Creating a music video, in my opinion, should be about creating art. There are so many intricate elements that should go into a video that are so often left forgotten or, at least, unattended. First and foremost is the song itself — a video must compliment the art to which it is expanding from audio to video. Connecting the two is extremely important. Second is theme. The best videos have some storyline, vague or distinct. Or at least something visually interesting.

What started below as a few of my favorites from the past year ultimately turned into a much bigger list of simply great videos both current and dated. Most are visually stunning, as noted in the title of this post. However, a few are impressive instead through the conceptual elements of plot and story (the first one is testament to that). That being said, if you know of some masterful videos from the past few years, feel free to drop a link into a comment — and don’t forget to let us know why you feel it is a “must see” video.

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The Apples In Stereo

The song is great, but what really makes this a good music video is the storyline before and after the song. Featuring Elijah Wood as a teacher, he is whisked away into an alternate universe where Robert Schneider is not a scientist but a musician. This music video is quite nontraditional — it comes with a completely separate introductory video.

“Dance Floor” Part One

“Dance Floor” Part Two

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The Black Keys

The story this video tells is quite entertaining and more than worthy of several repeat viewings. “Tighten Up” comes from their eighth release (counting both EPs), Brothers, and is the highlight track. Featuring Auerbach and Carney at the local park with two boys, both pairs spot the girl of their dreams and friendship loyalties stray in the most hilarious of manners. See for yourself:

“Tighten Up”

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Casiokids

I really, really dig “Finn Bikkjen” by Casiokids. It’s a wonder I haven’t really spent time to seek out more by the band. What I did stumble upon, however, is their video for this song. 2010 appears to be the year everyone dresses up in animal outfits. (Chris Ewing, who’s featured soon below, also did a video featuring them for the band Seasons.) Here they’re playful, and they are creatures we have never seen. Very unique and fun.

“Finn Bikkjen”

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Club 8

This video is a bit odd in that Johan Angergård tends to favor his other project, The Legends, for videos that feature dancing. He did it both in “Lucky Star” and “Seconds Away”, the latter of which you’ll see a bit lower. Yet “Western Hospitality” does just that.

“Western Hospitality”

Club 8 “Western hospitality” from Labrador Records on Vimeo.

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El Perro Del Mar

First off, this video is flat-out strange. But it fits the music and it’s definitely unique. Makes me think of Rocky Horror Picture Show, though. And despite my predilection toward women and their scantily-clad-ness, it’s both an impressive physical feat and quite entertaining.

“Change Of Heart”

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Fredrik

Fredrik’s music has always blended the ethereal with pop and folk, creating a surreal universe and their videos for “Viskra”, “Milo” and “11 Years” give us a glimpse into these so-called places. “Milo” is colorful and blurry, while “Viskra” (primarily in black-and-white) shows a snowy world with human like creatures. “11 Years” uses stop-motion photography to create a trippy world within a train car. All three work well with Fredrik’s dreamy folk-pop.

“11 Years”

Fredrik – ’11 Years’ from Iris Piers on Vimeo.

“Milo”

Fredrik – Milo from The Kora Records on Vimeo.

“Viskra”

Fredrik – Viskra from The Kora Records on Vimeo.

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Tobias Froberg (NSFW)

Tobias Froberg’s “When We Go To War” is a play on good versus evil, documented theatrically via two professional dancers. And the video fits perfectly with Froberg’s masterpiece. The two individuals within appear normal enough, but when both enter onto the roof of a building, they turn into creatures ready for battle. There’s a hint of nudity in this one, so it may not be safe for work.

“When We Go To War”

Tobias Froberg – When We Go to War from Petter Ringbom on Vimeo.

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[ingenting]

This song is so touching to begin with, it’s hard not to get emotional when watching this video. [ingenting] of Sweden is a rarity in that they sing in their native tongue — most Swedish bands we hear on this side of the ocean have adopted English as a standard for performing. Still, the emotion comes through easily in this tale about love and loss.

“Dina händer är fulla av blommor”

[ingenting] “Dina händer är fulla av blommor” from Labrador Records on Vimeo.

