This album’s intimacy combined with how unknown it is amongst my friends makes each listen feel like a private performance just for me. The songs are striking; each track moves and breathes in the almost hypnotic interplay between the drums, guitar, and vocals, left free to drift by Steve Albini’s hands-off production. So good. Hopefully your write-up will turn a few new folks on to this brief, yet deliberate, collaboration.

I had the exact same experience with tUnE-yArDs; I felt so foolish when I finally listened to her music.

Umm… Modest Mouse did play “Cowboy Dan.”

And Tegan’s voice, specifically, was anything but special. She can’t seem to stay in key on her own songs anymore and totally drowns out Sara when singing back-up. Her live performances were never like this in years past. Not sure what’s changed.

I’d switch 1 & 2, but otherwise this list is spot on.

I’m in agreement! I’m very much an open-a-million-tabs-and-get-to-them-when-i-get-to-them type of browser and I always get flummoxed here (and probably read fewer posts).

I agree with the others who suggested Building Nothing Out of Something should be included—It would land at the #3 spot.

Interstate 8 (and Everywhere…, were it included) should be above Good News and We Were Dead.

We Were Dead should be just above Good News for the sole reason that the latter contains the most actively offensive (to my senses) song that Modest Mouse has released: “Dance Hall.” I like listening to albums all the way through and that song, along with “The Devil’s Work Day,” and to a lesser degree “Satin in a Coffin” and “Black Cadillacs,” really hinder my enjoyment. There are some good songs (“Bukowski,” “Float On,” “Blame It On the Tetons,” “Ocean Breathes Salty,” etc.), but I think the best is the b-side “I’ve Got It All (Most).” But yeah, “Dance Hall”… WTF.

Regardless, you got the top spots right, barring the obvious omission.

You’re spot on. I was working at a university radio station back in those days and outside of the two experimental shows, the only KFW/Hrvatski track that got any play was his Kid 606 remix from Swarm & Dither. Even then, it was only played on the handful of IDM shows we had at the time.

Nevertheless, that whole paragraph is off. The “emo sensibilities and glitchy electronica” line and other language leads me to believe the author was probably just finishing high school/starting college in 2003, meaning this article was written via a rearview mirror and not first-hand experience. Nor does the author seem to have any idea how the music industry actually operates. Or he’s just a really poor writer. Whatever it is, this piece is elitist while being completely out of touch with its subject matter.

If by 80 you mean in our thirties, then yes :).

In my mind, Vespertine has become inseparable from its supporting tour. I’ve always been a fan of Björk and Matmos individually, but their joint performances were totally symbiotic, adding depth and new character to her back catalog in a way that was magical to me. If you didn’t get a chance to catch them on that tour, I highly recommend the “Live at Royal Opera House” DVD (where Björk performs sans swan dress—the comment that she wore it at every tour stop isn’t accurate).

I would want to rank Vespertine higher, but that’s only because it figures more personally in my life. This is a pretty uncontroversial list (compared to most on this site); I am mostly in agreement with the rationale for each pick.

Once upon a time, Tim punched me while strolling through the crowd and stared menacingly at me until I punched him back. He smiled and moved on. At another show, he shoved his fingers into my buddy’s mouth during the “touch my tongue…” line in “The Sweat Descends.”

My absolute favorite LSF was when they curated ATP at the end of 2011. They played two shows in one day and for the final performance Tim dressed in multiple body suits and was bleeding before the first song ended. It got crazier from there. Being ATP, I ran into him a couple times over the weekend and he was as cheerful as could be—someone completely different than his maniacal onstage persona.

Kevin Drumm’s “Reflief” was solid.