Masterpieces of the 21st Century

[Outtasight!]

Which albums would you rate as undeniable masterpieces released this century. Three immediately spring to mind for me. BWPS, Bob Dylan's Love and Theft and Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Anyone got anymore they would put in that category?

[I. Spaceman]

Amy Winehouse's Back To Black.

[hypehat]

Sufjan Stevens' Come On, Feel The Illinois!

[Lowbacca]

Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Sigur Rós - Takk...
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

+ a few others, but these came to mind first.

[Outtasight!]

Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Sigur Rós - Takk...
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

+ a few others, but these came to mind first.

Eels Blinking Lights definitely, I forgot about that one!

[the captain]

Undeniable and masterpiece are a both strong words even on their own; together, that's tricky business. But I would rate these as the best albums of the century, probably with none reaching "undeniable masterpiece" status in my mind. (Roughly chronological order.)

Radiohead, Kid A
The Delgados, the Great Eastern
Bob Dylan, Love & Theft
Beulah, The Coast is Never Clear
Tom Waits, Alice
the Mountain Goats, Tallahassee
The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
Belle & Sebastian, Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Brian Wilson, BWPS (in a strange way, almost like an honorary degree)
Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat
Puerto Muerto, See You in Hell
Of Montreal, Satanic Panic in the Attic
Bob Dylan, Modern Times
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
Joanna Newsom, Ys
The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls in America
Okkervil River, the Stage Names
Herman Dune, Giant
Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
Iron & Wine, The Shepherd's Dog
Robyn, Body Talk

[hypehat]

Ys, or Have One On Me definitely qualify.

If I'd submit a Hold Steady album, I'd  definitely go for Separation Sunday - it's possibly a better collection of the ideas/motifs of the Hold Steady's schtick, although there isn't quite a song like Stuck Between Stations.

[the captain]

Eels Blinking Lights definitely, I forgot about that one!

I liked Daisies more than Blinking Lights, myself. Granted, I've got a bias against double albums. I did like Blinking Lights, though. (I like Electro Shock Blues most, but that's the last century.)

[the captain]

If I'd submit a Hold Steady album, I'd  definitely go for Separation Sunday - it's possibly a better collection of the ideas/motifs of the Hold Steady's schtick, although there isn't quite a song like Stuck Between Stations.

Never did like Separation Sunday, myself. Actually I never liked Hold Steady or Lifter Puller. But Boys and Girls really surprised me, and I thought it converted me! However, I bought the next couple albums and wasn't excited by them at all, so I think it was a one-time fluke for me.

[hypehat]

The next couple of albums are average (Stay Positive) and 'I can see why you went solo' (Heaven Is Whenever), although I am now a little scared by his solo effort because that last album was so boring. Thanks for making me check out Boys & Girls again tho, I love that record.

Also, thanks for reminding to check out a Robyn record, because every song I hear on the radio from her is amazing but I never listen to her albums.

Erm, hang on. Back OT

Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
The Caretaker - A Stairway To The Stars

[Jay]

That Lucky Old Sun.

[Alex]

Barenaked Ladies-Maroon

[Outtasight!]

Eels Blinking Lights definitely, I forgot about that one!

I liked Daisies more than Blinking Lights, myself. Granted, I've got a bias against double albums. I did like Blinking Lights, though. (I like Electro Shock Blues most, but that's the last century.)

Daises and Electro Shock are amazing albums, Eels produce the goods every time. He's a cant do wrong for doing righter!

[Lowbacca]

EELS: my 2nd favourite band/artist after the Beach Boys. But okay, that's another thread.

(By the way, wouldn't you love to hear Mr Everett tackle some Dennis Wilsons songs? Little Bird seems like an EELS track, anyway. And I could think of some more.)

[the captain]

Eels Blinking Lights definitely, I forgot about that one!

I liked Daisies more than Blinking Lights, myself. Granted, I've got a bias against double albums. I did like Blinking Lights, though. (I like Electro Shock Blues most, but that's the last century.)

Daises and Electro Shock are amazing albums, Eels produce the goods every time. He's a cant do wrong for doing righter!

You know, I disagree on that. I think he had a great run from Electro- through Blinking Lights, but the albums since then have been really hit and miss...and mostly miss. Some cool songs here and there, but I think he's been mining similar sounds and territory that, frankly, seem exhausted. I've still been getting every new release, but with one I ask myself whether I'm going to get the next one. One of these times, I won't.

(That's where I am with Flaming Lips and Magnetic Fields, too. Like they're on their last chance again and again.)

[Outtasight!]

EELS: my 2nd favourite band/artist after the Beach Boys. But okay, that's another thread.

(By the way, wouldn't you love to hear Mr Everett tackle some Dennis Wilsons songs? Little Bird seems like an EELS track, anyway. And I could think of some more.)

Motherf*cker owe's a huge debt to Dennis. I can hear him singing that one.

