LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

10. Norah Jones - Come Away with Me (2002)


Okay I'll readily admit that this is a bit horrifying as it might sound, especially when it is coming from me but, when is the last time an album makes you feel sexy when you listen to it? Sexy as in not 'on heat' but sexy as in 'at complete ease with yourself, physically and mentally'. Just give up already because there can only be one record for the entire last decade that can properly make you feel so - Norah Jones' debut Come Away with Me.

This talented, based-in-America, piano-playing daughter of the great sitar player Ravi Shankar has one of the most breath-taking voice pop music has ever heard. (Mirah is the other but she's not mainstream material) Couple that fact with sultry piano, groove-heavy bass, the occasional tinge of electric guitar, and the almost teasing swooning croon of Jones' spanning across 45 minutes of ultimate bliss makes this album almost heavenly. Her materials in this album may not be entirely jazz, where traces of country, folk, and soul can also be found, but the whole delivery, and especially her husky voice and the smoky feel touch to the production sways it into one direction, creating what has then become contemporary jazz.

Jones switches from being laid-back ("Don't Know Why") to groovy ("Cold, Cold Heart") to sensual ("Come Away with Me") with such ease that the transition from one track to the other feels like one continuous tapestry of human warmth only found in intimacy of a company of friends or a lover. The amiable nature of the album will soothe you while Jones' singing will seduce you, enticing you gently. Through and through, this album is very elegant as a whole package.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

11. Deftones - White Pony (2000)


Question: what would you do if you're in a band, and your band has released the breakthrough record of your entire career two years ago, and now in the process of writing a follow-up? Would you: a) write something of a similar vein, trying to maintain the momentum, or b) write something that nobody quite expected, and go for broke? If you're from Sacramento, California and your band's name is mentioned in the same breath with Korn and Limp Bizkit, then the obvious answer would've been B.

Riding high from the release of 1997's Around the Fur, Deftones had been tasked with a seemingly insurmountable burden of expectation of coming up with a release that would top, what was, and actually still is, Deftones' career defining album. What resulted from it then not surprisingly crippled the band to its core, leaving them frantically in search of any focal direction to head to; and then White Pony was born.

The title, which is a reference to cocaine, pretty much sums up the whole feel of the album - though the core of Deftones is still there, it all sounds very much subdued and mellowed out as if the whole band, and the listener, is on a trip. They no longer sound like a totally badass rap rock band they once were in the 1997 release but instead they have gone soft, they have gone mellow. Sounds terrible but actually no; and this is the genius (and magic) of Chino Moreno.

For one, the attitude is still there (somewhere), like for instance when the album kicks off with a spirited 'announcement' of "fuck off" which opens up "Feiticeira". Then the blow was smoothen out throughout the entire album with Moreno crooning emphatically to almost all the eleven tracks, saving for two tracks where he did get to rip his vocal chord off (in "Elite" and "Korea"). It was a trademark sound that fans and listeners alike has been acquainted with since day one but is now stamped all over the album, marking its existence for the foreseeable future. This album then is the template in which all their future releases, and, I have to stress this, most especially 2010's superbly brilliant Diamond Eyes, is based on. Make of that what you will but that means that this album is the grand daddy.

If that fact alone is not badass enough then you know that you're not a proper Deftones fan. And "fuck off" to those who argued that Deftones sounded just like Limp Bizkit and Korn because they're not. Limp Bizkit is just a bunch of potty-mouthed posers who were very good on their first album, still good on the second album, but then completely irrelevant from there onwards. While Korn is just a washed-up deluded has-beens right after their first album. But of course we're talking about depth of musical ability here.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

12. Silverchair - Young Modern (2007)


There were a lot of things happened in 2007, chief among which I was in love, Radiohead released their next studio album on the internet which I got mine for free (well, they GAVE the option and I don't have a credit card), and then I fell out of love. Somewhere along the line, Silverchair released their fifth studio album, Young Modern, which somehow at the time I couldn't care less about it, and now I couldn't figure out why. Probably something about their first leading single "Straight Line", but even that I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps it was about Johns' new image which I thought looked gay, but then I digress.

Johns once said in an interview that Silverchair is only begun to be after the release of their difficult third album, Neon Ballroom. It was a heck of an album released on the cusp of the new millennium. It was stark raving mad adventurous and bite the spiny thorns of a hedgehog eclectic. I remembered after the whole bombast died out from my cheap walkman, my brain had melted entirely and is oozing out from my ears like a hot lava flowing out from Mount Pinatubo. It has got to be one of the most important record ever released to mark the dawn of the new millennium, which is turning out to be as mental as the album is.

Silverchair, when they first broke out into the scene, they were no more than just a bunch of 15-year-olds with access to musical instruments and lots of teenage angst went unchecked. Originally a knock-off of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, as the boys turns to fully grown-up men, in twelve years' time up to before the release of their last studio album, we have seen how their musical ability and stylistics has changed and evolved by leaps and bounds that only a true genius is capable of. And that evolution has finally reached its most critical point with this 2007 release. I'm afraid of using the term 'complete' here because their next release might surprise us even further.

Their previous two releases, and most especially the operatic progressive post-grunge 1999 release, though became the milestone in which the Australian three piece embarked on a sonic excursion, both was an uneven affair because they are still being peppered here and there with traces of their old root, the Seattle sound. In this latest album however, the band had come into full circle and settled down well and completely into a whole new stratosphere of muse. And this is no more apparent than in Johns' writings and singing.

