OUCH... my head hurts. I've been trying to turn 10 years' worth of music into a concise list - replaying albums, thinking about their impact, how the fans and critics raved. At the heart of it, I've tried to lay personal feelings aside and think objectively about the albums that shaped the Double-Os - the ones that shaped music, culture and really affected people. There's a couple of albums here I don't even like but can't ignore. But we all know deep down that musical taste is pretty subjective... oh well. Also I've limited each band to one entry only on the list so it doesn't fill up with Radiohead, Muse and Gomez albums.
81. A Grand Don't Come For Free - The Streets (2004)
WHEN he burst on to the scene with Original Pirate Material, Mike Skinner had a truly unique style and sound. He took it up a notch on this follow-up - a concept album about him having 1000 pounds stolen and getting his TV smashed. But it's about so much more as it details his love life and general geezer lifestyle. The bonus is that the songs are individually great as well as making up an even greater whole. He even spawned an apparent new genre - the lad-ballad - with the sweet UK number one Dry Your Eyes.
82. Together We're Heavy - The Polyphonic Spree (2004)
THEY look like a cult and sound like the coolest church band you ever heard. Led by the wonderfully named Tim DeLaughter and his other former Tripping Daisy bandmates, The Polyphonic Spree compirses up to 27 members who combine to make an uplifting sound best exemplified by this album's symphonic singles Hold Me Now and Two Thousand Places. Try not to be moved by the swelling horns and euphoric choir.
83. Apocalypso - The Presets (2008)
WAS there a more subversive Aussie pop hit than My People, the warped-electro refugee tale that took The Presets to the top of the charts? No, and there wasn't a better Aussie electro-dance album than this either. Even their ballads (This Boy's In Love) had danceable beats behind them, but the key was they were good songs, not just thumping doofs and warped sounds.
84. The Hard Road - Hilltop Hoods (2006)
YOU have to admit 1200 Techniques' track Karma helped open the door for Aussie hip-hop. But even if they hadn't unlocked the portal, the Hoods would have probably kicked it down anyway. This album is the point where skip-hop became not only legitimate, but - dare we say it? - a mainstream force to be reckoned with. Five songs from this album made the Triple J Hottest 100 - the fans have spoken.
85. Who Killed... The Zutons? - The Zutons (2004)
ANOTHER bolt from the past - but which era? Their sax-fuelled songs delved in and out musical styles like a malfunctioning time machine - the tightly-wound single Pressure Point was part-doo-wop, part-punk explosion, Railroad was folksy, You Will You Won't was a stompin' pop singalong and in Havana Gang Brawl they got their voodoo on. All in all, they sounded like globetrotting time travellers on this daring and vibrant debut.
86. Tomahawk - Tomahawk (2001)
SITTING sonically between Mike Patton's most popular acts Faith No More and Mr Bungle, Tomahawk was one of those rare supergroups that didn't suck. Featuring John Stanier (Helmet, Battles), Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard) and Kevin Rutmanis (The Melvins), their first album is delightfully gritty and atmospheric alt-rock album themed around a mind-set of a serial killer. The riffs and sentiment are dark and intriguing, but there's a wry sense of humour buried in Patton's slasherflick lyrics and trademark vocal brilliance.
87. Smile - Brian Wilson (2004)
NEARLY 40 years after it sent him completely biscuits (with a little help from narcotics), the former Beach Boy resurrected the long-lost Smile project. Whether the end-result is as great as it could have been had he finished it in the '60s is a moot point - this version is still great. A conceptual ode to being young and American and happy, it smacks of times gone by. Most importantly, it was worth the wait.
88. Source Tags & Codes - ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (2002)
THE critical darlings with the absurdly long name crossed over to a major label and released their magnum opus, a stirring collection of dark guitars and grandiose ambition. That they pulled it off and managed to make an epic album that wasn't necessarily long was an achievement in itself. The secret of the success is on those dirty duelling guitars, crashing crescendoes and wonderfully constructed songs.
89. Convicts - You Am I (2006)
THEY may be the elder statesman of Aussie alternative rock, but they've never sounded so raw or edgy, even back in their Sound As Ever days. The spit-and-polish of Dress My Slowly and Deliverance was replaced with mostly just spit and, in the case of thrashing opener Thank God I've Hit The Bottom, bile. You couldn't tell if Rogers was really crashing and burning here, or just giving a wink and a nudge and playing it up, but that was half the fun. And he could still turn on the smooth charm, with tracks like Explaining Cricket and Secrets.
90. Permission To Land - The Darkness (2003)
FOR a minute there, it looked like leotard-wearing glam-metallists were coming back. The world couldn't have endured such an onslaught, so fortunately The Darkness was just a flash in the pan (one leotard-wearing glam-metal band was enough). And they were awesome for one album (this one), but the joke had gotten old by the second. But was it a joke? Not entirely because that would be dismissing the fact that Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Growing On Me, I Believe In A Thing Called Love and Love Is Only A Feeling are four of the greatest fist-pumping, guilty-pleasure rock songs of the decade.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter