

Songs I listen to whenever (aka great songs):

[mp3] Kings of Leon :: On Call
[mp3] Radiohead :: Reckoner
[mp3] Menomena :: Rotten Hell

Get ‘em while they’re hot! Check the comments for additional lists…

With the year officially over, it’s time to reflect upon the awesomeness that was 2007. Unlike last year, 2007 had an excess of truly great music.

Unfortunately, this year’s “Best of” coverage won’t be as extensive as last year’s. Mainly because I’m lazy, but also because I got a much later start writing this year. I’m also going to try a new format for my Top 10 Albums of 2007 list. Below is a thumbnail image, which you can click on to enlarge.

Given my obsessive-compulsive engineering background, I decided to make a table summarizing the Top 10 Albums of 2007. There are no mp3’s associated with this post because there is a lot of overlap with my Top 10 Songs of 2007 list, which will be released shortly.

Not to leave you high and dry, I’ve uploaded a special treat to hold you over. Check the comments!

Consider this the calm before the storm. As in I’ve been listening to tons of great new music and have lots to post about. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to distribute it all: mp3s take less effort than a podcast, but I’d have to post at least 5 articles to clear out the backlog.

I’m also working on a new post category, which for the time being I will keep secret. I want to make sure I can actually deliver it first.

With all that said, it’s time to introduce this month’s (you choose which month, August or September) Artist Spotlight. The band is Deer Tick, a project of 21-year-old singer/songwriter John McCauley.

His debut LP War Elephant is slated for release on September 4th, yet I inexplicably picked up a used copy of it a few days ago. So for the first time ever, I am posting about something that has yet to be released. Which should tell you something about the quality of Deer Tick.

On the band’s website, McCauley writes, “The music of Deer Tick is something that should speak for itself. Otherwise, I’m not doing my job very well.” After several listens to War Elephant, I can honestly say that McCauley is doing his job extremely well.

If I must speak for his music, I’d say it sounds like a raspy Dylan on vocals with The Cardinals backing him up. The lyrics are exceptional and the melodies infectious. Since I’m lazy, I’ll classify it as alt-country, but it’s so much more. Just give it a listen and see for yourself.

[mp3] Deer Tick :: Standing At the Threshold
[mp3] Deer Tick :: Dirty Dishes
[mp3] Deer Tick :: Nevada