What is pretty apparent from the get go (opened with the jittery pseudo dance "Young Modern Station") is that the old cries of a discontented heart has been replaced with one of a young, energetic, full of wits and charm, and wiser character. There is no longer songs that 'screams' at you, but now replaced with an assuring voice that murmurs at you softly, as if almost playful. Then, to make things even more interesting is that this voice is no longer backed by distorted guitar strummed on simple chords but furnished by a flurry of discordant orchestra, played out by a host of cherubs with their little fluttery wings, having a messy jam of ridiculous childishness. There are strings instruments falling at every place at a disorganized pace and tempo, leaving behind a complex symmetry of tune, but it's not a cacophony. This album, with its spectacular orchestra bombast, sounds huge enough for a giant concert in Heaven, but also complex enough to relegate its status as chamber music.

Never has a pop album (yes, this IS pop) sounds as ambitious and bombastic as how this master of pop music craftsmanship has successfully created.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

13. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)


Sometimes what makes this life beautiful (or at least bearable, to some) is when we are able to sit down and retrospect what we have gone through and done so far. It is that moment of startling clarity which is no less magical than when you first fell in love - it is a moment when we are completely at ease with ourselves and the world around us, and are aware of little things that are as significant as those that can be seen. I'm spewing nonsensical thoughts here but this is how Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism sounds like.

It's a very poetic (no, poignant) album. It feels like eating the Choclairs - you have the hard candy shell on the outside and the warm, melt chocolate oozing in the inside. It warms you on the inside and tugs at your heart. It is an album for the romantics, for those who are in and out of love - it is an album that celebrates the cause of what brings us together as a species. I am running out of proper words to explain this album really because you only have to listen to the album in order to properly appreciate it. But I'll sign off with one word though to pretty much sum up what this album sounds and feels like when I listen to it: brilliant.

Go and buy it now and listen to it, and you'll understand what romantic is.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

14. Muse - Origin of Symmetry (2001)


One day in some distant future, perhaps you can tell one lore of the Rawkdom about one band who were very good when they were imitating someone else but went absolute horrendous once they stopped trying. That lore, ladies and gentlemen, is of a British art rock band called Muse, or also can be known as the more sophisticated and flattering copy of Radiohead, and that moment when they were best remembered is in 2001 with this release: Origin of Symmetry.

Perhaps I was being a bit too sarcastic with that point but consider this that it is kind of funny to see that this Devon outfit was at the top of their game when they were copying a band who are desperately not wanting to sound like themselves. OS, as how we shall refer to this album from here onwards, was released at the time when Radiohead had went too complicated. Well, perhaps it was a good time for the band as they fully capitalized on the situation where fans the world over are still clamoring for a OKC-styled rawk album and released an epic 52 minutes worth of grandiose and indulgent art rock record. And perhaps it was an intelligent career move for a band who are only just about to burst into the mainstream consciousness as these group of listeners start to flock over to the three-piece band.

But what is certain though is that irregardless of when and in what sort of state of affair this album was released in, it is a masterpiece. From the swirling piano opener of "New Born" to the anxious-sounding jittery breakout of "Space Dementia" to the 'hyper' "Hyper Music", there is enough of recondite and exuberant rocking material in here to warrant its status as one of the finest rock record ever released in modern time. It is no more a Gordian record than the fore-mentioned OKC but all superfluous nevertheless. It's just sad though that Muse from then onwards went on to release two frankly rubbish records as they look to evolve and reinvent themselves from the dreaded tag of Radiohead copy, venturing deep into the murky field of electronic prog pop, making a complete joke of themselves. Because otherwise they were brilliant as a pompous and vainglorious guitar-based band.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

15. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)


Later towards the end of the year I would like to come up with an award called "The Honorary Genuine Mind Zine's Moment of Brain Meltdown's Band With Ridiculously Long Name Award" and this Texan destroyer would be in the running for it. In fact, I can't think of any other band with such ridiculously long name that I think... oh wait, yeah we have Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso Underground Freak Out. Well, we shall wait until the usual end-of-year feature made it on this blog. But joking about the band's name aside, we have a serious business here, because AYWKUBTTOD (damn...) is serious business.

Making their shift from the small-time indie label Merge to the major player Interscope I suspect must have its effect on the band. In the years building up to the release of this landmark record in 2002, the band has been steadily making name in the indie circle as a furiously destructive act during live shows. It is this kind of raw and brash energy that depicts best Trail of Dead's music - they are highly volatile, aggressive, and intimately complex. Sounds shit but because their music is built upon foundations of intricate guitar layers, the complexity only surfaces when you listen closely to it.

However, despite the sheer raucous showcase that they put out on this album, Source Tags & Codes surprisingly sounds well-mannered and literate. It doesn't jump out onto you and tear off your face; it doesn't attack you like a vicious animal, despite the explosive opener "It Was There That I See You". This album is more like a distant uncle that you knew who lives in the forest and works as hunter and a grave digger and has a strange hobby of decorating the walls of his house with the skeletons of animals that he has killed before. And every time you meet him you'll be engorged in this feeling of shit-in-your-pants fear and respect towards him. You will think of him as either an absolute badass, or an absolutely kickass amazing badass.

This album then is one of the most badass record that humanity have heard of in the last decade; but not as badass as this certain record which will make an appearance higher up the list. Be rest assured though that you won't shit in your pants when you give this album a spin. Because what you'll hear instead is 46 minutes of how awesomeness sounds like.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

16. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)


Let's forget OK Computer for a while and look at all the releases that this Oxford graduates has offered the world all throughout last decade and I bet you many (and probably I should add: most) music critics will say that 2000's Kid A is Radiohead's best album of all. I call that bullshit. The pseudo indie electronic album has got to be one of the most over-hyped album in the history of rock music. And, not to mention that once, this album was regarded by many to be Radiohead's most irrelevant record. Well, irrelevant in the sense that it came hot off the heels of the most important rock record for a generation. The immense anticipation from fans worldwide was greeted with a bemusing bewilderment - a rock band has gone techno? But the amazing thing is the album clicked with its audience; or specifically, Radiohead audience. It didn't draw jeers or criticism from them, instead they loved it and embraced this whole new paradigm for this highly talented unit. Classic Hallmark moment.

