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…

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!

Despite its obscenely ugly album cover, Mike Mix 08 features some great music. It’s also the most upbeat mix to date – even the sad songs sound kinda happy. But don’t worry, it’s not all sunshine and puppy dogs. Beneath the surface lurks an undercurrent of sadness.

The mix contains so many amazing songs I can’t possibly write about each one. So instead I will focus on a select few.

The first is “Broke” by Modest Mouse. One of the darkest songs on the mix, “Broke” features a pretty guitar riff and some of the finest (and most self-loathing) Modest Mouse lyrics ever recorded. At the other end of the spectrum is “Two Kids” by Strand of Oaks. Though slightly self-deprecating, the lyrics are also undeniably sweet. Lastly, “Bones” by DeYarmond Edison captures the mood of the entire mix: the cheerful instrumentation masks feelings of longing and regret.

These three songs are only the tip of the iceberg. The other eleven lie waiting to be discovered. I highly recommend listening to Mike Mix 08 in the order presented below. Download the entire mix here or stream it using the player below! Enjoy!

1	Josh Ritter :: Girl In the War
2	Vampire Weekend :: Oxford Comma
3	Justin Townes Earle :: Can’t Hardly Wait
4	Blur :: Good Song
5	The Antlers :: Two
6	Silversun Pickups :: Three Seed
7	Drive-By Truckers :: My Sweet Annette
8	Modest Mouse :: Broke
9	Radiohead :: Jigsaw Falling Into Place
10	Andrew Bird :: Anonanimal
11	Strand of Oaks :: Two Kids
12	DeYarmond Edison :: Bones
13	Sun Kil Moon :: Pancho Villa
14	Okkervil River :: Seas Too Far to Reach

I begin my coverage of the best music of 2008 by resurrecting an idea from two years ago. It’s called the “New to Me” list and it has nothing to do with music released in 2008. Instead, it gathers a few excellent bands that I discovered this year, even though they have been around much, much longer. You might also call it the “I’m Embarrassed to Admit It Took Me So Long to Discover These Bands” list.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

It’s crazy to think about how a simple action or decision can have huge consequences. At the trivial end of the spectrum, there’s the decision about which song to first listen to when you discover a new band. If you choose the wrong one, you might never listen to that band again.

That’s almost what happened to the Drive-By Truckers. A few year ago, after reading some glowing reviews, I decided to give the Truckers a try. I think I listened to “Puttin’ People On the Moon,” which can be downloaded for free at the band’s website here. The song’s odd pacing and hostile tone turned me off big time. I probably stopped the track halfway through, shelving the band after hearing only two minutes of their music.

Earlier this year, the Truckers released Brighter Than Creation’s Dark and again I read some pretty good reviews. I decided to give the band one last shot. This time, however, I listened to “Goddamn Lonely Love.” What a difference a song makes: it’s way more mellow than “Puttin’ People On the Moon.” If you’re a fan of sad bastard music like I am, you will absolutely love it. After a while, you might even warm up to “Puttin’ People On the Moon” (as I have).

[mp3] Drive-By Truckers :: Goddamn Lonely Love

JOSH RITTER

Last time I talked about Josh Ritter, I got a little carried away. I went on a mini rant about how Ritter, as a singer-songwriter, gets very little love from certain critics. Since writing that post, I’ve come to terms with the fact that not everyone will like the same music as me.

Despite a few lukewarm critical reviews, I really like Josh Ritter. Over the course of 5 albums, he’s changed his sound quite a bit. On Golden Age of Radio, my favorite Ritter album, he sounds like a twangy Dylan. On Hello Starling, he sounds like a folk troubadour. And on Animal Years, he sounds like an apocalyptic indie rocker.

Regardless of his sound, Ritter has maintained his knack for writing simple, affecting songs. To understand what I’m talking about, just listen to “Here At the Right Time,” the closing track on The Animal Years. It doesn’t get much better.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Here At the Right Time

CARISSA’S WEIRD

Why is it nearly impossible to track down anything released by Carissa’s Wierd? I’d really appreciate it if someone could answer this question for me. I’ve only been able to track down Songs About Leaving, which isn’t even their best album. The rest I had to download “illegally.”