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Jonsi

Jonsi of Sigur Ros is now creating music under the moniker Jonsi, and it’s pretty sweet. Honestly, I don’t much care for the vast majority of videos that just show a band performing their song, but Jonsi’s video for “Animal Arithmetic” is done at odd angles, which means it’s not your standard performance video. That makes it a rarity: totally worthwhile.

“Animal Arithmetic”

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The Knife

Easily one of the creepiest music videos around is The Knife’s “Silent Shout”. Once the flashing lights fade, we begin to see odd, misshapen humans and hear The Knife’s equally mind-bending vocals. The result is nightmarish.

“Silent Shout”

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The Legends

With each new album, Johan Angergård takes The Legends in an exciting new direction. Here you can hear and see three distinct sounds from three separate albums Still, I have a hard time discounting their first one — it has been a mainstay in my regular playlist since discovering shortly after its release (“There And Back Again” is from that release). Both “Lucky Star” and “Always The Same” find The Legends featuring a quirky, awkward dancer and it couldn’t be more fitting thanks to the dancey electro-pop of the former and the lovable pop vocals and crazy distorted pop guitars of the latter.

“Always The Same”

“Lucky Star”

“There And Back Again”

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Letting Up Despite Great Faults

Letting Up Despite Great Faults is the band I referred to before, the one with a video by Chris Ewing. Like his work for Seasons, this one features a beautiful girl. Unlike that one, in which she’s plagued by animals, this one is a love story. And true to Ewing’s creations, there’s plenty of mixed media and surreal surrounds.

“Our Younger Noise”

LETTING UP DESPITE GREAT FAULTS: Our Younger Noise from Christopher j Ewing on Vimeo.

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Radiohead

It’s hard to write about great music videos without at least mentioning “Rabbit In Your Headlights” by Radiohead. Technically, it’s a split between Thom Yorke and UNKLE. Aesthetically, thematically, and visually, this is one of my favorite music videos of all time… right up through the explosive ending.

“Rabbit In Your Headlights”

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Seabear

As you’ll soon learn, Iceland’s Sindri Már Sigfússon like multimedia videos. Off Seabear’s latest release, We Built A Fire, of which I’ve been listening to a lot lately, “I’ll Build You A Fire” does just that. The good news is that Sigfússon does multimedia videos very well.

“I’ll Build You A Fire”

Seabear – I’ll Build You A Fire from seabear on Vimeo.

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Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes

The concept behind this video is “Desert Song” itself, and in fact it is the first of many from Sharpe-and-entourage. Actually, they’re making an entire movie based on their hit album Up From Below.

“Desert Song”

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros “Desert Song” from benjamin kutsko on Vimeo.

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Sin Fang Bous

Sin Fang Bous created an epic masterpiece in 2009. The solo project of Seabear’s Sindri Már Sigfússon. This video was directed by Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir of, I’m assuming, Iceland (that’s where Sin Fang Bous and Seabear are from). Mixing media is a difficult thing to do, but Birgisdóttir does it quite successfully here. Odd and filled with a unique style of electro-pop, Sin Fang Bous has a worthy and comfortable home on Morr Music.

“Clangour And Flutes”

Sin Fang Bous: clangour and flutes from morr music on Vimeo.

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Small Black

Small Black created a bit of a masterpiece with their video for “Despicable Dogs” and they do it again with “Bad Lover”. It’s been a while since a video has seriously creeped me out; probably since “Silent Shout” by The Knife. “Bad Lover” does a good job thanks to people with odd masks on.

“Bad Lover”

Small Black: Bad Lover from Nick Bentgen on Vimeo.

“Despicable Dogs”

Small Black: Despicable Dogs from Yoonha Park on Vimeo.

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Tame Impala

Reality and sanity are both focal points in Tame Impala’s video for “Solitude Is Bliss”. Whether or not there’s a deeper meaning behind the images displayed is up for debate; I’d argue for. It fits with the title — the “solitude” our protagonist sees. He is thwarted by the masses but seems aloof in his own world of destruction. Tame Impala is one of this year’s promising finds, for sure.

“Solitude Is Bliss”

tame impala – solitude is bliss from EL NINO on Vimeo.

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Thieves Like Us

I love videos like the one for “Shyness” by Thieves Like Us. It shows the fleeting awkwardness of teenage love — the lust, the love, the heartbreak and the all too quickly forgotten memories. You almost feel naughty and guilty watching it.

