The Dead Weather - Horehound
Jack White has been a busy man since putting The White Stripes on hiatus in 2007. He gives up his guitar to play drums for The Dead Weather. Gothic blues and low fi fuzz grooves abound on this debut record that may not be the most original, but by far one of the more tangible albums of the decade. Top Tunes: (So Far From Your Weapon, Will There Be Enough Water?, New Pony)
Foo Fighters - Echoes Silence Patience & Grace
This album was never supposed to happen. 2007 was to be a vacation year for Dave Grohl and company. Apparently the band felt hot coming off of their acoustic tour behind 2005's In Your Honor and went full steam ahead. This is one of the most perfectly timed albums of the last decade. One more song would've made the whole thing fall apart as well as removing a tune. What holds back Echoes is the fact that it doesn't really progress the band. The Foos tend to rely on too many old tricks. Top Tunes: (The Pretender, Come Alive, Summer's End)
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
I suppose the reason Jack White has taken almost 3 years off from The White Stripes was simply because he was afraid of the band becoming stale. Icky Thump doesn't retain it's shimmer the way that other Stripes recording have. Over 2 years since its release many songs simply come off as a band just going through the motions. However The White Stripes on a bad day still owns almost every other band not named Radiohead. Top Tunes: (Icky Thump, Rag and Bone, 300 M.P.H Torrential Outpour Blues)
Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
Josh Homme has always had a knack for writing dark twisted lyrics paired perfectly with neo-gothic punk riffs. However becoming a husband and a father can change even the mightiest of men. Era Vulgaris is still filled with melancholy melodies, but Homme's vocals and guitar work add a wry half smile to all the songs that make ya want to get on the dance floor. Top Tunes: (3's And 7's, Make It Wit Chu, Turning On The Screw)
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Jimmy Eat World is the band that every Warped Tour crazed, self aware, stereotypical indie / emo kid wants to emulate. JEW only has two modes of jamming - loud and soft. That's what holds Bleed American back from being truly awesome. While the first half of the album blasts by with ease, the second half weighs itself down with it's own sad song. Top Tunes: (The Middle, Sweetness, Bleed American)
Weezer - Maladroit
Aging was never going to be easy for Rivers Cuomo. He constantly writes from a young man's point of view while time keeps turning him into a parody of his former self. Maladroit was the last consistent album Weezer ever made. If you listen closely you can almost here Cuomo reaching for 1993 all over again. Top Tunes: (Dope Nose, Keep Fishin', Slob)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
Known for raucous roots rock when they first burst onto the scene, Howl found these boys singing about Jesus and mellowing out for a little while. To some the whole approach comes off as forced and experimental for the sake of experimenting. But when singer Peter Hayes sings "There ain't no easy way out" with so much grit in his voice, you tend to believe him. Top Tunes: (Ain't No Easy Way, Devil's Waitin', Shuffle Your Feet)
Kanye West - Graduation
Released the same day as, and outselling, 50 Cent's Curtis, Kanye took a victory lap after conquering the world on his previous two albums. Though still a solid record, the whole thing feels a bit underwhelming. West had already proven his prowess, why try harder than he had to? Top Tunes: (The Glory, Stronger, Everything I Am)
The Decemberists - Picaresque
The only album The Decemberists have yet made worth more than one listen. Sure their songs might be a stretch to comprehend at first, and yeah the lyrics might only make sense to vocalist Colin Meloy, but I suppose you have to give a band credit when they title their album a word you'll never understand without a dictionary. Top Tunes: (We Both Go Down Together, The Sporting Life, 16 Military Wives)
Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
Manufactured for a global fan base, Coldplay aim for the stars on their most experimental album -Viva La Vida. While the hooks and melodies that made the band famous to begin with remain, their lofty ideas don't drag the songs down. Instead the tunes support the grandness of it all. Top Tunes: (Violet Hill, 42, Death And All His Friends)
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