I have composed a list, below, of my choices for the top Indie albums of all time. This is part one of two, another will be released two weeks after the first. Keep in mind that this is my opinion, though I do appreciate feedback. Also, I realize Of Montreal, Interpol and The Arcade Fire are missing, I love Of Montreal and Interpol but have issues with their overall album quality. Arcade Fire are simply missing because they make me want to mutilate my skin with a saw and then drown myself in my own wrist blood.

On another note, I urge you to consider downloading or buying any of the CDs mentioned here that you don’t already have. My biggest goal with this article is to share my love for music with others, and as a fellow music lover, to help you discover something new. If you are not a music lover, ask yourself what you are doing reading this article, and buzz off. Enough writing just to see myself write, here are my choices for the bottom 26. Or the lesser half of the top 50, however you want it put…

26. “Employment” by Kaiser Chiefs. Another British Indie Rock/Alternative band, Kaiser Chiefs formed in 1997 but didn’t make a formidable splash until 2004 when their first single was released. Kaiser Chiefs blend New Wave into a traditional Indie Pop Rock style quite thoroughly. So basically they cross most sub-genres within Rock music. I know it’s simple, but I also enjoyed the album’s cover, which was very basic and just reminded me a bit of Pearl Jam’s worn-down Vitalogy look. This CD contained a plethora of bouncy barfly songs such as “I Predict A Riot,” “Oh My God” and “Na Na Na Na Naa.”

27. “The Con” by Tegan & Sara. Surprisingly, I saw Tegan & Sara open for The Killers in 2005. Nobody in the crowd was into them, and I even recall hearing mild booing. Once this CD was released they’d seemed to have gained a much bigger fan- base in America. This CD featured the song “Back In Your Head,” which was/is more infectious than Paris Hilton’s vagina fungus. A song that will drive you crazy, like Courtney Love. Alright enough boring pop culture references. Key tracks on this one are “The Con,” “Back In Your Head,” and “Hop a Plane.”

28.  “Give Up” by The Postal Service. Okay, so, when I said in other articles that Ben Gibbard is ultra cool for snagging Zooey Deschanel I forgot to mention that he is also ultra cool for forming this band, The Postal Service. The words “side project” do this no justice. It sounds like a priority assignment, like a number one project, like Ben Gibbard makes it look easy. This music is more electronic, but equally as calm as Death Cab. Key songs are “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight,” “Such Great Heights” and “Brand New Colony.”

29.  “Black Glitter” by Suffrajett. This really isn’t an Indie CD. It’s a Rock CD, but as it’s about as discovered as the deepest parts of the ocean, I classify it as Indie. The more people know about this band the better. I don’t even know for sure if they’re still together, but I can say from seeing them live one time that they are basically the best live band I have ever seen. Most energy, best sound, period. Keep in mind that I have seen many of the bands on this list in concert. They opened for Juliette and the Licks and blew her wild jittery ass out of the water. Key tracks are “Closer,” “Anybody Listening” and “Down and Out.”

30. “We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank” by Modest Mouse. Modest Mouse’s fifth studio album, “We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank,” sports a title longer than some Fallout Boy songs. It is, however, on a higher level than anything those pop/emo twats ever created. Isaac Brock belongs in some sort of Indie hall of fame, right next to Ben Gibbard. Anticipation for this CD was huge in 2007 and 2006, and it lived up fully to all the hype. Key tracks are “Dashboard,” “Missed The Boat” and “Education.”

