Read part one (#'s 100 to 76) at this link.
75. Guns N’ Roses-‘Chinese Democracy’ (2008)
When you break this album down to its core, it mines one’s psyche as they seek love and approval, but feel as if it has slipped through their fingers one too many times and the characters entrenched within these songs try to resolve their past. This is a collection of songs drenched in vulnerability. Axl Rose has made a career of being a recluse, but ultimately, he has the last laugh, as everything you ever wanted to know about Axl is right here for the listener to discern. Few artists take chances like Rose to appear as exposed as he does here (“Street of Dreams”) and in the hope of a better (pun intended) tomorrow. Repressed emotions unfurl in a dazzling array of guitar hero theatrics partnered with blood screeching wails and heavy heartache. Ultimately, we are left with an album that is more than just years in the making but one that finds an artist at a true emotional crossroads and ultimately as the album unfolds itself in front of you, you’ll find that what is here is pure magic…if you listen close enough and don’t prejudge. (Read 2006 live review here).74. Europe-‘Start From The Dark’ (2004)
Start from the Dark is a staggering record, recorded with Countdown producer Kevin Elson, reaffirming that Europe was anything but a fluke during the 1980’s. Seriously. Managing to incorporate the easy on the ear melodies that defined their success along with augmenting more mature lyric writing, this wasn’t an album full of nostalgia but a brave step forward forcing people to give the band a second look. Europe found themselves in an unusual predicament for 80’s rockers; they made a record that confirmed not just progression but it paid tribute to their legacy with modern panache. Ever since then the band has reached far, wide and high for heights that most would say is unattainable. Europe is one of the very few bands from the 1980’s who has surpassed their 80’s glory days creatively. (Read live report of their 2005 tour here)
73. Brendan Benson – ‘My Old, Familiar Friend’ (2009)
Like the title suggests, Benson evokes pure nostalgia on this power pop record, his first since the two records with The Raconteurs have debuted. Sounding like a hybrid of the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Cheap Trick, ELO and numerous other stream of consciousness artists . “Garbage Day” features a Jeff Lynne imitation that’s pure euphoria while “Don’t Wanna Talk” is a cross between Weezer and Tom Petty. Wearing your influences on your sleeve has never sounded this good. Feeling down and need a jolt of elation? Buy this record, it’s sure to rock your sadness away.
72. Art Brut-‘Bang Bang Rock N Roll’ (2005)
Art Brut can’t really write or perform…and somehow, this album is a decadent and primal affair. These guys make the Ramones sound like Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Now anyone can be naive in their performance, but it’s another to make catchy songs that stay with you, minutes, hours, days, weeks and months later. “My Little Brother” perfectly evokes ones discovery of rock n’ roll while “Emily Kane” takes you back to your first childhood crush, all amidst a brutal garage rock framework. In short, they wear their love of rock n’ roll on their sleeves and as a result won my rock n’ roll heart.
71. David Bowie – ‘Heathen’
For the first time in twenty-two years, Tony Visconti produced a David Bowie record, one of Bowie’s best since his artistic peak. Instead of attempting to forge new ground, alienate his fans or just be flat out weird, Bowie forged a collection of songs that speak to his strengths. With his legacy firmly in place, he no longer had to play games or follow any leads, he merely created a record that feels like a vintage Bowie masterpiece. (Read 2004 live review here)
70. Wilco-‘Sky Blue Sky’
The band all other indie bands try to embody. I chastised one person who told me they didn’t appreciate this album until listening to it thirteen times, but as I am now delving into it for the umpteenth time, I am finding the simplistic pert tempos and textures transporting me, which is shocking, because as much as I admire Wilco, it’s been years since I have heard that original joyous energy their initial albums had. However, it appears primary band leader Jeff Tweedy has embraced what he’s best at, writing whimsical songs. His blissful lack of self-consciousness shines through on “Either Way”, “Impossible Germany” and “Please Be Patient With Me”. Chuck Klosterman put it best when he called them, “The American Radiohead”.
