The 2000s saw two Star Wars prequels, the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, two Matrix sequels, Judd Apatow take over comedy, the rise in comic book super hero movies and a ton of other things that, frankly, I really enjoyed. Narrowing my list of films down to just ten was several magnitudes more difficult than it was with music or video games, because I see more movies than either of those media. Also, I didn’t really get that serious about music until about 2007. And video games just keep getting better, so that list was mainly about choosing between important trends and games that I kept coming back to. With movies, well, I’ll just say right now I’m looking at a list of 30 motion pictures that I’m just now going to try to whittle down. A list of honorable mentions would be too damn long, if something’s missing from this list, just assume it’s my number 11 or I haven’t seen it yet.

10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Oh man, the ten spot is one of the hardest. This is the cutoff point, the place where I decide what makes the cut and what will help occupy the enigmatic, unofficial number 11. There were so many choices, I could have done comedies like Sideways, Best in Show or Knocked Up. I could have done prestige pictures like The Departed or Zodiac. In the end, I had to go with the surprise pick. I only say surprise because I think I heard somewhere that John isn’t a fan of Eternal Sunshine. Is this the one you didn’t even finish, John? Maybe I’m thinking of something else. Sorry if I am. But Eternal Sunshine is quite the movie. The nonlinear storytelling felt really fresh and led to a really satisfying payoff. Jim Carrey is really good too. Ultimately this story manages to be extremely bizarre while at the same time totally relatable. That deserves props.

9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
In retrospect, it’s kind of weird that Ang Lee made this movie. I mean, that’s the Brokeback Mountain guy. He made a Chinese wire fu movie? But Crouching Tiger is more than just a visual feast of martial arts magic. It’s two tragic stories of forbidden love. And we all have been there, haven’t we? I know this chick that I totally would have hooked up with if it wasn’t for me being totally best pals with her dead husband. And I think everyone knows what it’s like being a princess in love with the bandit who totally stole your comb. But seriously, the somewhat Shakespearean nature of the story just helps me think of Kurosawa samurai epics and this as somehow in the same league. And Chow Yun Fat’s my boy. Oh, and there was another really good wire fu movie from the 2000s, House of Flying Daggers, that you really should check out.

8. The Dark Knight (2008)
Of all comic book super hero movies, The Dark Knight is the best. It transcends being too pulpy, stylized or cartoony and becomes a legitimately compelling drama. About a man who dresses like a bat trying to arrest a clown. I’d like to think I’d be a fan of this movie regardless, but being a lifelong Batman fan really makes this movie impossible not to list. I do have complaints, however. Everything after Batman’s failed rescue feels really rushed, like they had to do a whole second movie in 45 minutes. Christian Bale kind of lost control of his Batman voice. But ultimately these are minor complaints in the face of a supremely entertaining movie. In the first of what I hope are many surprising declarations, I’m going to say I prefer Heath Ledger’s Joker to Jack Nicholson’s. Actually, that’s not very surprising. My favorite’s still Mark Hamill, if you were curious.

7. Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004)
I don’t know if you know this, but the only Quentin Tarantino movie I had seen before the first Kill Bill was Resevoir Dogs. That’s right, no Pulp Fiction. And it might have taken me longer to get to that classic if it wasn’t for how much I loved seeing Kill Bill, Vol. 1 in theaters. I’d like to consider this as one picture, like Tarantino intended. I would have too, if it had ever been released that way, like he promised. But it wasn’t, so I’m not going to cop out. The first volume is a great action tale full of great visual flair and one badass heroine. The second volume, however, is where most of the story lives. The great training sequence. The showdowns with Bud and Elle. The final meeting with Bill. Those fights aren’t even close to the grandeur of the first volume, but they mean a lot more. So out of the Kill Bill series, I must go with Volume 2 as one of my favorite movies of the decade.

6. Serenity (2005)
With a great movie, I’ll spend that night dwelling on what I loved about it. With a really amazing movie, I’ll go see it again in theaters. With Serenity, I bought the TV series, watched all of that, and then went and saw the movie again. There’s something that’s so appealing about treating outer space like the wild west, and this movie got it. More than just a thrilling sci fi action movie, Serenity manages to work in humor, romance, and even terror as it crafts a very satisfying conclusion to a show that was cut all too short. God, just thinking about this movie makes me want to watch it again. And I just watched it a few months ago. Hold on one second. OK, I just bought this shit on Blu-Ray. Who wants to watch it with me? It’ll be here Monday.