But when it comes to being in this list as 30 of the best albums for the entire decade, Kid A doesn't even hold a candle close enough to In Rainbows. What sets this 2007 release apart from its crafty elder sister is the consistency found in substance, depth, style, mood, and delivery. Thom Yorke is well known for his astute and insightful lyrics, and not reducing himself to repeating catchphrases over and over again, this album reveals his lyrical muscle in its finest glory. It's an album that is rich with expression that covers on so many aspect of the human emotion and psyche, it could cover the entire universe up to its littlest details.

Radiohead also is well-known for mood, or atmosphere in their songs. All their previous releases has all been about self-alienation, self-doubt, and self-confusion, and hence their mood tends to drift towards the gloom and doom. But in this, Thom for once had a clear view and a clear mind. He's no longer complaining about something rather open-heartedly accept the quagmire that he is in (well try to look at this in a fictitious way). This time they are no longer expressed in cryptic and symbolical words but in a very honest manner. Thus, because of this openness in Thom's lyric, the songs are now more self-assured. It wants to be heard. It doesn't stray far and into the farthest stretch of the human psyche but it stays firmly rooted to the ground. It doesn't go flying madly into lofty heights but rather soars gently so as not to let anyone fall down.

Then there is the matter with the format in which this album was first released: digital. This may not make that much logic to readers of today but in the near future, the digital format will be the commonly accepted format for music. The days of physical format are numbered and soon, we will see the compact disc will go the way of the vinyl record of today in which its purpose is as a collector's item. Radiohead made this album available on their website on any price the buyer is willing to pay for, then a few months later released the same album in CD format. Straight away you know - the CD has been relegated to the status of a historical relic. Sadly enough though, this may mean that people in the distant future will remember this album not for its amazing content, but for effectively killing the CD.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

17. Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)


Now, if you're thinking somewhere along the line of "why?", then my definite response to that would be "why not". This Danish dream pop innovator has got to be one of the more under-appreciated acts in recent memory, mainly because they have helped created a new genre (albeit). Although their output so far throughout the last decade may have been somewhat a little patchy, to say the least, they however managed to get it right (and in fact brilliantly right) with this one, And the Glass Handed Kites.

What set this record apart from their other releases is the bravery that can be heard permeating throughout the album; living up to their status as an innovative band, they broke new ground (or new frontier) with sounds that can only be described as adventurous and thrilling. Adventurous can best be described by the opening track "Circuitry of the Wolf". It's a groove heavy number with a pounding drumbeat, attacking the old notion of Mew being a soft pop band out through the window like a lion that pouncing on its prey - they are now an entirely new cat. They are no longer meek and innocent and beautiful and demure, but confident and savage and raw and, uh well, adventurous.

That transformation was then followed by the blooming second track "Chinaberry Tree". After the senseless beating on the opener, they smoothen things out by calming down the pace with this languid number, allowing an almost one minute of absolute bliss before picking up the pace once again with the ragged "Why Are You Looking Grave?". For fans of the old Mew who are clamoring for the charming blistery ballads this quartet is very good at, such as "Symmetry", they have "White Lips Kissed" and "Louise Louisa" covering that ground. If you're looking for the sparse charm of "Wherever", they have "A Dark Design" to complement that. If you're looking for something odd-ish like "I Should Have Been a Tsin-Tsi (For You)", there is "The Seething Rain Weeps For You (Uda Pruda)". However, irregardless of all the trip down the memory lane, because this album cover on so many new ground and unchartered territory that it makes the existence of a few old numbers forgivable.

The dance-y number "Special", the space-y "Apocalypso", the operatic "Saviours of Jazz Ballet (Fear Me, December)" completes an entirely new listening experience. What makes this album so special is because it showcases the true talent of this Danish quartet and also reminds us that they are not just some band with really fancy songs, but also a true innovator. It serves as a milestone, a landmark that says Mew should not ever be forgotten.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

18. Vetiver - Vetiver (2004)


It's very rare actually to get a band or artist who keeps on getting better on towards from their debut album (a point which you will see appear again somewhere higher up the number in this countdown). Usually things will start to go downhill, or in some case horribly wrong, if and when a band or artist came up with a gem of a debut. Some people say it's the case of breaking down from the immense weight of lofty expectation from the fans, which actually is kind of naturally expected since ideally speaking, things should only get better as it progress.

Which is why one of the most surprising (and consistent - consistently getting better) act of recent year, Vetiver, made it into this list. Surprising because despite a brilliant debut album, they did not break down from the immense expectation gained from it. And when I said consistently getting better, it is actually the band's third album, Thing of the Past, released in 2008, is the band's best album in their entire career so far. So why is their self-titled debut is on this list then?

In the already freakish world of the freak folkists, or so called the New Weird America movement, Vetiver is like a breath of fresh air on a crispy Spring morning. This is because of the perplexing nature of this movement, listening to other hardcore acts like Devendra Banhart or Joanna Newsom feels like being trapped in a small room with no window in the middle of a very hot afternoon. Well perhaps wrong imagery because it is not entirely unpleasant from the start, just that it will grow unpleasant slowly, uh from the start.

A really nice thing about Andre Cabic's outfit's self-titled debut here is that it does not sound too alienating to a listener like me, who admittedly still has to warm myself over with the movement. It is not, how do I put it, too self-celebrating. There is a lot of room and air in the album - it feels spacious. It does not focus too much on itself (when it might actually be true). It is wintry, childish, naive, fun, and sweet. It's very much like skipping gently over a field full of buttercups with winds softly blowing onto your face.

