I spent part of the decade in America, part in Berlin, where I currently serve as The Contrarian’s Teutonic Correspondent. Not sure how my continent-hopping affected my choices, if at all. Regardless, here they are for your consideration.
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1. Frightened Rabbit, Midnight Organ Fight (2008) This is love, and sometimes it hurts.
2. Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People (2002) Enormous, messy and scattered becomes expressive, focused and cohesive.
3. Panda Bear, Person Pitch (2007) A perfect blend of what I love most — Brian Wilson-esque vocals, sample tinkering and gobs of Space Echo.
4. múm, Finally, We Are No One (2002) What I want my dreams to sound like.
5. The Strokes, Room on Fire (2003) 28 minutes long and unequivocally solid. An LP that is tighter than most EPs.
6. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat (2006) I used to have a crush on her, I still do. But, I used to, too.
7. Arcade Fire, Funeral (2004) This is love, and sometimes it is worth it.
8. Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury (2006) How I like my hip-hop: big, chunky keyboards and with a Scrabble player’s vocabulary.
9. Deerhoof, Milk Man (2004) It’s very easy to make more with less. (THis one isn’t available to stream, so check out their latest, Offend Maggie instead.)
10. Low, Things We Lost in the Fire (2001) Lachrymose, heartbreaking and graceful.
It appears as though The Contrarian is well on its way to becoming a Broken Social Scene fanboy page. Oh well. They deserve it.