5. High Fidelity (2000)
I really should read this book. Would we even be doing these lists if it wasn’t for High Fidelity? Probably, but it’s fun to think about all this movie had to do for the popularity of listing stuff. Of course they did top 5s, but close enough. This movie means a lot to me, I really like pretty much everything about it. I love Cusack’s interactions with Black and Louiso. The concept of these musical elitists alone is pretty great. But that there’s a great love story wrapped in there too makes it pretty irresistible. In the end, though, you’ve got to give it up to Jack Black who is totally hilarious through out. There aren’t too many scenes that makes me smile just thinking about them. The Monday morning mixtape and “Let’s Get It On” scenes from this movie are in that tiny group. Oh, and they totally sold me on The Three EPs.

4. Lost in Translation (2003)
Seriously, Lost in Translation must have been made for me. Back when I was a total sucker for Japan and Japanese culture comes this touching movie staring Bill Murray, who, let’s face it, is my favorite actor. At this point I need to throw out the obligatory he deserved the Oscar remark. Scarlet Johansson is pretty and does fine in her role, but this is Murray’s movie. And he totally delivers. Anyway, I’m sure a lot of people could find this movie boring or just not that interesting, and that’s fine for them. For me, it’s just incredible. It’s sad and yet funny. Sweet and romantic and yet sarcastic and pragmatic. It is at this point that I’ve noticed how the ratio of badass action movies to dramas is surprisingly even. And I didn’t even have the balls to put a straight-up comedy on the list. What’s the matter with me? Is this what growing up is like?

3. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Wes Anderson was not a name I knew before the 2000s. I was first exposed to him when my dad and I saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, more because we like Bill Murray than anything else. I was really captivated with the quirky style Anderson brought to the picture. Now that I’ve seen all of Anderson’s films, and loved them all, I was faced with the tough decision of either going with my first taste, or the one I keep coming back too. In the end, The Royal Tenenbaums probably is not only my favorite Anderson film of the decade, but my favorite of all of his films. Sure, Rushmore is the most important of his movies, and it is really good, but Tenenbaums is the one that resonates within me the most. I love everything about it, from the wacky story to the great soundtrack. I think what really does it for me is Gene Hackman, one of my favorite actors in one of his best performances. Gotta give it up for the Hackman.

2. No Country for Old Men (2007)
I am all about this movie. I remember when we saw it in theaters I was completely blown away. I still have been each subsequent viewing of No Country for Old Men too. The cinematography alone is worth seeing this. It’s like every frame could have been on some fancy calendar or a computer wallpaper. The performances are really strong, especially from Javier Bardem, who is right up there with the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis and Heath Ledger for remarkable portrayals of twisted characters. No Country for Old Men single-handedly got me interested in Cormac McCarthy, the Coen Brothers, and Josh Brolin. You just can’t beat some of the scenes in this movie. That scene in the hotel is just incredible.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
There were lots of movies that seemed like cultural events in the past decade. Recently, we’ve had Avatar fill that role. Before that we had The Dark Knight. The Harry Potter and Twilight series seem to kind of have that affect. But no series better sums up the 2000s better than The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have very specific memories of going to see each of these great movies. I remember when we saw Return of the King at Cinerama, my dad turned to me and was sad that this would be the last time he’d hear that little song at the beginning of each picture. After seeing Fellowship, I actually read the whole trilogy, which is a bit of a feat. And let’s not get started on Erin Keller. I go with Two Towers because I honestly do consider it my favorite of the trilogy. From what has to be the most epic first scene in movie history, to the surprisingly moving plight of the men of Rohan, to the incredible final battle, this movie has everything that made the series great. And Peter Jackson’s overly long storytelling works with material that’s this dense. We already own both the theatrical and extended editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I’ll probably end up buying the Blu-Rays soon.

Ever since 2007 it’s been hard to narrow my list of games down to just ten. 2009 was special because Modern Warfare 2 was so successful that a bunch of publishers moved their games into 2010 just so they could have a chance at profit. However, a number of truly great games still made it out. Some of them surprised me, the rest met my lofty expectations. Here they all are.

