In case you thought I’d forgotten, here is the third installment of the Fuzzy Thoughts Top 200 of the Decade.
As a recap, click the following links to view the previous list entries:
Now onto the list!
| 150. | Air Talkie Walkie |
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After their middling 10,000 Hz Legend, Air won their way back into critics and fans hearts with Talkie Walkie, which boasts two big singles in “Cherry Blossom Girl” and “Surfing on a Rocket.” A tremendous return to form for this French electronic band.
“Alpha Beta Gaga” |
| 149. | Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare |
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While Arctic Monkeys’ debut was often too cheeky for its own good, the band appeared to let the music do the talking on Favourite Worst Nightmare. Laying off the clichéd posturing, the band not only brought the energy for songs like the lead single “Brianstorm,” but also sharpened their songwriting skills as well and dared to experiment. All these chances paid off for what ended up being a much more enjoyable album than what was thrown together on their debut.
“Fluorescent Adolescent” |
| 148. | Elliott Smith From a Basement on the Hill |
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Completed after Smith’s death in 2003, the first thing noticed will be the entirely different production style that Rob Schnapf brought to the table. Although he had worked with Smith on earlier albums, Schnapf never referred to Smith’s notes during the production process. That being said, the album is as daring as anything that Smith has released– dark and dense, while retaining that slight undertone of bittersweet hope. Many fans may have been left wondering what could’ve been, but as it stands, From a Basement on the Hill is still a great album.
“Twilight” |
| 147. | Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life |
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To understand what is incredibly special about this album, one only needs to listen to the opening track, “Son the Father”– an epic, sprawling opener that builds so incredibly well over the span of six and a half minutes that you’d almost fear that the rest of the album can’t hold up to it. Fear not, from beginning to end Fucked Up brings it on this one, a controlled chaos of balls-to-the-wall rocking, The Chemistry of Common Life is anything but subtle, and in this case, that’s a good thing.
“Son the Father” |
| 146. | Los Campesinos! Hold On Now, Youngster… |
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The fun is endless on this release from the Cardiff based septet, whose boundless energy permeates through every note. Rife with pop culture references and self-referential lyrics, this glockenspiel-wielding band succeeds brilliantly, even when they’re not taking themselves seriously.
”You! Me! Dancing!” |
| 145. | Iron & Wine The Shepherd’s Dog |
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While Sam Beam has always written beautifully crafted songs, The Shepherd’s Dog stands as the one clear cut album where it’s obvious he made a conscious decision to shake things up a bit and expand beyond the occasionally tepid soundscapes. Thankfully, rather than sinking fast in the new musical digs, Beam and company are more than up for the challenge creating some of the most musically stimulating music that Iron & Wine has ever released.
“Boy With a Coin” |
| 144. | Shugo Tokumaru Exit |
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If there was any justice, Tokumaru would be somewhere in between Sufjan Stevens and Animal Collective on the hipster coolness scale of the world. Instead, the multi-instrumentalist continues on with limited stateside exposure, but for those whose ears happen to catch a glimpse of avant-garde pop done right, Exit is sure to provide quite the delightful listen. Tokumaru used more than 50 instruments to record Exit, and while singling every one of those sounds may be impossible to do, it helps to explain the seemingly infinite depth that even the straightforward songs possess. Specifics notwithstanding, Tokumaru makes lovely music, even when just taken on the surface.
“Parachute” |
| 143. | The Libertines The Libertines |
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Back when The Libertines were still known for their music and not as one of the many casualties of Pete Doherty’s destructive lifestyle, they released two stellar albums, with this eponymous release being the second of them. In retrospect, it could’ve been that the band was aware that this was the beginning of the end. With the album being based on Doherty’s rocky relationship with fellow Libertine Carl Barât, all of the cracks in the Libertines armor are on full display here, but they’re being shown quite proudly. Albums like The Libertines is one of the reasons why this band should never be forgotten.
“Can’t Stand Me Now” (Explicit) |
| 142. | Bright Eyes Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground |
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Conor Oberst sustained further popularity by later releasing I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn in the same year, but Lifted… is the album that garnered him worthwhile praise. Daring and intimate, Oberst thrills with this release.
“Lover I Don’t Have to Love” (Explicit) |
| 141. | Dizzee Rascal Showtime |
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Showtime is an evolution of Dizzee Rascal’s astounding debut, Boy In Da Corner– comparatively more palatable and even somewhat playful, Showtime has both the shimmer that the title infers as well as the grimy weight that Rascal is known for.
“Dream” |
| 140. | Common Be |
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After the mixed reviews and controversy surrounding Electric Circus Common went back to square one and joined forces with fellow Chicagoan Kanye West to produce what was not only a return to form, but one of Common’s best albums of his career. While the album is incredibly concise (especially when compared to its predecessor), it is so polished and well-executed that the final product is nothing short but terrific.
“Go!” (feat. John Mayer) (Explicit) |
| 139. | Beck Sea Change |
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Influenced by Beck’s break up with his longtime girlfriend, Sea Change was drastically different from everything else Beck had released until then. Heavily influenced by such folks artists as Nick Drake, Sea Change could be both stark and barren on some songs such as “Already Dead” and “Guess I’m Doing Fine” to heavily orchestrated like “Paper Tiger.” A moody affair, Sea Change found Beck at his best and most mature.
