23. Elliott Smith *********– “From a Basement on the Hill” *********– This album should not have been released after his death. The songs either sound unfinished or like he was just messing around in the studio.
22. Rufus Wainwright *********– “Want Two” ********– Where “Want One” was amazing, this is OK. But it does have “Gay Messiah.”
21. Tres Femmes *******– “Tres Femmes” *********– Three local females together in perfect harmony.
20. Green Day *******– “American Idiot” ********– The best thing they’ve done since “Kerplunk.”
19. Kanye West *******– “College Dropout” ******– It would be No. 5 on the list, but the skits ruin it. I buy hip-hop albums for lyrics and beats, not for bad comedy pieces.
18. Denes *******– “Title Track” *******– Piano pop bliss. Catch them live around LU.
17. Zachary Scot Johnson ********– “Moment of Clarity” ********– He has some supporters in the Lindert household.
16. U2 *********– “How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” *********– They sound like U2 circa 1982.
15. Robert Downey Jr. ********– “The Futurist” ********– Tom Waits meets Rusted Roots on the first outing from this troubled actor.
14. Modest Mouse *********– “Good News For People Who Love Bad News” *******– Good news for people who wanted Modest Mouse to polish up its sound, but bad news for people who liked the band’s past glory.
13. Morrissey *******– “You Are the Quarry” *******– Moz is better than ever!
12. Destroyer ********– “Your Blues” *******– Musical theater mixed with Pink Floyd with lo-fi production.
11. REM *******– “Around the Sun” *******– It took three albums for REM to get over Bill Berry leaving the band.
10. The Streets ********– “A Grand Don’t Come For Free” ********– Eminem has nothing on this Brit.
9. Rilo Kiley ********– “More Adventurous” *********– The most solid outing yet from these Cali pop rockers.
8. The Cure *******– “The Cure” ********– These 40-somethings sounds like they are all 26 again.
7. The Arcade Fire *******– “Funeral” ******– This is a powerful album about small towns and death.
6. Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers *******– “Americano” *******– This album bleeds Arizona sunsets and politics. From the political “God Gave Me a Gun” to the love song “Your Name on a Grain of Rice,” these are Roger’s best songs yet.
5. Wilco ********– “A Ghost is Born” ********– Alt-country turned prog-rock gods strip it down for a jam record.
4. The Mountain Goats ******– “We Shall All Be Healed” *******– Alt-folk never sounded this strong.
3. The Hidden Cameras ********– ” Mississauga Goddam” ********– This album of gay choir pop is catchier than the cold I have.
2. The Polyphonic Spree ********– “Together We Are Heavy” ********– More sonic bliss from 24 happy-go-lucky musicians. The songs sound bigger and better than their last outing.
1. Tom Waits *******– “Real Gone” ********– He’s as old as our parents are and he is creating a new style of music. These diamonds may be rough but they shine.
I got my name from Rock ‘n’ Roll -rws -jcr -dlh