“Shyness”

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Chad VanGaalen (NSFW)

What makes “Molten Light” so special is that VanGaalen did the video himself. His art, just like his music, is highly original. This video too is disturbing, and probably not safe for work.

“Molten Light” (NSFW)

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Warpaint

There is no other way to put it: What Adam Harding does in creating Warpaint’s video for “Stars” is absolutely stunning. Visually, it’s quite impressive; he perfectly captures the dreamy nature of their subtle shoegaze soundscapes, and the nuances of Warpaint’s playful darkness. Furthermore, he creates momentum that moves with the song — particularly in its final moments — a momentum that increases to a powerful climax as the song fades away.

“Stars”

Warpaint – Stars from Adam Harding on Vimeo.

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Vitalic

All this video contains is flying dogs and laser beams. Brilliant! And that’s all I need to say about Vitalic’s “Birds”.

“Birds”

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Washed Out

It’s amazing to think that Washed Out’s Ernest Greene planned to settle down after making his epic EP, 2009′s Life Of Leisure. After years of creating music under various bands and monikers, Greene was suddenly thrust into the spotlight with this project. And we finally get a music video to accompany the music.

“Hold Out”

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Wolf Parade

They really should make more science fiction movies like this; “Yulia” by Wolf Parade is filled with interesting footage and great cinematography.

“Yulia”

Wolf Parade – Yulia from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

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Yeasayer (NSFW)

This video is definitely not safe for work. That being said, it’s also quite interesting — it follows the path Yeasayer took with their sophomore album, one that heightens to a whole new level the experimental glam they started with their debut.

“Ambling Alp”

Yeasayer “Ambling Alp” from Team G on Vimeo.

Let me tell you a story. In 2007 some notable things happened. I attended the annual music festival SXSW (the image above is of myself and The Lovely Sparrows’ Shawn Jones, taken by Abandoned Love Records/Virgin Of The Birds’ Jon Rooney), I grew a mustache, and I met a beautiful girl named Andi at the Capitol Hill Block Party. We hit it off and ditched the after-party to get a sprite (her) and coffee (me) at Denny’s in Ballard (sadly no longer there) at 1:30am. I still have the mustache and I’m still dating Andi. A lot of pretty notable things happened that year, and a lot of great releases came out…

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Ooops: Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On New Paint by The Lovely Sparrows

We begin tonight with an error, an accidental and tragic omission from 2006 as it was ultimately one of my favorites from the year; that being The Lovely Sparrows’ phenomenal EP Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On New Paint. 2007 was the first time I heard it live and it absolutely blew me away, just as the EP had many times over. Here it is, a track from my favorite show from 2007 (well, from their EP that is):

The Lovely Sparrows: Chemicals Change [mp3]

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1/3. Wizards Of Ahhhs by Black Kids

Black Kids were my #1 hype band of 2007. Shunning label and any released material, with exception to this here digital EP, the group took off with astounding force. Their debut LP didn’t quite live up to the hype, but was still pretty good. This year (2009) the album finally got a physical release, and it happened during the famed Record Store Day. The 10″ EP is sitting in my collection right now.

Black Kids: I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You [mp3]

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33. The Bird Of Music by Au Revoir Simone

You can view this band in two ways. At first glance, Au Revoir Simone’s make up is of three attractive nerdy women with Casio keyboards and an affection toward Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure. But the deeper you look into their music, the more you find that these three women are sirens and muses ready to swallow your soul in the most delightful of ways. You’ll practically beg for them to take it.

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32. The Stage Names by Okkervil River

I really love how The Stage Names concludes with “John Allyn Smith Sails”, a song that channels The Beach Boys’ classic “Sloop John B”. The Stage Names was part one of a conceptual pair of albums, the second of which, The Stand Ins was released in 2008.

Okkervil River: Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe [mp3]

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31. In Stormy Nights by Ghost

The experimental Japanese classical group Ghost is an interesting collective of artists. In Stormy Nights is, without question, among their more accessible releases. With sole exception to the 28 minute “Hemicyclic Anthelion”, the album was pretty cohesive in its piecing together of full songs. It wasn’t a musical rant of avant garde as found in that lone lengthy track. “Motherly Bluster” and “Gareki No Toshi” and “Caledonia” were actually catchy, a term not likely included in any prior mention of the band.