I put the word illegally in quotes because I seriously doubt I’m breaking any laws by downloading an album that is out of print (and therefore can’t be purchased legally). Please correct me if I’m wrong. Anyways, after a little searching, I found a blog where you can download the band’s entire catalog (here).

And while I love free music, I wish I at least had the option to purchase their albums. Carissa’s Wierd wrote some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard (though sometimes their song titles can get a little out of hand — see below for proof). Unfortunately, the band split up in 2003 after releasing only 3 albums. I guess they wanted to end on a high note.

[mp3] Carissa’s Wierd :: Ignorant Piece of Shit

Hell, you might even call this straight-up country music, except I fear that that label could repel potential listeners. After all, how many times have you heard or said, “I listen to pretty much anything except country music.”

Instead of going on one of my nonsensical rants about why the majority of country music sucks, I’m going to use this post to explain what I think good country music should sound like. Specifically, why I love each and every one of the tracks below. As always, enjoy in the order posted!

Without a doubt my favorite Josh Ritter song, I had an extremely difficult time writing his Artist Spotlight without mentioning this song. A rollicking country rocker, “Golden Age of Radio” starts the mix off on an upbeat note. “Have mercy on this boy who did it all by the book but still kinda has his doubts”

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Golden Age of Radio

Another classic Josh Ritter song, “Me & Jiggs” even mentions sitting on the porch. When I listen to this song, I’m reminded of all the good times I’ve had with friends in the past. “Sitting on the porch singing Townes Van Zandt”

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Me & Jiggs

This is the song that got me hooked on Drive-By Truckers. One of their more mellow tracks, “Danko/Manuel” serves as a nice transition to the slower songs coming up. It also serves as a great introduction to an amazing band. “I ain’t living like I should”

[mp3] Drive-By Truckers :: Danko/Manuel

Possibly the twangiest song on the mix, “Can’t Have It” only reinforces why I love The Everybodyfields: great melodies and vocal harmonies. “Can’t sleep if my eyes won’t let me”

[mp3] The Everybodyfields :: Can’t Have It

Similar in sound to the previous song, “Annabelle” features the gorgeous vocals of Gillian Welch as she laments about bad luck and hard times in the South. “Until we’ve all gone to Jesus we can only wonder why”

[mp3] Gillian Welch :: Annabelle

Another powerful Truckers song, “Sounds Better In the Song” deals with letting go of a love who has moved on. Acoustic and intimate, the song is a nice change of pace for the band. “A heart that wants to live and a soul that wants to give can’t just sit at home alone”

[mp3] Drive-By Truckers :: Sounds Better In the Song

NOTE: If you download only one track, make it this one! “I Can’t Sleep” is perfection. Words cannot describe the love I have for this song. The lyrics are about as personal and affecting as they get. “I can’t sleep ’cause I don’t dream of you anymore”

[mp3] The Everybodyfields :: I Can’t Sleep

The title of this track pretty much tell the story. If you aren’t sold on the Drive-By Truckers by now, there might not be any hope left. “Well I ain’t really falling asleep I’m fading to black”

[mp3] Drive-By Truckers :: Goddamn Lonely Love

A great story about a booze-smuggling son and his untimely encounter with the cops. Despite its subject matter, “Out On the Highway” is surprisingly emotional and affecting. “Out on the highway, son be careful, your mother sure loves you”

[mp3] The Everybodyfields :: Out On the Highway

Not originally part of the mix, this song brings everything full circle. Amazing how different the live version sounds, which is no doubt a tribute to Josh Ritter’s talent.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Golden Age of Radio [live]

Are we in the midst of a singer-songwriter revival? Knee-jerk reaction tells me it’s not possible: a pervasive hatred of the genre has always existed among certain circles of critics. Never mind the fact that both singing and songwriting are inextricably connected to performing and recording, well, music.

So then why all the hatred? I think it has something to do with the format of the genre itself. To be considered a singer-songwriter you need: (1) a guitar and (2) a decent voice. Unfortunately, simplicity often (and erroneously) equates to stagnation. In circles of critics obsessed with finding the next genre-bending flavor of the month, genuinely good yet straight-forward music gets kicked to the curb. Honestly, when was the last time you listened to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah?

