Top 200 Albums of The Decade (1-10)

'Tis the season to be listing. So we'll add ours to the pile. This one? THE BLACK CONVERSE'S BEST ALBUMS OF THE 00'S (since Charlie T consulted and wisely opted not to compile his own). Yes, this is supposed to be a hoops and music blog, even if we don't always do the greatest job showing it.

So...

200ish albums nominated in a manner so unscientific, so anti-methodical that it might actually be genius. Why is In Rainbows so low? I don't know. You're right: it should be higher. And what about this year's albums, why so low? Again, you're right, but I felt like they needed more time-testedness.

All in all, these are the albums that meant something to me/us this decade- a decade that saw me at two different colleges, in 4 big breakups, graduate, first big job, move to NYC, get married, move to UT, have a kid. Big stuff. Rather than elaborate on every single one, I've picked some at random to talk about and just listed the remainder. Surely this list will change tomorrow, maybe tonight. But I'll stand by it today.

So let's get to it. Ladies and gentlemen, "our" Top 10 of the 00's. (Notice how we don't make you rifle through a heap of albums before getting to the meat. Yeah, we rule. You can read the also-rans later on.)

10. The Hold Steady- Boys And Girls In America

We've never hid our love of The Hold Steady on TBC. And we ain't starting now.

This album was- poetically, considering the subject matter- my fist-pumping gateway drug.

9. Beck- Sea Change

Like I said, this decade saw 4 big heartbreaks. And this album was there for half of them.

The 1-2 combo of The Golden Age and Guess I'm Doing Fine still destroy me.

My favorite Beck album by a sampleslide. Or kitschslide. Or schtickslide. Whatever.

8. Sun Kil Moon- Ghosts of the Great Highway

Mark Kozelek's best record.

If you need more explanation than that, you need more Mark Kozelek in your life.

Particularly your ears.

Sad, mournful, nostalgic, gorgeous.

7. Ryan Adams- Heartbreaker

This album changed the way I listen to music forever. Most fans have spent a good deal of time wishing Ryan Adams would revisit this world. I spend that time just happy he ever did.

"Come Pick Me Up." Best Song of the Decade? Or Best Song Ever?

The album art, however, has always been baffling to me.

6. Coldplay- A Rush of Blood To The Head

Oh, Coldplay, we hardly knew thee.

5. Radiohead- Kid A

No Top 10 list is complete without it.

Understandably.

People think that In Rainbows was their groundbreaking move.

How about recording an amazing-but-not-particularly-radio-friendly follow-up to OK Computer?

It saved them from themselves. And gave us all an incredible record.

4. Arcade Fire- Funeral

All of these records are great,

but I think 20 years from now

this will be the one that was perhaps

the most game-changing.

Listen to Fanfarlo,

one of our favorite records of 09,

and tell me differently.

3. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago

Too soon, you say?

That's funny. I was thinking, "too low."

2. The National- Boxer

Everything about this album works for me.

Smart lyrics and melodies, especially in light of the mumbliness.

Incredibly moving and layered arrangements.

And if it has a weak spot, well, it doesn't so stop pretending it does.

1. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Win vs Wayne: The Rebuttal

Win Butler, as achingly evidenced by a repetoire's worth of catharsis, isn't one to
suffer in silence.




On his band's website, Win takes issue with He Whose Lips Shall Be Flamed. (After character assassinations on Beck and Richard Ashcroft, maybe their psychedelic band name is more literal than we ever would've supposed.) Here's what Win had to say (his formatting and curse words, not mine):

Wow,
I can't believe I am actually writing to defend my band's "real" personality. I wish I could not respond to something like this, but the reality is, is that people will be asking me questions for the next 5 years. I also fear that people will base their opinion of our band on the media quotes of a guy who doesn't even know us.

The only time we have ever shared a stage with the Flaming Lips was our last show on the Funeral tour at a festival in Las Vegas (over 3 years ago)...we arrived the morning of the show from Brazil, slept all day and awoke into some kind of surreal Vegas jet-lag dream in which we were playing after the Flaming Lips...how strange...I was really excited to meet Wayne. Clouds Taste Metallic was a huge record for me, and growing up in the weirdness of Houston, I always imagined Oklahoma City to be in the same universe. I was really nervous to meet him and I felt a little weird that we were playing after them. We traded a little hello, but he was a hard guy to get a read on. Steven Drodz was super nice, and I felt good after talking to him...

