The best of 2002: Music

8. Amon Tobin "Out from Out Where"
The lead-off track is called “Back from Space” but the
album shows Tobin never really left. With melded assaulting drum
‘n’ bass and dark cinematic sweeps creating a dense
soundscape, this isn’t Kubrick’s vision of the unknown;
it’s menacing, anarchic and human. He’s one of the few
electronic artists whose artistic vision is on par with his studio
mastery. He probably doesn’t get beat up after shows,
either.

7. Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink
Robots"
The Flaming Lips brilliantly mix celestial harmonies and sci-fi
sound effects with vulnerable, emotional vocals. It’s a great
album, expressing a sense of personal reflection and reevaluation
in the face of a daunting future. But the serious topics are
balanced out by humor and strong melodies, creating an opus that is
both tragic and uplifting.

6. Kronos Quartet "Neuvo"
Been wanting to see Mexico but haven’t had the time or money?
Pick up this album and at least you’ll be able to hear Mexico
(the street organillo, crowds in a city square, arrangements of
Mexican TV anthems, mariachi music) via this unconventional, great
string quartet.

5. The Roots "Phrenology"
With “Phrenology,” the hardest-working band in hip-hop
makes a radical departure from its previous outings, abandoning
jazz and boom-bop for funk and rock. Drummer and producer ?uestlove
provides the urgently grooving backbone, rapper Black Thought spits
fiery, thought-provoking rhymes, and hip-hop takes another giant
leap forward.

4. Avril Lavigne "Let Go"
Avril Lavigne has caught plenty of flak from rock snobs for trying
to project a punk image onto sugary pop songs. Well, she may be
less punk than Barry Manilow, but there’s no denying that
she’s put out the catchiest, most singable rock-tinged pop
since Third-Eye Blind. And besides, she’s so adorable with
her tank-top, tie and Canadian accent that any faults are quickly
forgiven.

3. The Liars "They Threw Us All in a Trench and Struck a
Monument on Top"
Forget The Strokes. Forget The Hives. For the love of God forget
The Vines. If you want to know the band that should be leading the
so-called New York underground revolution, look no further than The
Liars. This frenetic post-punk ensemble, which delivers the best
live show of any band today, has spent the last two years quietly
producing some of the most original, energetic music that rock has
seen in years.

2. Max Tundra "Mastered By Guy at the
Exchange"
It seems Tundra came into this project with one simple goal: cull
references from 20 years of electronic music, funnel them through
the eyes of a pop music lover on LSD. It’s been tried before,
but the results have never been so fully realized or so
essential.

1. Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” has been the most talked about
record of the year. And, yes, it is the best. This record
didn’t necessarily reach out and grab you immediately, but
when it did, Tweedy and company’s masterpiece became
impossible to get out of the CD player. It’s nothing but
great songs that have more to do with classic rock, knob-twiddling
and open spaces than Wilco’s old alternative-country ““
there isn’t much that hasn’t been said about the
enjoyableness of this record.