It’s interesting to note the large number of popular indie artists that could be labeled singer-songwriter but aren’t. Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, The Mountain Goats, Cat Power. There’s almost a stigma associated with the genre.

Which brings me to my true problem. Because of this critical marginalization, I am only now starting to appreciate the music of Josh Ritter, the quintessential “singer-songwriter.” Hailing from Idaho, Ritter’s style reflects his mountainous surroundings. From hushed acoustic ballads to rollicking barnstormers, he embodies both dark, secluded ravines and vast, wind-swept praires.

The four tracks posted below sample several albums. “Wings” is a haunting lament; “Idaho” a gorgeous a capella hymn; “The Temptation of Adam” an apocalyptic love story; and “Still Beating” a bittersweet tribute to rejection (Happy VD everybody!).

If we are in the midst of a singer-songwriter revival, Josh Ritter is without a doubt the standard-bearer.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Wings
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Idaho
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: The Temptation of Adam
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Still Beating

Not included in the list above are the incredible “Girl In the War,” the epic “Thin Blue Flame,” and the gorgeous “Baby That’s Not All.” The reason for this is simple: I’ve already posted these songs on my site here and here.

Some of you may have noticed that the top banner of my site changed a few days ago. I figured it was time for something new and exciting. Let me know your thoughts!

As I mentioned on my previous post, I’ve been inundated lately with tons of good music. So much so that I’m quickly falling behind. I can take one of two corrective actions: either post everything I’ve been listening to, OR, be a little more selective. I’ve chosen the latter (mainly because I don’t have the time to post more than once a week).

Which hopefully means you get the cream of the crop. And this week’s crop features a couple of songs from two artists that haven’t gotten much coverage on my blog.

The first is a track by The Wrens called “Thirteen Grand.” A sad lament set to a catchy guitar riff, the song features the band at its softest, and coincidentally, its best. Check out The Meadowlands if you like what you hear.

The second song is “Baby That’s Not All” off Hello Starling by Josh Ritter. It’s a pretty little lullaby from an equally gorgeous album. Many thanks to my brother Andy who recommended this excellent track to me. Hey hermano!

[mp3] The Wrens :: Thirteen Grand
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Baby That’s Not All

Happy President’s Day everybody! This week I’ve decided to round up a few excellent tracks that can be found free on the web. America is, after all, the Land of the Free.

Swan Lake

Swan Lake is yet another side project of Spencer Krug, lead singer of Wolf Parade. The band also features Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes. On paper, this sounds like an excellent combination, and for the most part it is, but I find the tracks featuring Carey Mercer’s vocals almost unlistenable. The same cannot be said for the song “All Fires,” which came dangerously close to making my Top 10 Songs of 2006 podcast (and in all reality probably should’ve). With lyrical gems like “… five hundred pieces means five hundred float, one thousand people means five hundred don’t …” it’s easy to see why this is such an incredible song.

[mp3] Swan Lake :: All Fires

Josh Ritter

Towards the end of 2006, I began focusing less on the rating cokemachine or pitchfork gave an album and more on the actual music. While those sites provide excellent guidance, I will undoubtedly enjoy music they hate and despise music they like. Before coming to this realization, I thought there was something wrong with me for not liking a critically-acclaimed album/group (like Deerhoof for instance). With age comes wisdom, and after moving one step closer to “old man” status this weekend, I’ve learned to just listen to the music. In spite of what the critics write, I like Josh Ritter and think you may too.

[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Girl In the War
[mp3] Josh Ritter :: Thin Blue Flame

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Apparently when it rains it pours, and recently I’ve been inundated by tons of quality music. After a year or so of wondering, I finally started listening to (and falling in love with) The Walkmen. Then I’m hit hard by Menomena. And as if all that wasn’t enough, I stumble upon Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, a sunny little pop band from Portland, Oregon Springfield, Missouri (thanks for the correction Josh, I was way off!). Their debut album Broom is the kind of record that can be played when or wherever. I find myself listening to them whenever I want a break from all things complicated, whatever that means.

[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin :: House Fire
[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin :: Gwyneth