Alright, so by popular demand (read: one person asked off-handedly) I have put down my list of favorite albums of the past decade. I am very careful on these lists to say favorite because I am not claiming this or that is the best.  Music is so deeply personal I would never presume to declare this better than that. Music for me has always served as something of a roadmap of my life. Songs are like diary entries and I can look back at them and remember where I was and what I was doing. I have somewhat eclectic taste and get into some things that are very mainstream and some things that are decidedly not. I don’t define myself by musical genre and I am not embarrassed for liking a particular band or style. If the music sounds good to me and means something to me then I don’t give two shits if it isn’t credible in the Indy scene or if music elites think it is bullshit. I like what I like and I am unashamed of it. I have no doubt that some people will hate this list but that is fine, it isn’t their list. My method for putting this together was similar to the movies list. I put together a master list, in this case that list was 60+ albums long, and then pared them down from there and then, once 20 songs were chosen, I put them in some kind of order of preference. This is a very loose preference though as all of these albums are my favorites and I love them all. The criteria was this: the album either had to mean something profound to a particular time in my life or be an album I could listen to from beginning to end without skipping most of the songs to get to the few good tracks on it. Albums often possessed both of these qualities but had to have at least one. I also tried to go with only one album per band, otherwise it would just be a bunch of albums from a couple of bands that I like. So with all that said, my favorite albums of the decade.

20. The Dreaming- Etched in Blood (2008)

This past decade was a difficult one for me. It saw two marriages and two divorces and a whole lot of pain in between. Not surprisingly, music was a refuge for me and several of the albums on this list reflect that. It seems appropriate to start the list off with an album that helped me through my most recent divorce and made me feel a lot better. The Dreaming is led by Christopher Hall, former singer for Stabbing Westward, a band known for cathartic songs about break ups, bad relationships and recovering from said break ups and bad relationships. Stabbing Westward broke up at the beginning of the decade with a record that was not bad but not great either. When I heard the Dreaming, I felt like an old friend had come back to me.  The sound is a bit more on the rock side of things than the techno/industrial feel of Stabbing Westward and has a bit more of a pop sensibility but Hall’s vocals and lyrics are as good as ever delivered with melodies and hooks that get in your head like an ear worm. Sure some people might charge them with a bubble gum emo sensibility or find the lyrics melodramatic but when you are dealing with an ex-wife who keeps trying to fuck with you lyrics like ‘I need you in my life again like a needle in my vein, I need you in my life again like a bullet in my brain, a bullet in my brain’ really makes you feel better. Stand out songs are Bullet, Sticks and Stones, Ugly and an awesome cover of Send Me an Angel.

19. Static-X- Start a War (2004)

I’ve been a metal fan for a long time but there seems to be a pattern a lot of bands fall into where there it is a lot of double bass petal and growling. That is fine as far as it goes and I like plenty of those sorts of bands, but I tend to be drawn toward more dynamic and unique sorts of sounds. There seems to be a general dismissal of Static-X by a lot of people due to their entrance into the scene during the Nu-metal phase but I have always liked them. Guitarist/singer Wayne Static’s approach to writing music is interesting to me because he is really into techno and basically writes techno with a guitar. So what you get is a very cool and interesting fast paced metal sound. Static’s vocals are often growly screams which complements the music such that it fades into the overall sound more than standing out apart from it. On Start A War, Static-X has delivered their most consistent album packed from end to end with awesome fast paced songs that excite you while you listen. I found that it is the perfect album to listen to while playing Burnout games and used it as a custom soundtrack on my Xbox. The music is perfect for tearing through city streets, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic and smashing your opponents off the road in the game and even the crash mode is benefited from the album. From beginning to end Start a War is fun and exciting and makes driving games at least 25% more awesome. Stand outs are Just In Case, I’m the One, Enemy and Dirthouse.

18. System of a Down-Toxicity (2001)

There was a time when I hated System of a Down. I went to Ozzfest in Phoenix in July where we had to stand outside in roughly 115 degree heat for the show to start and then pay $10 for a small lemonade. The heat was so bad that I had to take a nap through Slayer’s set so I could have the energy to go to the second stage to see Fear Factory. SOAD played that show and I was not impressed, the between set playing of “Sugar” on over and over on the jumbotron not helping matters. I was pretty entrenched in my hatred for the bizarro metal outfit. Then came Toxicity. The first single “Chop Suey!” won me over with repeated air play and when I finally succumbed to purchasing the album,  I found it to be packed wall to wall with monstrously rocking metal with a quirky spin on each track. It was like a revelation and I felt stupid for ever doubting them. Their follow up album Mesmerize was also nearly perfect but the nod here has to go to the record that got me to love the band in the first place. Stand out songs are: Chop Suey, Psycho, Bounce, and Prison Song