Honorable Mentions
MLB 09: The Show
Killzone 2
Torchlight
Trine

10. Shadow Complex
I’m just getting into Shadow Complex, but I really like it’s old school design. This is a game that saw a title like Super Metroid and said, “I want to do that.” And it does. There are tons of hidden treasures to find and a somewhat interesting story holding it all together. The controls are terrific and really show off how a 2D shooter can work and seem fresh in this day and age. There were a number of good downloadable games in 2009, but this is the only one that seems like it could have actually passed as a retail product. It looks great, plays great, actually has a cast (featuring the legendary Nolan North) and is a lot of fun. How crazy is that? This game does not exist in the real world. There is no disc, there never will be one. We truly are living in the future.

9. Modern Warfare 2
This game has made a billion dollars. Has that sunk in? Let me write it out: $1,000,000,000. That’s a lot of money, especially for something that came out last November. What it does right is just about everything. The controls are the best among console FPS. The story is short-lived, preposterous, and rather thrilling. The co-op mode, Spec Ops, is the best part of the whole package, and trying to get those three star ratings is really addictive. The online competitive multiplayer is really good too, if that’s your kind of thing. It’s not for me. I’m not interested in putting up with all the trash talk just to lose to a bunch of kids over and over. If that were not the case, I’m sure Modern Warfare 2 would be higher on this list.

8. Dragon Age: Origins
I scooped up Dragon Age during the big Steam sale and I’ve already sunk probably 30 hours into. What’s most amazing about that is that I’m sure I still have a long way to go before I can finish this game. Only Bioware can get away with that. Anyone else that tried to make an old school RPG like this today would either make it too inaccessible or too easy for someone like me. Bioware somehow managed to hit the mark in between those two extremes, creating an addictive RPG that is hard, but totally reasonable. My only real problem with the game is that the conversations, a hallmark of Bioware products, sometimes seem endless. I just wanna kill some dudes, you know? If you’ve got a gaming capable PC, I really recommend you pick this one up, even if you don’t have that Baldur’s Gate history.

7. The Beatles: Rock Band
It’s kind of a miracle that this game could get made. The Beatles still don’t have their music on iTunes. But this game isn’t just Rock Band with Beatles songs, it’s a complete Beatles experience. I love the pseudo-documentary approach to the story mode. The amount of unique content on display is pretty staggering. The visual style is truly great. But what really makes this game work are vocal harmonies. You just can’t beat three people trying to play instruments and sing at the same time. It’s hilarious, challenging, addictive. Everything you look for in a video game. I hope some of these features some how end up in regular Rock Band. My only real problem with the game is the band choice. I mean, come on, The Beatles? What are we a million years old? We need a band that’s actually good at music, you know, like Green Day.

6. inFAMOUS
You gotta love the old PlayStation-exclusive developers. Insomniac hit it big with the Resistance series and Ratchet & Clank has taken on a new life on the PS3. The Crash Bandicoot guys are blowing everyone away with the Uncharted series. Now finally the Sly Cooper put out there first Cell-powered game, inFAMOUS. Despite it’s ridiculous title capitalization, this game is a triumph in regards to tight controls. The leveling of powers is really fun too. Oh, and it’s cool how the city changes according to your alignment. That reminds me, the story is pretty interesting too, for that comic book style. Speaking of style, the game looks really good too. Wow, that’s just about every aspect of this game. There’s gotta be something to complain about… Uh, that Zeke guy sucks.

5. Red Fation: Guerilla
For as long as man has wielded tools, he has known one thing: it’s fun to break shit. Red Faction: Guerilla is the best game on the destruction front. Let’s say you see a building and you don’t like it. That fucker’s gotta come down. Well, you could cover it with mines and blow it up. Or you could drive your Mars truck into it, letting it crumble down on you. Or you could go old school and tear that mofo down yourself with your badass sledgehammer. The choice is yours. I was never that interested in the Red Faction series, but hot damn is this is good game. As far as sandbox games, this is one of my favorites. Just thinking about it makes me want to go boot the game up right now. I’m sure some of Mars is still standing, and I want to do something about that.

4. Batman: Arkham Asylum
Holy shit, Batman. You’re in a good game. A really good game, actually. From beginning to end, Arkham Asylum is everything that playing as Batman always should have been. He is confident, in control, and has a plan. He’s not locked in a room full of goons, there locked in a room with him. The stealth is actually fun, something I don’t think I’ve ever written before. Combat is great too, it’s so fluid. Using Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill was a stroke of genius, they breathe a lot of life into their characters. The Riddler Easter eggs are a nice addition too. The stealth and combat challenges are a great way to keep you entertained well after you’ve completed the main adventure. Definitely a must play for anyone who has ever liked the Batman.

