Arian Murati STAFF WRITER
Read more posts from Arian

I opened up a Word document to write a paper for my American Government class, however, this time would much better be spent compiling a list of my favorite albums of the 00s. Most of these albums have gone largely unnoticed by mainstream music critics, and for that, they can kiss my black ass. This is a real, untamed list. No payola here (although I will accept bribes for future lists). Enjoy.


10. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular (2007)
To start things off, I'll throw this one in. Something about psychedelic synth-pop just does it for me. Initially, I had tossed these guys aside as just another hyped up Brooklyn band, but upon second listen, I loved it, and as soon as I saw the video for Time to Pretend, I was sold.

09. White Stripes – Elephant (2003)
I have a love/hate relationship with the White Stripes. On one hand, half of their songs are recycled blues riffs and old obscure covers, and on the other hand, that's brilliant. Seven Nation Army is a song that people who don't play guitar who think they can play guitar always show you at parties. You know, they play it with one finger and they somehow detune the guitar while they're doing it, and you just sit there and bear it. Either way, Jack White is in fact a riffmaster, and this album is fantastic. I only stopped listening to them because they got too popular while I was in high school, and being the Indie authority that I am, I forced myself to move onto something else.

Death From Above 1979 – You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (2004)
Distorted bass + dance beats + songs about sex = Awesome album. I got into these guys after I read an article about them breaking up in 2006, and I thought their album cover looked badass. The simplicity and energy is just brilliant, and when I listen to it, it just feels like I'm in a shitty nightclub watching these Canucks rock out on a tiny stage. If you haven't heard of these guys yet, I seriously recommend picking up this album.
Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights.mp3

07. Sigur Rós – Takk… (2005)
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Every time I listen to Hoppípolla, I just want to walk around a give everyone a hug, and that's really a lot coming from someone like me, who regularly walks around the Campus Center instead of through it to avoid seeing people that I don't want to see. This Icelandic masterpiece is something to listen to when you just want to disconnect from everything for a little while and emerge happier than you thought you could ever be. The string arrangements, the falsetto, the xylophone, and the soothing textures will make you melt.
Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla.mp3

06. Beck – Sea Change (2002)
Beck is kind of like the David Bowie of this generation. Just when you think you've got him cornered, he comes out with Sea Change, a musical tell-all about a failed relationship that brings out the teary-eyed child in all of us. When he says, " It's only you that I'm lo-oooo-singgg" in Guess I'm Doing Fine, I just want to weep. This album is always a staple on a long, rainy drive. For a man known for his two-turntable-and-a-microphone skills, his folksy breakup album was pure (mellow) gold.

05. Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (2000)
Oh, Elliott. I can't believe it's already been five years since he's passed. As far as singer-songwriters go, he was on top. This album was a big step for him. The brooding just-me-and-the-acoustic songs gave way for lush compositions, full of piano, strings, and full band arrangements. He was always a huge Beatles fan, and this album really shows it. The harmonies and instrumentation are reminiscent of late-era Fab Four works, and it all fits so well. Nowadays, every asshole with an acoustic plays Between the Bars at the local coffee shop, but no one can touch the perfection of songs like Son of Sam and Everything Means Nothing to Me. This is a must have for any college student.

04. Weezer – Green Album (2001)
Weezer wins with colors (Blue, Green, and Red). All of those albums were fantastic. Although Pinkerton was my personal favorite, this was an album that brought Weezer back into the spotlight. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you've heard Hash Pipe blaring everywhere you went. This was a return to form for the band, with songs like Photograph, whereas songs like Island in the Sun show the tender side of River's prowess. This is a pop album that should be studied in textbooks.

03. Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
Leave it to Radiohead to make an album of bleeps and bloops, and still spin it gold. It's almost as though Thom and co. were sitting in the studio asking, "How can we make the most ridiculous electronic noises possible, yet still manage to be completely badass?" Well, they did. It takes some serious balls to call a song "The National Anthem", because that song is, quite frankly, better than our national anthem. The entire album sounds like a soundtrack to your own mental breakdown. On the downside, they spawned a new era of pretentious musical failures trying to emulate this masterpiece in their home studios (Macbook and Kaoss Pad are t3h Roxzorzzz!!1!) In any case, Radiohead proved that they didn't need your conformist guitars and melodies, they can do whatever the hell they want, and do it better than you can.

02. Muse – Origin of Symmetry (2001)
Muse is hands down the best band of this decade, and you cannot argue with that. It's a known fact. This is the album that started that rise. When they released Showbiz in 1999, they sounded little more than a Radiohead tribute band, but on OoS, they just let it all hang loose. The huge guitars, sweeping pianos, driving rhythm patterns, and Mercury-esque vocal leads just overwhelm the senses. Download Plug in Baby and you'll thank me later. Actually, get it now. I want the instant gratification. I'll wait………..SERIOUSLY HOW GOOD WAS THAT?!

01. Silverchair – Diorama (2002)
What? Arian, you can't be serious. Those guys who wrote that "Tomorrow" song in 1995? No. Sit down, and shut up. Get ready for an album that will change your life. The teens grew up into the golden butterfly that is Diorama. This is an album that went completely unnoticed when it came out, and it continues to be ignored by the masses. This in album of renewal, and they hit it out of the park with this one. From the intro to Across the Night to the last note of After All These Years, you will be hooked. The string arrangements, done by Van Dyke Parks (U2, Beach Boys) throw you into the wind in a whimsical gust, then pull you down to obey Daniel John's ass kicking guitar riffs in songs like One Way Mule and The Lever. The high point comes in the song Tuna in the Brine, an opus of melody and texture that just makes me question every decision I've ever made. I cannot say enough good things about this album. Download this immediately, and prepare for a journey.