17. Lovage-Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By (2001)

Lovage is the first of three Mike Patton related projects you will find here. A collaboration between Dan the Automator (working under the name Nathaniel Merriweather), Mike Patton, Kid Koala and Jennifer Charles, Lovage is a very bizarre project. The songs are interspersed with hilarious clips from movies and interviews, often put together for comedic effect. The songs themselves are some kind of smarmy 70’s style R & B built specifically to get a girl to fuck you. The weird thing is that despite the humor in the lyrics and presentation, the songs are often actually kind of sexy in a way that makes you feel a little dirty afterward. And let’s be honest, any sex you are going to get into off the strength of this album is going to be seedy at best. Mike Patton is as reliable as ever and Elysian Fields’ Jennifer Charles is a perfect complement to Patton’s smarmy vocals. Great fun even if it never gets you laid. Stand out songs are: Book of the Month, Pit Stop (Take Me Home), Stroker Ace, and Sex (I’m A).

16. Amanda Palmer-Who Killed Amanda Palmer (2008)

Produced by Ben Folds, Who Killed Amanda Palmer delivers an album of depth and energy that, as far as I am concerned, outpaces even the great Dresden Dolls self-titled debut. The piano here is much more energetic and varied, with strains of Folds’ influence all over it. Lyrically the songs range from bitter to gleefully irreverent but all pack a hefty emotional punch. Palmer is free from the constraints of established formula and uses that freedom to great effect. Vocally, Palmer might not stretch as much as on Dresden Doll records but the sound is unique of that project without losing her individual flair. The record has also courted controversy. Her weight was brought into question in a public dispute with her label over the video for “Leeds United.”  “Oasis” also drew criticism from conservatives in a fairly standard conservative misunderstanding of what things mean. She then dedicated the song to Sarah Palin and that is enough to push this onto the list. Stand outs include: Ampersand, the Point of it All, Leeds United, Oasis.

15. Metric-Fantasies (2009)

Given that it has only been out a reasonably short time, and this album was my introduction to the band, I don’t have as much to say about what it all means to me. I will say that I find myself identifying with the lyrics as well as being hopelessly in love with the music. I am apparently not alone as Metric has been getting increased radio play and is popping up in all manner of movies and TV shows. It is one of those albums I can put in and listen to all the way through, over and over again. If I look back on my life with this record as a guide post, I imagine I will associate it with ‘the time when things finally started to go well and I was very happy.’ Stand out songs include: Help I’m Alive, Sick Muse, Front Row, and Gimme Sympathy.

14. Coldplay-X & Y (2005)

It was hard to decide which album from Coldplay to go with. Rush of Blood to the head had “Clocks” and the “Scientist” but X & Y was there for me when I found myself unemployed and felt like horrible shit. As I would stay up all night in the dark idly playing World of Warcraft and wondering how I could have made such bad decisions to get to where I was, MTV would start playing videos and “Fix You” came on quite frequently and I would listen and cry and feel sorry for myself and then feel a bit better. The whole record is soothingly melancholy and beautiful. It is not something that engages me much mentally but emotionally it speaks to me deeply. It made me ashamed of myself for deciding that they were just a Radiohead rip off. The whole album is great, but the four part harmony on “Fix You” is beautiful and moving. Stand out songs include: Fix You, Speed of Sound, Talk, and White Shadows.

13. Bloodhound Gang-Hefty Fine (2005)

I never would have imagined that I would mention the Bloodhound Gang next to Coldplay but Hefty Fine came to me during the same period of low morale and questionable sense of self worth. It isn’t as funny as the wonderful Horray For Boobies but it was like the return of a welcome friend to lift my spirits and goof off to make me smile. As mentioned, it is not AS funny as their previous record, but it is still pretty amusing but backed with far more badass music. Jimmy Pop does a little more singing than rapping this time out but his flow is still very good and the lyrics are cleverly dirty and in poor taste but there is also a bit of bitterness and a smidge of anger on some of the tracks. It was a perfect complement to my emotional turmoil with equal parts commiseration and defiant smugness. The album cover, however, is absolutely horrifying and makes me happy I was able to choose what image I wanted to go onto the iPod. Stand out songs include: Ralph Wiggum, Pennsylvania, Uhn Tiss  Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss, and No Hard Feelings.

