Alex's decade list

The 25 albums I most consistently reach for (click at, in these crazy modern times?) no matter how many times I've heard them. Everything on here I would happily play at any time regardless of mood. All album name links go to a good example via YouTube of why the album's worth listening to. All recaps kept to tweet length because I could go on and on about all of these. For the visually inclined, my favorites from the YouTube videos follow the entries.


25. Handsome Boy Modeling School: White People - An insane collection of talent used to great effect. Even makes me enjoy Jack Johnson and John Oates. The De La, Casual & Del tracks shine.

24. Ghostface Killah: Supreme Clientele - Ghost makes up for several years of Clan oversaturation with the Wu banger LP of the decade.

23. Soulive: Doin' Something - Snappy jazz funk elevated by hip-hop feels, like Tribe Called Quest tribute "Shaheed." Fred Wesley shows what horns should sound like.

22. Morphine: The Night - Sad and beautiful, a poignant posthumous note for the band to end on.

21. Zero 7: Simple Things - As lush and chill as albums come. Mellow late-night perfection.

20. Loveage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By - Innuendo at its max, A+ beats and fantastic vox. Shoves trip-hop somewhere sultry, sexy, sleazy, dirty, creepy. In a fun way.

19. Air: Virgin Suicides soundtrack - At times sinister, at times touchingly sweet. Air showing their versatility on an incredible soundtrack.

18. The Sword: Age of Winters - Riff after riff after riff... all sick.

17. Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet: Requiem for a Dream soundtrack - The story replicated musically. An amazing score. Harrowing yet enjoyable.

16. Quasimoto: The Further Adventures of Lord Quas - High-pitched raps and odd ball production from Madlib that somehow works. Has a blaxploitation movie soundtrack vibe.

15. Deltron 3030: Deltron 3030 - Tomorrow's raps today. Another brilliant Automator concept album and Del's finest showcase. The future is dope.

14. Madvillain: Madvillainy - Two geniuses at the top of their game. One of many hip-hop classics from Madlib, MF DOOM and Stones Throw in the aughts.

13. Ween: White Pepper - Their last great album with 12 slick, diverse songs, from the sludge of "The Grobe" to the lovey morning of "Stay Forever."

12. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Robots - Handily reversed my opinion of the Lips. A strong mixture of silliness and earnestness.

11. System of a Down: Toxicity - Responsible for more car rocking than any album ever. I put in much time mastering "Chop Suey!" harmonies in the pre-Beatles Rock Band era.

10. Gorillaz - Gorillaz: Trip-hop evolved. Top notch song writing and production. More Automator magic plus Albarn excellence.

9. MF DOOM: Mm..food - Elite wordplay focused on food and tremendous, innovative beats. Sample-based skits that impress.

8. Tortoise with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: The Bold and the Brave - Best cover album ever. Their "Thunder Road" is my track of the decade. Amazing reimaginings of songs by Elton John, R. Thompson, DEVO, etc.

7. Tool: Lateralus - Proving "math rock" needn't be a slur. Fibonacci FTW

6. Cannibal Ox: The Cold Vein - A masterpiece. El-P in top production form and two great storytellers turning in the best indie hip-hop LP in a decade chock full of them.

5. Radiohead: Kid A - Obviously I'm not alone on loving this album.

4. Mastodon: Leviathan - Lives up to its Moby Dick whale of a theme, thrashing you sea beast style. Killer riffs and unhinged drumming in a cohesive package.

3. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins: Rabbit Fur Coat - Incredible. Soulful songs bolstered by beautiful harmonies. I still can't stop listening.

2. Mr. Lif: I Phantom - BLif's flow in top form. Great storytelling with a variety of producers turning in one dope track after another. An all time hip-hop fav.

1. Queens of the Stone Age: Rated R - Deceptively complex rock that surprises me after a decade of steady listening. Even the 9-min psychedelic closer is enthralling. The best.