Best Albums of past 5 years ...

GUERRILLA!!!!!!!!!

2003
The Notwist - Neon Golden
Beulah - Yoko
Bishop Allen - Charm School

2002
The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas
Sleater-Kinney - One Beat

2001
Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Tyranny of Distance
Mogwai - Rock Action
Spoon - Girls Can Tell

2000
Outkast - Stankonia
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
The Sea and Cake - Oui

1999
Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Les Savy Fav - 3/5
Built to Spill - Keep it like a secret

Did '99 suck, or is my memory just too foggy?

1999:
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Super Furry Animals - GUERRILLA!!!
Moby - Play

2000:
Coldplay - Parachutes
Primal Scream - XTRMNTR
Radiohead - Kid A

2001:
The Strokes - Is This It
Spiritualized - Let It Come Down
Daft Punk - Discovery

2002:
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Primal Scream - Evil Heat

2003:
OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Super Furry Animals - Phantom Power

WOIRST ALBUM OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS: Madonna - American Life

for some reason Soft Bulletin and Guerilla seem older than that

1999
Basement Jaxx - Remedy
Chemical Brothers - Surrender
Prodigy - Dirtchamber Sessions Vol. 1
MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist - Brainfreeze

2000
Outkast - Stankonia
Broadcast - The Noise Made By People
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Mr. Oizo - Analog Worms Attack
White Stripes - De Stijl

2001
Avalanches - Since I Left You (US)
Daft Punk - Discovery
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
Basement Jaxx - Rooty
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World (UK)
[Jay-Z would probably be here only I haven't even gotten around to listening to Blueprint yet]

2002
El-P - Fantastic Damage
Clipse - Lord Willin'
Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
Royksopp - Melody AM (US)
RJD2 - Deadringer [I relent: it's better than Private Press, Jakki or no]

2003
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Atmosphere - Seven's Travels
Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
The White Stripes - Elephant
Jay-Z - The Black Album

2000
Luomo - Vocalcity
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Jay-Z - Volume III: The Life & Times...
V/A: Zed Bias - The Sound of the Pirates
Kelis - Kaleidoscope

2001
Daft Punk - One More Time
Basement Jaxx - Rooty
V/A: Masterstepz - The Sound of Ayia Napa 2001
Aaliyah - Aaliyah
Jay-Z - The Blueprint

2002
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
V/A: Michael Mayer - Immer
Elephant Man - Higher Level
V/A: Triple R - Friends
Missy Elliot - Under Construction

2003
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Luomo - The Present Lover
V/A: Michael Mayer - Fabric13
Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner
Vybz Kartel - Up 2 Di Time (I suspect!)

1999

boredoms - vision creation newsun
jay z - life and times of s carter
magnetic fields - 69 love songs
low - secret name
sleater-kinney - the hot rock
missy elliot - da real world
juvenile - tha g code

2000

broadcast - noise made by people
luomo - vocalcity
quasimoto - the unseen
isolee - rest
gf killah
gas - pop
kelis - kaleidoscope
outkast - stankonia

2001

daft punk - discovery
bjork - vespertine
jan jelinek - loop finding jazz records
fennesz - endless summer
jay z - blueprint
cannibal ox - the cold vein
avalanches - since i left you
miss e... so addictive
prefuse 73 - (i forget the title)
fugazi - argument

2002

farben - textstar
sonic youth - murray street
deerhoof - reveille
boards of canada
dead c - new electric music
m mayer - immer
e ehlers - plays
recloose - cardiology
notwist - neon golden

2003 (totally unsure about this)

dizzee rascal
animal colective - here comes the indian/campfire songs
mayer - fabric 13
pluramon - dreams top rock
villalobos - alcachofa
rapture
rhythm and sound with the artists
clientele - violet hour
black eyes
the aislers set

low - secret name
susuma yokota - sakura
basement jaxx - rooty
m83 - dead cities etc
canibus - 2000 BC
jay-z - the blueprint
black box recoder - the facts of life
radiohead - kid a
flaming lips - the soft bulletin
mu-ziq - royal astronomy

beachwood sparks - make the robot cowboys cry
boards of canada - geogaddi
the delgados - great eastern
pavement - terror twilight
low - trust
radiohead - amnesiac
plaid - double figure