[Outtasight!]

Eels Blinking Lights definitely, I forgot about that one!

I liked Daisies more than Blinking Lights, myself. Granted, I've got a bias against double albums. I did like Blinking Lights, though. (I like Electro Shock Blues most, but that's the last century.)

Daises and Electro Shock are amazing albums, Eels produce the goods every time. He's a cant do wrong for doing righter!

You know, I disagree on that. I think he had a great run from Electro- through Blinking Lights, but the albums since then have been really hit and miss...and mostly miss. Some cool songs here and there, but I think he's been mining similar sounds and territory that, frankly, seem exhausted. I've still been getting every new release, but with one I ask myself whether I'm going to get the next one. One of these times, I won't.

(That's where I am with Flaming Lips and Magnetic Fields, too. Like they're on their last chance again and again.)

I take your point he has mainly been covering old ground since blinking lights but I love Hombre Lobo and the others are solid enjoyable albums despite not breaking new ground. Have you heard his MC Honky album, worth a listen.

[cablegeddon]

Sigur Ros' Takk and () comes to mind.......so far the 21st century hasn't been about the albums but the songs.

Some of the great pop songs that might be remembered a hundred years from now:

Bright Eyes - Lua
Bright Eyes - If the brakeman turns my way
Foo Fighters - Best of you
The national - Ohio Bloodbuzz
The national - All the wine
Death cab for cutie - A movie script ending

[the captain]

Eels Blinking Lights definitely, I forgot about that one!

I liked Daisies more than Blinking Lights, myself. Granted, I've got a bias against double albums. I did like Blinking Lights, though. (I like Electro Shock Blues most, but that's the last century.)

Daises and Electro Shock are amazing albums, Eels produce the goods every time. He's a cant do wrong for doing righter!

You know, I disagree on that. I think he had a great run from Electro- through Blinking Lights, but the albums since then have been really hit and miss...and mostly miss. Some cool songs here and there, but I think he's been mining similar sounds and territory that, frankly, seem exhausted. I've still been getting every new release, but with one I ask myself whether I'm going to get the next one. One of these times, I won't.

(That's where I am with Flaming Lips and Magnetic Fields, too. Like they're on their last chance again and again.)

I take your point he has mainly been covering old ground since blinking lights but I love Hombre Lobo and the others are solid enjoyable albums despite not breaking new ground. Have you heard his MC Honky album, worth a listen.

Really he has mainly been covering the same ground always, even on his pre-Eels solo albums. And yeah, I've got MC Honky. Actually I just pulled it out for a spin last weekend while trying to listen to things I hadn't heard in forever. (Like a duck.) Around that same time he also had a movie score, from Levity. (That was released under his real name.)

Hombre Loco was my favorite of that past trio of albums. Some really nice songs there. That's where it is for me for E: you know where he'll be, so it's all about whether he nails it within those confines.

[Paulos]

Joanna Newsom - Ys

[MyGlove]

Merriweather Post Pavillion - Animal Collective

[hypehat]

God no. Animal Collective are incredibly overrated. Aimless, terribly produced/mastered (MPP is brickwalled as f***), whiny, and with little tension or release besides admittedly nice synth textures/loops which are used with no invention. I am fond of Strawberry Jam, the record before, because it has songs with things you can remember. More than once I have put Merriweather on and been amazed that I'm actually like, 4 tracks into it because I hadn't noticed anything changing.

Another masterpiece...

The Avalanches - Since I Left You

[MyGlove]

God no. Animal Collective are incredibly overrated. Aimless, terribly produced/mastered (MPP is brickwalled as f*ck), whiny, and with little tension or release besides admittedly nice synth textures/loops which are used with no invention. I am fond of Strawberry Jam, the record before, because it has songs with things you can remember. More than once I have put Merriweather on and been amazed that I'm actually like, 4 tracks into it because I hadn't noticed anything changing.

Another masterpiece...

The Avalanches - Since I Left You

You're mad! They probably have the best harmonies out of everybody around these days. They are a hipster band, and therefore probably are overrated, but there's no way its not good. I love it!

[Jarethon]

EELS: my 2nd favourite band/artist after the Beach Boys. But okay, that's another thread.

(By the way, wouldn't you love to hear Mr Everett tackle some Dennis Wilsons songs? Little Bird seems like an EELS track, anyway. And I could think of some more.)

Motherf*cker owe's a huge debt to Dennis. I can hear him singing that one.

This is especially funny since there is a song called "Little Bird" on End Times. I can't belive no one else has mentioned that.

I love the Eels.

[Newguy562]

Great post
hmmmm I'd have to go with

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black...

Radiohead - Kid A

Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon

The Strokes - Is This It

Kanye West - Graduation

I realized I listen to mostly 60's/70's music   I'm pretty biased when it comes 2 contemporary music. :/