31. “Standing In The Way Of Control” by The Gossip. I have to get past the fact that Beth Ditto of The Gossip looks like an overweight clown, because she’s a really talented singer who doesn’t deserve to be discriminated against. By me, or anyone else. She’s making it harder for me though, dying her hair bright red, being paler than a full moon and plucking her eyebrows until they’re just a thin vicious line. The only small thing about her, in fact, is her eyebrows. I guess I wouldn’t be saying all this if she would stop telling the press that she knows she’s beautiful. I, in fact, know that she has heart problems and a predisposition to diabetes. Another huge thing about her is her voice, soulful with insane clarity. She could easily sing right next to Aretha Franklin or Etta James and not stand out as being less gifted. Overall, The Gossip have had some rocky CD’s, nothing I’d really consider buying.  This CD, however, is worth it. I feel like they finally found their sound on “Standing In The Way Of Control.” Key tracks are “Standing In The Way Of Control,” “Your Mangled Heart” and “Jealous Girls.”

32.  “Get Awkward” by Be Your Own Pet. Silly teenager songs about going to juvie, zombies and drugs. In particular, the song “Becky,” became an anthem for me a few years ago for no particular reason, as it is about losing a friend and then wanting them to die. Like “Back In Your Head,” it is also infectious like vagina fungus. Only better, cause, well, it’s not gross. The band split up last year, but lead singer Jemina Pearl is still at it with a solo CD of her own; a bad one I might add. Be Your Own Pet was once signed to Thurston Moore’s record label, giving them mass street cred. Key tracks are “The Kelly Affair,” “Becky” and “Black Hole.”

33. “De Stijl” by The White Stripes. The White Stripes second CD “De Stijl,” was released in 2000. Seems like such a long time ago. I was in high school, so I can’t help but feel old just reminiscing. My friend’s boyfriend used to listen to them constantly, so finally I went to the embarrassingly localized Bi-Mart and picked up a copy of one of their CDs. I was confused at first, not knowing what to think. As I continued to listen I loved them. I love their oddity. This is a gem among many boring dud bands of today. The simplicity and the loudness and the blues mixed with Meg White’s clamoring drum style will leave you stunned. The chemistry just makes sense, like David Beckham and that House of Wax creation otherwise known as his wife. Jack White can do no wrong, whether it be with side projects The Dead Weather or The Raconteurs. Key tracks include “Hello Operator,” “You’re Pretty Good Looking” and “Why Can’t You Be Nicer To Me?”

34. “Santogold” by Santogold. Even though in early 2009 she changed her name to “Santigold,” due to some name infringement issues, she’ll always be “Santogold” to me. The name change is meaningless and about as important as Panic At The Disco taking the exclamation point off their name. The important thing is the artist. Santogold infuses R&B with Rock and random World music influences. I always liked her better than M.I.A., whose albums contain mostly bombs. This Santogold CD on the other hand, contains none. Find out for yourself. Key tracks are “L.E.S. Artistes,” “Say Aha” and “Creator.”

35. “Separation Sunday” by The Hold Steady. “Separation Sunday” is the New York band’s second CD, which is largely a concept album. This CD has earned them a comparison with Bruce Springsteen, one that I don’t necessarily agree with. While Hold Steady do reference “Born To Run” on their track “Charlemange In Sweatpants,” I’ve never been able to get into Springsteen, and I think the similarity between Finn’s style and Lou Reed’s is much more comparable. Singer Craig Finn literally talks his way through a song without making the narrative irritating. Though I love Art Brut, I sometimes get frustrated with that style of singing, this need not apply to Craig Finn. Key tracks include “Little Hoodrat Friend,” “Cattle And Creeping Things” and “Banging Camp.”

36. “The Woods” by Sleater Kinney. Sleater Kinney have an impressive discography, they started in 1995 and continued making music babies, or CDs, until 2005. 2005, when they suddenly announced their breakup. I was at their last show ever, and I felt sick, so I left before it was over. I later found out that Eddie Vedder made an appearance. Is that God slapping me in the face or what? Alright sorry Jesus freaks, I know that God probably has better things to do than interfere with me seeing Eddie Vedder perform with Sleater Kinney at their last show ever. I’m still hoping they might suck it up and reunite. Back to, “The Woods.” This CD was their most polished. Like The Gossip’s “Standing In The Way Of Control,” they really came into their own on this one. So, in review, they finally established themselves, received critical acclaim, and then broke up. WTF God. Key tracks include “Rollercoaster,” “Jumpers” and “The Fox.”