1999
Tori Amos - To Venus And Back
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I See A Darkness
Basement Jaxx - Remedy

2000
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Kelis - Kaleidoscope
Black Box Recorder - England Made Me
Fiona Apple - When The Pawn
Katy Carr - Screwing Lies

2001
Missy Elliott - Miss E... So Addictive
Saul Williams - Amethyst Rockstar
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Princess Superstar - Princess Superstar Is
Björk - Vespertine
Khan - No Comprendo
Thalia Zedek - Been Here And Gone

2002
Sleater-Kinney - One Beat
Missy Elliott - Under Construction
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Gonzales - Presidential Suite
Eleni Mandell - Thrill
Tom Waits - Blood Money

2003
Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground
Carina Round - The Disconnection
Diamanda Galás - Defixiones: Will And Testament
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
Cat Power - You Are Free

2000:
Stories from the City . . . -- PJ Harvey
Marshall Mathers LP -- Eminem
Stankonia -- Outkast
Friends of Rachel Worth -- Go-Betweens
Vol.3: Life and Times of S. Carter -- Jay-Z

2001:
Lucy Ford -- Atmosphere
"Love & Theft" -- Bob Dylan
White Blood Cells -- White Stripes
Rooty -- Basement Jaxx
Satellite Rides -- Old 97s

2002:
One Beat -- Sleater-Kinney
Original Pirate Material -- Streets
Specialist in All Styles -- Orchestra Baobob
Dying in Stereo -- Northern State
Time Bomb High School -- Reigning Sound

2003:
Decoration Day -- Drive-By Truckers
Kish Kash -- Basement Jaxx
Fever to Tell -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Boy in Da Corner -- Dizzee Rascal
Echoes -- The Rapture

5. immer
4. miss e
3. vision creation
2. discovery
1. kaleidoscope

2000
Erykah Badu, Mama’s Gun
Aimee Mann, Bachelor No. 2
Doves, Lost Souls
Virginia Rodrígues, Nós
Common, Like Water For Chocolate

2001
Bersuit Vergabarat, Hijos del Culo
El Gran Silencio, Chuntaros de Poder
Missy Elliott, Miss E…So Addictive
Circulatory System, Circulatory System
Baaba Maal, Mi Yeenwii (Missing You)

2002
Cee-Lo, Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
Buffalo Daughter, I
Common, Electric Circus
Jaguar Wright, Denials, Delusions, and Decisions
Gomez, In Our Gun

2003
El Gran Silencio, Super Riddim Internacional, Vol. 1
Anthony Hamilton, Comin’ From Where I’m From
T.I., Trap Muzik
Cibelle, Cibelle
Super Furry Animals, Phantom Power

Coincidentally, John Darnielle will be writing 1,000 words on the Diamanda Galas record for me here at the Phoenix New Times. Running it on Dec. 25, like the creep I am. Hope that doesn;t pout too much pressure on you, John. I'm just excited about it.

2002-
Clipse - Lord Willin'
Lil Flip - Look At Me Now
Field Mob - From tha Roota to tha Toota
Missy Elliot - Under Construction
Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas

2003-
Freeway - Philadelphia Freeway
Swishahouse - The Final Chapter 2k3
Audio Bullys - Ego War
Paid in Full Presents The Family Jewels
Lil Flip and Sucka Free Present 7-1-3

Some omissions on my list, like Stankonia, The Fragile and 69 Love Songs (two of which were #1s on those year's published best-ofs lists for me), are just due to the fact that they haven't really held up for me over time or that they proved to be thrilling eccentricities that were also disposable. Weird ... Tis why I like doing these 5-year spans, to look at the first two years.

off top of head:
1999
Built to Spill, Keep It Like a Secret
Prince Paul Presents a Prince Among Thieves
Armand Van Helden, 2 Future 4 U
Basement Jaxx, Remedy
John Prine, In Spite of Ourselves

