Radiohead

Best Albums of the 2010s

by Nicholas Cicale (@nickcicale)

We’re already six years into the 2010s, so I thought it would be a good time to list my favorite albums of the decade, so far anyway. This is a tentative list, so as I hear new things and change my mind on other albums the  list list will be update. I’ll try to do it regularly,  but at the very least I’ll add new albums to it at the end of each year. (more…)

Advertisements

Best Albums Of The 2000s

by Nicholas Cicale (@nickcicale)

A list of my favorite albums to come out in the 2000s (2000-2009).

Decade Rank Album Artist Year Stars Rating
1 Kid A Radiohead 2000 ✮✮✮✮✮ 99
2 In Rainbows Radiohead 2007 ✮✮✮✮✮ 98
3 Transatlanticism Death Cab For Cutie 2003 ✮✮✮✮✮ 95
4 Funeral Arcade Fire 2004 ✮✮✮✮✮ 94
5 Hybrid Theory Linkin Park 2000 ✮✮✮✮✮ 93
6 Is This It? The Strokes 2001 ✮✮✮✮✮ 92
7 Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool Lupe Fiasco 2007 ✮✮✮✮✮ 92
8 Discovery Daft Punk 2001 ✮✮✮✮✮ 90
9 All That You Can’t Leave Behind U2 2000 ✮✮✮✮✰ 89
10 Graduation Kanye West 2007 ✮✮✮✮✰ 89
11 Morning View Incubus 2001 ✮✮✮✮✰ 88
12 Merriweather Post Pavilion Animal Collective 2009 ✮✮✮✮✰ 87
13 Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace Foo Fighters 2007 ✮✮✮✮✰ 86
14 Antidotes Foals 2008 ✮✮✮✮✰ 85
15 Parachutes Coldplay 2000 ✮✮✮✮✰ 85
16 Room On Fire The Strokes 2003 ✮✮✮✮✰ 84
17 Be Common 2005 ✮✮✮✮✰ 84
18 Meteora Linkin Park 2003 ✮✮✮✮✰ 83
19 Chuck Sum 41 2004 ✮✮✮✮✰ 81
20 The Carter III Lil Wayne 2008 ✮✮✮✮✰ 80
21 The Black Parade My Chemical Romance 2006 ✮✮✮✮ 79
22 Origin of Symmetry Muse 2001 ✮✮✮✮ 79
23 By The Way Red Hot Chilli Peppers 2002 ✮✮✮✮ 79
24 Hypnotize System Of A Down 2005 ✮✮✮✮ 79
25 Sing The Sorrow AFI 2003 ✮✮✮✮ 78
26 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb U2 2004 ✮✮✮✮ 76
27 Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Phoenix 2009 ✮✮✮✮ 76
28 It’s Blitz! Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2009 ✮✮✮✮ 76
29 Late Registration Kanye West 2005 ✮✮✮✮ 76
30 Good News For People Love Bad News Modest Mouse 2004 ✮✮✮✮ 76
31 A Beautiful Lie 30 Seconds To Mars 2005 ✮✮✮✮ 75
32 Boxer The National 2007 ✮✮✮✮ 75
33 Sigh No More Mumford & Sons 2009 ✮✮✮✮ 75
34 Hot Fuss The Killers 2004 ✮✮✮✮ 74
35 Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor Lupe Fiasco 2006 ✮✮✮✮ 73
36 Demon Days Gorillaz 2005 ✮✮✮✮ 73
37 A Rush Of Blood To The Head Coldplay 2002 ✮✮✮✮ 72
38 The College Dropout Kanye West 2004 ✮✮✮✮ 72
39 Wincing The Night Away The Shins 2007 ✮✮✮✮ 71
40 Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge My Chemical Romance 2004 ✮✮✮✮ 70
41 Afterwords Collective Soul 2007 ✮✮✮✮ 70
42 Louder Now Taking Back Sunday 2006 ✮✮✮✰ 68
43 Neon Bible Arcade Fire 2007 ✮✮✮✰ 68
44 Plans Death Cab For Cutie 2005 ✮✮✮✰ 68
44 Revolutionary, Vol. 2 Immortal Technique 2003 ✮✮✮✰ 67
45 Mezmerize System Of A Down 2005 ✮✮✮✰ 68
45 Black Holes & Revolations Muse 2006 ✮✮✮✰ 67
46 Hail To The Theif Radiohead 2003 ✮✮✮✰ 66
47 Toxicity System Of A Down 2001 ✮✮✮✰ 66
47 Silent Alarm Bloc Party 2005 ✮✮✮✰ 65
48 The Eraser Thom Yorke 2006 ✮✮✮✰ 65

(updated Jan 1, 2016)

Best Albums of 2014

by Nicholas Cicale (@nickcicale)

your dead

Flying Lotus’ electronic-jazz-rap fusion album You’re Dead! is not your typical top album. It doesn’t have singles, catchy hooks, or even discernible lyrics. Instead, You’re Dead! creates an atmosphere. Most of the nineteen tracks are well under three minutes in length and run together, making the album more like one, long jazz odyssey instead of a bunch of different tunes.  There are some trippy moments here and there, a lot of funky sound effects and flashes of absolute beauty, like the best track “Never Catch Me.” Flying Lotus’ production matches up with Kendrick Lamar’s style and lyrics flawlessly and Lamar’s smooth, yet decisive flow alone is as captivating as the intricate drumming behind him.  You normally don’t get a build from start to finish that’s as dramatic and ever changing on a hip-hop record.

run the jewels 2
The second installment from the duo of Killer Mike and El-P was the best hip-hop album of 2014, and it really wasn’t even close.  Both guys have great chemistry.  Listening to them play off each-other rhymes is like watching a chess match between two good friend that know the other’s next move.  The verses constantly get more creative, the references more obscure and the content more vulgar. Run The Jewels 2 is more brash and relentless than their first album, and although it does lack some diversity, it’s fun, concise and loud enough to keep your attention with ease. (more…)