69. Pearl Jam – ‘Pearl Jam’ (2006)
After a solid decade where their anger was in exile, the band returned with their most assertive and infuriated album since Vs. The thing that made Pearl Jam’s first three albums so magical was the driving political force those albums shared with melody. Beneath all great music whether it’s a hair band, alternative band, metal or pop, there is usually a melody that you move your body to that stirs within you. Pearl Jam’s first album for J Records has a dozen of these songs. “World Wide Suicide” is where the band has rediscovered their voice as the band of their generation. While they never slacked on the concert stage, their recent studio output, while virtuous, has not reached the soaring heights of their first few albums. I’m happy to say that Pearl Jam is now no longer a band that has seen better days, but a band whose best work may be in front of them. (Read 2006 piece on PJ here)
68. The Damnwells-‘Bastards of the Beat’ & ‘One Last Century’
I’m purposely cheating here, because Bastards exposed me to this easy on the ears indie rock band (and has been on constant rotation ever since) and because Century is a prevailing record of their talent. Over the course of three records in five years (including 2006’s Air Stereo), the band continually delivers music full of hooks, pensive lyrics and a straightforward sound (guitars, bass, drums) that makes you want to enter into their world and never want to leave. Lead singer Alex Dezen’s lyrics are an unyielding windstorm of sentiments that soothe you. As he achingly croons “Each day you bring me closer to going nowhere” on “Sleepsinging", he jerks you to life, full of realization. The authentic nature of these two records rings true and they house just as many melodies as radio pop hits, yet are delivered with ten times the amount of enthusiasm.
67. The Detroit Cobras- ‘Life, Love & Leaving’ (2001)
Wikipedia has the genre for the Detroit Cobras defined as “garage soul”. They perform all covers and re-arrange them. Rachel Nagy’s vocals are laced with bourbon and southern soul as she and the band tackle songs by Otis Redding, Tina Turner, Mary Wells and the Ronettes. One of my greatest discoveries and the soldiering and crude arrangements are more than bar room covers or pure karaoke, they call to mind pure soul and rock n’ roll at its most primordial.66. Soraia-‘Shed the Skin’ (2008)
Shed the Skin is a cohesive collection of songs, cut from the vintage cloth of the late 1960’s, and warrants an in-depth listen that i ambitious and affecting without being overly sentimental. This is the most independent record on this list and if you seek out only one, I would recommend this one. A five-piece Philadelphia band, led by female vocalist Sue Mansou, Soraia does not hopping on any bandwagons, they merely check vintage classic rock riffs and find a way to swathe them into a package that is intoxicating and enthralling. As impressive as the sonic framework may be, the real star is Mansour’s cooing vocals paired with the elliptical lyrics which combined make Shed The Skin a harrowing, endearing and essential album. (Read three in-depth pieces on Soraia at the following links here, here and here.65. The New Pornographers-‘Challengers’
A power pop indie band from Canada triumphs with an intrinsic layered vocals and storming musicianship on their fourth full length album, Challengers. I loved Twin Cinema from a few years back and even though it took me a while to delve deep into Challengers, I found myself returning to it and being continually charmed by the festive atmosphere these musicians bring to each track. Right from the dialed opening of “My Rights Versus Yours” to the deft production of “Myriad Harbour” to the provoking "All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth" and throw in meticulous sequencing of these twelve songs and it’s intoxicatingly addicting. The luscious title track is potently enticing with Neko Case’s opulent vocals and while it’s hard to put in words the feelings their music evokes, what I do know is that this is a band the more I return to, the more I fall for them. (Read live review here).
64. U2 – ‘No Line on the Horizon’ (2009)
There is a sweeping romantic urgency to the songs that takes you away where you feel free and confident. It’s one thing to listen to music that you like and another to feel alive when listening to it. The songs as a whole are like a great piece of architecture, to be admired for its vast and complex beauty amidst the layers of sonic textures. I hear a band not so much striving to be the biggest band in the world, but the best. When you’re the best, in my opinion, the rest will follow. (Read the full album review here and two concert reports here and here).