This album made it as the best album of the last century, and not their third one, solely on the strength of that - the first time discovery. It's like falling in love for the first time with the girl of your dream - everything is perfect. But after a while being together, one by one pieces of reality starts to kick in and the magic is no longer there. Both of you might still be in love with one another, but the excitement, the naive charm is no longer there. Same goes with between the self-titled debut and their third album. The third one might be perfect in many way, but the debut will always warm your heart and charm you by its sweetness.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

19. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)


It's not easy to pick out one outstanding record from a host of outstanding albums by an outstanding band. From the 2000 release sophomore effort Rated R, to their breakthrough record Songs for the Deaf, 2005's Lullabies to Paralyze, and finally 2007's Era Vulgaris. So, they're pretty much like Acid Mothers Temple then: an excellent rock band who knows no boundary when it comes to guitar work, but only a lot less prolific, and a lot lot less hairy. And should I add - a lot less crazy as well. But when it comes to serving a healthy dose of kick-in-the-backside type of badassery, none surpass this (what I believe is essentially) one man band.

A certain critic, whom I have the impression was a big fan of The Strokes and The White Stripes, opined that while Songs for the Deaf have its merit as a thoroughly enjoyable rock album, and rightly so points to the fact that many other critics were applauding the album as well, the somewhat monotonous feel to the whole album greatly muffles the whole experience and considered it to be ineffectual. Besides, this album was recorded with the help of Dave Grohl on the drums, completing the dream team of Homme, Oliveri, Lanegan and Grohl. So naturally expectation was pretty high. But as how that critic noted, Grohl's drumming was muted and dwarfed by the presence of Homme's larger-than-life killer riffs. What it should have been, or perhaps how, is that the drumming should complement the guitar since Grohl is a terrific drummer. Sounds like a lot of bull but annoyingly, I agree on that bit.

QOTSA is, like how someone has put it, a band for musicians. And the sole driving force behind the moniker, as it seems, is Josh Homme. Ever since the band dropped their first album up until their last album, their fifth album to be precise, the personnel behind all the instruments has largely changed hand every time they are in the studio, leaving only Homme as the sole torch bearer as other musicians come and go with every recording process. Just think of them like a jamming studio owned by a genius, a visionary guitarist. And every time another kid who's very good with his gear come to the jamming studio, an impromptu jam will almost definitely break out. Try to think of QOTSA's music that way.

Because of that, their music constantly sounds like a musical duel between all the players involved within the song. Which then brings us to Grohl's drumming matter - yes it is a shame that his drumming somewhat sounded muted when compared to Homme's delivery. In fact he pales in comparison with everyone else, including Lanegan, whose only duty is on the mic. But as far as everything else goes, this album is almost perfect. Because once again this is the dream team line-up we have here. You have a feeling that somehow during the recording process it must have been totally kick ass. Angels in the heaven must have been weeping in delight every time they get together and play a song, or any song, even if it is just a random free jam session. They were seriously that awesome.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

20. Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000)


This is crazy - madness. I am actually in some kind of a dilemma for deciding to place The Hour of Bewilderbeast at a lowly number 20 for this countdown of 30 of the best (of the best) albums of last century. Because, now this may be a bit confusing so sit tight and try to hang on as tight as possible to the ride, this Baroque folk pop epic suite written and performed almost entirely by Badly Drawn Boy alone, a nom de plume for one Damon Gough, has got to be the greatest folk (or pop) album ever released. Yes, read that statement again carefully and you'll notice I've avoided the usual cliche "...one of..." and went straight for the grand prize. So what is it doing down here, languishing at number 20?

First of all, let us all try to decipher and find the meaning of the word 'bewilderbeast'. The only copy of dictionary that I have (Macmillan English Dictionary, International Student Edition, edition 2002) is way past its expiry date but is still pretty much reliable. A quick scan through to page 120 and the only thing I can find is 'bewilder', 'bewildered', 'bewildering' and 'bewilderment'. The next word is 'bewitch', so that's that. I have to come up with my own definition for it, judging on the content of the album: it is totally bewildering, and it is a giant humongous enormous beast. Not the blood thirsty carnivorous type, but the one that will make you go: "Holy shit! It's awesome!". Then it eats you.

It is exactly this lack of meaning to the word that actually highlights the true nature and characteristics of the album. I was left speechless, and furiously scrambling through my mind for the next best word to describe what listening to this album felt like, because it was something new, something radical, something that is too ambitious and too way ahead of its time. Even when I thought I have finally nailed it, the album keeps on dishing out more surprises. Even when I thought I have finally understood what this album is about and what it stands for, the next listen will just unravel a new mystery and suddenly it's all back to square one again.

The reason why this album is at number 20 is because I afraid I have yet to fully (and properly) appreciate this album, the genius of Damon Gough behind this monumental record. Even when I have already considered it to be brilliant.



P/S: This album was slated for the number one spot.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

21. The Coral - The Coral (2002)


Here at the Genuine Mind Zine, when it comes to music, we're not only on the lookout for genuinely amazing, or artistically challenging albums by bands that the general masses have absolutely no idea about. Sometimes the choices we made had no artistic merit at all, like Dimmu Borgir for example. Sometimes we chose simply by how cool or awesome the album sounds, how it did not sound like any other thing that we could listen to everywhere else - or in the case of The Coral, how mind blowing it sounds. In other words: sometimes we like our music fun and zany.

Fun is the one word that I will be using freely all throughout this article in relation with The Coral's self-titled debut. Fun here is in the sense that, unlike the Tool album (below), the band does not take themselves too seriously. And because of that, the album doesn't feel like it is taking itself too seriously. It felt like as if it was recorded in abundance of gay abandon. It was not tailored too meticulously, yet it does not sound loose - it feels solid as a whole album. It does not cover on any specific theme, yet it fits in pretty easily with the many revivalists 'the' bands that was dominating the headline in the early 00's; you know, The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, The Libertines, The Raveonettes. And yet most importantly, it doesn't let you down every time you need a companion to cheer you up, or to share your joy with. It's like having a friend who is a fun drunk on a Friday night - works every time you're out about town, painting it red.

