Top 100 Albums of the 2000s

A hundred albums spanning a full decade, summed up in just five weeks... that's the gist of Sean McCarthy's Top 100 of the 2000s, a feature that hit its much-anticipated apex just yesterday when we posted Sean's capsule reviews of numbers 20 through one. Who made the top 20 for 2000-2009? Read 'em and weep (or cheer, as the case may be).

John Mayer's Battle Studies

Oh, John Mayer... we remember when your only goal seemed to be becoming a heartthrob with your breathy-voiced sweet nothings. Then you got a little more serious and we all took notice... then you studied up on the blues, gave us your best shot and knocked one out of the park... then you released an impressive live album... and now you're back to crooning about heartbreak. Some would call it coming full circle; others would call it two steps forward, one step back. Readers, we'll let you decide...

The Santas, They Are a Changin'

Loathe though we might normally be to recommend anything in any way associated with Rolling Stone (is there a sadder story arc in the world of music than starting out as the voice of the fan and ending up as the voice of the industry?), one particular teaser that crossed our desk recently was just too amusing to pass up. Let's face it -- they had us at "Bob Dylan in a Santa hat..."

1,000 true fans = a career in music?

The peripatetic Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity recently spotlighted a fascinating piece by technology blogger Kevin Kelly -- now 18 months old but relevant as ever -- in which he argues that all the DIY musician needs to establish a viable career as an independent musical act is to cultivate 1,000 true fans. Agree or disagree, Kelly's piece makes for fascinating reading for anyone interested in exploring what the still-emerging new music business paradigm means for artists in the trenches.

Album of the Year

It's a little early for 2009 list-making, and it's just one writer's opinion. But from this writer's perspective, the long-awaited new album from Switchfoot is more than just a straight "A" -- Hello Hurricane is nothing less than the album of the year. If you want to know the reasons why... read on.

Top 100 of the 2000s

Today on the Vault we kick off a new feature from Sean McCarthy, spotlighting the top 100 albums of the decade. Don't miss Sean's look at #s 100 through 81.