2000
Luomo, Vocalcity
Lifter Puller, Fiestas + Fiascos
OutKast, Stankonia
Quasimoto, The Unseen
D'Angelo, Voodoo

2001
The Avalanches, Since I Left You
Basement Jaxx, Rooty
Daft Punk, Discovery
Superlongevity
Atmosphere, Lucy Ford

2002
Triple R, Friends
The Streets, Original Pirate Material
Kylie Minogue, Fever
Clipse, Lord Willin'
Sleater-Kinney, The Hot Rock

2003
Basement Jaxx, Kish Kash
The New Pornographers, Electric Version
Junior Senior, D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat
The Rapture, Echoes
Ragga Ragga Ragga! 2003

(PS: It's actually partway Matos' fault I'm a total nerd for Lord Willin')

2000 (probably the weakest year for albums of the the past five -- then again, with graduating from law school, taking the bar exam, and joining the Air Force I had considerably less leisure time and money than in the other years)
Green Day, "Warning"
Radiohead, "Kid A"
Warren Zevon, "Life'll Kill Ya"
Eminem, "Marshall Mathers LP"
Nelly, "Country Grammar"

2001
Weezer, "Weezer"
Ben Folds, "Rockin' The Suburbs"
No Doubt, "Rock Steady"
Garbage, "Beautifulgarbage"
Strokes, "Is This It?"

2002
Cynics, "Living Is The Best Revenge"
Coldplay, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head"
Weezer, "Maladroit"
Superdrag, "Last Call For Vitriol"
Queens Of The Stone Age, "Songs For The Deaf"

2003
Cobra Verde, "Easy Listening"
Fountains Of Wayne, "Welcome Interstate Managers"
Electric Six, "Fire"
Liz Phair, "Liz Phair"
Strokes, "Room On Fire"

underworld 'beaucoup fish'
ladytron '604'
radiohead 'hail to the thief'
goldfrapp 'felt mountain'
chemical brothers 'surrender'
doves 'lost souls'
pj harvey 'stories from the city stories from the sea'
broadcast 'haha sound'
fatboy slim 'halfway between the gutter and the stars'
zero 7 'simple things'
anti-pop consortium 'arrhythmia'

1. kaleidoscope
2. lord willin
3. wanderland
4. in search of...

My favourite track on Lord Willin is "Ego" - awesome bone-rattling groove and some of the funniest lines on the album: "So sad but we won't think twice/We're rich! We get the best judicial advice!"

I'm amused at how Matos said upthread that Robert Christgau has his head up his ass. (I agree, btw.)

Agreed, and I think that delivery really helps some weak lines (the one that immediatley comes to mind is: "I respond with four words: rat tat tat tat") that would sound awful coming out a more animated MC's mouth.

Innerzone Orchestra: "Programmed"
Screwball: "Y2K"
Mouse on Mars: "Niun Niggung"
Aquasky: "Bodyshock"
Kit Clayton:: "Nek Sanalet"
Rubberoom: "Architechnology"
Air Liquide: "Anybody Home"

2000

Dead Prez: "Let's Get Free"
Outkast: "Stankonia"
Two Lone Swordsmen: "Tiny Reminders"
Sad Rockets: "Transition"
Laurent Garnier: "Unreasonable Behaviour"

2001

Dusted: "When We Were Young"
Syrinx 2600: "Docking 20's"
ARROU: s/t (it's a Russian record, I have no idea how "ARROU" is transliterated)
Pole: "R"
Tahir: "Homecoming"
The Coup: "Party Music"
Killah Priest: "Priesthood"
S.I.Futures: "Mission Statement"

2002

Recloose: "Cardiology"
Drexciya: "Harnessed the Storm"

2003

Majesticons: "Beauty Party"
Luomo: "The Present Lover"

2000:
Parachutes – Coldplay
The Wasp Star – XTC
Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants – Oasis
Smile – The Jayhawks
Minor Earth Major Sky – a-ha
The Sophtware Slump – Grandaddy
All That You Can’t Leave Behind – U2

2001:
The Invisible Band – Travis
Exciter – Depeche Mode
Rings Around The World – Super Furry Animals
I’ll Come Back And Love You Forever – Morten Abel
Popium – Popium
Tweeterfriendly Music Vol. 2 – Tweeterfriendly Music
One Nil – Neil Finn
Faces Down – Sondre Lerche

