Best albums of 2003

Clearly, At the Drive-In breaking up wasn't all bad.
Favorite song: "Televators"

One of my all-time favorite albums, perfect from start to finish.
Favorite song: "End of the Line"

Favorite song: "The Recluse"

Better than Reinventing Axl Rose, and almost as good as Searching for a Former Clarity. This was my introduction to AM!, and I think it's a perfect album to get into them.
Favorite song: "Turn Those Clapping Hands Into Angry Balled Fists"

Favorite song: "Poor Song"

I can never decide which Placebo album is my favorite between this one, Meds, and Without You I'm Nothing.
Favorite song: "Protect Me from What I Want"

Mark E. Smith is a genius, and The Fall should be more popular.
Favorite song: "Mountain Energei" (or whichever I'm listening to)

Quite possibly the most important voice in hip-hop, this album finds Immortal Technique speaking out on politics in ways most artists wouldn't have the balls to (save perhaps Rage Against the Machine). As you'll hear in the song below, he also has serious thoughts on other subjects too.
Favorite song: "The Message & the Money"

This album really makes me want to break things.

Favorite song: "Floater"

Mike Patton does it again.
Favorite song: "Rotgut"

One of my favorite underrated bands. Prior to this album I liked what they were doing, but wasn't that crazy about the vocals. Here their singer finally opened up & did some solid singing, though it's possible that this was simply the first album where they had people running the boards who knew exactly how to pull the best sound out of them. Whatever the case, this album solidified my love for PTW & the albums that followed have only reinforced it.
Favorite song: "Meeting Again for the First Time"

Lyrics:
Barely able to keep the lids open
At times I might think I need
The rest but who would want to go back there

It's already hard enough to say I need it
Bad memories and good times
Keep me from believing that I can still jump off

No longer, no longer the same
You grow accustomed to seeing the sun in a different location
Standing still becomes a
Chore anxious to get the pavement moving

The easy solution to this
And everything else is to move on
It comes equipped with the last word
They find ways to drag you along
And dismantle what you created

It's already hard enough to say I need it
Bad memories and good times
Keep me from believing that I can still jump off

No longer, no longer the same
You grow accustomed to seeing the sun in a different location
Standing still becomes a
Chore anxious to get the pavement moving

Happiness is not having to
Lie on the floor dead, alone
Happiness is not having to

Favorite song: "Ball and Biscuit"

The album that got me into Blood Brothers, & I would eventually go back & pick up their previous albums.
Favorite song: "The Shame"

Favorite song: "Pet"

Favorite song: "Mary the Ice Cube"

Underrated, short-lived band. Vaux were one of the more interesting 00s hardcore acts, and they always put on great live shows.
Favorite song: "Shot in the Back"

Favorite song: "This Is Our Emergency"

I really wish this had been released as two separate albums. To be honest I only ever listen to Andre 3000's half (The Love Below) which is easily a perfect 10. Big Boi's disc does nothing for me.
Favorite song: "Behold a Lady"

This EP was released shortly after their excellent album Source Tags & Codes, and this was another case where my expectations weren't in the right place for me to appreciate it at the time. I remember seeing at least one review that referred to it as a hangover album compared to the party of Source Tags, which seems about right. Where Source Tags was bombastic and focused, this EP was mellow and seemed really dull at first.

I let it sit for a couple years and came back to it, and by then I was ready for it. Now I've come to enjoy all the songs on it, though I prefer them shuffled in among their other songs rather than sitting through them together.
--from my Albums that grew on me list

Favorite song: "Crowning of a Heart"