You can stream the entire album over at Drag City.

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30. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago is an album of insurmountable beauty. Soft acoustics fronted by Justin Vernon’s pleasant falsetto made tunes like “For Emma” and “Flume” stand out. While not necessarily bedroom pop, the album included many of that subgenre’s sensibilities yet defied its true nature. Bon Iver is much too folky to be that.

Bon Iver: Skinny Love [mp3]

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29. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is my favorite Spoon album since Kill The Moonlight. “Don’t Make Me A Target” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” hinted at that earlier album’s greatness yet took the band’s progression of the years between into account. Absolutely wonderful!

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28. Cold City by Eux Autres

Their sophomore release, Eux Autres continued to pump out quality lo-fi, French-influenced pop music. Raw and at times minimal, the brother-sister duo began to expand into a trio and add keys to the guitar/drums/vocals mix. “Molly”, “When I’m Up” and “Anne Boleyn” were early favorites, but “The City All To Himself” topped them all.

Eux Autres: When I’m Up [mp3]

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27. In Camera by Arthur & Yu

Hardly Art’s first release as a label, In Camera is an album that references Summer of Love and a decade’s old style of San Francisco folk-pop. There’s plenty here to love.

Arthur & Yu: Come To View (Song For Neil Young) [mp3]

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26. Red Bloom Of The Boom by Bear In Heaven

With Red Bloom Of The Boom, Bear In Heaven followed in the footsteps of freak-folk and pop artists such as Animal Collective, but their music is also likely to find itself in the crowd with AC spinoff Panda Bear. For fans of more avant-garde indie, Red Bloom Of The Boom is a must have for your collection.

Bear In Heaven: Bag Of Bags [mp3]

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25. The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly by Le Loup

When I saw Le Loup live at CMJ in 2007, I knew I needed their debut album from Hardly Art. Somewhat of a concept album, The Throne delves into the psyche and psychosis of Sam Simkoff. Spirits are at work here—light versus dark—and the result is a miraculous journey into a brilliant mind.

Le Loup: We Are Gods! We Are Wolves! [mp3]

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24. Autumn Of The Seraphs by Pinback

Slightly more rock-centric with a bit higher production value and a little less orchestration is how Autumn Of The Seraphs came to us. Pinback continued their pointed and oft angular sounds that has always made them a wholly unique band. I’ve been kicking myself for not picking up their albums before this one, as Seraphs was ultimately my introduction to the band.

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23. No Shouts No Calls by Electrelane

The last Electrelane album before their (hopefully not) eternal hiatus is without a doubt my favorite. From the singles “The Greater Times” and “To The East” to the epic post-rock “Saturday” and “Cut And Run”, No Shouts No Calls is truly a remarkable album.

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22. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

Condon’s voice continues to mature, though one would think it impossible. Deep and rich, his vocals and trumpet alike fill the air with boisterous glee. The album also found Condon relinquishing some of his domination on the album (as Beirut’s entire debut was put together by Condon himself) to other artists, which was a welcome feature. The Flying Club Cup is a definite must-have from 2007.

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21. The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse by The Besnard Lakes

…Are The Dark Horse eluded me in 2007; I listened to it for the first time within 24 hours of publishing my original Best of 2007 list and was devastated I wouldn’t be able to include it. There are infectious pop moments thanks to Beach Boys-like harmonies, but the instrumentation is thick and atmospheric. This band is one of a kind.

The Besnard Lakes: And You Lied To Me [mp3]

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20. Parades by Efterklang

Parades blends the orchestrated pop sensibilities of Sigur Ros with a massive experimental orchestral pop sound. With emphasis on multiple vocal parts, immense percussion, and an intense horn section, Efterklang’s Parades took a sound similar to that of Anathallo and expanded it to epic proportions.

Efterklang: Cutting Ice To Snow [mp3]

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19. Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Everything Is by Kickball

This pristine 10″ LP found Kickball outdoing themselves. Previously, ABCDEFGHIJ saw them capitalizing on a math-y, in-your-face style of lo-fi gritty emotive puck rock. Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Everything Is took this sound to the next level, from opener “Underground Husbands” to epics like “Hotelsmotels” and “Sometimes”. It’s a truly beautiful piece of work, this album.