The other characteristic is zany. The album bursts to life with the pirate-themed psych freak out "Spanish Main", before it calms down with a groggy-headed late evening recollection of sorts in "I Remember When". But be aware, just before you thought that things are starting to mellow out entirely, they break out the Russian Cossack folk chant of "hey-hey-hey-hey" for no apparent reason apparently. Then they drawled further in "Shadows Fall", this time in pop ska, before picking up the energy once again in the infectious Merseyside pop number "Dreaming of You". Never before has anyone listened to so much musical leaning in the relatively short space of just five songs within a single album.

It is easy to label these Scousers as an imitator band, name-dropping their influences whenever and wherever they seem fit, and then wearing it on their sleeve with all their full intent. Just like how all the other revivalists 'the' band of their time were doing. In fact, it is a statement that I am not prepared to counterpoint, judging by how all their subsequent releases turns out to be. But they certainly didn't do anything wrong with this thoroughly, exhilaratingly fun and wacky debut - it sounds like the band were having real fun letting loose in the studio, making do with whatever mashed up stuff that they could produce in the instance; and hence the totally mental "Skeleton Key". It's not an album that was made with the word economy in mind. It's not excessive, just unrestrained.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

22. Tool - Lateralus (2001)


I am seriously at a loss for words when it comes to giving my two cents worth on this, Tool's Lateralus. (To the uninitiated, it's pronounced as ladder-alice). It is one of the most warped, technical, complex album I've ever listened to in my entire existence. And speaking of existence, I did a thorough research on this one since Tool is a thinking man's metal band, just to be fair and to properly embrace the concept/thinking behind the album. Seriously, when fans all over start to talk about Fibonacci geometric sequence, spirituality, Maynard a divine being, higher experience beyond the realms of logic, the Lateralus Prophecy, incorporating algebra in their songs, the Holy Gift, alchemical works of Carl Jung (Carl-fucking-Jung), spirals, Aleister Crowley, over analyzing, and yes - existence, in their analysis of the album, you know that this could either be one of the most amazing piece of art that man has ever created or seriously the single biggest mindfuck ever crapped out by humanity.

To have a taste of what Fibonacci geometric sequence is, and if you really don't mind of getting a healthy dose of brain cancer, head on to here. It's a long read, but some of the things stated in the article are interesting.

Then, to join in a healthy discussion over what the symbolism found in the lyric could possibly be, this place has a lot to offer.

If you think the points discussed are not thorough enough, there is another place which could satiate your hunger. Read post number 12 by anonymous - Carl Jung gets a mention.

If those places that I have suggested still is not good enough for you, maybe by now you have become more curious and/or perplexed, a good old Google search is always readily available. But, you know, if you just can't give a fuck about all this symbolism and hidden message thing, where the only fact you knew and cared about is how awesomely rocking Tool is, then here is the place for you.

This album could have probably been positioned way higher than number 22 judging alone on the quality of the material served by Maynard and co. Ignore the whole Fibonacci sequence thing for a while, and you'll appreciate how perfect this album was constructed and executed. But because I read all those analysis before I wrote this, now it is more complicated than I once thought. Talking about a great Math Prog Metal band, and their greatest record to date.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

23. My Vitriol - Finelines (2000)


It actually came as a bit of surprise to me that it has been a decade now since UK's My Vitriol last released a proper studio album, their debut Finelines. However, not surprising is the fact that the album has yet to sound old and dated - such is the irresistible nature of the quartet that has provided the long-staying attraction towards them. Even after going through a very long hiatus, a (sort of) comeback in 2007 prompted sold-out shows across various venues in London.

One may be tempted to accuse such occurrence as an isolated case where, factually speaking, it's only a handful of hardcore fans clamoring for the long-awaited return of their favorite rock band. And having the band being pigeonholed under the stupid name Nu Gaze, a sort of revivalism of the Shoegazing movement of the early 90's, did not help matter either since, as how history might have taught all of us, Shoegazing was a short-lived phenomenon that hardly registered even a tiny speck of dot in the vast ocean of the music industry, while all the pioneering bands (and there are not many of them) have either moved to greener pastures, or have ceased to exist altogether. So, in retrospect what we have here is essentially a British band playing in a niche market, appealing to a select crowd of an already select crowd of rock fans. How could possibly their debut (and should I stress, their only output so far) be among the crowning jewel of the Aughts?

For one, consider the fact that many music critics and 'experts' have got their analysis incorrect in tagging My Vitriol's music. It's not really a revival of the Godforsaken Shoegazing genre, despite the occasional bursts of wall of distorted noise here and there. The languid pace, the hazy production quality, the dreamy soundscape, the spaced out singing ("Under the Wheels" came to mind), then it all came crashing with lots of feedback see sawing erratically back and forth that shreds your ear drum - it's a classic Shoegazing standard operation procedure. But what is also apparent is the pop sensibilities in Som Wardner's writing - My Vitriol's is a healthy and intelligent culmination of two opposing entities that got mixed together to make one, unified glorious rock and roll material only surpassed by the singing of angels in Heaven. They do not abandon mass appeal completely in their quest to rock stardom, and yet at the same time did not sell their soul to the devil and become sell-outs that rock fans despised. It is genuinely a fresh and entertaining record throughout. It has enough hooks in the melody to have fans at any concert to sing along, and a good dose of guitar licks that will make guitar nerds weep in sheer excitement. This album should have been placed way higher in this list but I'm not going to do that, because like millions of other My Vitriol fans worldwide, I'm still faithfully waiting for their follow up with bated breath.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

24. System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)


What a delicate year it was in 2001 following the events of 9/11. Everything ever since was then viewed by the media with a rather high level of suspicion (and paranoia I have to add) that certain things might somehow has any indication that could have precipitated another string of terrorist attack. It was a question that haunts the whole nation: "How could have not even one person saw that this was coming?" "Was it really a tragic event or was there some kind of a conspiracy that is behind it?" That there: you can have your choice of either playing camp, or go the way of Michael Moore and many others who thinks and believes and have evidential proof that such event was only a staged performance in which many explosives were used.

