{Long Winters photo by Trickshot Photography}

Because I'm some kind of masochist and a total nerd, I've been slaving over this list, keeping it brief (harder than you'd think!) at my favorite 20 albums of the decade without duplicating a band (even harder). Side note: I've probably forgotten something I really, really love, so let's just call this how I feel right this minute. These are the albums I know every note and breath of by heart and I love as complete albums with all of my soul. These are albums that in my humble opinion have no skipable track and are works of beauty in their entirety. I'd also like to point out that these are my favorite albums, as I tend to shy away from calling them "the best", as really, it's just my opinion, and who am I to tell you that you're wrong for not liking these records? (Though, if you catch me in a potentially altered state, I may completely negate that and call any number of these THE GREATEST of all time and call you wrong to your face if you disagree.) I digress. Here they are!

more...

at Showbox at the Market

After acing the downhill parallel parking job, my roommates and I hustled down the hill and over a few blocks to the Showbox. There on the marquee read: Julian Casablancas. We strutted our way through with just a few straggler smokers still hanging outside. My roommate got stopped at the door for a purse search, finding a five hour energy drink, the bouncer said she could give it to him or chug it. Not wanting to waste the $2.59 she spent on it, she shot it back. Little did we know then, but it was a good decision because an hour later we were dancing our asses off.

more...

A Broadway musical based on the Strokes? It can't fail!

more...

Just because it is now officially NME Thursday, how about we talk about the Greatest Indie Anthems ever... and what NME / Xfm and the general UK public think they are.

more...

The Strokes seemingly redefined themselves and their sound while at the same time raising the stakes for any copycat hipster group — from NYC or anywhere else.

more...

Although some folks couldn't rank their lists {igChar}... which is fine... you know... if you just can't bear to proclaim to the world, "THIS WAS THE BEST FUCKING ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!" but some of us could. And albums that have such an exclamation bestowed on them deserve a special note. So here they are... the albums that our voters deemed "THE BEST FUCKING ALBUM OF THE YEAR!"

more...

A list of the top 100 records of 2003 as voted on by you, our fabulous imaginary readers.

more...