12. Eminem-The Eminem Show (2002)

There was a time when I hated Eminem. I am not a huge rap fan and Eminem irritated me. Some of the lyrical content, particularly on tracks like “Criminal” offended me and I just generally found him objectionable. It is funny how a divorce will change things for you. I was feeling the need to re-evaluate things and looking at a performer my ex didn’t care for was an important step in my particular rebuilding. That a borderline misogynistic song like “Superman” made me feel better really helped Em’s case. The Eminem Show is just chock full of great tracks and listening to them with an open mind and a better understanding of where Mr. Mathers was coming from led me to realize it was impossible to deny his greatness. Taken in the proper context, Eminem is at once hilarious and poignant and revels in challenging any establishment that needs challenging. His personal raps about his marriage and childhood are often the sort of visceral purging that feels as cathartic for the listener as it is for Em.  It may just be because this is the one that brought me around but this is my favorite Eminem record. Stand out tracks include: White America, Superman, Square Dance, and Say Goodbye Hollywood.

11. Tomahawk-Mit Gas (2003)

Since Faith No More disbanded, Mike Patton has been in a ton of projects and few of them have been particularly accessible to the general public. I have liked all of it, with the exception of Patton’s solo album Adult Themes for Voice, which was mostly just Patton making weird noises in a microphone sounding like a little kid playing boat in the bathtub at best and nails on a chalkboard at worst. Mit Gas, Tomahawk’s second album is one of the most accessible albums he’s done. Tomahawk is made up of a mishmash of musicians from other bands including the Melvins, Helmet and the Jesus Lizard. This record has an interesting sound that is at turns beautiful and discordant often within seconds of one another and the melding of the two creates a unique sound not likely to be found anywhere in the mainstream. The parts are mostly a fusion of electronics and more organic metal guitars and come together to create an engaging whole. Patton’s vocals are varied and dynamic often switching gears several times in the course of a song. There is a lot going on here but it is amazing how perfectly it all fits together. This is a very good entry level album into the more bizarre side of Mike Patton you might not have heard as much if you’ve only been exposed to Faith No More. Stand out songs include: Capt Midnight, Birdsong, Rape This Day, and Aktion.

10. Syntax-Meccano Mind (2004)

My first exposure to this wonderful record came while watching Law and Order Criminal Intent.  The song played during a haunting cold open that was engaging and heart wrenching. The footage itself was disturbing and sad but the music really drove the melancholy point home as hope turned to tragedy. I immediately looked up the song and found it was “Pride” by Syntax and I promptly tracked the album down and I have been an ardent devotee of the band ever since. The songs on Meccano Mind are generally mellow techno and it is a great album to turn on and relax to. Many of the songs also carry a feeling of hopefulness tinged in regret but they aren’t really sad. I never feel brought down or out of sorts after listening, mostly just soothed and invigorated. Tracks from the album have been used on a lot of shows and I can understand why as they are so capable of invoking emotion. It was a great find and I am forever grateful to L&O:CI. Stand out tracks include: Pride, Pray, Bliss, and Destiny.

09. +44-When Your Heart Stops Beating (2006)

The band formed by Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker after Blink 182 dissolved, +44 is an almost perfect album to my estimation and is desperately sad and cathartic for me. Many of the tracks have an 80’s feel to them, particularly title track “When Your Heart Stops Beating” but all of them are excellent and emotional. I always liked Blink but I like +44 so much more. I came across this record after hearing the title track on the radio and bought it, listened to it and then put it away. I eventually threw some tracks on a playlist tailored to my now ex-wife’s taste as it had that 80’s sound. I started to really get into those songs and began listening to the whole album a lot more. When things turned especially sour in that marriage I started to pay closer attention to the lyrics and found a whole new world of making me feel better because the songs seemed to be talking about my situation exactly. After awhile, my ex cottoned on to some of the lyrics but by that time I was just in love with the record and wasn’t trying to send her some message. She wouldn’t have listened anyway. Some of the lyrics that spoke to me are ‘Please understand, this isn’t just goodbye, this is I can’t stand you, this is where the road crashed into the ocean’ and ‘I listen to you cry, a cry for less attention, but both my hands are tied, and I’m pushed into the deep end, I listen to you talk but talk is cheap, and my mouth is filled with blood, from trying not to speak, so search for an excuse and someone to believe you’ and ‘Let me slip away I’m barely holding on, every now and then I feel the end of us, I love the way you breathe inside my head, but something’s gotta change I’m barely holding on.’ Stand out songs include: the Weatherman, Little Death, No It Isn’t, and Baby Come on.

