Three Imaginary Girls - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Favorite Bumbershoot photos by Erik Clineschmidt

three imaginary girls — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:57:17 +0000

Earlier we posted the five favorite shots at Bumbershoot from the fantastic photographer Jason Tang. His also brilliant colleague Erik Clineschmidt offered his five favorite photos from last weekend at Bumbershoot. They are:

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs:

Modest Mouse fans:

No hands:

Colors of [Sonic] Youth:

Hosed in the pit:

Slightly cloudy with a chance of falling eyeballs: Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Bumbershoot

Chelsea Werner — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:51 +0000

6 Sep 2009

Sunshowers and bleachers. Red and blue Samsung balloons were being kept in the air by palms attached to distracted bodies. The attention of the crowd too busy staring at the sound crew on the main stage, readying themselves for the cheer that they were to send up shortly as Karen O took the stage, shortly after the understated Nick Zinner and Brain Chase that are the ever-talented and too-cool-for-school members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

These musicians are performers. Or at least, they understand the nature of their stage roles. As they played hit after hit and Karen O mustered the most sincere love for Seattle’s Bumbershoot audience, I found myself wondering if Karen O could be considered one of the only current day rock stars. Maybe it was just because she danced like Mick Jagger at moments, maybe it was the way she walked off set half way through the set for a slight costume change, either way I found myself realizing that, whereas I was disappointed when Mirah dropped a lyric or didn’t hit a note, I didn’t mind when Karen O’s stage antics led to losing some of her vocals because of her entertaining performance.

In the last quarter of they set they pulled out all the stops; the giant blow up eye ball balloons were sent out over the crowd and they played their most recent single, “Off With Your Head,” followed by “Y Control,” “Maps" (where Karen O pressed the mic to her heart at the end of the song), and closed on the amped-up “Date With The Night.” At one point Nick Zinner used his phone to take a picture of the crowd, but for the most part Zinner and Chase were not attempting to make a spectacle of themselves. One could envision a No Doubt scenario where the band gets upset because the lead singer gets all the attention, but something tells me the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have their dynamic down. They understand exactly what it is that is so winning about their combination that almost the entire front half of the crowd at the Samsung stage was dancing despite the intermittent rain.

{All Yeah Yeah Yeahs photos by Erik Clineschmidt}

Bumbershoot adds Cold War Kids, Old 97s, Yeah Yeah Yeahs; releases full schedule

ChrisB — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:42:19 +0000

Late last night, Bumbershoot unveiled their final lineup for the Labor Day weekend festival this year (barring any unforseen cancellations, of course). As usual, it looks like a pretty great lineup. I was especially thrilled that The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be playing a Main Stage show. Also added were Cold War Kids and Old 97s, also playing Main Stage sets. Disappointing: that Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, De La Soul and The Long Winters will be playing at the same time (9:30pm on Saturday night).

The full schedule is here.

I (and a lot of TIG writers) will be writing more in the coming days uptil to and through Bumbershoot about who we are excited to see this year but who are your "can't misses"?

{Photo of Cold War Kids by Julie Harmsen from the TIG Flickr Pool.}

Sasquatch 2009 Wrap-Up: Day 1

Imaginary Shrie — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:17:26 +0000

23 May 2009

Sasquatch_2009.jpg

Sasquatch was a doozy. I wrote a lil bit o' news about a few bands I saw each day via my check-in's for days 1, 2 and 3. There were people having sex during the Decemberists right out in front of {supreme being} and everyone, and I met a TON of Canadians "eh". I saw a kid wearing a fleece pajama jumpsuit all three days (shower? yeck) and my toes have never been as dirty as they were after three days of music and camping. Verdict: sunburned, dehydrated, jolly good time.