It was exactly seven days before 9/11 took place when a still-little-known Armenian-American 'nu metal' quartet released an album, accompanied by a leading single that for a while, sounded innocent enough for safe family consumption. However, after details were made known all over the media that four airplane had crashed, piloted by kamikaze jihadists, suddenly a certain line in the fore-mentioned song took on a deeply poetic and significant meaning. "I don't think you trust in my self-righteous suicide" is by then considered too sensitive for a still-in-shock, still-mourning nation. That line was delivered with much conviction and emotion by the-then fast rising System of a Down from the single "Chop Suey!".

Being Armenian, ethnically, it was deemed natural by the media that some of the content of their music leaned towards politics. In fact, the band has actually been rather outspoken in expressing their views, especially regarding the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the war on terror. Thus, when Serj Tankian greeted listeners into Toxicity with the line "They're tryin' to build a prison", it kind of straight away set the mood for the album - that this album is going to be political, that this album is going to be rancid. Tankian stressed his point further: "Following the rights movements you clamped on with your iron fists/Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids". And just before he nail down his main point with a shout, a snippet came in: "Nearly two million Americans are incarcerated in the prison system/Prison system of the U.S."

Had the entire album been filled with such scathing attack on the current administration (of the time the album was made), what was the main weapon for the band could have actually been the final nail in the coffin for the album, that the future of the album could have been fated much worse. You see, in spite of the band being at the height of their career, at the top of their game when the album was released, that the band was very much relevant at the time, to solely focus the album on what was the crowning jewel in their achievement as a band might have not been the most brilliant move in their career. Such lesson is best learned with another political band that came much earlier than them - Rage Against the Machine. The de la Rocha fronted rap rock band spent their entire career (or existence) fighting for a cause that seemed like they could never win in their lifetime - and rightly after four albums in eight years, the band lost their sting. They were no longer the champion of championing for a cause; they have simply lost, fair and square.

However, the band showed a surprising quality of maturity when they very subtly put non-political materials in between the 'go marching in the street for it' ones; songs like "Needles", "Psycho" and "Shimmy" teeters on the edge of the water, once and for all saving the band from circling the creativity drain. In a much simpler term, this album is not delivered in a very straight forward manner, unlike their previous debut album. In fact, songs that carry political views are rather rare throughout the album. In one moment Tankian was shouting about a hypothetical prison being built around us all, in the next he spewed head-scratching metaphor "Life is a waterfall/We're one in the river and one again after the fall". Then he went into a Dadaist mode, singing how he want to 'get down' with his wife while dreaming of having a house. Startling confusion, indeed.

But what comes together in the end is not a confusing record that seems to lack a focal point of direction. It does not feel like all the songs are put together just to fill in the blanks, that they are there to round up the total playing time to 44 minutes so that it qualifies as a long player - the whole album actually feels bespoke. When you listen to the album as a whole, you can still feel that the real intent of the album, the real message that they are trying to get across is still there, but it was only served in a much more subtle, sophisticated manner. They are no longer, metaphorically speaking, marching in the street shouting slogans and starting a riot. This time they are more restrained and well-thought out in their action. When Tankian claimed: "Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep/ Disorder, disorder, disorder", Toxicity was that exact moment of sacred silence and sleep, and hidden somewhere beneath the album is a warning about chaos and disorder that is permeating through our society and our country. Brilliant.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

25. Sigur Rós - Takk... (2005)


Without a single shadow of doubt Sigur Rós's best effort to date still is their second album, Ágætis Byrjun. But then due to a minor problem, that album cannot make it into this list (because or else it would have been positioned way higher than this). That minor problem is the fact that the album was technically released in 1999. So that left me with either the untitled one, Takk, or the one with butt exposed on the cover to choose from. Now, Sigur Rós did not make it into this list just to fill in a gap or something, now that I have said that their second album is their best effort so far. This may sound like consolation prize, that Takk is the band's second best effort overall, but consider the fact that it is genuinely an amazing album. A breathtaking one just to be more precise.

Choosing which album of the three to make it into this list was actually a pretty easy task. First, the untitled one, though mesmerizing in its' bleak beauty, gets pretty dreary after a while. At first, the idea of not putting any title on all eight tracks in the album, and leaving empty pages in the CD sleeve sounds pretty ingenious. Because the initial idea was to allow the listener to make up their own interpretation of the songs based on their own listening experience. So if a listener see harrowing images of suicidal men and women slitting their wrists in a darkened room, then that listener is pretty much doomed. I guess. Which actually was what I saw when I listened to the album - it was the saddest, bleakest, slowest album ever known to man. It was, for me, the perfect soundtrack for you to commit suicide to. The other problem is the monosyllabic, unintelligible warbling that punctuates the songs. None of what Jonssi sang in the album makes any sense (because it was in a made-up language). So you get frustrated halfway through the album because it kind of gets repetitious, even on the first listen.