37. “Live It Out” By Metric. The fact that this album sounds like it was recorded in a jail cell didn’t stop it from going platinum twice in Canada. It didn’t stop the single “Monster Hospital” from being played on Grey’s Anatomy. This was back when Grey’s Anatomy was slightly more realistic than Avatar. The videos for both “Monster Hospital” and “Poster Of A Girl” had me even more fixated on the band than I previously was, and though the sound quality on the CD is pretty bad, the song quality makes up for it all. Metric brings a more complex kind of noise to us with “Live It Out,” one that is still very very nice on the tympanic membrane. That’s smart person speak for eardrums, by the way. I used Google. Key tracks include “Glass Ceiling,” “Handshakes” and “Monster Hospital.”

38. “Oh, Inverted World” by The Shins. One of several whispery soft-spoken bands in the top 50, The Shins first came to my attention in the movie “Garden State” featuring the lovely Natalie Portman, who hasn’t really made many movies lately. Anyway, regardless of Portman’s invisible career the songs “Caring Is Creepy” and “New Slang” both appeared in the film and are from this CD, “Oh Inverted World.” It still shocks me that a band as progressive as The Shins come from a place like Albuquerque, New Mexico. Then again, Against Me! are from Gainesville, Florida and Voxtrot are from Austin, Texas. Good music comes from strange places. They do say bad circumstance and boredom leads to genius. Key tracks on this CD are “Caring Is Creepy,” “New Slang” and “Know Your Onion.”

39. “Pretty In Black” by The Raveonettes. Whispery songs drenched with emotion are somehow made light with silly but non-shallow lyrics. They are a shadow of the 60′s. A Danish shadow, and no, not the pastry, though equally “delicious” to the ears. Airy yet thought-provoking. They are the fourth two-piece to be mentioned on this list after The White Stripes, The Kills and Tegan & Sara. Key tracks are “Love In A Trashcan,” “Ode To LA” and “Sleepwalking.”

40. “Oracular Spectacular” by MGMT. In the vein of Muse and Vampire Weekend, this band is largely over-hyped. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good band, they’re just massively loved by critics and fans alike when I tend to find some of their songs a little cliche and ordinary. While “Time To Pretend,” “Electric Feel” and “Kids” are masterpieces, some of the songs here are lacking flow. That is the reason for this album’s low placement on this CWG Indie album list. I already told you which songs are good, so no more redundant typing.

41.  “o” by Tilly And The Wall. There are no boundaries for what Tilly And The Wall will and can do. As my drunken art teach Ginny used to say, They “Color outside the lines.” This is the only band you will probably ever see who actually incorporates tap dancing not only into their albums but into their live shows as well. Yes, that “tap tap tap,” that is a woman’s foot, or rather feet. Though they have two other excellent CDs, this band made their mark with the sensational single “Pot Kettle Black” from this 2008 release. Key songs are “Pot Kettle Black,” “Alligator Skin” and “Dust Me Off.”

42.  “Donkey” by CSS. “We didn’t come into the world to walk around,” sings Lovefoxxx on “Jager Yoga.” Well it’s true, they came into the world to make you wish there was a trampoline around. To make you wish your house or apartment was bigger, so you could run around it faster. This CD will make you feel like you are on crack, but not in a psychedelic way. In a burst of energy way, like Steve Prefontaine or Usain Bolt. You’ll sing, dance and wonder what genre of music you are listening to. Key tracks are “Left Behind,” “Rat is Dead (Rage)” and “I Fly.”

43.  “Fight Like Apes & The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion” by Fight Like Apes. This bizarre Irish group formed in 2006 but only really emerged onto the Indie scene in 2008. They play songs bursting with arcade game sounds and filthy hilarious lyrics such as, “I’d love to see you in the nude, with overcoats tied around your head, Japanese children in your bed.” Key Tracks include “Battlestations,” “Tie Me Up With Jackets” and “Something Global.”