“Golden Age” |
| 138. | Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz! |
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It took It’s Blitz! for their previous album, a relatively disappointing Show Your Bones, to make sense. Here, YYY take the listener head on, demanding attention in the same way that they did on Fever to Tell, but also keeping your attention with some incredibly well written dance-influenced songs, not just short punk-influenced sketches. In time, this could be seen as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ crowning achievement.
“Heads Will Roll” |
| 137. | Califone Roots and Crowns |
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Roots and Crowns is a staggeringly beautiful album from the talented Chicago-based band. Dense, occasionally haunting, as exemplified on the opening “Pink & Sour,” this is hardly a Wilco sound-alike album as most comparisons would lead you to believe– no, this is an album truly deserving of its own merit.
“The Orchid” (Psychic TV cover) |
| 136. | Animal Collective Strawberry Jam |
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From the opening “Peacebone,” you could start to see that Animal Collective had figured out a way to be both experimental and approach some sense of palatability– twisted pop if you will. Continuing to branch out and experiment with new sounds the only way they know how, Animal Collective is strange and sublime all at once on Strawberry Jam.
“Peacebone” |
| 135. | Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? |
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Even by Of Montreal’s standards, Hissing Fauna… is completely out of left field. Daring and excessive, this concept album which frontman Kevin Barnes describes as his personal transformation into his alter ego Georgie Fruit, has a bit of everything. The crux of the album is the twelve minute opus, “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” the bridge between the two worlds so to speak, and from that point on the album gets all the more grittier, and perhaps even a bit stranger. It’s a difficult album to comprehend, but it is by far Barnes most consistently brilliant release.
“Heimsdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse” |
| 134. | Murs Murs 3:16 The 9th Edition |
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The silky smooth production from 9th Wonder matches Murs’ brutally honest lyrics perfectly, creating an intoxicating blend of hip-hop that requires repeated listens. Although brief, 3:16 is like a set of musical vignettes offering slices of life through the eyes of Murs.
“And This is For…” (Explicit) |
| 133. | Feist The Reminder |
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While Feist showed a lot of talent on her solo debut, her sophomore release The Reminder, is a staggering album, packed with incredibly well written pop songs (the most obvious of which is iPod anthem “1, 2, 3, 4”), and a level of confidence and vocal presence that simply only seemed to exist in bursts previously.
”Sea Lion Woman” |
| 132. | Dangerdoom The Mouse and the Mask |
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The combination of Danger Mouse and MF Doom is exciting enough as it is, but throw in Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim for good measure, and you have something truly special. With the cartoon humor further adding to Doom’s already absurdist lyrics, and Danger Mouse keeping things grounded with a steady dose of funky classic hip-hop productions, The Mouse and the Mask is terrific fun.
“Perfect Hair” |
| 131. | Dinosaur Jr. Beyond |
| Their first album in a decade, and their first album with the original lineup in nearly 20 years, Beyond is surprisingly fresh, while the band sounds as sharp as ever. While Beyond may be viewed as a comeback album, the transcendent nature of it makes it feel as though the band never left.
“Almost Ready” |
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| 130. | Hercules and Love Affair Hercules and Love Affair |
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While this stellar electro-disco debut became synonymous with the breakthrough “Blind,” there was a lot more to the album than just that one song. An overall noteworthy debut, this is sure to win over many a club hopper.
“You Belong” |
| 129. | Herbert Scale |
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To simply classify this album as electronic doesn’t do Scale justice, as its well-orchestrated to the point that it almost comes across as jazz-based in a sense. The layered vocals enhance the dense beats and sound effects that Herbert has created. An incredibly involving experience, Scale is truly a great album.
“Moving Like a Train” |
| 128. | The xx xx |
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Initially skeptical about the hype surrounding the generically named British group, The xx seriously impress beyond belief. A true grower, xx is incredibly subtle, but thoroughly enjoyable on each and every listen, and the next thing you know, you’re hooked on their dark, haunting grooves. One of the must have albums of 2009.
“Crystalised” |
| 127. | Kings of Leon Because of the Times |
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Because of the Times is the magnum opus of a band who up until the release of this album was seen as mostly a novelty act, content with replicating classic southern rock, rather than creating something new. That all changed here, from the stellar seven minute opener “Knocked Up” to the hard driving “McFearless,” Kings of Leon evolved in a way that few expected, and they have been on the fast track to superstardom since.
“Knocked Up” |
| 126. | The Bug London Zoo |
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A hard hitting project from Kevin Martin, he collaborated with a number of artists to form one of the most memorable dubstep albums of the decade. The grimey and angst-ridden sound is underscored by socially and politically conscious lyrics, but stops just short of being overly brooding. A very worthwhile listen.
“Angry” |

















































