The itsy bitsy press trailer was anything but cush, so I kept my ass out and about amongst the common-folk gorging themselves on the sweet sweet sounds of Sasquatch. Here is what I heard:

SATURDAY

The Doves sound is produced. They aren't garage rock or ramshackled indie... they're anthemic and full. Swooping in and out of lyrics and instrumentation and their sound was abso-freaking-lutely perfect for the Gorge Ampitheatre. Beautiful, produced and consistent, the Doves soared (tee hee). A swift walk up that damned hill and over to the Wookie stage set me up for Passion Pit, who I've become slightly obsessed with over the coming weeks. Having garnered much attention as of late, Passion Pit commissioned a fairly large crowd for their set. All the half-clothedgirlies were screaming their heads off, and being in the back I couldn't tell why until I inspected a bit further. Michael Angelakos, the head honcho/lead singer, is one hell of a charismatic individual. Swishing his curly, not unlike Wayne Coyne , hair from side to side and swaggering his tight hipster-jean across the stage and back again was causing a fever to break out amongst the ladies (and a few men, admittedly). Angelakos' high notes and range seemed a bit stunted, like he was holding back in order to hit the notes, but his strutting ways and their quirk-pop sound invigorated the crowd.

King Khan & the Shrines are a spectacle. Adorned in a feather headdress, wooden staff, gold cape, and itty bitty satin shorts King Khan strutted onstage, hands held high to the heavens. One part George Clinton, one part southern soul preacher, and one BIG part balls-out freak, King Khan knows how to put on a show and have a blast. They ran through their songs like a train and antics onstage got a little wacky when one of the band members droppedpantaloons and shoved his junk from front to back, leaving it that way for the entirety of the song. This band will take you in their uterus, jumble you up crazy-style and rebirth you fresh and anew!

Completing the one-two punch of awesomeness, I experienced Animal Collective next. AC are one of my favorite bands of the last few years, of which I've hailed their greatness before. I was expecting nothing short of awe-inspiring and I got it. Visually, they were simple: guy on guitar, two guys whopping on keyboards/synths and the stunning Gorge backdrop behind. They sounded rougher, less honed live, but that didn't take away one iota of amazement. I witnessed several people initially appalled at AC's ambient ways turn a kinder light towards them later on in the set. This in itself was a treat. Preened jocks nodding their heads hard to baby sounds and hazy echoes, as expertly emitted by AC... unbelievable.

I'm admittedly not much of a fan of the Decemberists or the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, but saw them for my readers' sake mostly (my friends also wanted to see them). Aside from the couple sexin' it up on stage right during the Decemberists, the highlight of the show for me was when of their female members came up and belted out a few tunes. And man, did she belt. A personal opinion, but they'd be much more interesting if she was at the vocal helm more often. Slightly raucous with devastatingly beautiful vocals but slightly lackluster energy-wise, the Decemberists seemed to really pull an adoring audience.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs always struck me as being about show and fist-pumping energy more than musical complexity or engaging songwriting, and my experience seeing them live affirmed that. The crowd went absolutely bananas for them, and with Karen O. decked out in neon green tights and an electric-colored poncho, I can see why she'd draw a lot of attention. The vocals were almost incomprehensible from where I was sitting, but I commend them on their energy. They have the live performance thing down, and their fans count on that consistency.

Sasquatch was a doozy. I wrote a lil bit o' news about a few bands I saw each day via my check-in's for days 1, 2 and 3. There were people having sex during the Decemberists right out in front of {supreme being} and everyone, and I met a TON of Canadians "eh". I saw a kid wearing a fleece pajama jumpsuit all three days (shower? yeck) and my toes have never been as dirty as they were after three days of music and camping. Verdict: sunburned, dehydrated, jolly good time. The itsy bitsy press trailer was anything but cush, so I kept my ass out and about amongst the common-folk gorging themselves on the sweet sweet sounds of Sasquatch. Here is what I heard:

Lily Allen covers The Clash with Mick Jones, Hold Steady covers Bruce...

imaginary victoria — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:32:09 +0000

know we just got done with the 2008 lists, but this one's clamoring for my top compilation spot for '09 already!

Let the Halloween video parade begin: Sonic Youth, Smoosh, Beck, Arcade Fire unite!

imaginary liz — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:41:38 +0000

Here's a video put out a while back from The North American Halloween Prevention Initiative. It's kinda weird and it was hard to get my brain around it before the morning muffin... but it features a ton of awesomeness in the line-up -- and that's good enough for me.

Beware of the Cyrus

Erik Gonzalez — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:42:38 +0000

I am amused that down in the hinterlands of the top 100, you might get confused and think it was the 90's again.

NME Hits for July 9

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 03:59:20 +0000

For this week's NME update, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs take #1, but there are three new songs for us to enjoy...

Yeah! It's the NME Top 10

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 02:33:59 +0000

This week, there is only one new song on the NME top 10, but it's one that I am excited about.