08. Peeping Tom-Peeping Tom (2006)

If Tomahawk is one of Mike Patton’s most accessible albums then Peeping Tom is THE most accessible album. The songs on Peeping Tom are damn near commercial and they have found success in movies and TV most notably “Mojo” which was prominently featured in an early episode of Californication, which I imagine must be an extra source of consternation for the Red Hot Chili Peppers regarding the show. Peeping Tom is an album of collaboration which pairs Patton with the likes of Dan the Automator, Kool Keith, Norah Jones, Massive Attack, Kid Koala and Rahzel to name just a few. Many of the tracks have a decidedly hip hop bent to them and the music is an assortment of electronic hip hop grooves. Patton’s humor shines through on several of the tracks as well particularly on “Sucker” with Norah Jones.  The whole album is brilliant from beginning to end and shows well that Patton has not gone so far into avant garde weirdness that he can’t come back with something mainstream while retaining his definitive sense of weird ass. Stand out songs include: Mojo, Don’t Even Trip, Sucker, and Kill the DJ.

07. Fair to Midland-Fables from a Mayfly (2007)

I was alerted to Fair to Midland by a friend from Arkansas and I fell in love with them immediately. I was so moved by their music that I sent them a Myspace message to tell them how refreshing and original their band was. Whoever it is that runs their myspace page was very gracious in accepting the compliment. Predictably out of Texas, Fair to Midland is a straight up rock band with strains of bluegrass. While that doesn’t sound hugely original the arrangements they choose are always surprising and are enormously pleasing to my ear. The vocal style employed by Darroh Sudderth, who also plays banjo and mandolin, are varied and eclectic and always interesting. He transitions from high to low and everything in between to compliment melodies that are as inventive as they are alluring. The only complaint I have about the record are the few times that Sudderth decides to do some kind of death metal vocal and it doesn’t work out for him so much. I have been thwarted several times in seeing Fair to Midland, most recently in Tempe when the show was cancelled due to a bus crash in which the bus flipped with the attached trailer. The band was unharmed but their gear and instruments were not so lucky. Stand out songs include: Dance of the Manatee, Walls of Jericho, April Fools and Eggmen, and Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes

06. A Perfect Circle-Thirteenth Step (2003)

This is another album that came at a distinct low point for me. I was working at a chain video store in Little Rock in a really bad neighborhood with a staff that resented me and eventually tried to force me out with a racially motivated armed robbery (it worked). At my time at that  store I found two dead bodies in the parking lot, had to battle entrenched lower management who resented my taking over the store and dealt with my now ex-wife having a miscarriage. It was an emotional time for sure and I took refuge in Thirteenth Step. There was nothing lyrically here that really spoke to me outside of the general sentiment of “Weak and Powerless”, but the album was just so damn good that I was able to escape into it on my long drive home. In a time in my life when everything was going to hell, this album took my mind off it all and kept me sane. It is another where every track is golden and I can listen from beginning to end. Stand out songs include: Weak and Powerless, the Nurse Who Loved Me, The Noose, and Vanishing.

05. Jimmy Eat World-Bleed American (2001)

I like pretty much all of Jimmy Eat World’s albums but Bleed American (re-titled Jimmy Eat World after 9/11 but fuck that) is their most consistent. Every song on this album feels like an anthem and is generally upbeat and fun to listen to. The album has enjoyed a number of singles and gets a lot of play in various media. It is also gratifying that the band comes from my home state and I can therefore relate on that level. Not all of the songs are happy go lucky, however, as “Hear You Me” and “My Sundown” can reduce me to tears, particularly in the wake of a friend’s suicide years ago. Generally, though, the album is a lot of fun and I still listen to it heavily nine years later. Stand out songs include: Bleed American, A Praise Chorus, the Middle, and Get It Faster.

04. Muse-Black Holes and Revelations (2006)

I became fond of Muse after playing “Knights of Cydonia” on Guitar Hero III and eventually found my way to Black Holes and Revelations. I listened to it intermittently, mostly for “Knights” but over time I noticed that I kept hearing these songs that I recognized and loved but couldn’t place. Time and time again I would find those songs were by Muse and on the very record I had. I started listening with more intent and found that there is not a single song on Black Holes and Revelations that I don’t love. There are those who call Muse nothing more than a Radiohead clone and while that might have been true on Showbiz, by the time they got to Black Holes and Revelations they had a sound wholly their own. And what that sound is exactly is a bit nebulous. One of the reasons I had a hard time placing them is that each song sounds different. Once you get to know them you can pick out trademarks but in general their songs are all varied and eclectic. The one commonality amongst them all is quality and Muse has that in spades. Their songs always sound original and interesting and are infinitely sing-a-longable despite the lyrics generally being space related nonsense. Singer Matthew Bellamy’s vocals are dynamic and powerful and I just can’t get enough Muse. Black Holes and Revelations is a nearly perfect record from beginning to end. The only real blemish here is the band’s unfortunate connection with the Twilight series but I can’t blame them for that, it is good money. Stand out songs include: Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia and Take a Bow.