44. “The Crane Wife” by The Decemberists. This Oregon Folk group weaves intricate stories with unusual instruments and beautiful melodies. The unusual instruments I speak of include the accordion, violin, the upright bass and two different types of organs. The Decemberists will make you feel as if you’ve landed, by way of time travel, in the 1600′s. On a random note, lead singer Colin Meloy looks a bit like that guy from Barenaked Ladies. Key tracks are “O Valencia!” “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Home Then)” and “The Perfect Crime #2.”

45. “Room On Fire” by The Strokes. When the Strokes emerged they brought back the sound of Garage Rock. They spawned a legion of other bands starting with “the.” They had a sound we had heard before in bands like Television, but it was reformatted and distinct. On their second CD, “Room On Fire,” they evoked a slightly more 80′s sounding style. This CD wasn’t received as well by their core audience, which is why I tend to second-guess people when they give me music advice. I love this CD, and think it’s better than their first. Key songs are “Reptilia,” “12:51″ and “Whatever Happened.”

46. “Elevator” by Hot Hot Heat. Upbeat sing-along songs are strewn all over this CD from Canada’s favorite mild weirdos. Their last CD, “Happiness Ltd.,” was absolutely dreadful. The horribleness of their most recent CD however, has nothing to do with the quality of “Elevator.” Or with the quality of their second CD “Make Up The Breakdown,” which featured the Indie cult classic “Bandages.” I just hope Hot Hot Heat can pull it together for their next CD, rumored to be released in 2010. That rotten stench of bands like Coldplay were seeping into that last atrocity, but on “Elevator,” they were at their height. They toured with Greenday and made the Billboard Top 100. Key tracks are “Goodnight Goodnight,” “Middle Of Nowhere” and “Running Out Of Time.”

47. “Auf Der Maur” by Melissa Auf Der Maur. Turns out the bassist for Hole is actually a really gifted Rock singer herself. As much as I love Courtney Love’s style in Hole, I don’t think Auf Der Maur picked it up from her. It’s less in your face, but by no means mellow in comparison to Hole. Key songs are “My Foggy Notion,”Beast of Honor” and “Lightning Is My Girl.”

48.  “Voxtrot” by Voxtrot. Many things come from Austin, Texas. Snakes, barbecue, Republicans, Ethan Hawke, and a surprisingly underrated band, Voxtrot. Sadly, Voxtrot have not released an album since this self-titled release from 2007. They are poetic and soft-spoken, writing both ballads and more uptempo Rock/Folk songs perfectly. If you end up liking this CD I suggest you pick up copies of Voxtrot’s EPs, “Your Biggest Fan,” “Raised By Wolves” and “Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives.” Key tracks from this debut are “Kid Gloves,” “Firecracker” and “Easy.”

49. “Our Earthly Pleasures” by Maximo Park. Fun antics from English funny boys who, on their second CD, manage to break the Sophomore curse. A curse that has been broken by most of the bands on this list besides maybe Boy Kill Boy and The Cliks. They sings songs similar to that of Arctic Monkeys, commenting on society without seeming preachy. In fact I doubt the majority of their audience even notices. Key tracks are “Girls Who Play Guitar,” “Our Velocity” and “The Unshockable.”

50. “Nighttiming” by Coconut Records. This is an effort from man-child/actor Jason Schwartzman. Oddly, my first instinct and thought towards him was that he was kind of a creepy fuck-up. That changed when I heard his music and then saw him in the smart HBO show “Bored To Death.” This album features appearances by some members of the band Incubus and also Kirsten Dunst and She and Him singer Zooey Deschanel. The best songs on this CD are “West Coast,” “Nighttiming” and “Minding My Own Business.”

That’s it for now, remember to look for Part Two, coming soon.