Mobtown Studios - Baltimore MD - A Recording, Mixing and Mastering Studio » lists

34 Best Albums of the Aughts (unpretentious version)

Mat Leffler-Schulman — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:05:41 +0000

Because I love lists, here is a list of my favorite records from 2000-2009 in relative alphabetical order:

Angela Desveaux – The Mighty Ship (it’s just beautiful and great on vinyl)
The Arcade Fire – Funeral (if you don’t respoond to ‘wake up’ you could be lifeless and dead)
Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham – L’avventura (again, it’s a beautiful record)
The Dismemberment Plan – Change (my dc friends make their perhaps last and greatest record)
Mike Doughty – Rockity Roll (no over-thought tunes. i wish this was longer.)
Duffy – Rockferry (what a voice!)
Eno and Byrne – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (two of my favorites yet again on a record together this time writing great songs)
Godspeed You Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (the soundtrack to the first have of the decade for me)
Kanye West – Late Registration (that kanye certainly has something to say)
Kadman – Sing To Me Slower (if dave never wrote another song other than diesel and honeymoon’s end, we’d be ok)
Keane – Perfect Symmetry (stellar pop)
The Killers – Hot Fuse (see above)
Leisure Icons – Leisure Icons (angular mathy locals that has been in heavy rotation here)
Low – The Great Destroyer (dave fridmann + low = happy mat)
Luna – Rendezvous (i used to put my daughter to sleep to this record)
Mouse On Mars – Idiology (Mmmm, stomp pedals)
N.E.R.D. – In Search Of… (more drums please)
The Octopus Project – Hello Avalanche (my band opened for them this summer. i can’t stop playing this record)
Parts and Labor – Stay Afraid (new york’s finest)
Saint Etienne – Finisterre (sarah cracknell’s voice is to die for)
Sam Prekop – Who’s Your New Professor (i love the beats on this record)
Katy Perry – One of the Boys (good production, songwriting and a pretty face don’t always equate to crappy pop music)
Prince – The Rainbow Children (prince did have some good records this decade, and this is his finest)
Rod Lee – The Official (rod is a genius and you’ll be hearing more about baltimore club very soon)
Shakira – Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (that shakira can do anything)
Sigur Rós – Takk (birthing sounds)
Austin Stahl – The Things You Carry (austin can write about heartbreak like no other)
Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong (one of my favorite live albums ever and i am not a huge radiohead fan)
Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous (jenny lewis.)
Justin Timberlake – Justified (pharrell williams is one sick drummer, JT is someone who i’ve yet to get sick of)
Tokio Hotel – Schrei (they were everywhere in europe. who cares if they play their instruments.)
Trans Am – TA (my dc favs… they can do no wrong)
Wendy and Lisa – Girl Bros. (see above, they can do no wrong)
John Zorn – Live at Tonic 2001 (john zorn would be in the supergroup in my head. acharei mot is my jam in this set.

Top Records of 2008

Mat Leffler-Schulman — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:56:19 +0000

I am not a total purist about lists. This list is about records that I either heard in 2008 or came out in 2008.

1. Angela Desveaux: The Mighty Ship – I played a show with a band a few weeks ago. We opened for them. And they had their record on vinyl. It’s insanely good. The drummer is mind blowing. I’ve not seen a drummer lean in to his hits in forever. I’ve never seen someone so expressive. Oh and the music is beautiful. And Angela’s voice is wonderful.

2. MGMT: Oracular Spectacular – While the album does fall apart after “Time To Pretend,” the record is totally a stand out for what’s on the radio these days. And their beats are super fun and spacey.
3. Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue- Why it took this long to be re-mastered is beyond me. This is such a gem of a record. I use it as a reference CD at the studio. If you don’t include Brian Wilson’s SMiLE it’s my favorite solo Beach Boys record. Hands down.
4. The Felice Brothers: Adventures of The Felice Brothers Vol. 1- Listened to heavily on our trip to North Carolina this summer. Fit the ride tremendously. While we only listened to it once. It was listened to and not simply heard. I need to listen again.
5. David Byrne & Brian Eno: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today- Just breathtaking. Also this record solidified the fact that I am no longer a kid. I liked the record after a few listens. But I didn’t begin to love it until I got a note from my friend that he was going on tour with David playing keys. Once I saw the show I got it fully. It’s been in heavy rotation since.
6. Eureka Birds: s/t- Local kids gone awesome. Yet they are still unsigned. I was supposed to see these guys open for a friends band, but just got to talk with them right after their set I missed. I did get to eventually see them a few weeks later. Their record is awesome and so un-Baltimore. It’s a record to listen to on headphones.
7. The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing- I think I first saw them on the European MTV Awards at my parents house because they have cable TV. I think I like them because they are different. And catchy as hell. Women singers who don’t sing slow sad songs with a lot of acoustic guitars really stand out for me. Not that I don’t like women who sing slow sad songs.
8. Vampire Weekend: s/t- The record really should have been called “As Indie As You Wanna Be”. But whatever, I really liked the record as much as I want to punch them all in the neck.
9. K-Swift: K-Swift Club Queen Jump Off Vol 10- Baltimore Club queen. RIP. Solid club. And my little girl loves dancing to her.
10. She & Him: Volume One- This record was non-stop for a long while. Then it stopped to breathe and now it’s back again. Such a sweet and fun record. Completely looking forward to Volume Two.
11. E. Joseph and The Phantom Heart: All The Medicine In The World- A total stand out record. Awesome production from the Starflyer 59′s Jason Martin. And incredible songs that pull from a lot of the best bands of the 1980s with out being derivitive or cliché.