So...I am not sure Wayne is the best judge (based on seeing us play at a couple of festivals) if we are righteous, kind and goodhearted people like The Edge and Justin Timberlake (who I am sure he knows intimately as well). I can't imagine a reason why we would have been pompous towards The Flaming Lips, a band we have always loved, on that particular night, all those years ago. Unless I was way more jet-lagged then I remember, I hope I was less of a "Prick" then telling Rollingstone that a bunch of people I don't know at all are really a bunch of assholes.
As a closing note, the main point that I am offended by in this whole thing is for Wayne to say we treat our audience like shit...

At times like these I am comforted by knowing that even though Wayne slammed Beck all those years ago, he seems like a really nice guy to me. I guess everyone has a different idea of what being pompous means.

Win

He does pretty well, though- in places- it carries the scent of a victim and the tone of passive aggressiveness. Still, he makes good points. I can just see- if I squint my eyes real tight- all 27 members of the Arcade Fire gathered around the 13th Century abacus that they somehow got Steve Jobs to wire for the internet, (iAbacus?) Win's embossing the message on the iScroll, the band's flaming-by-committee (no pun intended) is angry and raucous and indie gothic. "Win, make sure you say that thing about Justin Timberlake I said..." (Win rolls eyes, hopes no one in the band ever listens closely enough to "Cry Me A River" to realize how he borrowed from it for "My Body Is A Cage.")

I know I'm flip-flopping. But I kind of believe them both. What is this anyway? E! Indie Rock?

More Matchups (pop culture edition) : Wayne vs Win

As long as we're talking about matchups and the Flaming Lips, singer Wayne Coyne has a few words (via Rolling Stone) for Win Butler and the Arcade Fire squad. Coyne can be overbearing and might be jostling for headlines, but I kind of believe him. His Earnestness Card has enough punches.

I mean, does this guy look like he might be a little self-serious? He is purportedly a stealer of basketballs.



There have been some historic feuds in the world of celebrities. Hip hop has the most, because it's almost like a rite of passage/marketing no-brainer to go after a fish bigger than your sorry gills. Some famous feuds:

2Pac vs Biggie
The biggest, as evidenced by their deaths.

Lily Allen vs Katy Perry
Battle of the hot pants. This one goes under the same Duh Marketing as hip hop, though. These GWAs need some publicity? Talk some snark about another one. For the record, Katy might be cuter, but Lily's seems cooler, smarter, and, well, less puppeteered. You know, if anyone asks.

Letterman vs Leno
I'm still dumbfounded anytime somebody says they prefer Leno. Even more dumbfounded if they're my friends. And all the more dumbfounded if they stay my friends.
David Lee Roth vs Van Halen vs Sammy Hagar vs David Lee Roth
Toby Keith & Redneck America vs Dixie Chicks
Shut Up And Sing was super enjoyable. Yes, Natalie Maines is a loose cannon. But she didn't say anything insane THAT NIGHT. How can a demographic that celebrates crap like Big & Rich and songs about Boots Up The @$# not see the fun in a little jab about a moronic President who likes to kill people? Oh. I think I just answered my own question.

Obama's In. Now Go Use Your Vote For Something Really Important.

If you're old like me, you remember when virginal forward AC Green was voted to start over Hall of Fame (and in-his-prime) power forward Karl Malone. Now, the Mailman isn't the most popular superstar ever; he made his share of enemies and has plenty of detractors. But AC Green? Sheesh.

Only you can keep Yi from starting. And he still might start because, hey, China is taking over. If the metric system makes you nervous, just wait until forks are outlawed.

So, go vote for your favorite NBA All-Stars. Now. Before it's too late. Kevin Garnett thanks you. Paul Pierce thanks you. The Committee for Keeping The All Star Team for All Stars thanks you.

Voting got me thinking about the all-star rock hoops team. This will be an evolving list as more research goes on, but for now:

Point Guard: Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) is a huge hoops fan. Originally Pearl Jam was called Mookie Blaylock, after the former Michigan guard. (Funny how the poster says Formerly Mother Love Bone, when lead singer Andy Wood was dead, as was anything that sounded like that band.)


Shooting Guard: Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) might be shorter than Eddie, but we're playing smallball, ok? And with all his incessant slapping, one has to guess that Flea's a pretty relentless defender.

Small Forward:Win Butler (Arcade Fire), apparently has some experience with roundball, though we'll probably have to buy him some shorts. My guess is that we should get the Spurs' road uni's, just to stay in character.

Power Forward: Nels Cline (Wilco, solo) has a real Detlef Schrempf thing going on.
















































Center: Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) or Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil), just because of the stigma that, if you're tall, you should be a basketball player.

Who did I miss?