"Hello Tomorrow" by Squeak E. Clean (featuring Karen O)

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:21:24 +0000

It is currently (well, as I write this), 2:06 AM, Pacific Time, and I am in a lab running samples. A show on the Tunguska Blast of 1908 is on mute on the TV and the sound of clicking and whirring machinery fills the room except for the sound of my lonely iPod.

In this eerily well-lit lab, we (being me and the large machine sharing the room with me currently) are listening to "Hello Tomorrow," the oddly minimal collaboration between Squeak E. Clean and Karen O - it might be one of the best almost ambient songs in a while, sort of Moby meets Aphex Twin without all the awkward small-talk about vegans and living in tanks.

Sure, it was featured in an Adidas ad, but that is how music works these days: if radio won't play you (read: 99% of music made today), then get an ad exec's attention and voila! you can have a hit too. Not that "Hello Tomorrow" was a hit, it was more of a pleasant sojourn for a handful of player who stumbled across it, but you get the point. Nobody wants to be cool more than an ad executive, so start sending your demos folks. Maybe I can record the sounds of ions being counted late at night and make it a hit for Volkwagen. That is what we call 21st century success.

tunguska.GIF

Comets hit the Earth! Let's buy sneakers!

Single Reviews: A Spring Mix of New Music

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 07:00:00 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EHQ7L0/wwwthreeimagi-20

Ah, nothing like the coming of spring. Flowers start poking their heads out of the ground and bursting forth with color that we've missed since the end of the summer. The air begins to warm with the re-emerging sun. People slowly come inching out of the their winter seclusion to venture into the "outdoors". And, most importantly, labels start releasing albums in anticipation of the summer concert season. If you're like me, this spring is rather exciting, with enough new music coming out to make a llama swallow with discomfort. So, to get you up to date on what to expect, I thought I'd drift through my iPod's "New Music" playlist and report to you on some of the more anticipated new singles for the impending change of season.

"Gold Lion" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from the album Show Your Bones {8.0}
Buy it!
{Interscope Records}

If anyone were to tell you that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are due for an atomic-scale explosion with their new album, then they are either the type that gathered intelligence for the Bush administration on Iraq or quite delusional (I suppose those two types of people are more or less the same come to think of it). Not only did they come this close to superstardom with their debut, but they are fronted by a dead-sexy (albeit somewhat frightening) leader singer in the form of Karen O and they know how to write catchy tunes. That being said, "Gold Lion," the first single off of their new disc, is a little bit of a disappointment on first listen. It lacks the passion of "Maps" or the intensity of "Date with the Night". It reeks of snazzy studio production. It, in fact, sounds like a revamped version of Love & Rockets "No New Tale to Tell". However, if you let the song spin through a few times, you find yourself inevitably singing the song in the shower. Or the kitchen. Or on the bus. Or in your sleep. Yes, they have another hit. Enjoy the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before they become the next-generation No Doubt (hopefully with the Gwen Stefani-hip hop mutation potential).

"You Have Killed Me" by Morrissey from the album Ringleader of the Tormentors {7.7}
Buy it!
{Sanctuary Records}

I have to admit, I have long had a mancrush on Morrissey. I honestly have no idea why. I wish I did. I'd be the first to admit I was pleased (and a little shocked) at his renaissance with his 2004 album You are the Quarry. Who knew that so many of us have been salivating for the return of Mr. Gloom himself. Now that Moz has realized that the world really does love him as much as he loves himself, he's come back much quicker with the early frontrunner for "Best Album Title of 2006," Ringleader of the Tormentors. The first "You Have Killed Me" pulls no punches, it more or less is an extension of the Quarry sound, rich with guitars and Morrissey smooth-as-silk voice. Sure, his lyrics are still ridiculously over the top: I entered nothing/and nothing entered me/'til you came with the key/and did you best/but as I live and breathe/you have killed me. Yes my friends, Morrissey has become the Frank Sinatra of alternative rock and this is his "My Way".

