albums of the decade - 33. The National - Alligator

33. The National - Alligator (2005)

People will throw recommendations all over the place at everyone and most of them will stink. Sometimes ears prick up and once in a lifetime a suggestion will hit the spot just like Sudocrem. One not-so-gentle-gent I know put this CD in my direction in York one day in late 2006 and I was wary, not of him like I am of his play-fights, but of something I'd never considered listening to. Why then, when I take pride in getting out the comfort zone in many things in life, could I not apply this attitude in accepting a band that's absolutely suited to fit? It's all here: abstract lyrics, sizzling energy, various shifts in tone and mood, layered guitars, a voice that's been drinking and an outlook that contains a wallop of wit. One of the songs of the decade is contained within, in the form of 'Mr. November' which punches President Bush in his silly face in a fast, spiky track with great words: "I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders" is one line, that fits in with the bragging nature of the biggest calamity ever known to mankind. There's plenty more where that came from too, way too much to mention, and now I recommend this to you.

albums of the decade - 34. Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World

34. Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World (2001)

Some of the loopiest shit ever. This shit should save the world. This shit should be played to all the boys and girls. This futuristic sounding album puts the beams around the world. It's not the end of the world. This album means the world. This album is one of the best things in the world ever. This album contains some of the best and loopiest songs ever like 'Juxtaposed With U' in which they tried to get Brian Harvey from East 17 to guest on but he refused HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Exc. 'It's Not The End Of The World'

"When you fall asleep
Before the end of the day
You start to worry

Like when the taxi comes
To take you away
When you're in no hurry

Yet as our hair turns white
All the stars still shine so bright, above
At least...

...It's not the end of the world"

albums of the decade - 35. Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy

35. Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy (2000)

I don't know many that have been through the turmoil that Mark E. Everett has. If you read his stellar autobiography Things The Grandchildren Should Know you will get a sense of surrealism at the sheer amount of people - not just his family - that fall dead around him, it's almost like black humour the way he tackles it in his writing, and at times in his music too. 'Daisies Of The Galaxy' best captures the bottom line of the book, in that we have to make the most out of all the shit we have been through and it's incredibly upbeat and joyous compared to his previous two LP's 'Beautiful Freak' and 'Electroshock Blues.' Picking a favourite Eels album is like picking the cutest animal or a favourite country, there are quite a lot of goodies to choose from. He's as good as Johnny Cash and I know that's a bold statement. This is maybe not the most affecting, but it's extremely sunny and took one of the most underrated bands of all time onto a brilliant, new level.

albums of the decade - 37. Hjaltalin - The Sleepdrunk Sessions

36. Hjaltalin - The Sleepdrunk Sessions (2008)

To see a band grow from a seed into a tree is amazing. The autumn of 2008 in Reykjavik, Iceland and I was sent to review Hjaltalin at the Airwaves Music festival. I felt that their use of brass was great compared to Benni Hemm Hemm and that the band had potential to shine in the future. I didn't expect such a fast development but after seeing them twice just a few months later in Brighton and getting incredibly drunk at a houseparty with them, it was clear how became clear that things were less laboured, that they have more fun on stage and had become so tight together that their live shows were mega and mesmerising. This debut record too captures the feeling of summer magic and being young. It has a fairytale like quality that's absent in a lot of modern music and is the best sleepily great album since Mercury Rev's 'All Is Dream.'

albums of the decade - 36. TV on The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

37. TV on The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (2006)

In which TV On The Radio cemented themselves as one of the most forward thinking bands around, along with Radiohead and Sigur Ros. 'Return To Cookie Mountain' was a great vocal band going a bit rough around the edges, opening with the lyric "I was a lover before this war" in 'I Was A Lover'. As the album title suggests, this was one grand new journey in which atmosphere and texture split out from every which way from the speakers as another line summed up the sentiment "Love is a province for the brave" in 'Province' which nicely included David Bowie. In my hyper little blog over on Livejournal, I listed this as my favourite record of 2006 and here is how I felt at the time:

"The vocals are just one element of the incredible sound aesthetic that Tunde Adebimpe and company pull off here in a beautiful execution. It's not until the clarinet comes in, in the stunning 'Tonight' though that you know that one of the best records of the decade has been signed, sealed and delivered. Well and truly top of the rocks"

albums of the decade - 38. Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light

38. Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light (2009)

Most Christmas music is shit but there are a few good ones from The Pogues, Eels and Grandaddy. I don't feel I have to listen to Christmas music to feel christmassy either. 'The Crying Light' is rich and sumptuous like delicious dark chocolate and every time listened to, it feels like deep indulgence, much like the festive season itself. Antony divides a lot of opinion, I've heard people saying that his voice is too forced, that his singing is too wet, or that he's a bit strange. I reject these accusations. His voice is an instrument and all singing voices are modified to sound a certain way. His voice isn't wet or dry, it's just a bit damp. And, nah he's not a clone, those are the ones that are weird. As for his third LP with the Johnsons, I feel it's more expanded in quality and diversity than 'I Am A Bird Now,' which though justifiably took a lot of plaudits midway through the decade, the artist really made his presence felt at the end of it, when we were awaiting and not hyping him so much.

albums of the decade - 39. The Strokes - Is This It

39. The Strokes - Is This It (US Version) (2001)

Everything. From the great ambiguity of lacking a question mark in the title, to a culturally groundbreaking band, to dressing the kids like they used to dress yesterday, to the lo-fi, tinny recording, to thinking I was king of the world on a speedboat with 'The Modern Age' playing in my head, to seeing The Strokes play 5 days before this came out in the UK and meeting Julian, Fabio and Nick to dancing nearly 100 times to 'Someday' in Indie discos, to been the perfect band to grow up to, to experience teen angst to, to winning NME's album of the decade and everything, everything, everything and they were to get even better still.