Kickball: Pocketknife [mp3]

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18. Eulogy For Evolution by Ólafur Arnalds

One wouldn’t expect classical music to make a list like this, but here it is, Ólafur Arnalds’ outstanding Eulogy For Evolution. As the album builds from the pleasantries of “3055″ into “3326″, it goes from a calm hypnosis into tense strings. Then the album bows out with “3704/3837″ hitting hard with an anthemic electric guitar. Arnalds is truly the modern king of classical composition.

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17. In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars

Stars always lag a bit when it comes to me. There’s a progression here that’s a bit strange, yet it’s consistent with all of their recent releases. At first, I’ll dislike the album completely. It’ll sit on my shelf for some time, possibly as long as a year or more. Then I’ll pick it up and it’ll blow me away. In Our Bedroom After The War was nowhere to be found on my original 2007 list, and I mistakenly added it toward the end of my 2008 list (oops!) and was called on the error. Yet here it is, now within the top 20. It makes me wonder what one, maybe two more years will do to it.

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16. Let’s Drag Our Feet by BOAT

D. Crane will likely remain at the forefront of my list of friendliest musicians. There’s something about his demeanor, party enhanced by his continual slight smile, that makes you simply know he’s a fun guy. It’s like he finds the world and life in general flat out amusing. And he injects that outlook on life directly into the heart of his music. “Period. Colon. Backslash” from this album was once dedicated to my mustache at a show in Seattle. Totally awesome.

BOAT: (I’m A) Donkey For Your Love [mp3]

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15. Voxtrot by Voxtrot

I often say that nothing will top Voxtrot’s debut EP and so far nothing has, simply because of the power behind the two singles, “The Start Of Something” and “Raised By Wolves”. Their debut self-titled LP is a lovable album that includes many single-worthy tracks, bringing the band forward in indiepop with a broader, slightly more produced sound.

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14. Fleeting Frequencies by Patience Please

I love these guys; it’s no secret. Their songs fill me with joy, whether it’s the tribute to your parents’ sale of your childhood home in “Exclusively Windermere” or the choo-choo drums by Chris at the beginning and end of “Coal Enough For Steam”. Jordan and Ray’s lyrics are thoughtful and clever, and Keegan’s work on keys and backup vocals round out the quartet perfectly. It was sad they disbanded a few months after Fleeting Frequencies hit stores.

Patience Please: If You’re Sure [mp3]

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13. Challengers by The New Pornographers

Twin Cinema never caught on for me. Neither did Mass Romantic. There were several tracks off Electric Version that I fell in love with, but the album was never on constant repeat. Challengers changed all that. God this is a great album!

The New Pornographers: Myriad Harbour [mp3]

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12. Andorra by Caribou

“Melody Day” continues to be one of the top songs from 2007. Andorra was somewhat of a gracious tribute to 30th anniversary of The Summer Of Love, and it fits the 70s sound of psychedelic folk-pop beautifully. Fronted by Dan Snaith, who has a Ph.D. in mathematics, it’s obvious that this album is quite a trip!

* * * * *

11. In Rainbows by Radiohead

The hottest of hot bands and most hype-driven and noteworthy artist of the past decade is Radiohead. Snubbing their record label and the following hurrah’s of a pay-what-you-want model, the band knowingly found themselves in the eye of a faltering industry. They shunned all ties to create a pave their own path with In Rainbows, favoring the aforementioned consumer friendly model with added promotional elements in various web-casts. In Rainbows was, obviously, like virtually the entire Radiohead library: an instant classic.

* * * * *

10. Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem

Sound of Silver is a more than viable follow-up to the self-titled release from a few years ago. This is obvious thanks to one of the best songs of the decade, “All My Friends”, as well as opening power trio “Get Innocuous”, “Time To Get Away” and “North American Scum”. Even the slower, more emotive tracks like closing tune “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” were awe-inspiring.

