Naughtiest, But Nice

Interesting choice the NME chose this week for their Album of the Decade. In case you didn’t know, they voted for ‘Is This It’ by New Yorkers, The Strokes. Personally I think it’s a worthy choice as, as debut’s go, it’s a stunning album. Pretty much every song recognisable guaranteed to raise your spirits. Even though many people (who I asked to take part in this) I know disagree with me, I think The Naughties has been, in general, a pretty decent decade for music. It has seen the world pull itself out of the quagmire that was the grunge scene and brought a new ‘cool’ with a tiny hint of retro to the world of music. Bands like The Strokes, the Vines, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The Rakes, The Go! Team and Franz Ferdinand all emerged from the rubble of the small Indie labels to take over the charts and put Indie music firmly into the mind set of mainstream listeners and ‘back on the map’. Maybe it was their decade. Good for them So, as I appreciate my highly musically experienced (and knowledgeable) readers of Mol’s Sound Words, I thought I’d ask a few of them their choices for top ten albums of the Naughties (I would have asked for top 100 as per the NME, but I couldn’t be arsed). Personally, I found this really difficult to choose ten albums never mind 100. So, Fasten your seat belts crack open a cold one and get you’re “ah, they’re fucking shit them!!!” speeches at the ready … Mol. Liverpool, England Highly Evolved – The Vines Capture/Release – The Rakes Bows and Arrows – The Walkmen Is This It – The Strokes Klang – The Rakes Behind the Music – The Sound Track of Our Lives Lapalco - Brendan Benson Consolers of the Lonely – Raconteurs Funeral – Arcade Fire Rated R – Queens of the Stone Age Dr Ian Skeath. Liverpool, England Tourist – Athlete Some Cities – Doves Kasabian – Kasabian Hot Fuss – The Killers Sam’s Town – The Killers Day and Age – The Killers A Certain Trigger – Maximo Park Capture/Release – The Rakes Melody AM – Royskopp Favourite Worst Nightmare – Artic Monkeys Andy ‘Babestation’ Nickels. Liverpool, England Our Earthly Pleasures – Maximo Park Only By Night – Kings of Leon Funeral – Arcade Fire Graffiti Soul – Simple Minds A Certain Trigger – Maximo Park Songs for the Deaf – Queens of the Stone Age Kasabian – Kasabian Hot Fuss – The Killers Myths of the Near Future – Klaxons Hopes and Fears – Keane Dr Stuart Arnold Ferguson Pritchard. Liverpool, England Parachutes – Coldplay Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand Is This It – The Strokes Asleep in the Back – Elbow White Blood Cells – The White Stripes Kid A – Radiohead Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Artic Monkeys You Are The Quarry – Morrissey Youth and Young Manhood – Kings of Leon Xtrnmtr – Primal Scream Arch Bishop Neil Condron’s. Manchester, England Discovery – Daft Punk Hot Fuss – The Killers Is This It – the Strokes Sound of Silver – LCD Soundsystem Mirrored – Battles Merriweather Post Pavillion – Animal Collective Echoes – The Rapture Dreams – Whitest Boy Alive Source Tags & Codes – And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead Cross – Justice Dr Gareth ‘Larry Flint’ Roberts. Skelmersdale, Merseyside Elephant – The White Stripes Is This It – The Strokes Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Artic Monkeys 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia – Dandy Warhols The Coral – The Coral Free The Bees – The Bees Youth and Young Manhood – Kings of Leon Songs for the Deaf – Queens of the Stones Age Kasabian – Kasabian Souljacker – Eels John ‘Lyndhurst’ Jones. Peckham, London, England the Coral – the Coral Is This It – The Strokes Elephant – The White Stripes BRMC – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Who Killed The Zutons – The Zutons Consolers of the Lonely – Raconteurs Songs for the Deaf – Queens of the Stone Age Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Artic Monkeys Oracular Spectacular – MGMT Youth and Young Manhood – Kings of Leon Steven James Melia III. Liverpool, England Permission to Land – The Darkness Youth and Young Manhood – Kings of Leon The Optimist LP – Turin Brakes Is This It – the Strokes Songs for the Deaf – Queens of the Stone Age Paper – Rich Robinson Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace – Foo Fighters Audioslave – Audioslave Lions – The Black Crowes Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Gareth ‘Jimmy Page’ Woodall. Liverpool, England * Is This It – The Strokes Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay Mothership – Led Zeppelin 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia – Dandy Warhols Orocular Spectacular – MGMT I Created Disco – Calvin Harris *Gareth has only chosen 7 albums for some reason. You’ll have to ask him why I’m afraid Colin ‘Uphill Gardener’ McKillen. Liverpool, England Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace – Foo Fighters Only by Night – Kings of Leon Room on Fire – The Strokes Elephant – The White Stripes Sam’s Town – the Killers Consolers of the Lonely – Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldier – Raconteurs By the Way – red Hot Chilli Peppers Wolfmother – Wolfmother Trouble – Ray Lamontagne Lee ‘Bank Holiday’ Wright. Norwich, England Favourite Worst Nightmare – Artic Monkeys Consolers of the Lonely – Raconteurs Last Broadcast – Doves Elephant – The White Stripes Seldom Seen Kid – Elbow Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Artic Monkeys Speech Debelle – Speech Debelle No Love Lost – The Rifles Original Pirate Material – The Streets Hour of Bewilderbeast – Badly Drawn Boy Gareth ‘Rainman’ James. Formally Cardiff, Wales Mutter – Rammstein The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance Hybrid Theory – Linkin Park Absolution – Muse Theory of a Dead Man - Theory of a Dead Man Fallen – Evanescence Hot Fuss – The Killers Discovery – Daft Punk Silverside Up – Nickelback Call Me Irresponsible – Michael (Papa) Buble Diop So, there you have it chaps. That was a handful of the readers of Mol’s Sound Words and their list of the albums they think are the best from this decade. Very interesting stuff from you lot I thought. Quite a few albums I would have chose from the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Go! Team and Flaming Lips, but hey ho! Never mind eh? Finally, If you think this was a complete waste of time, discuss it over a few beers with your mates next time your down the pub. Should make for interesting conversations and makes a change from which members of Girls Aloud you’d like to rattle first One final point: not a single Oasis album in sight in the above I always said my readers had taste Mol