03. Nine Inch Nails-With Teeth (2005)

Many of my break ups over the years have had their soundtracks furnished by Nine Inch Nails. I am not alone in having my dark and brooding years sored by NIN and my pain only understood by Trent Reznor. All of his albums have helped me through some depressing break up or another but in this With Teeth is unique. The album itself is mostly about a post-sobriety Trent dealing with reality for the first time in years. For me, it took on a special meaning. I didn’t have a drinking problem to recover from but I was stuck in a massive rut in my life living day to day in abject and futile misery. Tracks like “Every Day is Exactly the Same” had major resonance in my life and I would literally cry listening to the CD on the way to work. My life was a rather soul-crushing affair at the time and once again, only Trent seemed to understand. This album remains a reliable barometer of my sense of satisfaction in life. When I pop it in and start to tear up I know I am in trouble. Thankfully, lately, I just appreciate the awesome music and potent vocals. Stand out songs include: Every Day Is Exactly the Same, Right Where It Belongs and Beside You in Time.

02. Chevelle-Wonder What’s Next (2002)

For a long time I have called Chevelle my favorite band that is still together but now that Faith No More has reformed I have to come up with something different. Regardless, Chevelle is one of my very favorite bands and their second album Wonder What’s Next was instrumental in my dealing with my first divorce. Just about the whole album is a massive catharsis for me and when I told them how much it had meant to me while dealing with my divorce, the band was very nice to me and that made me feel even better. It is easy to support a band that has treated you right both personally and musically. Every track on the album helped me deal from the pained and angry opening in “Family System” to the melancholy final song “Am I Alone in Here.” The answer to that question for me, of course, was ‘yes, very much so’ and just the ability to commiserate with the sentiment really helped. Now if only they had a song on there that dealt with not immediately marrying the crazy woman just because she is all up on your nuts and moving the fuck to Arkansas I would have been sound as a pound. Stand out songs include: Family System, Comfortable Liar, Closure, and Send the Pain Below.

01. Los Campesinos!- We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (2008)

Los Campesinos! is an incredible band. Labeled Twee, a designation they don’t care for, Los Campesinos! is a seven piece band with an insane array of instruments and the most energetic and engaging music I have ever heard. Taking a page from the beach boys, Los Camps specializes in happy sounding music with dark and often angry lyrics. Hailing from Cardiff, Wales the band has been prolific in its short life span releasing two albums in 2008 with a third due out in February of 2010. The second of these is We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. There are those who contend that Hold On Now Youngster is the superior album and it is a solid argument given the quality of the tracks but I am partial to We Are Beautiful even though the band itself considers it an EP. Every song on the record is magical and the lyrics are brilliant from top to bottom. Utilizing both a male and female singer (Gareth and Alecks Campesinos) the songs have an incredible depth to them both vocally and musically. The number of instruments used is staggering and the sound is a brilliant mess that comes together in an astounding way. Seeing them live is an experience that should also not be missed as they are every bit dynamic and engaging on stage as they are on the recording. Los Camps is just a fun band and the darkness in the lyrics is just icing on an already delicious cake. The title track alone has some of my favorite lyrics ever, some of which include: ‘I taught myself the only way to vaguely get along in love, is to love the other slightly less than you get in return, I keep feeling like I’m being under-cut’ and ‘By the light of the LED display of the VCR recorder, you kiss my neck, I whisper in my ear, this is my downfall as you squint and you grimace, we both know your heart’s not in it’ and ‘And you feel terrified at the thought of being left behind, of losing everybody, the necessity of dying, oh we kid ourselves there’s future in the fucking but there is no fucking future, I’m just practicing my accents picking at old sutures.’ There is more but I would end up putting up the whole song. Just a brilliant album from a brilliant band. Stand out songs include: We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, You’ll Need Those Fingers for Crossing, Ways to Make it Through the Wall and the End of the Asterisk.

So there it is. As always if you want to comment, feel free to do so below and share you lists as well.