CaptainLorax wants you to listen to his favorite albums of the 00's Poll

i want a pony but

Autechre - 'Confield' (2001) Grooveshark

Autechre (aww-tech-err), abbreviated “æ”, is that one electronic group that made me finally appreciate straight up electronic music. However, ‘Confield’ is not an easy album for people new to æ. This is autechre’s last LP that I really care about. Confield is the last album where I felt like æ was still covering new ground in complex sound experimentation. This album is patchy in that some songs you’ll listen to for enjoyment and some you might only like because they sound interesting.

Archer Prewitt - 'Three' (2002) Grooveshark

This album has a glam pop sound and might qualify as a guilty pleasure (I dunno - should it?) Sure it’s not as jazzy as The Sea and Cake or The Coctails but you don’t get much of his great voice in those bands. Plus his composing/orchestration really shine on this album. Overall: 2-3 great songs, 8-9 good songs, 3-4 filler songs. After the great track #1 you’ll hit a long stretch of good songs. The only thing bringing them down is that the floweryness can get a bit much even for me.

Thingy - 'To The Innocent' (2000) Grooveshark

I actually prefer the first Thingy album to this one but both of them are solid. Thingy has a lot of spazzy math pop with soft melodious singing. The male vocalist is Rob Crow from Pinback. The cool thing about Thingy albums is that all the songs are about two minutes long - so if a song sounds like filler it’ll be done in what feels like seconds. 9 out of 10 neurosurgeons recommend Thingy for children recovering from brain transplants.

John Shough - 'Ultra Vega' (2000) Grooveshark, Spotify

John Shough has been the producer for Guided By Voices, Tobin Sprout and The Breeders. I don’t think a lot of people will appreciate this album like I do. The guitar playing is nothing special and Shough has a small vocal range. The songs are arguably too poppy and too much soft rock – much more so than his second album which you can stream here (2010 albums weren’t included on my list). Now the good thing about Ultra Vega is that there are 20 tracks, the composition/melodies feel very original (and poppy at that) and the music is solid. Shough’s great production skills can make his mediocre voice sound very good. A lot of people might say that he is trying to sound like The Beatles because there’s a 60’s vibe going on. I say “stop comparing things to The Beatles”. Overall: 20 good songs.

Robert Wyatt - 'Cuckooland' (2003) Grooveshark, Spotify

Robert Wyatt has an unforgettable voice. There’s so much great character in his vox. On this album you’ll be taken to some deep places and some silly places. Cuckooland is the equivalent to Gogo Dodo’s Wackyland. Okay maybe it’s not but this has to be Wyatt’s trippiest album yet (maybe it ties with Rock Bottom). Plus this album has jazz and pop sensibility. If I could meet anybody dead or alive, I would choose alive. But if I could pick a specific person I would choose Robert Wyatt. He’s got the good kind of artistic integrity and a big happy communist grin.

The Sea and Cake - 'Glass' EP (2003) Grooveshark

I put the grooveshark playlist for this album in an order where the four best tracks are played first (22 minutes). At least two of those tracks are great. Sam Prekop is a great singer (however, his solo albums haven’t clicked with me yet). The Sea and Cake are known for flavorful guitar/bass and kick ass drumming (the drummer is also in Tortoise). However, this album is more electronic sounding than the other albums – that must mean that the synthesizer guy is great as well. On the downside there’s filler on this EP which includes an odd Stereolab mix, a boring instrumental and second version of To The Author which is pretty good song but I’d rather have a new song in its place. (There’s also three additional live tracks on a limited edition version of this album: Mr. F, Shoulder Length and The Argument).

Jim O'Rourke - 'Insignificance' (2001) Grooveshark

Everyone should hear this album. Jim O’Rourke has a nice singing voice. It’s a shame that some people don’t like this album became “chamber pop” or too “rock-oriented” here. These people are probably the same people that prefer that all guitar masters abandon additional orchestration. The truth is avant-indie-folk-rock (or whatever) can be a very boring genre when there is little to no backing arrangements. This is just another indie album but it is awesome in every way. Jim’s wiseass lyrics are pretty funny as well.

Jim O'Rourke - 'Insignificance' (2001) Grooveshark

Everyone should hear this album. Jim O’Rourke has a nice singing voice. It’s a shame that some people don’t like this album became “chamber pop” or too “rock-oriented” here. These people are probably the same people that prefer that all guitar masters abandon additional orchestration. The truth is avant-indie-folk-rock (or whatever) can be a very boring genre when there is little to no backing arrangements. This is just another indie album but it is awesome in every way. Jim’s wiseass lyrics are pretty funny as well.

Tortoise - 'It's All Around You' (2004) Grooveshark

So I picked this album over ‘Standards’. I think this album is all around tighter and the guys really show that they can play off of each other here. The drumming really shines on this album. I’d say that Tortoise is the best post rock band in existence. There are some big dramatic moments on this album which is nice because there are a few sleepy moments. Overall the album is just really good instrumentation and there are some amazing atmospheres like the album cover implies.