* * * * *

9. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by Of Montreal

I remember first hearing “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” – at a hair under 12 minutes, it was hard to miss. The song is one of Kevin Barnes’s most introspective and personal tracks yet, and the rest of the album compliments it well. “Suffer For Fashion” and “Cato As Pun” and “She’s A Rejecter” remain among of my favorites by the band. This furthered Barnes along the path toward icon status.

Of Montreal: Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse [mp3]

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8. Person Pitch by Panda Bear

Panda Bear’s relation to Animal Collective is obvious beyond the group’s makeup. Added to the bizarre nature of AC’s eclectic experimental folk sounds are Beach Boys-esque vocal patterns that make Person Pitch that much more unique. “Bros”, “Comfy In Nautica”: beautiful.

* * * * *

7. Cryptograms by Deerhunter

It’s amazing to think how far Deerhunter has come since Flourescent Grey. Cryptograms found the experimental band solidifying their sound with some of the year’s best tracks, including the title track, “Lake Somerset”, and “Strange Lights”.

Deerhunter: Cryptograms [mp3]

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6. 23 by Blonde Redhead

23 is a tight-knit album, but it’s to be expected from a band as solid as Blonde Redhead. It works both as a cohesive unit and as individual songs. From “The Dress” to the title-track “23” to the album favorite “Publisher”, with 23, Blonde Redhead put yet another phenomenal album under their collective belts.

Blonde Redhead: 23 [mp3]

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5. Invitation Songs by The Cave Singers

Discovering great music is a wonderful feeling, but doing so by mistake is even better. I wanted to be in the front row for Grand Archives’ Capitol Hill Block Party performance so I showed up a performance early. And that’s when I was introduced to The Cave Singers. Invitation Songs is a glorious album of semi-religious folk tunes, dusty and gritty like a dust bowl-era wanderer.

The Cave Singers: Helen [mp3]

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4. All Hour Cymbals by Yeasayer

Likened to a barbershop quartet gone eclectic indie rock, Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals drew a lot of hype upon its release at the tail end of 2007. “Sunrise” and “2020″ were instant favorites. Word on the street is that they’ve got a new one slated for early 2010; it’ll be interesting to see how the two albums stack up. All Hour Cymbals will be a very difficult one to top.

Yeasayer: 2080 [mp3]

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3. Friend And Foe by Menomena

I didn’t understand what was so fascinating about Menomena until I saw them live at Bumbershoot in 2007. The group added a choir in their backline, and the songs that made up Friend And Foe became instantly recognizable as awe-inspiring anthems. After that, I was absolutely hooked and I have been ever since.

Menomena: Wet And Rusting [mp3]

* * * * *

2. Night Falls Over Kortedala by Jens Lekman

Night Falls On Kortedala took me by surprise. Lekman’s prior albums were strong with tunes about getting arrested, naughty words that begin with F, a few spanning a movie featuring Cher and Eric Stoltz, and the cool taxis of London. But none are as powerful as a whole as that of Night Falls On Kortedala. “Postcard to Nina” and “And I Remember Every Kiss” and “Sipping On The Sweet Nectar” and “Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo” are all vastly memorable tunes. Add to it plush orchestration and you have Fense’s top album of 2007.

Jens Lekman: The Opposite Of Hallelujah [mp3]

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1. Albatross by Fishboy

Theif! Fishboy stole best album of 2007 from Jens Lekman. It was close to begin with, but it’s really no contest. Concept albums can be brilliant and Albatross is a prime example, perhaps the optimum example. The album tells the story of how the protagonist “failed to save the lone star state with the power of rock and roll.” Touring the country, Fishboy plays their so-called Rock Opera in its entirety from start to finish in what I hail as one phenomenal phucking performance! The story is fodder for a low-budget indie film. The day that film is made will be the day my life is complete.

Fishboy: Half Time At The Proper Name Spelling Bee [mp3]

The Man can do no wrong. Capital M: He deserves it. Thom Yorke‘s latest project finds him slipping further into experimentation; the avant garde. As if we haven’t seen this coming since 2000′s Kid A, easily one of the most prolific albums of the decade. “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses” and b-side “The Hollow Earth” are a play on the hypnotic. Both leave the listener with a true experience.