3. Assassin’s Creed 2
The first Assassin’s Creed was neat looking, played pretty well, but got repetitive. With the sequel, Ubisoft addressed all the problems they had and through in a bunch of new stuff too, resulting in one of the best games I played all year. The thrill of stalking your target and pouncing on them at the right moment is incredible. The game is a ton of fun to play, but more than that, the star of the show is Renaissance Italy. Very rarely are game worlds infused with so much life, and for this setting to be historical and one we don’t see that often just makes it that much more of an achievement. Assassin’s Creed 2 is packed with content, and I was eager to get all of it that I could. Now that is the mark of a truly great game.

2. Borderlands
I’ve beaten Borderlands twice. It’s not a short game. I played through it on Xbox, bought it on PC, played through it again. I’m working on my third campaign. That is how addictive the Diablo-style gameplay can be when used correctly. It is here. That it is combined with solid FPS combat creates an experience that is sublime. You are always progressing. You’re gaining XP, leveling weapon skill, and picking up loot. That makes Borderlands a hard game to put down. I love its sense of humor. The visual style is really striking and works well with the kind of game it is. But it’s the loot that keeps me coming back, the “bajillions” of guns, the fancy shields, the helpful class mods. Borderlands is the game I spent the most time with last year, and it looks like I’ll be spending even more with it in 2010.

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Remember in Raiders of the Lost Ark that sequence when Indy is chasing that caravan of Nazi trucks? Uncharted 2 has a level like that. Except Drake’s in Tibet. And he has to keep jumping between trucks, because they keep getting blown up. This is just one of the dozens of ridiculous, incredible sequences that you actually get to play through in Uncharted 2. Naughty Dog fixed everything that was wrong the first game in the series. I’m just gonna come out and say it: this is my favorite story in video games right now. It’s probably the best looking game that’s out now too. And it’s got a great multiplayer mode that Nancy and I have gotten to delve a little into and I can’t wait to revisit once he gets a little farther into the game. Uncharted 2 is reason enough to own a PS3, and it’s definitely my 2009 game of the year.

So the last decade was pretty good for video games. We didn’t really get that much of a technological leap, we are still looking at pixels after all. Beautiful, high definition pixels. But online gameplay and distribution came to prominence, the Wii was interesting, and the medium as a whole became one of the biggest of them all. Here are my ten favorite games.

Honorable Mentions
Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
Mass Effect (2007)
Bioshock (2007)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (2001)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003)
Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

10. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
Yo dude, Kirby’s my guy. I’ve heard things like this said. That’s because Super Smash Bros. Melee was such an amazingly good multiplayer game, that I’ve been playing it at gettogethers from New Year’s Eve 2001 right on through college. I don’t think you can beat that. Nintendo tried with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which added new characters and gameplay tweaks, but that great game has never been able to capture players like Melee. The simplicity and accessibility of the game’s controls hide it’s amazing depth. There are people out there who actually do play Fox only, Final Destination, no items. They worry about tiers and other complex issues. That’s awesome. It’s ridiculous, but those people are having more fun than anyone else. Oh, and just to piss those people off, I like to press up to jump. Deal with it.

9. Metroid Prime (2002)
Talk about immersion. In Metroid Prime, you are Samus Aran. You are alone on an alien world, stripped of your precious gear, and faced with overcoming an army of space pirates featuring a gargantuan robotic pterodactyl named after the heroine of the Alien series. This game remains the king of first person platforming, and it’s pretty outstanding how well it plays given the general jankiness of the GameCube controller. It is so fun to look around in this game, scan some stuff and look for hidden treasures. Yes, it all eventually ends with you doing way to much backtracking, but I’ll allow it. Some games I get stuck and just move on. I tried to do that with Metroid Prime, but I could not let it go. This game is just too good.

8. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
First person shooters only work on computers. The precision they require can only be delivered by a mouse and keyboard. This is what we used to think. Halo was a game-changer. The controls were so tight and the multiplayer so ingeniously crafted that it’s not too surprising that by 2009, first person shooters are the biggest genre in gaming and almost all are developed with consoles in mind. I remember what really did it for me was the vehicles. Being able to just hop into a Warthog and run fools over was so fun. In fact, this game is so fun we’re still playing it every once in a while today. Because of infinite grenades. Glorious, infinite burning plasma grenades.

7. Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
If games are indeed art, and they are, this is one of the titles that helps prove that point. You play as the wanderer, there’s some chick who seems ill, you’ve got an awesome horse, and that’s about the whole story. The wanderer sets out into these beautiful landscapes to kill these colossi, who seem like terrible beasts but it still feels really wrong when you kill them. Yes, there are flaws in this game. The art style is gorgeous, but the graphics are technically somewhat lacking. The controls aren’t perfect. Sometimes you can end up frustrated and confused. But those are really minor complaints when you’re talking about one of the most emotionally powerful games I’ve ever played. There are moments that just blew me away when I first played through this PS2 classic. If you can, I really recommend you spend the time to go all the way through Shadow of the Colossus.

6. Resident Evil 4 (2005)
I never liked the Resident Evil series. The controls weren’t that good and frankly survival horror has always been one of the least appealing genres of games. That all changed with RE4. The game revolutionized third person shooting with its ingenious run-and-gun gameplay. Big dudes slightly off center? Shenmue-style quicktime events in cinematics? Yeah, this game came up with that. The combat is so thrilling because of the intentionally imposed limitations on ammo and movement, combined with the games creepy atmosphere and unsettling enemies. And let’s not forget, chainsaw controller. My biggest problem with Reisdent Evil 5 was that there was no way it could live up to its successor. Which, in the grand scheme of things, is a pretty good problem to have.

5. World of Warcraft (2004)
Something has to be said for the incredible investment of time and money that World of Warcraft is able to demand from its players. And that is that the game is really good. Not only was it well-made, but the amount of support Blizzard has given the game over the past 5 years has been incredible. Two expansion packs along with an almost constant stream of patches have balanced and rebalanced the game into something almost completely different from what it originally was. I remember when they added weather, threatened to remove ammunition, and lowered mount level caps. I last quit the game back in the fall, but I’ll probably get pulled back in around Cataclysm’s release. I don’t really want to keep playing, it just evolves into a need over time. I believe that’s called an addiction.

4. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
It is a little scary putting a three month old game on a best of the decade list. But when you have such an exceptional game, you have to give credit where credit’s due. Graphically, it’s just about peerless. Not only is the game great to look at still, but there are so many incidental animations that watching the game is like watching a terrific movie. The acting is great, there’s a reason Nolan North is the reigning king of voice actors. The gameplay is so good you’ll be amazed that you are actually controlling Drake in these crazy scenes. And there are so many crazy scenes. Calling this the most cinematic game I’ve ever played still doesn’t really do it justice, since, you know, it’s a video game, not a movie.

3. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002)
The decade was marked by two outstanding Star Wars game franchises, Jedi Knight and Knights of the Old Republic. Well, Rogue Squadron was no slouch either. Force Unleashed was pretty fun too. Anyway, there’s no game I’ve come back to more frequently than Jedi Outcast. I’ve beaten it dozens of times. Played countless mods. Just a couple days ago, when I couldn’t find my disc, I bought the game again on Steam. Jedi Outcast is just a game I can’t get enough of. Sure, Jedi Academy is an improvement on this game, but it sacrifices a great character and story to get that. There’s something that’s so thrilling about finally getting that lightsaber. I have so many memories of playing this game that I’m surprised it’s not even higher on this list.

2. The Orange Box (2007)
I thought of going with Half-Life 2, since that game did so much for stories in first person shooters. But at the end of the day, you could argue that game is indeed just a really good FPS. The Orange Box transcends that. When it was released, it instantly became the best deal in video games. Episode 2‘s campaign might have been on the short side, but it still packed some of the best action and story sequences of the entire Half-Life saga. Team Fortress 2 is an outstanding multiplayer game with a fantastic visual style and great sense of humor. The fact that it is updated so frequently that the game today is totally different from when it first came out helps too. Then there’s Portal, which is simply one of the greatest games that has ever been made. Put it all together and The Orange Box is undeniable.

1. Rock Band 2 (2008)
While it can be argued that The Beatles: Rock Band offers a better, and possibly more important, experience, I think the undeniable pinnacle of not only the Rock Band series but the rhythm game genre is Rock Band 2. They made vast improvements over the first Rock Band game, increasing the ease in joining into a game, sorting songs, and gameplay modes. Couple that with Harmonix’s knack for charting songs and their incredible dedication to DLC and you have what I think is the quintessential experience of the decade. What could better sum up the aughts than spending hundreds of dollars on DLC to play songs on tiny, plastic instruments?

I get it now. Posting our top tens this way gives last-second additions a shot at listage, since chances are way better for a movie or album to hop onto the year’s list than the decade ones. And, since Nancy can’t do lists for the year, it gives us a nice post-a-day rhythm for a while. Very appealing stuff.

