90) Band of Horses - Cease To Begin (2007)
Often referred to as the poor man's My Morning Jacket, it's actually been a much smoother ride into the spotlight for these guys than for Jim James and gang. After receiving a ton of praise for their 2006 self-titled Sup Pop debut, a lot was expected for their follow-up. Let's just say that they lived up to the hype -- and even charted #35 on the Billboard 200 with 21,000 copies sold in the first week. "There Is A Ghost" is one of 2007's best singles, so definitely give it a shot. And hey, any band that dedicates a song to Detlef Schrempf gets the seal of approval in my book.
89) Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends (2007)
These indie-art rockers are one of the most entertaining live bands on the circuit. Follicly challenged singer Tim Harrington will often strip down to his skivvies (or worse), kiss audience members during songs, and sporadically change clothes mid-set. Let's Stay Friends was the band's first release in six years and was on nearly every critic's top 10 list last year (an 87 on Metacritic ain't bad). Les Savy Fav played a legendary 3 AM post-New Year's Eve show at the Bowery Ballroom this year which was recently released as a live album called After The Balls Drop. You can download the single "The Equestrian" (as well as a slew of other tracks) for free right HERE.
88) Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter (2001)
I gotta show some Jersey love on this list. Musicforthemorningafter is a great debut by one of the more talented (and underheralded) singer-songwriters of the decade. Yorn originally got some exposure with his song "Strange Condition" in the Jim Carrey cult classic Me, Myself, and Irene, which led to some mild radio success with "For Nancy (Cuz It Already Is)," and "Life On A Chain." Pete's second album, Day I Forgot, went largely unappreciated despite containing quite a few gems. But do stay away from Nightcrawler if you know what's good for you.
87) Ryan Adams - Rock 'n Roll (2003)
This might be the first (of many) controversial picks. But guess what, it's my list so I can choose whatever I want. I remember Pitchfork panning Ryan Adams' first foray out of the alt-country realm. But you know what, some of these songs are pretty damn good despite what the critics had to say. The awfully U2-sounding first single, "So Alive," is as catchy at it is crunchy. Adams' ingenius songwriting goes unnoticed on some of the more confessional work of his catalog (see the title track, and "Anybody Wanna Take Me Home"). It's evident that this album was purely experimental -- a memo that many naysayers must have failed to see. Just a warning: (much) more Ryan to come.
86) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (2008)
We'll see if this band stands the test of time. Vampire Weekend's early success is clearly the product of the indie blog hypemachine. I think these guys hold the record for "least deserving band to appear on Saturday Night Live," as they had barely even charted before reaching the precious nationally-televised show circuit. Fun fact: they were the first band to grace the cover for Spin before actually releasing an album. But I gotta give it to them, they do give us one hell of Paul Simony debut.
85) The Get Up Kids - On A Wire (2002)
It's unfortunate that The Get Up Kids got branded with that infamous "emo" scarlet letter. It really is unfathmable to me that these guys will be considered more in the ranks of Fall Out Boy than Nada Surf or Superchunk. And I am purposely selecting their least-known record specifically because its poor sales, yet great content pretty much sum up this band's career. Depite the whiny voice, Matt Pryor has a pen as skilled as they come, and this is shown on tunes like "Hannah Hold On," and "Overdue." The Get Up Kids disbanded in '05, but Pryor is still active with his side project The New Amsterdams.
84) Jesse Malin - The Fine Art of Self-Destruction (2003)
The solo debut from the lead singer of defunct New York thrash band D Generation, Fine Art is a complete 180 from the brash punk of Malin's 90's career. I can't think of an album that professes more love to the city of New York than this one. Aside from the cover art (which shows Malin at the Delancey Street subway stop), Malin pays a heartfelt tribute to the five boroughs on songs such as "Brooklyn," "Downliner," and "Riding On The Subway." And if Bruce Springsteen has an affinity for this guy (he's got a cameo on Jesse's most recent album), he's just fine in my book.
83) N*E*R*D - In Search Of... (2002)
For the record, N*E*R*D stands for "No One Ever Really Dies." And at the rate that Pharell Williams has been going, this may very well be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Aside from being one of the most prolific (and successful) producers of the past decade (his resume includes hits for Madonna, Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, and Jay-Z) , Pharell has made some pretty solid records with his experimental band, which includes fellow Neptune Chad Hugo. I can't think of anyone else who has successfully melded rock with hip-hop as well as this guy. At its core, In Search Of... is front-loaded with some of the best party songs of the past decade (see "Rock Star," "Provider," and "Lap Dance"), a lesson every frat DJ should be well-versed in.
82) Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (2004)
It's very difficult for a band to make a great record after creating a masterpiece. So was the case for Wilco and A Ghost Is Born, an excellent follow-up to the opus that was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Considering Jeff Tweedy's altered state of mind while recording this album (he entered a rehab clinic shortly after its release), this is one hell of a piece of work. Although at times a bit uneven, anyone who knows anything about music cannot deny Tweedy's ability to pen a great tune on Ghost.
81) Cat Power - The Greatest (2006)
Anyone who pretentiously names a new album The Greatest better be pretty damn sure of it. But, you know what, I'll give it to Cat Power (the pen name of Chan Marshall) because she really scores a knockout on her first record of completely original material. Marshall's sultry voice is not easy to resist on most of the The Greatest's many highlights, which include the short-but-sweet "Islands," and the piano-laden beauty that is the title-track. The dreaminess of this album is reminicent of Mazzy Star, which is never a bad thing.
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