Best Albums of 2000: Critics’ Picks

Radiohead
Kid A (Capitol)
Radiohead replaced its guitars with machines that go “bleep,” creating a dance album to which listeners dare not dance. The disc’s overall woe-is-me-I’m-trapped-in-an-inhuman-machine-called-life vibe makes such lines as Yesterday I woke up sucking on a lemon seem profound.

Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP (Interscope/Aftermath)
Eminem: homophobic, misogynistic culture-stealer — or the class clown who used to sit in the back and make you laugh at tasteless jokes? A callow opportunist who owes his career to a famous producer and doesn’t have the balls to attack a real target, or a brilliant storyteller who redeems himself with laugh-out-loud social observations? Perhaps a bit of all of the above, Eminem has people on both sides debating and caring, which makes him an undeniably important artist.

Green Day
Warning (Warner Bros.)
No longer the biggest punk band in the world but still hated by ‘zine editors, Green Day decided to focus on crafting strong hooks instead of trying to re-establish its roots or follow up its fluke acoustic hit. It turns out it’s really good at this songwriting thing, and even though its subject matter has moved from masturbation and unrequited love to maintaining that love years after it’s been requited, Green Day still finds a way to make its music fun.

Smashing Pumpkins
Machina: The Machines of God (Virgin)

Machina II: Friends and Enemies of Modern Music Billy Corgan’s songwriting ability has only gotten better with age, but his ability to edit himself is as gone as his hair. Included in this three-plus-hour affair is one perfect album, a nice EP, and an assload of filler. Turns out the Machine of God is a CD burner.

Queens of the Stone Age
Rated R (Interscope)
The rare heavy band that’s not angry about anything, Queens of the Stone Age is more likely to recite a list of recreational drugs than bitch about an ex-girlfriend. Rated R emphasizes tight arrangements, ethereal moodiness, and surprisingly breezy melodies, but the Queens don’t forget to include plenty of bitchin’ solos.

Outkast
Stankonia (Arista/LaFace)
More fun than Fatboy Slim. More Hendrix than Lenny Kravitz. More socially conscious than Common. More Dirty South than the entire No Limit roster. More black than Beck. More hip-hop than almost any other double-platinum act.

Modest Mouse
The Moon & Antarctica (Epic)
How does Epic plan to make any money from Modest Mouse, which pairs chilling stop-and-start guitar riffs with 8-minute morality examinations? This album is so slowly paced and demanding of multiple listens that it’s destined to alienate a large percentage of the American listening public. And its only selling point is that it’s really, really good.

Heavy Records of the Year

Deftones
White Pony (Maverick)

At the Drive-In
Relationship of Command (Virgin)

Snapcase
Designs for Automotion (Victory)
What a concept: Heavy music that doesn’t choke on wack attempts at MC-ing, fake angst, and unconvincing posturing. Each of these groups is innovative yet accessible, sensitive and melodic without being whiny, all while kicking more ass than a mule farm.

Techno Records of the Year

Primal Scream
XTRMNTR (Astralwerks)

Roni Size/Reprasent
In the Mode (Talkin’ Loud/Island)
Roni Size jumps from drum ‘n’ bass to jungle to house, but let’s call his music techno — great techno at that — and be done with it. While Size peppers his skittering beats with touches of hip-hop and reggae, Primal Scream offers harder beats, guitar work by My Bloody Valentine legend Kevin Shields, and a caustic political stance.

Brit-Rock Records of the Year
(Radiohead Disqualified)

Travis
The Man Who (Epic)

Coldplay
Parachutes (Nettwerk)
It’s difficult to tell the difference between these groups, but the world can never have enough nice-guy British bands with great sad songs about love.