Honorable Mentions
St. Vincent – Actor
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The xx – xx
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion 

10. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Just “bearly” edging out critical darling Merriweather Post Pavilion is this sexy beast straight out of Brooklyn. While my initial impression of the band was, “wow, that music video sure makes them look gross,” the album eventually grew on me to the point where I was humming some of the more memorable songs to myself while I was busy measuring newspapers or something else equally boring. As Colin pointed out, “Two Weeks” is one of the year’s best, the rest of the album is no slouch. While Animal Collective is undeniably great on their release, I find that it takes way too long for me. Which is weird, I know, especially when you see what some of my later picks are. But I can’t stop being myself.

9. The Antlers – Hospice
Continuing with the bear theme is the first album from the band the Antlers. I guess they were just one guy before, and now they’re like a band. So it counts as a debut, even though there are albums from The Antlers already and it sounds like that one guy does a lot of the work. Regardless, what we’ve got here is basically an American attempt at Sigur Rós territory. They never quite get that good, but as my second real foray into post-rock music, they still deliver quite the experience. Yes, Colin, they’re willing to throw out some instrumental tracks. They’re trying to build an atmosphere, a feeling. That’s how they get you, and how they can get away with talking about cheery topics like abortion later on. It all comes back to these dramatic ideas from this guy you might remember named William Shakesman.

8. Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
I kind of feel bad for not being as passionately a fan of MoF as my co-bloggers. But not that bad, I mean, this shit still is on my top ten list. Merriweather Post Pavilion couldn’t even crack this list. At this point, I’m a pretty unabashed My Morning Jacket fan, and I’ve always been interested in Bright Eyes, especially because of Nancy’s seemingly endless love for Conor Oberst. Hopefully MoF can serve as the gateway drug I need to finally dive into that musical pool. But even if it’s not, this is still a really great album. I even like that first song that everyone else hates. As they’ve said, it’s just really nice to hear really skilled musicians working together to create undeniably great sounds. It’s always good when an album can reach go-to status for me, and for a couple weeks, this was in that spot. I still have no idea who M. Ward is, outside of some guy who plays with Zooey Deschanel.

7. U2 – No Line on the Horizon
I wanted to think of No Line on the Horizon as some sort of comeback for U2. But their last couple albums have been pretty freaking good. So I guess it’s just a compliment to the strength of this album that I feel that way about it. There’s a lot going on here, U2 is producing music that is epic, melodic and even straight up rocking. I can’t go more than a few minutes into this album before I start tapping my toes, bobbing my head or making a fool of myself. Frankly, I can’t wait to see as much of this realized as I can this summer. The only real complaints I can lob against this album is that I had to listen to “I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” about a bajillion times since Blackberry used it in the ad that came in during every Daily Show/Colbert commercial break for a while.

6. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
There’s something to be said for an album as sprawling and lush as the debut from Cymbals Eat Guitars. The album is called Why There are Mountains, and the epic scale of these nine tracks does lend itself to such a titanic title. If this album was a movie, it would consist entirely of sweeping crane and helicopter shots of fantastic landscapes. That it is the product of some kids who weren’t signed to a label or anything is pretty incredible. If the point of being into alternative or indie music is to find new, young bands full of promise, than anyone who finds these guys has hit the jackpot. I know it’s kind of scary to latch onto an album that you might not have heard much about, but trust me, this one is worth the risk. After all, it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters.

5. Japandroids – Post-Nothing
After being a fan of the White Stripes for a few years, you’d think I’d already know that a guitar and drums duo can still deliver a terrific ride. But I still came into Japandroids’ Post-Nothing expecting very little. Instead I got one of the purest albums of the year. These are two guys that just want to have a good time, despite their fears of the weight of the world. There’s just such a sincerity to their minimalist, catchy lyrics. Plus they know what they’re doing on drums and guitar. It’s one of my great regrets of 2009 that my back injury prevented me from going to see these guys live in November. I’m sure that would have been one hell of a show.

4. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Like I said in my review, Neko Case is so good that I totally, completely prefer her to her super group the New Pornographers. There are a number of outstanding tracks here that I’ve completely fallen for, to the point where I feel like a sucker. Sure, lyrics like, “your rails have always outrun mine,” does sound like some creative writing class bullshit, but there’s just something about it that makes me grin a stupid grin. Hmn, did I quote “This Tornado Loves You” in the review too? Man, I don’t want to give you the impression that that’s the only song that I like. I like the whole thing. Here’s a lyrics from “People Got a Lotta Nerve”: “you know, they call killer whales, but you seemed surprised when they pinned you down to the bottom of tank, where you can’t turn around and took both half your leg and both your lungs.”