"Goin' Against Your Mind" by Built To Spill from the album You In Reverse {9.0}
Buy it!
{Warner Brothers Records}

You have to give Doug Martsch credit. Only a certain type of person can get away with having the first single from two major label albums clock in at over eight minutes long. Unlike Perfect From Now On's dirge "Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)", the first song to be released from Built to Spill's You in Reverse is a veritable barnburner. "Goin' Against Your Mind" starts off with a reckless abandon that we haven't heard from Built to Spill since There's Nothing Wrong with Love, with throbbing drums and dueling guitars that crashing in like waves during a storm. It is a full two minutes before Doug's vocals even come in, but the complexity of the song makes the 8+ minutes fly by. The song is broken up by a quiet interlude where the bass drives the music as Doug laments When I was a kid I saw a light/floating high above the trees one night/thought it was an alien/turns out to be just God before the tempo kicks back to have the song roar to a close. It seems that Built to Spill has finally found that balance between the sprawling epics of Perfect and the infectious rock of Love.

"When You Wasn't Famous" by The Streets from the album Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living {9.2}
Buy it!
{Vice Records}

Mike Skinner has learned something that many rappers never learn: rap about what you know. Sure, A Grand Don't Come for Free was brilliant, but is anyone going to believe that with the uberstardom that the Streets have attained worldwide that Mike Skinner would be concerned about losing a thousand quid? Heck, he probably lights his massive joints with £100 notes. So, what is a man to do? Write a song about how easy it is to get girls when you're famous. And, if you want to get back to feeling like you are famous, starting dating with other celebrities. Honestly, who of us can't relate with that sentiment anyway? (Ok, maybe not.) What makes "When You Wasn't Famous" so great is the infectious production - the marching beat and flute - it might be the first foray into highland Scottish hip-hop. Teamed with some of loosest rapping Skinner has ever recorded and some downright comical lyric like I realize with you the truth can be a whole lot worse than the flak/my whole life I never thought I'd see a pop star smoke some crack, the Streets might have dialed in the song that makes them huge stateside. Ah Mike, if only we knew what celebrities were talking about, but at least you're having fun these days.

If you're like me, this spring is rather exciting, with enough new music coming out to make a llama swallow with discomfort.

Best of 2003: Imaginary Staffers Top 10 Lists

three imaginary girls — Sun, 04 Jan 2004 08:00:00 +0000

Char, Imaginary Girl

All Girl Summer Fun Band, "2"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism"
Massive Attack, "100th Window"
Outkast, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"
Stellastarr*, "Stellastarr*"
The Dandy Warhols, "Welcome To The Monkey House"
The Fitness, "Call Me for Together"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
Various Artists, "Lost in Translation" Soundtrack
Visqueen, "King Me"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever To Tell"

Dana, Imaginary Girl

Nada Surf , "Let Go" &
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall" &
Visqueen, "King Me"
The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow"
The Divorce, "There Will Be Blood Tonight" &
The Lights, "Beautiful Bird"
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
Mogwai, "Happy Songs for Happy People"
Dear John Letters, "Stories of our Lives"
Heather Duby, "Come Across the River"
The Malinks, "Can't Shake Last Night" &
Downpilot, "Leaving Not Arriving"

Liz, Imaginary Girl

The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
The Divorce, "There Will Be Blood Tonight" &
Ballboy, "Guide for the Daylight Hours"
Visqueen, "King Me" &
The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall" &
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
Stellastarr*, "Stellastarr*"
Clearlake, "Cedars" &
Okkervil River, "Down the River of Golden Dreams"
The Decemberists, "Her Majesty, the Decemberists"
The White Stripes, "Elephant"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow"
Caesars, "39 Minutes of Bliss (In an Otherwise Meaningless World)"

Chilly C, Imaginary Boy

The Primate Five, "1234567APE"
The New Pornographers, "Electric Version"
The Earaches, "Fist Fights, Hot Love"
Blur, "Think Tank"
The Divorce, "There Will Be Blood Tonight"
Cat Power, "You Are Free
Belle & Sebastian, "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
!!!, "Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard: True Story" (EP)
Sushirobo, "The Light Fingered Feeling of Sushirobo"
Stellastarr*, "Stellastarr*"

embracey, Imaginary Boy Film~Theatre Critic

Broadcast "Haha Sound"
Various Artists, "Lost in Translation" Soundtrack
Various Artists, "Morvern Callar" Soundtrack
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man "Out of Season"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism"
The Dandy Warhols, "Welcome To The Monkey House"
Gillian Welch, "Soul Journey"
Tipper, "Surrounded"
Cat Power, "You Are Free
Lucinda Williams, "World Without Tears"