63. Kid Rock – ‘Kid Rock’ (2003)
This self-titled album was bookended by two bigger ones (Cocky & Rock N’ Roll Jesus) but this is his most indispensable collection of songs. More so than any other album, Rock finds a perfect balance for all of his talent. Melding rock, rap, country and a Midwest attitude featuring a collection of songs sung with a dash of nostalgia and anguish. “Cold and Empty”, “I Am”, “Run Off To LA” (with Sheryl Crow) and “Single Father” are his best compositions to date. Taking the template of “Cocky” and “Picture”, Rock opens himself up to the listener and himself as well. While this record wasn’t his best selling, it’s without question his best as it reveals the most about Bob Ritchie. (2008 live report here).62. Let’s Go Sailing – ‘The Chaos In Order’ (2007)
The lush harmony vocals paint pictures from simpler times. It’s a throwback to even before one could drive a car. Like walking through the snow with an old flame, the way rain can feel when one is in love, or the unearthing of a record you didn’t know existed. While these explicit themes aren’t necessarily dissected on the record, it feels that way to me and my experience. I can see Lulu Fleming in the snow at the park by my house or the girl I longed for but rejected me. Heartbreak is at the center of the album and when I hear songs like “Icicles” and “All I Want From You Is Love”, I can see crystal clear pictures of my past, present and future. It’s rare for any record to capture your imagination in such a profound way, but Let’s Go Sailing did and they’ve continually engaged me in the years since this release.61. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, ‘Once: Music from the Motion Picture’ (2007)
I’ll admit to climbing on the Glen Hansard/Frames bandwagon as a result of the film Once. The film is brewing with the ardor of two musicians who craft music because they need to be heard and not because they want to add to their pile of gold. Witnessing these gentle songs come to life and descend into your consciousness after one listen is a revelatory experience. Whether it’s a scalding solo acoustic performance by Hansard on “Say It To Me Know” or the luminous “Falling Slowly”, the music encapsulated within this film is ageless and rightfully is bringing attention to two well deserving musicians not to mention an Oscar as well. (Live in Chicago 2007 review here)
60. Arcade Fire – ‘Funeral’ (2004)
An album that all of the indie websites and mainstream critics creamed themselves over…and for good reason, it entrenches itself inside you after a few listens. U2 used “Wake Up” as their intro song for their 2005-2006 world tour. The Arcade Fire sounds like a cross between an marching band and a gospel choir, yet their concert performances brim with the excitement of a rock n’ roll rave up. They have an intriguing larger-than-life sound and their lyrics have a subject matter that meets the orchestral arrangements. “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)”, “Wake Up” & “Rebellion (Lies)” are the emotional cornerstones of the record featuring soul searching lyrics and bright choruses conveyed with overwhelming urgency.
59. Green Day-‘Warning’ (2000)
At the turn of the century, Green Day was showing an remarkable amount of augmentation and maturity, something everyone seems to have forgotten in the wake of American Idiot. With Warning, Green Day made a record that Neil Young would approve of. Fully embracing the acoustic guitar, this shows a side of Green Day hinted at on “Time of Your Life” and brought into full focus on songs like “Waiting”, “Minority” and “Church on Sunday”. At the time, I imagined that this was the commencement of a number of smaller more snug albums from the godfathers of modern power punk, but as we will find out later on this list, my gut reaction proved to be completely off base but it doesn’t make Warning any less of a great record. (2009 live review here).
58. Paul McCartney – ‘Memory Almost Full’ (2007)
Right from the opening mandolin kick, the whiff of nostalgia is so potent you can get drunk on it as McCartney delivers on what is arguably one of his three best post-Beatles recordings (Band On The Run and Flaming Pie are the others). Every time McCartney releases an album, there are those who claim it’s his best in decades. This time, it rings true. The cooing “Ever Present Past”, the quixotic “See Your Sunshine”, the boisterous “Nod Your Head” and the melancholic “End of the End” are some of the most revealing and poetic of his entire career. Every time I listen to this album, I am overcome with jubilation and smile. I can offer no greater compliment. (2007 Amoeba Records live review here).
57. Keith Urban – ‘Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing’ (2006)
Urban has made bigger and more bombastic records featuring stadium ready tunes like “Somebody To Love”, “Days Go By” and “Who Wouldn’t Want To Be Me”, but L,P & TWCT is without question his most varied and accomplished work. Showcasing numerous sides of his talent, this album brings his talent to the forefront. From the pining love letters of “Once In A Lifetime” to scorned lovers (“Used to the Pain”) to inner resolution (“Everybody” & “Got It Right This Time”), this album covers the full spectrum of American music (pop, rock, county) and delivers it with a polished production that feels intimate. Urban was on an upswing artistically at this time and this was him at the peak of his powers, demonstrated on the epic "Stupid Boy", one of the decade's greatest songs. Confidence from the success of his two previous records allowed him to flex his power and create a truly brilliant record. (Read 2007 live review here).