Dark and brooding, “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses” focuses on a consistent percussive beat and a trippy bass-line while the vocals lapse into echoing loops. Ah yes, that expert bass, provided by the crazed Flea. The make-up of this new Thom Yorke supergroup also includes Nigel Goldrich (Radiohead producer) and Joey Waronker (drummer for R.E.M and Beck), as well as multi-instrumentalist/percussionist Mauro Refosco.

“The Hollow Earth” has a more distinct vocal part than the a-side, in that it’s almost decipherable. Almost. Again with the beats, compatible with more recent Radiohead works as well as Yorke’s solo stuff; where the vocals were the primary experimental element in “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses”, here it’s the clanging percussion reverberating in the background as well as eerie backing vocal tones.

Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses b/w The Hollow Earth is further proof that Thom Yorke deserves knighthood. His genius warrants the annotation. Conclusion: this Man can do no wrong.

W.A.S.T.E. [12" Single, 2009]

1. Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses
2. The Hollow Earth

I’ve decided to create an installment in which I do a recap of my favorite albums of the past ten years now that we’re coming up on the turn-of-decade – yes, 2010 is upon us. They key: I do them one at a time. I figure contemplating the weight of albums that have been instituted in my library for the better part (or even just half) of a decade would warrant a skewed opinion when comparing them to those released just this month. And, as these things are all truly opinion-based, well I just couldn’t have that.

(Besides, an appreciator such as myself would have an even larger and more time consuming task ahead of them were they to go through the thousands of albums that have been released, listened to, loved, etc. over the past ten years. No, much easier to split it year by year. And yes, when available for public consumption, I’ll include an mp3 for your enjoyment.)

These are the albums that stick with you – or at least the ones that have stuck with me; they have longevity. They’re ones I’ll listen to for decades to come. We begin with my freshman year of college, 2000. Well, second half of my freshman year, that is. That being said, I would love for this to be a friendly dialog. So please feel free to chime in with some of your favorites as well…

Here we go: my top 15 albums of 2000…

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15. Fevers & Mirrors by Bright Eyes
Odd as it may seem here, Bright Eyes‘ Fevers & Mirrors was a favorite of mine around 2000 and 2001. Songs like “The Calendar Hung Itself” and “When the Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass” just fit with my persona at the time. I was a sad bastard back then, but I’ve outgrown that phase. Still, every so often I revisit those albums of old and it still astonishes me that I can feel good while listening to them. Fevers & Mirrors is one such album.

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14. Crooked Fingers by Crooked Fingers
Like Fevers & Mirrors, Crooked Fingers‘ self-titled LP had me in its grip for a long time. “A New Drink For An Old Drunk” was a perfect song back then, and in various scenarios today it works just as well. And who could forget “She Spread Her Legs & Flew Away”, or “Juliette”, or even “The Man Who Died Of Nothing At All”? Crooked Fingers was a difficult one for Eric Bachman to top; he didn’t until last year’s Forfeit/Fortune.

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13. The Great Eastern by The Delgados
I don’t think I started listening to The Delgados until sometime around 2004, possibly even 2005. And while my initial love was Hate, eventually the power of The Great Eastern took hold. Sure, specific tracks on Hate may stand out more than some on this record (“All I Need Is Hate”, for example), but as a whole I think The Great Eastern is more consistently good.

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12. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Containing only four songs, only one of which was under 20 minutes (“Antennas To Heaven” came in at just under 19, far from brevity), Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven is all about building up to those epic climaxes and throwing out spacey shoegaze-like drones while maintaining that almost classical music approach signature to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. To say this album is breathtaking would be an understatement. I’ll probably kick myself later for not putting it in the top 10.

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11. The Lioness by Songs: Ohia
The Lioness remains one of my all-time favorite releases by Jason Molina, no matter which moniker he may be using at the time of release. The only LP truly capable of exceeding its greatness is Trials & Errors (2004) by Magnolia Electric Co. Molina excels, especially under the guise of Songs: Ohia, at creating minimalistic country-folk tunes that on The Lioness dabbles lightly in a bit fuller sound.

‘The Lioness’ by Songs: Ohia

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10. Moon & Antarctica by Modest Mouse
Like many albums in this list, Moon & Antarctica remains a favorite of mine from the Modest Mouse catalog. It was around this time I really began expanding my music horizons and Modest Mouse was a band that helped push me down this path. Tunes like “I Came As A Rat”, “Gravity Rides Everything”, and “Dark Center Of The Universe” all carried me toward this true obsession with music, from which I doubt I’ll ever return.

