With the decade winding down, it’s not too late to revisit the past.
The first ten years of the 21st century are unlike any other in music history. This period was characterized by a lack of one true dominating musical genre. It birthed many hybrid genres that proved to be popular.
While rap and popular country dominated the music media, constantly filling radio stations with vulgar and superficial themes, there were a number of musical bright spots in the past decade.
The following albums are a meager attempt to reconcile some of the corporate-driven, disgraceful moments in music over the past decade. While there are plenty of other worthy albums for this list, these are simply a few albums that stayed true to their own artistic integrity.
They may not have been played after everyone’s favorite Kanye West jam on the radio or gained the critical acclaim of Lil Wayne’s prolific, “lyrical masterpiece” “Tha Carter III,” but they are worthy of a listen.
“Cold Roses,” Ryan Adams and the Cardinals (2005)
Courtesy of Lost Highway Records
Many albums fall short of evoking a true mood or tone throughout it’s entirety. When the opening guitar riff on the first song off the CD “Magnolia Mountain” hits the ear, a listener cannot help but to lose oneself in the earthy, whimsical mood, lasting until the last track of the album. “Cold Roses” was the first album released with his talented band, the Cardinals, in 2005. It’s no wonder he went on to release numerous albums with the band by his side. Adams’s vocals and songwriting mirror the soulful country style that the Cardinals embody, characterized by a heavy dose of slide guitar and tactically placed noodling. Adams sets such a high precedent for himself on this album that he will never be able to live up to. He was at the pinnacle of his artistic persona. At the time, Adams was hanging out and even touring with Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh, abusing substances like never before, and recovering from heartache. All of these elements can be heard in the gorgeous, smooth melodies on “Cold Roses.”
“It Still Moves,” My Morning Jacket (2003)
Courtesy of ATO
While “Evil Urges” would be the album to launch the Jacket into the acclaim they enjoy today, “It Still Moves,” was the pivotal album in the rise of the band. My Morning Jacket is distinguished from other rock bands because they take its early influences of alternative folk and country and blend it with bluesy, reverb rock n’ roll. This is the sound that would grab the ears of so many listeners and turn them into dedicated followers. The Louisville-based band came along way from its folk roots. Front man Jim James honed a unique, recognizable voice by recording vocals in an old Kentucky grain silo during recording sessions for his earlier albums. “It Still Moves” is the communion of James’s soothing, seductive voice and lyrics with Crazy Horse style guitar riffs and solos. The dark, neo-blues ballad, “Run Thru,” would go on to be named one of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Songs.” This album also birthed “One Big Holiday,” the Jacket’s most recognizable rock anthem.
“Eisenhower,” The Slip (2006)
Courtesy of Bar/None
One of the most interesting albums of the decade, “Eisenhower” embodied a musical statement for the Slip as the band abandoned their earlier experimental jazz styles for a rock album. The clear indication of indie influences in their music is combined with jazz-trained musicianship to make a smart, emotional album. The band jumps all over the place with poppy dance songs, acoustic love ballads, and trippy tunes. At first listen this album projects itself as unique due to jazz chords mixed with pop and rock elements in their music. This unlikely mesh of genres works in “Eisenhower.” Stand out songs include “Airplane/Primitive,” “Children of December,” and “Life in Disguise.” Members of The Slip are actively experimenting with other groups as well as touring together. They have become a highly sought after live act. It’s not often in this century that music that is impossible to categorize surfaces. The Slip is still a hidden gem in the music scene today even though “Eisenhower” gained them a merely modest spotlight.
“Sky Blue Sky,” Wilco (2007)
Courtesy of Nonesuch
When “Sky Blue Sky” was released in 2007, it was instantly Wilco’s most mature album of the decade. With three studio albums to choose from this decade, “Sky Blue Sky” stands out from the others the band has produced because of it’s unique departure from their previous style. The album is much more organic, with a complexity and estrangement that sets it apart from previous Wilco productions. The addition of experimental jazz guitarist, Nels Cline, to the band was welcomed with open ears. He is the driving force behind this album. Cline’s guitar style is unlike any other and strays from Wilco’s traditional rock guitar sound. It’s sharp and sporadic, adding layers color on top of front man Jeff Tweedy’s most intricate compositions yet. However, the album still evokes a looser, more ambient feel than previous Wilco albums. “Sky Blue Sky” is the type of album to pop on during a morning drive to set a positive tone for the entire day. The album stretches the consciousness of the listener’s musical mind and leaves one smiling from the open to close.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Davis Brown at Brownfd@colorado.edu.