3. Metric – Fantasies
The first album of the year I really responded to was this gem from Metric. Fantasies is just about as cleanly executed as an album can get. From what John and Paul call “that hammer song” to the triumphant climax that is “Stadium Love,” I really dig Metric and their sweet freaking music. I don’t know why I haven’t gone back and looked over their earlier work, because honestly this is exactly what I look for in an album. This is definitely the album of the summer for me, and more than that, I was listening to it a lot while I was in Europe, so it’s associated with those memories too. Good album is good.

2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Another first taste of a band that’s been around for a little while, Phoenix is a band I quickly grew to love during the latter half of this year. From the extremely catchy first couple tracks, to the instrumental space racers part, all the way to the end, this is probably the album I listened to the most this year. And I never got sick of it. I’m still thrilled when I see that Cadillac ad with “1901” in it. Who would have thought that I could grow to like a French band that’s not Daft Punk? Not that I’m a huge Daft Punk fan, but those songs are catchy. And why are these French bands recording in English? When I was over there they seemed pretty happy with their language. Why not sing in it? Eh, maybe they just wanted more mass appeal. Which they deserve. Can’t wait to see them do their thing.

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
I feel exactly the same about this album as Colin. The reviews weren’t too hot, neither was “Zero,” it seemed like something I could write off. But when I did finally check it out, I was blown away by how consistently good it is. I’m gonna say it, this is my favorite Yeah Yeah Yeahs album. I’m comfortable saying that because if I had my iPod on shuffle or was listening to the radio and any song off this album, any song, came up, I’d be stoked. At it’s roots, It’s Blitz! has everything that makes Yeah Yeah Yeahs great, from more rocking numbers that hearken back to greats like “Gold Lion” to songs that are a little more delicate, like the immortal “Maps.” It’s just more sophisticated now. If you’re not dancing to this album, you’re probably frozen by its profound beauty.

Happy new year folks, here it is 2010: the year we make contact, you know like that movie? Anyways I agree with Colin that 2009 was a little underwhelming in the way of truly great albums but there were still some nice tunes here and there. I don’t have a lot to say but enjoy my ramblings and typos anyways.

10. Muse – The Resistance
Split up it doesn’t quite work but sitting down and listening to it as a whole and it’s a grand rock opera experience. Huge layered vocals reminiscent of Queen combined with some of Matthew Bellamy’s excellent guitar work and vocals produces an album of epic quality. It’s my favorite Muse album up to this point and I only see this band getting huger in the years to come, uber pwnage.

9. Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Kasabian doesn’t really stray far from their comfort zone on their third release but that doesn’t stop them from delivering some first class, fist pumping electro-rock. Front-man Tom Meighan and Vocalist/Guitarist Sergio Pizzorno have developed a great partnership switching off on vocals on electrifying tracks like “Fire”, “Where Did All the Love Go?” and my favorite “Vlad the Impaler” which lead to my favorite music video of the year. Buzzy basses, sweet riffs and a tongue n’ cheek Brit swagger make this an album to be reckoned with.

8. Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream
: The Boss is in fine form once again in a rockin’ collection of tributes to the working man. The E-Street band shows us why they’re basically the best backing back in rock and Bruce’s gritty howl and presence ties it all together. It was this album that finally got me really into Bruce Springsteen. I really don’t think I listened to anything else but Bruce last January and February.

7. Peter Bjorn and John – Living Thing
Continuing to break the mold it’s Sweden’s favorite Indie trio but not Sean’s, Peter Bjorn and John. With every member contributing to song-writing and vocals “Living Thing” seems to draw inspiration from just about everywhere. With a spark for the unpredictable I rather like it’s diverse and experimental nature. “Nothing to Worry About” (Used in all the Always Sunny in Philadelphia promos this year) is a joyous hippity-hop romp with an infectious sing-along chorus. The brash but memorable “Lay it Down” is another great number (probably my favorite). The best thing to come from these guys yet.