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9. He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes Grace The Corner Of Our Rooms by A Silver Mt. Zion
A Silver Mt. Zion snared me in its trap – looking for some great study music but not willing to seek out the limited classical music of my parents and their parents (and not knowing the immense modern artists who were more than worthy), I ended up landing on A Silver Mt. Zion. And while it wasn’t always instrumental, at the right volume it worked perfectly. Only later did I come to truly fall in love with this album, as well as their brethren, Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

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8. Ugly But Honest by Carissa’s Wierd
I discovered Carissa’s Wierd from a magazine. It was a fairly random encounter, actually, but it led to an obsession like no other. I ultimately downloaded everything I could find from the band. Eventually, I would collect every album of theirs I could find – all in physical form, of course. To this day, the only item that eludes me is a rare 7″ single containing a remix or two; I even snagged a copy of that rare Scrapbook disc. I still find songs like “Drunk With The Only Saints I Know” and “Fluorescent Lights” to be among the most moving and personal songs around.

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7. It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water by Microphones
The great thing about A Retrospective is that it allows me to list all those albums that truly should have made my ‘best of’ list back in 2000. (Had I created one at the time, it is highly unlikely It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water by The Microphones would have made it on the list. It was just a little beyond my temperament at the time.) But these days, I cannot get enough of practically everything Phil Elverum does, this album included. That being said, as soon as I can muster the cash, I’m gonna snag one of those “Books 6 & 7″ copies by Mount Eerie from Easy Street Records. Damn.

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6. Live by Built To Spill
A collection of some of Built To Spill‘s best tracks recorded prior to 2000, from the astonishing Perfect From Now On (1997) to selections from Keep It Like A Secret (1999). It also includes an epic 20-minute rendition of Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer” and one of the best lyrical songs of the 90s: “Car”.

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5. Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons by Blonde Redhead
This is really a no-brainer. Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons has always been an album to look up to since its release in 2000. With songs so different – I mean, just listen to “In Particular” stacked up next to “This Is Not” and jump back to “Hated Because Of Great Qualities” – it’s amazing they go so well together. Then again, that’s something of which Blonde Redhead has always excelled: putting together exceptional tracklists.

‘This Is Not’ by Blonde Redhead

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4. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant by Belle & Sebastian
I could say that Tigermilk was my first true love when it comes to Belle & Sebastian, but I’d be lying. No, it was actually Fold Your Hands opening track “I Fought In A War” that sold me on this band. Afterwards, songs like “The Model” and “Don’t Leave The Light On Baby” dominated my playlist, even through the release of The Life Pursuit and beyond.

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3. Designing A Nervous Breakdown by The Anniversary
I can name few albums that have not only stuck with me through the years, but that also so heavily influenced my love for pop music. Designing A Nervous Breakdown by The Anniversary is absolutely such an album. The male/female vocals of Adrianne Verhoeven, Josh Berwanger, and Justin Roelofs were perfection back then. And songs like “The D In Detroit” and “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” continue to wow me today.

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2. We Have The Facts & We’re Voting Yes by Death Cab For Cutie
By far, We Have The Facts continues to dominate as my all-time favorite Death Cab For Cutie album. The lackluster way Gibbard sings about driving down the “405″ and the contemplations on friends and girlfriends reminds me of my college days and, later, grad school; it was the perfect accompaniment as I made my way out to Pullman from Portland, driving through the Palouse doing 75 in my Volvo wagon and watching the moon crest orange over hills at 1am. Yeah, even songs like “Scientist Studies” and “The Employment Pages” ring true today. Calm beauty seeps through every single moment of this album.

‘For What Reason’ by Death Cab For Cutie

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1. Kid A by Radiohead
I mean c’mon! How could you not place this as your favorite album of 2000? It was Radiohead‘s follow-up to the amazing OK Computer and was really their first foray into a sound much more experimental than they had previously tampered with. “Idioteque”; the song remains to this day one of my all-time favorites by Radiohead. The tracklist is flawless – a feat they hadn’t achieved before, and wouldn’t again until In Rainbows.