King Creosote - 'Rocket D.I.Y.' (2005) Grooveshark

Great acoustic (and orchestrated) folk-rock with a great singer. Not much else to say. There’s a lot of filler on his albums but when you release like twenty albums in the 00’s that is bound to happen. I’ll put the boringest songs from this album at the end of the grooveshark playlist. People might disagree with what I put there though.

Jim Guthrie - 'Now, More Than Ever' (2003) Grooveshark, Spotify

Great acoustic (and orchestrated) folk-rock by a singer that I’m surprised that I like so much. Good songs from start to finish. I prefer his ‘A Thousand Songs’ album but that one is entirely different in tone and has more filler. ‘Now, More Than Ever’ is a bright sunny sounding album and fun to sing along to.

Death in June - 'All Pigs Must Die' (2001)
Grooveshark

The most catchy and soothing apocalyptic folk. Chanting “all pigs must die” has never felt so good. Skip side B (tracks 7-11) unless you want nothing but noise.

Motorpsycho - 'Black Hole/Blank Canvas' (2006)
Grooveshark, Sporify

This is a double album with an album’s worth of filler. I tried to order the grooveshark playlist from best to worst. There’s a lot of good rock on this album but it’s probably not hard enough for rockists unless you try “Bonny Lee” and “Coalmine Pony”. There’s a dreamy almost progrock quality on most the songs here. Good mind-melting stuff.

Arizona Amp and Alternator - Self-Titled (2005)
Grooveshark

Just an overall good sounding desert album. You might hear this in the background of a hip bar. This is sort of slow, late night country rock with a tinge of bourbon (just don't call this whisky). Maybe this is more fleshed out than Howe Gelb’s solo work because I never got into any of that. But it’s not like I really get into this album. I just gel with it.

Sin Ropas - 'Trickboxes On The Pony Line' (2003)
Grooveshark

Okay. It’s hard to explain this one. You got this gritty experimental folk rock accompanied by a great roughened guy voice. The vocals can be intense but not purposely so – I mean a lot of top40rock guys have to scream their heart out but Tim Hurley can just naturally bend time and space. There’s a fine balance between chaos and creation on this album. Some people won’t get it. It will be too noisy for them. If these people that don’t get it consider themselves rockists then FOR SHAME! How can you handle metal but not handle grit? What does that say about you? (It says you suck)

Deadboy & the Elephantmen - 'If This Is Hell, Then I’m Lucky' (2002)
Grooveshark

This is a more recent find. Dax Riggs, formerly fronting the sludge band Acid Bath, has the biggest voice of anyone on my list. This is much more laid back then Acid Bath stuff which I don’t like. On this album you will hear atmospheres reminiscent of swamp rock. There are intricate melodies with talented/heavy guitar prodding. There is also some pretty songs. The album is all good with little filler - which means there aren’t really any standout tracks. But even used as background music the atmospheres are amazing and every time you regain focus on any of the long trippy tracks you are reminded of what a great singer this guy is.

Tortoise of the ones i've heard

"Crest" is the absolute best track ever to blast on your car stereo at night

Autechre - 'Confield' - dig this, one of my favorite æ releases, big fan of these guys
The Sea and Cake - 'Glass' - didn't do anything for me when i heard it long ago, it's been years, though; never liked the sea & cake, really
Robert Wyatt - 'Cuckooland' - awesome awesome awesome; not as good as shleep, but hey, what is?
Jim O'Rourke - 'Insignificance' - one of my least fav o'rourke things; love him, but he's done much better song-based albums
Tortoise - 'It's All Around You' - standards is my fav tortoise; this doesn't come close, didn't like it much

haven't heard the others

ranked (best first): wyatt, autechre, o'rourke, tortoise, sea & cake

voting wyatt

you forgot to even give the sampler a try :'(

CaptainLorax wants you

i've got it bookmarked & will get around to it soon, couldnt be bothered tonight, tho :/

This poll first originated from another thread when I was complaining about how much the 00's sucked. I tasked myself with figuring out what albums I liked from the 00's. Other albums I though about including are Radiohead - 'Amnesiac', Rufus Wainwright - 'Poses', Quasi - 'Live Shit' and possibly Beck's 'Sea Change', Nada Surf's 'Let Go' and some Arto Lindsay but I would have to listen to those albums again. Plus I might be able to add additional albums from some of the groups I already mentioned.

Looking at my albums list here nothing good happened 2007-2009.

