81. Teedra Moses - Complex Simplicity
(TVT Records, 2004)
“Be Your Girl” was a fairly big summer jam on the Baltimore and D.C. stations in the summer of ‘04, although seemingly not anywhere else given how low it charted, and as much as I liked that song I probably wouldn’t have given Teedra Moses a second thought if this album wasn’t beloved by some R&B critics whose opinions I trust. Moses’s voice is kind of a sweet high thing occupying the same space as Amerie or Christina Milian, and the album has concessions to the 2004 rap’n’bullshit marketplace like Lil Jon production and a Jadakiss guest spot, but it’s also surprisingly cohesive and singer-songwriter-y. Songs like the title track and “Last Day” are retro without having obvious reference points, sentimental without going over the top with emotional performances. And even though I regarded the album’s title as kind of a wishy washy nonsensical phrase when I first heard it, I’ll concede now how apt it is for an album that’s both deceptively simple and subtly complex.

82. Jarvis Cocker - ”Further Complications.”
(Rough Trade, 2009)
The three albums Jarvis Cocker made in this decade, one with Pulp and two solo, although the distinction is more semantic than anything else, are all pretty good, none of them individually measuring up to Pulp’s ‘90s classics but not actually showing any signs of falling off or losing his touch even in his steep commercial decline. And while most would pick Pulp’s strangely sedate swan song We Love Life as his best ‘00s album, more and more lately I’ve realized that the album he just released in May is actually my favorite. The idea of Cocker working with Steve Albini seemed like a strange one, but it’s actually a really good fit, putting a little bit of a punch in his sound where the songs need it and staying restrained and dry for the midtempo tracks. “You’re In My Eyes (Discosong)” is his best mesmerizing, epic groove since “Seductive Barry.”



83. Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings
(Car Park Records, 2007)
When this album made Dan Deacon something of an indie rock household name a couple years ago, the general perception of him as a great live act was kinda funny to me; previous to that, I’d been really impressed by his music, but preferred it on record because the whole party-in-the-middle-of-the-audience format of his live show was kind of obnoxious and off-putting to me, nevermind making it impossible for 95% of the people in the room to see the show. Part of that was down to me never totally digging the Wham City scene, which has brought a lot of excitement to Baltimore, but ultimately has been way more about aesthetics and medium and performance art than anybody making great records. This is one great record that came out of that movement, though, so full of energy and ideas packed into these tight little wind-up toy compositions, like sugar rush classical music.

84. Mystikal - Let’s Get Ready
(Jive Records, 2000)
It’s easy to forget just how big Mystikal was around the turn of the decade, perhaps because he’s spent the last 6 years in jail, or perhaps, more pointedly, because he’s behind bars for the kind of thing that wouldn’t inspire anyone to wear a “Free Mystikal” t-shirt. From the No Limit era to the stuff directly after jumping ship, dude was really on fire, and even though I don’t really love the big pop singles off this album, “Neck Uv Da Woodz” (which is on here as a bonus track), “Stutter,” “Move” and “I Don’t Give A Fuck” make up one of my favorite guest spot runs in rap history. And even though this album is generally remembered for the Neptunes joints, the whole thing is pretty killer and actually cuts a wide swath of production styles, from Bink! to Earthtone III from Dungeon Fam, and even some Medicine Men/KLC stuff to hold over some vestige of the No Limit sound. And on top of it all, one of the most off the wall and yet strangely precise and musical vocalists in the history of rap is just spazzing and flipping his lid.

85. Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
(Interscope Records, 2000)
I won’t act like I never hated the Bizkit -- hell, I was probably pretty early to the party, since the girl I took to homecoming was a red cap-wearing Durst devotee even before “Faith” broke big. Still, it amazes me that most people didn’t give into the hooks, or at least admit that the band was clearly in on the joke, by the time this album rolled around, if not by the time they announced the title. “Rollin’” and “My Way” are two of the greatest driving songs of the decade, and the whole album is pretty enjoyable front to back, even through all the weird diversions and stylistic detours, it’s all just kind of a funky adventure with the Bizkit, Scott Weiland, DMX and Ben Stiller. It bums me out that the copy I got, so many years ago, from a friend who worked at a radio station, is a clean edit, but at the same time “If I say '____' two more times, that's 46 '____s' in this ____ed up rhyme” is about as funny to listen to as the real thing would be.

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