No Bird Sing: Favorite Albums of the Decade

One Day as a Lion One Day as a Lion EP: This new group, consisting of ex-Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore and ex-RATM front-man Zach de la Rocha, made the hardest-hitting rock slash hip-hop album of the decade. This one would make my list for the production alone. Mixed by Mario C. (Paul’s Boutique, other Beastie’s stuff), I believe they captured the spirit of the John Bonham drum sound, one of Theodore’s biggest influences. Also interesting about this record is there’s no guitar, all the distorted leads and chords are played on a rhodes by de la Rocha. This album is an exercise in simplicty and tone, and takes distorted rhodes and drum room mics to a new level. (Graham O’Brien) [Purchase]

The Mars Volta Deloused in the Comatorium: Another album with Jon Theodore on drums. I heard this album before really knowing about Cedric and Omar’s earlier stuff and since I have always thought this album is their crowning achievement, maybe in part because this one was produced by Rick Rubin. Deloused is a record that sounds like a modern-day combination of Zeppelin and Mahavishnu Orchestra and drummer Jon Theodore’s sound and feel makes that happen. This is one of my favorites, not necessarily completely for the songwriting, but for the grooves and feel within the songs (and in particular the drums), they’re an inspiration in their dynamic range and precision. (Graham O’Brien) [Purchase]

El-P I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead: Easily the best hip-hop album of the decade for me, this is also the one that’s still in my car stereo all the time. This project is impressive because of its scope and continuity, it plays like one cohesive piece of music and sound design. To me, no other hip hop album has had such a strong continuity. One of the huge accomplishments of this album is its value in repeated listens. The layering, detail and propulsive energy is definitely one reason for that, but it’s also in the lyrics. They are difficult to hear (actually mixed pretty low a lot of the time) and also understand sometimes, but that’s his plan: in “Smithereens,” I think, he says “I keep my meaning tucked deep so all you creepers give me some privacy.” Plus it’s really a dark album, sonic and otherwise. Dark is good. (Graham O’Brien) [Purchase]

The Black Keys Attack and Release: This record is an onslaught of loose, raw, fat grooves, huge, wide drum sounds, and dark, catchy melodies. In particular I love how loose the grooves are. C’mon, if you’ve seen the Black Keys live you have to admire the way they walk the line between train wreck and rock band. Attack and Release helped push our collective ears away from over-polished expectations and let them fall back in love with the the grit of great music. (Graham O’Brien/Eric Blair) [Purchase]

Radiohead Kid A: It’s not exactly easy to come up with a short-list of the best albums of the decade. As it is, between Graham and I, our short list became sort of a medium list. But the one quick consensus was Radiohead’s Kid A. I only really got the context of Kid A well after its 2000 release. Call it a function of age, or of listening to nothing but gangsta rap throughout high school. But shame on me. Radiohead transcended from just another ’90s alt-rock band to arguably the greatest band of our generation. And Kid A was the jump off. Thom Yorke is such a unique songwriter, and the expanded use of crazy obscure instruments both electronic and acoustic means everyone who made an album after Kid A was somehow bathing in its adventurous shadow. (Eric Blair) [Purchase]

Kill the Vultures The Careless Flame: The general criticism surrounding The Careless Flame is the sheer amount patience required to listen to it. That… and it’s “weird.” But in the conveyor belt mediocrity of our post turn of the century world, those qualities make Careless Flame a shining beacon in the wasteland. Who cares if Flame takes a bit of work to get to? Anyone brave enough to explore the masterfully fragmented, McCarthy-esque, world of producer Anatomy and vocalist Crescent Moon will find their definition of the word “weird” wonderfully and irrevocably changed. (Eric Blair) [Purchase]

Halloween, Alaska Halloween, Alaska: The first few words of an album are like pick-up lines. If they’re boring or uninspired, the record gets a few polite nods but little else. If they’re really bad or even offensive, the record spends the night wiping appletini off its face. But James Diers’ honestly delivered “Well hello little hellion/Make yourself at home” has earned Halloween, Alaska’s now classic debut album more than a few snuggle partners. Dave King’s drum work is mind-bending in its balance of complexity and reserve. The music is impressively patient, waiting until the last possible instant to break into inescapable refrains and choruses. Case in point, Des Moines starts its refrain at 4:19, long after most songs would have ended. But go to any hipster bar in the tri-state area and start singing “Twenty times around the block/Twice in every speed I got” and enjoy the sing-a-long that ensues. (Eric Blair) [Purchase]

Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago: Long before Justin Vernon became famous, it was common practice in Eau Claire to sit around complaining about how his brilliance would forever go unnoticed because he was far from either coast. I personally just saw For Emma, Forever Ago as a way to mourn the loss of Deyarmond Edison as yet another Amateur Love (read: the best band you’ve probably never heard of). Emma was released with 500 or so screen printed eco-friendly cardboard packages and a well-attended show at the House of Rock. A few years and shit ton of records later, Vernon has restored our collective faith in the power of authentic music triumphing over big industry. For Emma was not only a brilliant record, but an important one. (Eric Blair) [Purchase]

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Also: Eric Blair of No Bird Sing on “Devil Trombones”