2002:
The Last Broadcast – Doves
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – The Flaming Lips
Holes In The Wall – Electric Soft Parade
Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay
What Kept You – The Margarets
Våpen & Ammunition – Kent
Up – Peter Gabriel

2003:
Phantom Power - Super Furry Animals
12 Memories - Travis
Waffy Town - Julian Berntzen
Welcome Interstate Managers - Fountains Of Wayne
Hail To The Thief - Radiohead
Welcome To The Monkey House - Dandy Warhols
Sumday - Grandaddy

2000
Deftones - White Pony
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
Dirty Three - Whatever You Love, You Are
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists
Smashing Pumpkins - Machina
The Cure - Bloodflowers
A Silver Mount Zion - He Has Left Us Alone...
Radiohead - Kid A

2001
Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You
Tool - Lateralus
Neurosis - A Sun That Never Sets
Hood - Cold House
Radiohead - Amnesiac
Low - Things We've Lost In The Fire
Aereogramme - A Story In White
Mogwai - Rock Action
Converge - Jane Doe
A Silver Mount Zion - Born Into Trouble...

2002
Low - Trust
Idlewild - The Remote Part
Sigur Ros - ( )
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui UXO
Trail Of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
Tom Waits - Alice/Blood Money

2003
Aereogramme - Sleep & Release
Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People
Envy - A Dead Sinking Story
Arab Strap - Monday At The Hug & Pint
Xiu Xiu - A Promise
Deftones - Deftones
A Silver Mount Zion - This Is Our Punk Rock...
Radiohead - Hail To The Thief

Any list with the Dandy Warhols on it is less credible than yours.

Prince Paul - A Prince Amongst Thieves
Basement Jaxx - Remedy
Missy Elliott - Da Real World
Bobby Hughes Experience - Fusa Riot
Ol Dirty Bastard - Nigga Please
Handsome Boy Modeling School - So, How's Your Girl
The Dust Brothers - Fight Club
Takako Minekawa - Fun9
Beck - Midnite Vultures
Destiny's Child - The Writing's On The Wall
The Chemical Brothers - Surrender
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Cornelius - CM

2000
Sugababes - One Touch
Kelis - Kaleidoscope
Dots and Borders - Tokyo Tapes (mini-album)
Sad Rockets - Transitions
Yukari Fresh - Cityrama
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Lemon Jelly - KY
Kid Koala - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Takako Minekawa - MaxiOn
Primal Scream - XTRMNTR

2001
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Daft Punk - Discovery
Basement Jaxx - Rooty
Plus-Tech Squeeze Box - Fakevox
Gorillaz - Gorillaz
N*E*R*D - In Search Of
Playgroup - Playgroup
Kelis, Aaliyah and Missy would probably be here too if I'd really listened to 'em, but this wasn't a hot year for albums, mainly cause all I did was buy records from the past. This was also the year of Michael Jackson's slight return, which was hardly inspiring.

2002
Missy Elliott - Under Construction
Justin Timberlake - Justified
Cornelius - Point
Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons
So...that's only 4. Either albums were either more useless this year or my memory's been erased Affleck style. Truth is, probably the same reasons as 2001 and the jury's still out on Xtina's Stripped. Deadringer turned out to be dull after all and the Private Press and Angels With Dirty Faces weren't consistent enough.

2003
Richard X - Presents His X-Factor Volume 1
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Bubba Sparxxx - Deliverance
The Rapture - Echoes
Audio Bullys - Ego War
Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground
Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Donna Summer - Bad Girls Deluxe (best reissue)
Kiley Dean - Simple Girl (or maybe next year once Interscope quit sending memos around the HQ about fucking this album up the ass)
Provisional places for Dannii Minogue - Neon Nights, Ms Jade - Girl Interrupted, Siobhan Donaghy - Revolution In Me, Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People, Goldfrapp - Black Cherry, Luomo - The Present Lover and the Sugababes - Three. Dizzee is the perplexer. There are 2 great songs on the Fannypack record, y'know.

Final analysis: must actually listen to a Jay-Z album for once in my life.

2003 - Stephen Malkmus - Pig Lib
2002 - Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
2001 - Electric Wizard - Let Us Prey
2000 - Radiohead - Kid A
1999 - Blur - 13

Some of these I can't believe were so long ago!