Imaginary Chapman Boy

The Strokes, "Room On Fire"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever To Tell"
The Libertines, "Up the Bracket"
Outkast, "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism"
The Rapture, "Echoes"
Junior Senior, "D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat"
The Raveonettes, "Chain Gang of Love"
Broken Social Scene, "You Forgot It In People"

Imaginary Lorenzo

Death Cab for Cutie, "Transatlanticism"
Junior Senior, "D-D-Don't Don't Stop the Beat"
Menomena, "I Am the Fun Blame Monster!"
Rufus Wainwright, "Want One"
The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
united state of electronica, "demos"
Various Artists, "Wig In a Box" Compilation
Visqueen, "King Me"

Jake Barnes, Fictional Lost Generation Character

Kaito, "Band-Red"
American Analog Set, "Promise of Love"
Rachel's, "Systems/Layers"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
Cat Power, "You Are Free
British Sea Power, "Decline of British Sea Power"
Cinerama, "Cinerama Holiday"
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man "Out of Season"
Longwave, "The Strangest Things"
Innocence Mission, "Befriended"

Michael X, Imaginary Boy

Dead Meadow, "Shivering King and Others"
Kinski, "Airs Above Your Station"
A Perfect Circle, "Thirteenth Step"
Massive Attack, "100th Window"
Radiohead, "Hail To The Thief"
Mogwai, "Happy Songs for Happy People"
American Analog Set, "Promise of Love"
Mono, "One Step More and You Die"
The Ruby Doe, "Dream Engine Blue"
Los Halos, "Leaving Va."

Ryan Schierling, Photographer

The Long Winters, "When I Pretend To Fall"
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
The Weakerthans, "Reconstruction Site"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
Visqueen, "King Me"
The Decemberists, "Her Majesty, the Decemberists"
Nada Surf, "Let Go"
The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
Dischord (compilation), "20 Years Of Dischord"
An American Starlet, "3 Song EP"

sero(tone)in, Imaginary Boy Events Expert

Crooked Fingers, "Red Devil Dawn"
Idlewild, "The Remote Part"
The Decemberists, "Her Majesty, the Decemberists"
Broken Social Scene, "You Forgot It In People"
The Wrens, "The Meadowlands"
The Pernice Brothers, "Yours Mine & Ours"
Kaito, "Band-Red"
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "Hearts of Oak"
Aereogramme, "Sleep and Release"
Songs: Ohia, "Magnolia Electric Co."

Trix, Imaginary Correspondent

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "Hearts of Oak"
The Shins, "Chutes Too Narrow"
The Thermals, "More Parts Per Million"
The New Pornographers, "Electric Version"
The Wrens, "The Meadowlands"
The Notwist, "Neon Golden"
The Postal Service, "Give Up"
The Decemberists, "Her Majesty, The Decemberists"
Stellastarr*, "Stellastarr*"
Dirtbike Annie, "Show Us Your Demons"

return to the full 2003 recap

Best releases of 2003, in the opinions of the imaginary staff...

The Thermals, The Icarus Line, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs

three imaginary girls — Mon, 28 Apr 2003 07:00:00 +0000

22 Apr 2003

thermalsSBblur.jpg

Even though getting to the Showbox to catch openers the Thermals meant we walked in while the sun was still unseasonably shining, we felt vindicated for our efforts as soon as this perpetually- frenetically- brilliant foursome took the stage.

It was our first time seeing them perform since the release of the ingeniously infectious More Parts Per Million album. Our silent wishes of hearing our favorite album tracks "It's Trivia," "Back To Gray," and "I Know The Pattern" were granted. Sure we'd probably heard those songs before the album was released at the last show, but this time we could perform our song-specific dance routines and sing along. Jump-kick-turn and we were happy campers.

Read about the Thermals at the Sub Pop anniversary party.

I had reservations about the Icarus Line when I saw their shirts — gruesome hand-drawn images of women being mutilated. But I reserved judgment until I heard them play. Once I heard them, I could fully say I found this band terrifying, and not in a good way.

This droning, endlessly loud, misery of a metal band pounded painfully through their set, until our entire table succumbed to the misery where we could no longer converse or even drink. We ceased to want anything, except for this band to desist. I did, however, check out their Buddyhead web site, and damn, it's funny. Funny that a band with so many rules of rock thought it would be okay to posture in a ridiculous red Seinfeld-esque puffy shirt — with eyeshadow to match. Weird.

