#14 Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
24 points, 10 votes
"They really started the movement to bring clever, engaging, danceable indie back into fashion and this album was one that I never got bored of listening to it over and over again on my gap year." (Tim, The Blue Walrus)
#13 Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
27 points, 9 votes
"The decade saw Radiohead serve up four studio albums. 'Kid A', 'Amnesiac', 'Hail To The Thief' and 'In Rainbows'. It's easily conceivable that the top three British albums of the last decade could be derived from these four offerings.
Although he has consistently dismissed the album’s political discourse, after an estimated 100,000 civilian deaths in Iraq, to ignore Thom Yorke’s stark lyrical content would be remise. There is an overwhelming sense of Orwellian paranoia and a fear of a modern dark age under American imperialism in '2+2=5', while 'There There' commands the listener to resist mass hysteria – "just cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there. There's always a siren singing you to shipwreck, don't reach out."
Amid the Chilcot Inquiry, Iraq is still the mess that Yorke and co. predicted and this album is every bit as prevalent today as it was on release in 2003." (Adam Phillips, Rosa Alchemica)
#12 Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
30 points, 8 votes
"The best new band to emerge from Scotland this decade. And this is their best record to date. Not since The Smiths released 'The Queen Is Dead' have I metaphorically played a record to death - ie at least three times a week in its entirety for about six months in a row. And even now, I still cant tell you what my favourite track is as it depends on how happy/sad/drunk/melancholy I am at any particular time. Quite simply.....a record I know I will still be enjoying in its entirety until my dying day." (JC, The Vinyl Villain)
#11 Coldplay - Parachutes
30 points, 10 votes
"None of us want to admit that this album totally got stuck in our heads for way too long. C’mon now, complete the phrase: “Look at the stars, see how they…”." (Joe Nickell, Nickell's Bag)
#10 Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
34 points, 14 votes
"With Bloc Party currently on an indefinite hiatus, we can now look back with bitter reflection on a career that peaked with their brilliant debut album, 'Silent Alarm'. Nothing that followed came near matching such a compellingly anthemic album.
Although characterised at the time as Gang Of Four inspired art rockers, it was the tender, emotive moments on tracks like 'This Modern Love' and 'So Here We Are' that truly enraptured and inspired. And with tracks of the quality of 'Little Thoughts', 'Storm & Stress' and 'Skeleton' all happily left off the album, there is a sense of sadness with the manner in which Bloc Party would steadily encounter diminishing returns as they bravely attempted to vary their repertoire." (Saam, Faded Glamour)
24 points, 10 votes
"They really started the movement to bring clever, engaging, danceable indie back into fashion and this album was one that I never got bored of listening to it over and over again on my gap year." (Tim, The Blue Walrus)
#13 Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
27 points, 9 votes
"The decade saw Radiohead serve up four studio albums. 'Kid A', 'Amnesiac', 'Hail To The Thief' and 'In Rainbows'. It's easily conceivable that the top three British albums of the last decade could be derived from these four offerings.
Although he has consistently dismissed the album’s political discourse, after an estimated 100,000 civilian deaths in Iraq, to ignore Thom Yorke’s stark lyrical content would be remise. There is an overwhelming sense of Orwellian paranoia and a fear of a modern dark age under American imperialism in '2+2=5', while 'There There' commands the listener to resist mass hysteria – "just cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there. There's always a siren singing you to shipwreck, don't reach out."
Amid the Chilcot Inquiry, Iraq is still the mess that Yorke and co. predicted and this album is every bit as prevalent today as it was on release in 2003." (Adam Phillips, Rosa Alchemica)
#12 Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
30 points, 8 votes
"The best new band to emerge from Scotland this decade. And this is their best record to date. Not since The Smiths released 'The Queen Is Dead' have I metaphorically played a record to death - ie at least three times a week in its entirety for about six months in a row. And even now, I still cant tell you what my favourite track is as it depends on how happy/sad/drunk/melancholy I am at any particular time. Quite simply.....a record I know I will still be enjoying in its entirety until my dying day." (JC, The Vinyl Villain)
#11 Coldplay - Parachutes
30 points, 10 votes
"None of us want to admit that this album totally got stuck in our heads for way too long. C’mon now, complete the phrase: “Look at the stars, see how they…”." (Joe Nickell, Nickell's Bag)
#10 Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
34 points, 14 votes
"With Bloc Party currently on an indefinite hiatus, we can now look back with bitter reflection on a career that peaked with their brilliant debut album, 'Silent Alarm'. Nothing that followed came near matching such a compellingly anthemic album.
Although characterised at the time as Gang Of Four inspired art rockers, it was the tender, emotive moments on tracks like 'This Modern Love' and 'So Here We Are' that truly enraptured and inspired. And with tracks of the quality of 'Little Thoughts', 'Storm & Stress' and 'Skeleton' all happily left off the album, there is a sense of sadness with the manner in which Bloc Party would steadily encounter diminishing returns as they bravely attempted to vary their repertoire." (Saam, Faded Glamour)
Once again, "tune in" tomorrow for the next set. It's hotting up.
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