Their fourth album on the other hand was the complete opposite of the untitled one; in fact, it was the complete opposite of all their first three releases. Sigur Rós's music, originally, was actually very dark, and even if it has beauty in it, it's in a very dark and depressing way. But with Takk... they greeted the listener with an explosion of warmth and harmony, bathed in a gentle symphony of the angels strumming their harp on pillows of cloud, opening a gate that leads the listener to a vast green field where the air is pure and there is a hint of gaiety hanging about in the atmosphere. For the first time ever, a Sigur Rós's album came to life. Kick-started by the springy "Glósóli", and then followed by the joyous "Hoppípolla", it is a desperately beautiful album. You have to shed a little tear just by the sheer enjoyment contained within this album. It will mesmerize you, it will leave you breathless, it will rock you, it will stifle you, it will bring even the most dead soul to wake - it will bring forth a new life in you. If you need a basic idea of how Spring sounds like (if it can make a sound), this album has that.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

26. Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon (2003)


OK so first of all, a frank admission: not the biggest fan of metal music. I do listen to a smattering few metal bands but then that's it. Other names whom I reckon are the true heavyweights within the metal circle might not be available in my list of preference - hence Dimmu Borgir. Second of all, I may not be the biggest fan of metal but some of my friends do, and I have this feeling, a sense that somehow DB is just one Hell of a joke band. Or if they are not funny then they are just a bunch of bastards. Whichever works - and I might agree on that one too. Largely because for one, some people (or was it the band themselves, I don't know) claimed that they play black metal, to use the term in its' vaguest sense. Or to play it safe among the black metal purists, they call it symphonic black metal. Or because since they have sort of become the standard template for many later Scandinavian metal bands, they called it Scandinavian black metal. Which is too long a name actually considering it could have been called 'It's Shit, Really'.

Now, I promise I won't spend two third of this entry bashing this band, saying why it's not black metal, or heck why it is not even metal at all, but here's a final parting shot. Four years ago, I watched this amazing documentary produced by NRK (if I'm not mistaken) on black metal, and in that documentary, they interviewed musicians who are involved in the movement, telling the audience the history behind the development of the genre, what are their concerns and what are they fighting for, the inner turmoil within the movement and within band members - the lot. It was an eye-opening documentary for me because for once, I actually understood what black metal is, and so I can safely say that, to be with the black metal purists, Dimmu Borgir are just a bunch of pussies.

However, and that's a very big however there, there is a very good reason as to why Death Cult Armageddon made it into this list of the best album of the previous decade - it is highly entertaining. Now, I'll make it clear once again, yes, in my eyes, DB is like a comic relief in an otherwise a very serious movie. You don't take them seriously. You will never take them seriously. But then again, in a very serious movie, a comic relief brings much needed uh, relief. You know that this character is bound to do something stupid and in fact you actually quietly hoped that they would do something stupid, just to draw some laughter from you, to ease the pressure that is mounting from the rising action in the plot. You know that they are an unimportant character and is not at all central to the whole action, but without realizing it, they actually enliven the whole movie. They actually make the movie a pleasurable experience. This comic relief, is Dimmu Borgir, and what a real huge, gigantic, enormous blast they did when they released this epic operatic piece.

For me, listening to DB is not about song craftsmanship, and it's a fact that the band knows. They know that their strength is not in song writing, but in creating atmosphere because they know how to use a whole symphony arrangement to their advantage. They know that when people listen to DB, they're not in it for memorable melody, or delicious guitar solo. So in 2003, what they did was not release an album, but an atomic bomb. The whole album was too over-the-top in its' theatrical atmospheric, it borders on absurdity - and actually that was a good thing. Because they are doing what they are very good at, perfectly. You listen to the album, come out of it thinking that the whole universe is about to explode very soon; that the Norse Gods in the heaven are having a war in a space jet, shooting laser rays; that the sun is about to melt and harden back again into a rock the shape of Shagrath 10 million feet high - just because it was too awesome. Play this album in your iPod quietly while browsing for books in the library, and the book shelf will explode to pieces - just because it was too fucking awesome.

And I personally liked the third track, "Lepers Among Us", because the song would suddenly turn dramatic for no obvious reason. It just has to be dramatic, because it's the Dimmu Borgir we're talking here that's why. I am totally in love. There can never be any other album that is way more awesome than this (on the strength of its' dramatic-ness).

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

27. Sonic Youth - Murray Street (2002)


To copy the words of Heather Phares, "Virtually every album Sonic Youth has released since the underrated Goo has been hailed as a return to form". I will admit that SY did came about earlier than I could properly appreciate music, so the critic's love of 1988's Daydream Nation still is a bit perplexing for me because for four years now since I first listened to the album, I still could not properly love it. For me, the real music of SY is intricate, layered textures of guitar tones that is greeted by occasional burst of distorted noise and tortured screaming of feedback. That and Kim Gordon's occasional post punk ranting about uh, things. The only thing that I can recollect from Daydream Nation was just lots of distorted noise. Which then brings us to 2002's Murray Street.

Return to form or no, MS was a genuinely amazing record. For the entire decade (last decade that is), they have released five studio albums, and to be quite frank, their last effort, 2009's The Eternal was their most epic record. Kicked to life with the art punk two minutes outburst of "Sacred Trickster" and ended with the sprawling closer "Massage the History", technically speaking, TE is the one that should have made it into this list instead of MS. But without plunging further into confusion, allow me to explain one thing why MS was instead picked as the best album for the decade. While TE has the better technicalities over MS, it however lacked the overall coherence and consistency of the latter. I dare to say that MS is probably SY's most quiet album to date. It does not feel rushed - there's no urgency to the whole album. And that is a very interesting point to make considering SY's riotous history in their entire existence. They are essentially a post punk band so you'd imagined that they would kick out the jam at any given time and opportunity - and they did. But on this album however, the band has somehow mellowed a little bit and become subdued. Not that it's a bad thing actually, but it has made MS such a refined album.