56. Foo Fighters-‘One By One’ (2002)
While it may be one of Dave Grohl’s least favorite records, I could still feel the sting and absence of direction in my life in the post 9/11 world and the themes of longing and searching for meaning in the world (notably on “All My Life” and “Times Like These”). “Tired of You” is spellbinding in its simplicity with a churning guitar chord and a haunting and seducing vocal by Grohl. The band has had bigger hits, more ambitious records and better received ones, but I find myself drawn to this one more than any other.
55. Pete Yorn – ‘musicforthemorningafter’
What do you get with someone brought up on hair metal, yet as he grew became fascinated with Springsteen and The Smiths? Pete Yorn is the answer. In 2001 no other act showed more promise to be a mainstream success than Yorn (even more so than Ryan Adams at the time). This record is full of radio ready singles. But it also houses those intimate odes of loneliness, love and heartbreak that the world at large find so endearing. “Strange Condition”, “Black”, “Murray” and “For Nancy (‘Cos It Already Is)” are gut wrenching but supercharged at the same time. This is a near perfect record and the production is cranked to ten when needed then it slips in a hushed atmosphere when needed. I only wish his subsequent records were as endearing as this one.
54. Ryan Adams-‘Cardinology’ (2008)
It easily could have been titled ‘Ryan Adams Grows Up’. Adams has always had a penchant for being a poetic and ambitious songwriter and over the course of his last few albums he has finally hit his stride. Post-2003, while his output has always been stellar, it hasn’t been focused. On ‘Cardinology’ Adams strives for the fences with a collection of songs ready-made for arena arms-to-the-air swaying. These aren’t the most audacious of his career (and it does lose some steam towards the end) but as a whole it’s a rather stellar and consistent affair. Instead of a distant third person narrative, Adams draws from within and gives us a record that feels like a return to his early career where we feel these stories gliding off his tongue with ease and excitement. Instead of knocking out everything that inspired him, it feels like he spent more time crafting these and it shows.
53. Pink- ‘Missundaztood’ (2001)
This album is pure pop attitude with enough hooks to capture a sea of fish. Pink took control of her career by enlisting Linda Perry to assist with the writing and production of this record. A true record of empowerment with blazing declarations (“Don’t Let Me Get Me”) and honest reflections on her past (“Just Like A Pill”). Pink is a wild child who when given free reign is at her best. She created a powerful record that transcends the pop genre. By allowing herself to speak freely and not be labeled as a pop princess, she set a template allowing herself and her fans, to begin a communication that lasts until this day.
52. Patty Griffin-‘1,000 Kisses’(2002)
Griffin is one of the five preeminent and indescribable songwriters alive; when paired with the exquisite voice, Griffin can erect hidden feelings you forgot or buried so deep you never knew you could feel them again. Many of the Dixie Chicks biggest hits have been penned by Griffin but here the minimalist vocal approach works to her advantage as the songs are never fierce, but plow over you like a titanic wave of emotions. While not all of the songs are her own on 1,000 Kisses, she makes them her own. “Stolen Car”, originally done by Bruce Springsteen, is ghostly and as lingering as one could ever imagine and she didn’t even write it. Then there’s “Long Ride Home” a detailed account about the death of someone close to her and the funeral that followed. The songs will make your eyes moisten and your insides turn, but you will feel profoundly alive in the process. This is an album full of ghosts that continue to wield their influence on people and the pictures Griffin paints are so tangible you feel as if they’re right beside you. The elegiac instrumentation allows these songs to breathe freely allowing the lyrics to boil to the surface.51. The Black Keys – ‘Attack & Release’ (2008)
The Akron, OH twosome once again finds their juju here on a collection originally deemed as a comeback record for Ike Turner before his death. The band partnered with Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley) and have created their most expansive and involving record to date. For a band that prides itself on simplicity (drums, vocal guitars) they find a way to rip through all of the nonsense you are accustomed to and break rock n’ roll down to its most primal and best form here. Bridging a gap between slithering distorted riffs and back porch blues, the Black Keys have made their most complex and ironically commercial record to date.
- Read the introduction and #'s 100 to #76 at this link
- Read #'s 75 to #51 at this link
- Read # 50 to #26 at this link
- Read #25 to #11 at this link
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