The highest point of my Yeah Yeah Yeahs excitement was in September, 2002 – right before I saw them perform for the first time. After months of only having an ep and a John Peel live session to listen to, I was excited to see them open up for the John Spencer Blues Explosion.

Then when they took the stage and I experienced their show first hand, I realized that I had fallen victim to fashion-influenced-music reviews. I felt like the YYY's songs were written just so they would have something to do while showing off their stylists' handiwork.

Don't get me wrong. I have kept that first YYY's ep because those five songs are fun to throw into the cd player on random and they serve as a historical marker on a facet of the music scene of 2002. I can totally understand how someone could become momentarily addicted to her Debbie Harry-esque bravado and invariable warbling vocal stylings over top of the simplistic jagged instrumentation. But live, this time piece left me uninspired. I'm put off by the orange torn fishnets disguised as an original fashion statement and keep thinking that lead singer Karen O's mannerisms were part young Edith Bunker and part Missing Persons' lead singer Dale Bozzio. {Is anyone surprised that the first Missing Persons fan website I checked was a broken link?}

I'd been so rocked from the highs of the Thermals to the plummets of the Icarus Line that I then fled to the reliable comfort of Visqueen...

Once I heard the Icarus Line, I could fully say I found this band terrifying, and not in a good way.

Best of 2003: Top 10 Imaginary Albums of the Year

three imaginary girls — Fri, 03 Jan 2003 08:00:00 +0000

The top ten releases of 2003 as voted on by you, our imaginary readers!

#1 The Postal Service — Give Up (Sub Pop)
Winning our imaginary best of 2003 by overwhelming majority, the Postal Service gorgeously blend the electronic delicacy of Dntel with the effortless vocal bliss of Ben Gibbard (plus stellar girlie cameos from Jenny Lewis and Jen Wood).
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#2 The Shins — Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop)
The sophomore effort from James Mercer et al lived up to lofty expectations and was well worth the two-year wait for this crystaline, poppy, Kinks-esque songwriting masterpiece.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#3 Death Cab for Cutie — Transatlanticism (Barsuk)
Oh that Ben Gibbard; look at him go, with two of the three top spots in our 2003 countdown! Death Cab offers yet another amazing blast of indie-pop perfection.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#4 Radiohead — Hail to the Thief (Capitol)
Radiohead always evokes adjectives like "sonorous," "transcendent," "aware" and overtly in the case of their latest release, "politically infused." We're only sorry we don't have a live review because we couldn't bear to see them at the White River (Clear Channel) amphitheatre.
{official website} * {buy it}

#5 Outkast — The Love Below/Speakerboxxx (La Face)
As our wise friend Ollie Byrd said, "Outkast has a song out called "Hey Ya." It's the most exciting pop rock song since "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 92, which was the most exciting pop rock song to come along since the sumptuous "Welcome to the Jungle" in 87." Amen!
{official website} * {buy it}

#6 The White Stripes — Elephant (V2)
Jack and Meg White have dazzled once again with their evolved blues-infused songwriting as well as their flawless peppermint aesthetics.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#7 The Long Winters — When I Pretend to Fall (Barsuk)
For the second year in a row, John Roderick has created a darkly hook-and-harmony laden disc of metaphorical, wisely dysfunctional romantics. Just like us.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#8 Yeah Yeah Yeahs — Fever to Tell (Interscope)
Yeah Yeah Yeah's blend the fashion focus of Dale Bozzio and the Cha Cha with a primordial yowl and that missing bass guitar, so key on so many trio releases this year.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#9 The New Pornographers — Electric Version (Matador)
Vancouver's New Pornographers explode with infectious helium harmonies, catchy hooks, and Neko Case's matchless vocals. Every track is a stand-alone hit for your 2003 mixtape.
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}

#10 The Decemberists — Her Majesty the Decemberists (Kill Rock Stars)
Their songs are the "Lost Archives of the true beginning of rock & roll." They've created their own brand of songwriting that blends "the storytelling of folk through the rhythm of the sea shanty and regularly incorporating instruments like the upright bass or the accordian."
{official website} * {buy it} * {tig review}