OK so this time around I am going try to be more inclusive. This is not a list of the “best” albums from this past decade, nor is it even my favorite albums from this decade! These are albums that came out in this past decade that I feel everyone should hear, everyone in the whole world. They reach this status for various reason but I really believe everyone should give each of these albums at least one listen.

Andorra – Caribou I don’t understand how Snaith could have ever doubted his voice. The guy can really sing, but not only can he sing, he is an amazingly talented drummer. You really don’t have to focus too hard to hear the energy this guy forces through his complex drum patterns. Despite their complexity they never seem to get bogged down, which is even more impressive by the amount of different instruments and wealth of sounds present at any one time in a song. The mix itself is very impressive with every instrument clearly audible and not a hint of mud anywhere to be found in the whole album. You can buy the album here

The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me – Brand New (or TDAGARIM for short) This album completely caught me off guard. I liked both Your Favorite Weapon and Deja Entendu. So when I put this on I expected more of the same, but I don’t think any amount of warning could really have prepared me for the massive change Brand New went through between Deja Entendu and this album. For those new to Brand New it is best to consider each album a different band with the same members, for each and every album has a very distinct sound. The album ditches a lot of the pop-punk aesthetic and structure of previous endeavors and really brings out the musical talents of all the members in the band including an increased effort in lyric writing on Lacey’s part. The album has a very epic sound but still keeps Lacey’s heartfelt and often somewhat cheesy crooning. However, his ridiculous amounts of overdubs actually sound right on this album rather than kitschy in previous albums and just plain out of place on Daisy. I would consider it a coming of age album for Brand New but they seem to come of age to a different sound every album. You can buy it and all the other albums mentioned albums here

The Glow Pt. 2 – The Microphones All of Phil Elvrum’s work is amazing but this album is the gateway drug into a swirling addiction. This album has a great variety of different sounding music, but none of it sounds out of place, you could really even listen to Wind’s Poem right after this and not be too shocked by the difference. It has to do with Elvrum’s unique sound. Which he achieves with some combination of analog recording techniques and careful use and manipulation of cheap instruments. “I just have crappy instruments and I find ways to make the ‘crappiness’ so huge and impressive that it sounds more rich and beautiful than “non-crappy” instruments” – Phil Elvrum interview. Not only does this album sound amazing, but it is also beautiful and intelligent lyrically, I consider it some of the best writing of the whole decade. You can buy it and everything else Elvrum is puttin out here

I should let everyone know that all three of these albums really must be heard through headphones, preferably nice ones. Andorra has a lot of little nuances that get lost as background noise, TDAGARIM has a lot of cool panning action going on and some double guitar stuff, and to really get a sense of the size and sound of The Glow Pt. 2..

I had a lot more trouble with this list than I expected it has gone from 20 albums to 2 and every number in between. I will do my best to resist the urge to back track and edit this post, but just know that this is by no means the end all be all.