Top Albums Of T'Thousands 70-61

70. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee [4AD - 2002]

A couple move into a house on Southwood Plantation Road in Tallahassee, Florida. The house is falling apart, representing their crumbling marriage. So is the premise for one of the most fully realised records John Darnielle has ever written. The rustic nature of the album's setting in the American deep south is clear for all to see through lyrical refrains telling of nature and wildlife in a dilapidated country house. As always, Darnielle is at his best when exploring the relationships between his characters. Singing "Our love is like the border between Greece and Albania" on 'International Small Arms Traffic Blues', Darnielle creates a level of depth and intimacy in his fictional creations that consistently staggers expectations. Listen to this story, and watch a marriage crumble, but still with a small seed of hope barely visible in its centre.

69. My Brightest Diamond - Bring Me The Workhorse [Asthmatic Kitty - 2006]

Shara Worden's world is one of late night art house, candelabra and inner thunder. Her voice is a revelation, the inherent passion in her raw and powerful vocal performances seems to come from the very pit of her stomach. In Bring Me The Workhorse, Worden crafts an enigmatic, female figure equally seductive and fierce. From the delicate imagery of 'Dragonfly' to the sheer belly-fire present in the closing moments of 'Golden Star', Worden shows both sides of an incredibly versatile musical repertoire. At the core of this record, you find her, alone and vulnerable with the music her only protective shell. Worden is an undeniable talent, not only writing but producing the whole album herself. A lyrical maelstrom tiptoeing between dark cabaret and damaged soul singer, mesmerising and intoxicating.

68. Emilíana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman [Rough Trade - 2005]

"I hope again to live this life, to see you once more before I died," these are the words Emilíana Torrini seems to whisper into your ear in the final seconds of 'Snow'. This is delicate Icelandic folk poetry, you can almost hear the wind rustle over these gentle, swaying arrangements. Strange sounds can be heard resting just behind the music lending it a natural and improvised feel, with which the oft-finger picked guitars blend so well. Torrini's voice is constantly lovable, you can just imagine yourself walking out of the cold and into a warm, firelit room to discover Torrini, the fisherman's woman, serenading you, offering you a warm bowl of soup and nursing you away from weariness.


67. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells [Sympathy For The Record Industry - 2001]

Few albums in recent years have had quite the impact that White Blood Cells did on its release in 2001. Along with The Strokes' Is This It, it was largely responsible for the garage rock revival at the turn of the century. And there are plenty of reasons on this record why, 16 reasons to be precise. Across the 16 tracks on this album, Jack and Meg White create some of the most addictive garage and blues-tinged indie rock of recent times. From the country sing-along of 'Hotel Yorba' to the darker, pulsating 'Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground', from indie crossover hit 'Fell In Love With A Girl' to the virtually schizophrenic Orson Welles tribute 'The Union Forever': This is one of the best cover to cover listens of recent times, Jack White's songwriting would never get better.

66. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven [Kranky - 2000]

There aren't many more records more suited to be the soundtrack to the end of the world than Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven. Radio static and sampled distant voices collide with cathartic bursts of noise and marching funeral dirges before falling into drawn out ambient piano figures. The whole spectrum of human emotion is seemingly laid out across this album's overlapping movements. Being more like a symphony than a traditional rock or pop album structurally has somehow allowed this record to become a far more uplifting and massive feat. If this is the music for the end of the world then at least when the rapture does come, there'll be at least one thing I won't have to worry about.

65. Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance [Matador - 2003]

Yet another band to form from the volcanic hotbed of creativity around short-lived Seattle math rock band Sharks Keep Moving, Pretty Girls Make Graves (PGMG) are one of many notable alumni of this most influential of bands. Along with Minus The Bear and The Blood Brothers, PGMG rose from the still smouldering embers of Sharks Keep Moving to leave a distinctive stamp on the indie landscape. With their magnum opus The New Romance, PGMG created a ferocious set of songs which were still incredibly dancey. Andrea Zollo brings a fiery punk attitude to a soundscape of off-kilter drums, interlocking twanging guitars and piercing electronics. Fierce and powerful, they will be missed.

64. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass [Matador - 2006]

There aren't many bands capable of weaving intimate tales like Hoboken alternative legends Yo La Tengo. Yet in recent times, serious questions could be placed over the bands ability to keep things fresh after such a long time together. What I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass did was remind Yo La Tengo's extremely left of centre followers that they were still incredibly relevant and there was definite reason for Matador's unwavering support of the band. Guitar freakout bliss is evident from monumental opener 'Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind.' This is then counter-balanced by wonderful indie pop gems 'Beanbag Chair' and 'Mr Tough', as well as fuzzy ambient sweetness in 'I Feel Like Going Home.' That's just the first four songs, discover the rest and be rejuvenated.

63. Nina Nastasia - Dogs [Socialist - 2000]

Ah, the romance of the struggling musician, saved by their own music. It's a tale that's been being told since folk musicians were wandering here and there with only their trusty acoustic guitars for company. The year is 2000, and Nina Nastasia is a little known New York based singer-songwriter. Her debut record is initially largely unrecognised, that is until a copy finds its way to John Peel, courtesy of Steve Albini. Peel instantly falls in love with the record, describing it as "Astonishing" and repeatedly plays it on his radio show, earning Nastasia countless new fans. The rest as they say, is history. Dogs is an album that deserves every positive accord it receives. Nastasia is one of America's finest songwriters of recent times, from the ice-laden chamber pop of 'Judy's In The Sandbox' to the beautifully detached 'Stormy Weather', this record will haunt you but ultimately become a wonderful friend to you aswell.

62. Built To Spill - Ancient Melodies Of The Future [Warner - 2001]

On first impression, this may seem like standard indie fare. Band with seemingly quirky name release album with incredibly ostentatious title. This is not the case with this record however. From the wonderfully warm intro track 'Strange' which features Quasi's Sam Coomes and his trademark instrument, the Rocksichord, this album never disappoints. It does, to a certain extent, do exactly what it says on the tin. It supplies you with forty minutes of joyous, fuzzy, messy indie rock that is both uplifting and mind-bending. Will these be the ancient melodies that are remembered in the future? The legacy left behind by Built To Spill is already monumental, and if they don't get the recognition they deserve in the future, then I'd rather be ancient and closer to this.

61. Deerhoof - Reveille [Kill Rock Stars - 2002]

Reveille in French means to wake up. It is also the name given to a military bugle call, hence the horns adorning the cover. If any album on this list is going to wake you up this is certainly the one. This is Deerhoof at their very best, disturbing minds and creating some of the strangest musical juxtapositions you'll ever see. Note: The deflated clown horn on 'Sound The Alarm' clashing into the Sonic Youth styled guitars that immediately follow on 'This Magnificent Bird Will Rise'. Over the top is one of the most enduring elements of Deerhoof's work, Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals are playful and shrill, cute and terrifying. Stark extremities are somehow mixed into a sugar-fuelled, hyperactive mess of addictive pop melodies and ultimate noise terrorism. Reveille is certainly an eye-opener and it really ought to wake you up.

Top Albums Of T'Thousands 80-71

80. Film School - Film School [Beggars Banquet - 2006]

Shoegaze is the music of dreams. It is inherent in the DNA of the genre, the ethereal nature of the guitar and vocal sounds just lend to a blurry atmosphere that makes one reminisce of the otherworldly landscapes of their dreams. What Film School did for the shoegaze movement was to drag it kicking and screaming back down to Earth and onto the living, breathing streets of downtown New York. The dreamy nature of the music is still there but it has been ruptured with a sense of urban isolation and paranoid realism that brings modern life to the fore. Lurking around every dark corner of this record is another hook to keep you coming back and roaming these streets at night.


79. Oxford Collapse - Bits [Sub Pop - 2008]

What a shame that Bits, the final release from Brooklyn indie rockers Oxford Collapse, would turn out to be the finest record they'd ever make. After years spent releasing little known gems on a plethora of indie labels, the lo-fi fanatics moved into the big leagues by signing to Sub Pop in 2006. What followed were two albums of sheer, noisy joy, the latter of which, Bits, seemed like the summation of what they were building towards. Thirteen nuggets of messy but mesmerising indie basement rock. Pick up without a second thought and soak up the good vibes they are sadly no longer beaming on out into the world.



78. Feist - Let It Die [Arts & Crafts - 2004]

The first lady of Canadian indie, ladies and gentlemen, Leslie Feist. On her second release Feist mixes elements of indie rock, bossa nova and jazz to create one of the most eclectic records in recent times. The years of experience gained from performing with bands such as Broken Social Scene is clearly noticeable on Let It Die, largely down to the huge jump in quality from 1999's Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down). Single 'Mushaboom' is undeniably one of the most infectious pop songs you're ever likely to hear. Be warned though, you may just fall in love with this women.



77. Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time [Sub Pop - 2006]

From its very first moments this record crashes its way into your mind, casting aside everything there and replacing it with a childlike sense of wonder. Drums crash and guitars chime building into dense, emotion laden walls of sound that leave nothing behind. The ten songs on this album tell cinematic, picturesque stories of love and loss. It may sound somewhat clichéd but this is just one of those records that deserve these sentiments, it will wrap you up in its frosty sound and imagery and keep you there as long as you please.




76. Portishead - Third [Island - 2008]

This was something I thought I'd never see, Portishead coming back with new material, and whats more, it is consistently enthralling throughout. Beth Gibbons can still lure you in with her distinctively icy yet simultaneously seductive voice, caressing you into a stupor. The dark nature of Portishead's music is still there with a mood of isolation dominating the 50 minutes of the album. This is a record that deserves to be held in as high regard as the band's 90s releases. It is without a doubt one of the most startlingly genuine and original releases of the last ten years.



75. Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only [Domino - 2005]

A certain trend-setting indie magazine (read rag) once reviewed this album as "More vital than haemoglobin." Is this statement really apt? Treading a fine line between indie rock, dance punk and robo-metal breakdowns, this is one of the most innovative records you will ever hear. It sounds like the living, breathing embodiment of London teen nightlife at the midpoint of the decade, mashing every edge of the capital's music scene into one big deformity. Like many deformities however, it is strangely beautiful. Thrilling, horrifically original and yes, if you wanted to be hip at the time, "More vital than haemoglobin."



74. TV On The Radio - Dear Science [4AD - 2008]

"Dear Science, please start solving problems and curing diseases or shut the fuck up." So said David Sitek in a note left during the recording of this very album, hence its title. This record really brings the groove to healing vibes. No, it's not a new-age, self help record but a warming reminder of musical creativity at the start of a new century. Dark beats allow slick basslines and fuzzy synths to create an atmosphere of smokey funk that Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malones' vocals just seem to complete. It's otherworldly and alien but ultimately rewarding and heartwarming without losing any of its groove. It won't be curing any diseases but Sitek's technical wizardry is giving science a run for its money.


73. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief [Parlophone - 2003]

2 + 2 = 5? "Freedom is the freedom to say 2 + 2 = 4." Opening with a track loosely based around 1984 by George Orwell seems incredibly fitting for Radiohead. The album's intro comes across as one huge explosion of the sort of angst few can produce like Thom Yorke, and this time it's heading straight at the totalitarian governments of the 21st century. George Bush, terrorism, the Iraq war (see the album cover), all are lambasted here. This is vintage Radiohead from start to finish, following on from the explosive intro, there's the lunar atmospherics of 'Sail To The Moon' through to the dark synth led beat of 'Myxomatosis'. This is a band that truly cannot take a step wrong, proving why they are perhaps the most innovative band of the last decade.

72. Joanna Newsom - Ys [Drag City - 2006]

An undisputedly grand gesture from one of the more interesting female folksters of recent years. Almost an hour long and yet comprising only 5 songs, Ys finds Joanna Newsom creating epic, lush arrangements of the sort of forest folk she is known for. Newsom's trademark harp sound is here for all to see. Only this time it is pitted against a backdrop of numerous orchestral accompaniments. What this does is create a dynamic plateau for Newsom's forest imp like voice to run across, telling stories of pastoral imagery that create a wonderfully rustic but beautiful atmosphere. A truly bedazzling hour of music that will leave you spellbound and running around in mother nature just as you did when you were a child.

71. The For Carnation - The For Carnation [Touch & Go - 2000]

Never judge a book by it's cover. In my mind, this has always been a statement that's been fairly questionable. What are the two primary colours you see on the sleeve of The For Carnation's self-titled LP? Black and blue. This is visually at least, the summation of this record. Black and blue, dark but sombre. Slow grooves unravel themselves over lengthy phrases clouded in a smokey haze. Vocals are whispered (what would you expect from former Slint vocalist Brian McMahon..), arrangements are sparse and the outlook is bleak. This is quiet desperation but also bitter resentment. When McMahon simply says: "My days of seeing you are done." on intro track 'Emp. Man's Blues' you can really feel the man distancing himself from everything and losing himself in the music's dark and haunting undercurrents.