If you want to point out some favorite album/s of the 00's that you think should be on my list I can tell you why I don't like it, brushed it off or never heard it. The odds are that just didn't care for it at all.

nothing good happened 2007-2009.

srsly don't understand how you can be interested enough in music to post regularly on ilm-- and yet honestly feel these three years were a wash? that, and even your absolute FAVORITES from the '00s you're saying stuff like:

"This album is patchy"
"3-4 filler songs"
"On the downside there’s filler on this EP"
"This is just another indie album"
"there are a few sleepy moments"
"There’s a lot of filler on his albums"
"Skip side B (tracks 7-11) unless you want nothing but noise"
"This is a double album with an album’s worth of filler"
"it’s not like I really get into this album"
"there aren’t really any standout tracks"

i mean, if you ask me (or most people, i'd assume) to talk about my favorite albums of the decade, i'll go over the top about how they ABSOLUTELY FUCKING DESTROY FROM START TO FINISH!!!!

why all the talk of filler/patchy/no standouts/skip this or that??

is that REALLY the best the '00s has to offer?

sorry, not trying to be off-putting: just curious why you seem "yaaaawn/ho hum" about even your favorite albums of a DECADE

xp
yes, you are correct
but of those quote that you listed I didn't mean for "this is just another indie album" to be taken condescendingly

and believe me, I LUV MUSIC!

I can talk at length a little while later but I have to go shower and stuff

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5263/0lorax.gif

omg hypnotizing .gif

I made it myself

omg i love that lorax!

<3

ilxor, basically I was being over critical about my favorite albums and remembering to point out the cons because I like hearing other people's opinions and seeing if they share the same pros/cons. I'm a bit of a completest/perfectionist when reviewing things

Also I changed the Sampler around. I switched out 7 songs

the sampler is sounding pretty good today

I'm voting Confield but would vote for your .gif instead if I could.

Captain Lorax why do you hate twee psych stuff?

like what for example?

I remember us disagreeing about Syd Barrett

the long-rumored but never-confirmed other guy who bought All Pigs Must Die located at last!

I think it would be really hard to explain why I don't care about any Syd Barrett stuff. On the other hand I was professing my love to Kevin Ayers stuff around the time and I voted this song as #1 in my poll:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z47uPjTenk
maybe not twee but soft rock of some sort

I like all the early Belle and Sebastian stuff and I guess some of that might be psych.

So I don't think I have any aversion to twee psych. I might not like the other stuff that I heard but I doubt I've heard a lot of twee

One band I really do hate is Of Montreal

xp, you might be the only other guy that voted in my All Pigs Must Die poll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJcSWo3d-mw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBCYzr23TU0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oyjvRPjf-0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJV7QOPGSYA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJD609nijWY

http://meatysauce.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/deadboy.jpg

http://www.songlyricscollection.com/img/d28/28668.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Lmbijs2fZwI/TCD-zyN3cyI/AAAAAAAAFMQ/qnHf0ptdob0/s640/howe_gelb_band_of_kittens.jpg

http://www.fecalface.com/openings/mountain/prewitt2.jpg

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/43368967/Jim+Guthrie+jim_guthrie_cat.jpg

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/music/Pix/pictures/2009/4/17/1239961803514/Kenny-Anderson-aka-King-C-001.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/i/sinropaspic2.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3616/sinropaspic2.jpg

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/5936/tortoiselorax.png

http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/wp-content/images/2008/10/robert_wyatt_01.jpg

http://tylerfyre.com/images/new_england.jpg

everyone, please try the grooveshark sampler

Been thinking for a while now that Trickboxes On The Pony Line might be one of the most unheard yet worthy records of the first decade of this century. I guess that means "underrated", but it seems to me there are numerous ways to be underrated.

3 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE PEOPLE

The Grooveshark Sampler is still functional and I switch the songs around constantly depending upon my mood
Lots of great music on the sampler
I would like to hear your opinions about the albums on my list
Thanks

Having a heck of a time tracking down Motorpsycho albums. Haven't heard the 2007 one, but did find Little Lucid Moments (2008) and Child Of The Future (2009) as well as last year's of course.

There's a single from last year that I may never hear because it's only on vinyl
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gif

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gifhttp://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7405/0000dog.gif

Good day to listen to the streaming music links or Grooveshark Sampler!
Running out of time!

Captain Lorax - Sin Ropas? I'm sure I read somewhere that they are not dissimilar to the Grifters.

Any truth in this in your opinion? I should go figure myself but am wondering

well there is big brooding rhythm/bluesy guitar lines with just the right amount of punch in the distortion. tim hurley of sin ropas was a member of red red meat. the music has great original, detailed atmospheres, an earthly sound and great singing (red red meat/grifters quality). very experimental quality to the sin ropas sound but the music is never lacking rhythm/beat like some experimental music.

like the grifters I admire the balance between creation and destruction and the non-corny (but cool) emotion in the music

Did you see this poll Europe? This is a public service announcement. Last day to listen and vote. Thank you

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

3 hours left 'til I see results dominated by Wyatt, Autechre, and O'Rourke. Maybe a handful of votes thrown towards Sin Ropas, Death in June and Thingy... lots of stuff will remain unheard

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

actually, I like the distribution of these results