The '02 Music Hierarchy

Ranked by Preference:

10

EL-P - Fantastic Damage [Abrasive, forward-thinking hip-hop from former Company Flow frontman and current Definitive Jux majordomo El-P packs more listenability value into one album than most labels can put out in a year. You'll need to hear it about ten times just to iron out what the hell he's doing, then you'll need another twenty listens to understand why you can't get it out of your head. Technically astonishing, mind-boggling stuff, but it really impresses when El-P throws his heart into it (check the one-two gutpunch of 'Stepfather Factory' and 'T.O.J.'). A strong contender for Album of the Decade; in twenty years, this will still sound ahead of its time.]
MCLUSKY - Mclusky Do Dallas [A hilarious, furious whirligig of dissonance and sarcasm, replete with brutal punk-rock timing and the best (not to mention strangest) fuck-everything lyrics you'll ever hear. You need this album like you need air and water, it's so good.]
MR. LIF - I Phantom [Rump-shaking, brain-baking hip-hop concept album, and possibly the only album ever to end with nuclear apocalypse. A more cohesive or compelling collection of songs would be difficult to come by. I love this disc with all of my left-leaning heart.]

9

RILO KILEY - The Execution of All Things
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN AND MIKE PATTON - Irony is a Dead Scene

8

THE BLOOD BROTHERS - March on Electric Children
ISIS - Oceanic
JEAN GRAE - Attack of the Attacking Things
MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE - Alienating Our Audience
RJD2 - Deadringer
MR. LIF - Emergency Rations

7

PRINCESS SUPERSTAR - Is [Damn, this white lady got rhymes out the ying-yang. Get your badass self on, white girl!]
(((MICROWAVES))) - System 2
CAGE - Movies for the Blind
ANTI-POP CONSORTIUM - Arrythmia
ARECEE - Directions for Children
CHRISTIANSEN - Forensics Brothers and Sisters!
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - Songs for the Deaf
COHEED AND CAMBRIA - The Second Stage Turbine Blade
DESAPARECIDOS - Read Music/Speak Spanish
ORTHRELM/TOUCHDOWN - Split
THE DISTILLERS - Sing Sing Death House

6

CEE-LO - Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
MESHUGGAH - Nothing
TRIAL BY FIRE - Ringing in the Dawn

5

THE LEFT RIGHTS - The Left Rights [This sound-collage side project by Little Jimmy Urine and Steve, Righ? of Mindless Self Indulgence was originally supposed to be titled "What All the Kooool Retards Are Listening To," which I think says it all. Amusing and irritating in about equal measures, and I'm sure it's on purpose.]

PENDING

...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD - Sources Tags & Codes
THE BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE - Light a Match, For I Deserve to Burn
BELLINI - Snowing Sun
BLACKALICIOUS - Blazing Arrow
CAPITAL D AND THE MOLEMEN - Writer's Block (The Movie)
DECEMBER - The Lament Configuration
SAGE FRANCIS - Personal Journals
HOT SNAKES - Suicide Invoice
J-LIVE - All of the Above
THE LO-FIDELITY ALLSTARS - Don't Be Afraid of Love
LUDICRA - Hollow Psalms
OXBOW - An Evil Heat
OXES - Oxxxes
SUBTONIX - Tarantism
TUB RING - Fermi Paradox
TURBONEGRO - Scandinavian Leather
YAKUZA - Way of the Dead