6. Chester French – Love the Future
: Straight off of surprisingly enough Pharell’s Star Trak Records, Love the Future seemed to take a billion years to finish but it was worth the wait. C.F. brings to mind the fun and catchy Pop sounds of the 60s along with some swanky synths and even some old school beat machines. Somehow I think they can come off as a little arrogant but that might just be the preppy attitude that flows through this album. I don’t know what it is but that doesn’t stop these compositions from being the fun pop/rock gems their meant to be. I was surprised that Chester French didn’t find the same success as fellow Ivy leaguers Vampire Weekend and MGMT but whatever, that just makes the fan base seem more exclusive.

5. Matt & Kim – Grand
It took some time for me to warm up to this hip urban duo but I just fell in love with all the simple arrangements. Accompanied by some highly inventive percussion and goofy indie pop melodies it’s the definition of alternative. It’s a short and sweet album that would be welcome into any indie rock fan’s collection.

4. Weezer – Raditude
Weezer’s experiment of bizarre collaborations (Lil Wayne, The All American Rejects) turns out to be just what this band needed. Some moments even bring me back to the glory days but the new ideas are also a welcomed venture… With the exception of the terrible “Love is the Answer”. Weezer may be getting a little cornier as the years go on (note Rivers Cuomo in that commercial for Band Hero) but they still got it in em, they just gotta dig a little deeper to find it.

3. U2 – No Line On the Horizon
Who’d of thought I’d fall in love with an album that I initially gave such a lukewarm response? It truly has the polished and excellently crafted feel of a seasoned rock band. I don’t think anyone can make a guitar sound more beautiful than The Edge and here along with Bono’s trademark operatic delivery and a tight rhythm section U2 is as tight and prolific as ever. “Moment of Surrender” and “I Know I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” are already among my all time favorite U2 songs.

2. Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
This is the definition of what a supergroup should be. Different artists bringing their own styles and sensibilities to create a new, distinct original sound. There’s a whole slew of memorable Alt-Country rockers and especially touching ballads, I’m quite partial to “Ahead of The Curve”. Even the songs that don’t thrill me still impress me vocally or from a production standpoint. The Blending of soulful vocals and true themes of Americana really help this album break out of the pack of other supergroups, I hope they all work together again someday.

1. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
This album is so good I went to the trouble off editing this list like a year later. I hadn’t really heard the album before I did this list so who would’ve of thunk I’d fall so head over heels for it? The catchiness, the the romanticism of the music and lyrics, beautiful stuff. I think it helped to seem them life and see how much energy and pep they had with this fantastic material. Let’s hope I don’t have to edit this again in another year with another overlooked gem.

Honorable Mention
Golden Silvers – True Romance
:The album seems a little inconsistent between catchy dance tunes and more brooding pieces, but it’s an enjoyable little synth romp.

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
: Bit of a downer waiting almost four years for another Franz Ferdinand album and then getting this but it’s still okay. “No You Girls” is a great Poppy dance single, good enough to be in a PSP commercial.

Alright. Now phase two of our “albums week” continues with Da Morgue’s favorite albums of the past year. For me, 2009 was kind of mediocre as far as the albums that were released, but the year certainly wasn’t without it’s share of quality music.

10. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

I didn’t get in to this album quite as heavily as some people, but I still have plenty of respect for it. The way all of these reverb-soaked instruments are arranged to all these songs with a sort of chamber pop thing going on makes for quite a nice listening experience, and Ed Droste’s vocals are just a pleasure to listen to. Plus it’s got “Two Weeks”, easily one of the best songs of the year.

9. Passion Pit – Manners
I was having a hard time choosing between this album and Veckatimest for my number 10 spot, but then I listened to Bruce Springsteen’s Working On A Dream which was my original number 9, and realized it wasn’t quite as good as I remembered. Anyways, this is a pretty irresistable little electropop album, full of big choruses and falsetto vocals. It seems like MGMT has made it ok for alternative rock guys like me to listen to bands that are on the more electronic side of the spectrum, and these guys are kind of in that same vein.

8. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – It’s Blitz!
When It’s Blitz! first came out, I was just starting to warm up to it and then John posted his middling three-star review of it, and I just stopped listening to this album entirely. Now I see that wasn’t a very good decision on my part. I’m actually really impressed with how far YYY’s have come in just three albums, and the way they trade in guitars and drums for keyboards and drum machines on this latest release seems completely natural. When you’re putting out songs that are as straight-up beautiful as “Skeletons” and “Hysteric”, combined with toe-tapping dance numbers like “Zero” and “Heads Will Roll”, you can do it on whatever instrument you like, I don’t care.