It feels rich, it is carefully textured, properly thought out, and perfectly executed. It may sound like it has just defeated the whole point of being SY, but sometimes to get a moment of ease, of perfect clarity from such a chaotic band is actually a classic moment that begs to be enjoyed. It's like been living in Calcutta or Hell for a long time, and then one day you wake up and you see the road is empty, and there is not a single soul around. You may be alarmed at first, but after a while you sort of enjoy it and hoped that there will be more moments like this to come in the future.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

28. The Walkmen - Bows & Arrows (2004)


There is something infinitely amazing about the qualities of quiet romanticism. For one, you don't feel obliged to tug at your heart in assent heartfelt show of behavior, rather you savor the moment for what it was and appreciate the finer moment in life in its entirety. It has been such a long time since I last made my thoughts clear about this so I think now is time for a recap. Romantic, for me, is not really tied to the notion of romance - that is when you say something is romantic, it does not necessarily warrant you to hark back longingly at the moment when you're madly in love with a woman (or a man). A romantic song is not supposed to remind you of your lover, or give a basic idea, or a pretty straightforward instruction to lovers on what to do to show your affection and care towards your significant other. A romantic song is not one of those cheesy crappy ballads where even the moon, according to its' standard lyrics, is called pretty considering it's just a huge chunk of rock that looked as inviting as a cold scrotum. No - a romantic song is supposed to take you somewhere else on a mental journey where you've never been to before, and you wish that you could've. A romantic song is supposed to make you feel that - that you're not in the present, sitting alone in front of the hi-fi stereo listening to the song, but somewhere exotic, somewhere beautiful, somewhere where the air and the surrounding has that certain feel that you don't get anywhere else. And then there is quiet romanticism.

The Walkmen's sophomore effort, Bows & Arrows, is a mesmerizing effort at creating a quiet romantic moment, one that you will look back at it after ten years and enjoy the album back again like it was the first time you're listening to it. Certain albums, after several years down the road, grows old on the listener and that it didn't feel quite as fresh and exciting as it used to be. You will remember how that album used to thrill you for days or weeks, unable to get it our of your mind, and quickly deciding that it has to be THE album of the year, or the decade, or heck, the century. But not with this one though. The Walkmen has managed to come out with an album that is simply irresistible, even after you have been living with it for half a century. It does not expire on itself, it grows old along with you. The melody, the content of the album still stays the same, but it's the quality of the feel of the album that changes with you. It doesn't leave you and make you feel alienated after several years - it sticks with you through thick and thin. It feels for you, and you feel for the album in return. And this is why this album is among the finest record ever released in the last decade.

You can hardly find any other album that has the same characteristic with this one.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

29. Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)


Yes I know, it's Coldplay, but for two very good reasons: number one, this is their least cheesiest effort to date; and number two, it is kind of cool actually.

Some people might smirk at the thought of Coldplay making it into a list of the best album for an entire decade, especially when there are other releases by giants (and we'll see lots of them as we climb higher up the number) that could have trampled this British soft pop purveyor to pulp that is worth a consideration. However, after repeated listens to Viva La Vida, the album exposes a different facade, a different quality to Coldplay that people in general can never find before in all their previous releases - it's a very sophisticated album. Yes, it is still a hush-hush, gentle nibble on the tits kind of excitement that will never put even the most modest women on heat but, behind all that gentle, swooning croon and quiet weeping-like wailing, it still exists and serves itself to be well respected. What I meant by sophistication is that unlike previous albums (especially the frankly honest brilliant debut) where Chris Martins pours his heart out and allowed no allusions whatsoever to the content of his emotion - it's a very straight, honest to goodness album. Which is good, but you'll get bored after the third listen. It no longer sounds like a frank admission but rather an annoying whine (yes, you Eminem).

With this album, the spotlight is no longer on the lyric craftsmanship of Martins (if it can so be called) but rather on the music that accompanies his words. This time, it's the guitar, the bass, the drums, the piano, the keyboard - it's the musical instruments that takes the limelight. And as a result of that, the album feels like a large field in which children roam free on it while pulling along a kite. It's no longer sitting in a small, dark room with Martins on your lap strumming his guitar, whispering into your ears. It's not an intimate affair - and gosh that does sounds awful come to think of it. Viva La Vida is not an album about Chris Martins, the lead singer, but an album of Coldplay, the whole band. It is artful without being pretentious; it does not insist on itself. You pop the CD into the player and you become delighted by its authentic honesty and artistic value.

And then there's the thing with the cover art: guns and titties - God, France is awesome.

LISTED: 30 Best Albums of the Last Decade (2000 - 2009)

*As the year 2010 is about to draw its curtain close, it is the time of the year (of any year) for many music sites and blogs to come up with a top list of albums of the year. Yes indeed the year 2010 has seen many interesting releases worthy of at least a top 20 list. But here at The Genuine Mind Zine we decided to do things a bit different and take a look at some of the best (of the best) releases throughout the last decade. This may not be the most comprehensive list around, lack of hip hop records for one, but all the albums listed here are indeed the most precious of last decade's precious gems.

30. Green Day - American Idiot (2004)


Perhaps one of the scariest aspect of being in a punk rock band is 'growing up', because punk rock, for what it stands, is the ideals of rambunctious, free-spirited teenagehood. But people change over time, and so does punk rockers - but because the appeal of a punk rock band has been ingrained since its' early inception as being a bunch of wild youth living a carefree life, the thought of them ten years down the road suddenly embracing down to earth and matured thinking seemed disquieting (Blink 182 quickly come to mind). Which is why when Green Day released this mini punk rock opera called American Idiot, it was by all means a major victory for the band over their illustrious 90's career. Their last studio release prior to this one, Warning, though playing it safe by following the same old tried-and-tested formula, perhaps by accident was a warning to the band of the waning interest towards, what was during their heyday, the most successful punk rock band of all time. Something had to be done before Green Day ends up in the page of history.

What resulted from it though was not a defiant stand in fight from the Californian trio. Instead, they came up with a loose concept revolving one Jesus of Suburbia in which a whole album was crafted around it, taking their inspiration from The Who. It was an album-long single narration that blows your mind, not for its intensity, not for its melody, but for the strength in how each and every song (or suite, now that they are writing rock opera) supports and identifies with each other, and in how it all came together as a coherent single piece of art - except for the opener "American Idiot", which sticks out like a sore thumb and prevent this from making the album a true classic.

This album truly is among the best album released in the last decade for its ambitious sound.