The Aughts (or 2000s or whatever you'd like to call it) were an interesting period for music fans. At the start of the decade, we were only just beginning to understand the importance of digital distribution and make it a regular part of our lives. Music was more expensive to produce, which explains why there's a wealth of local releases now, at the end of the decade, as opposed to the then. Social networking has made it easier for bands to reach out to potential fans. Due to these revolutions, there's a greater awareness now of Houston music; the indie scene is so known that the city of Houston featured The Tontons in a video to get people to come to Houston.

This is why I thought a list of the decade's best albums would be useful: before, say, 2007, you might not have even been aware of a Houston scene, but there was plenty out there to consume.

So I gathered some other music-obsessives and asked for their favorite Houstonian-made albums of the past ten years. We admit that this is not an all-encompassing look at the decade (the early part of the decade, for example, is likely underrepresented due to the fact that we were all either kids or not living here), but we feel pretty strongly that these 100 discs are some of the absolute best albums to come out of Houston in the 2000s. It should act as a guide to great discs that you missed back in the days when you weren't completely plugged in to the Houston sound via constant Facebook updates. Not to mention that it's a reminder that there's a lot more than indie-rock happening in this city, which was surely the most-talked about genre of the past few years.

So as not to overwhelm you, I will be splitting the list into groups of twenty. A new list will run daily Monday through Wednesday of this week, then next Monday and Tuesday.

Contributors for this list include myself, Houston Chronicle entertainment writer/29-95 contributor Andrew Dansby, 29-95ers Jordan Graber and Joe Mathlete, and the Skyline Network's Ryan Clark. Where available, we try to give purchasing information. -- Sara Cress

Scattered Pages -- Lazy Are the Skeletons, 2006 -- A band I miss the most since its apparent (though unofficial) demise, is Scattered Pages. Earlier albums showed promise but sounded tinny compared to the grand weight of Lazy Are the Skeletons, my favorite local album of '06. Its orchestral pop was a labor of love, with every second of music filled with the sounds of Andy McWilliams, an obsessed multi-instrumentalist with a Tom Waits problem. The lyrics are poetry soaked in literary references. Brandon Hancock's Brit-slanted vocals made Houston sound way smarter than it is, which is probably why the album was distributed by a company in San Francisco. Unfortunately, little has been heard from the band since the album was released, save for a one-off show in 2008. Ah, but who cares; you're going to really love this album if you haven't heard it before. Available on iTunes. Recommended track: I have a particular affinity for the lithe Iris, featuring Kurt Coburn on vocals, but The Empire Complete is also unbeatable. -- Sara Cress

Buxton -- A Family Light, 2008 -- This is a meticulously crafted set of songs, whisper soft one moment, urgent and driven the next. Don't be fooled by the earthy dressing, which suggests Americana. There are country colorings, but the presentation bucks verse/chorus/verse structure into mini-suites that remind more of Radiohead. Available on iTunes; recommended track: Holy Water Revival. -- Andrew Dansby

Fatal Flying Guilloteens -- Get Knifed, 2003 -- This release shows a line-up change and a more "mature" sound (not really, these guys never got their act together). The record was recorded by legendary Texas musician Tim Kerr (The Big Boys) and is loaded with off-kilter sloppy guitars and shouted vocals. Available on iTunes. -- Jordan Graber

Various artists -- I Hate it Here, I Never Want to Leave, 2004 – A legendary and essential compilation documenting a mid-decade post-punk scene that reached amazing heights by embracing nihilism. Acts like Fatal Flying Guilloteens, Satin Hooks, Bring Back the Guns, Ume and The Kants donated angular, disorienting, contagiously abrasive tracks that rank among their career highlights. Our city’s own No New York, in a roundabout way. Recommended track: Bring Back the Guns – The Family Name. Available on iTunes. -- Joe Mathlete

Rusted Shut -- Rehab, 2004 -- First album (and still the only full-length) from an act whose approach to music feels like vomiting shards of glass in a bathtub full of cold gasoline. Plodding psychedelia bereft of clear melodies or clear sight-lines to a world of any hope, redemption or beauty. Beautiful. Rehab is available at Sound Exchange and online from Amazon.com (both as a CD and MP3 download).  Check out Jesus Christ Inca and Death Spear. -- Ryan Clark

Jason Moran -- Black Stars, 2001 -- With just two albums as a leader under his belt, jazz pianist Moran showed a lot of gumption and made his masterpiece with 1970s avant garde legend Sam Rivers. Available on iTunes. -- A.D.

Opie Hendrix -- San Jacinto, 2003 -- When I was a teenager, when someone asked about one's musical preferences, it was de rigeur to say one liked all kinds of music "except for rap and country." It took some time, but I finally realized that what I didn't like was gangsta rap (I know, that's sacrilege in Houston) and commercial country, not all hip-hop and roots music. Opie Hendrix was one of the first Houston country artists I ever listened to, and I found that I enjoyed his drawly, deadpan humor. It didn't hurt that we spent our first interview geeking out over our shared love of They Might Be Giants. 2007's Chupacabra was tighter than this 16-track ramble, but there are some amazing songs here, including Two Swinging Doors, My Favorite Waitress and Little Party. This disc isn't on iTunes as originally presented but is included in a package called The Texas Tallboy Years. -- S.C.

Lyle Lovett -- My Baby Don't Tolerate, 2003 -- This one stacks up poorly against his five classics, but Lovett's baseline is so high that it doesn't much matter. It's still witty, sad and well-played. Available on iTunes. -- A.D.

Springfield Riots -- Springfield Riots EP, 2009 -- Their music is clever with its influences (I spot a bit of New Wave and a bit of British Invasion), never letting them become a stylistic bully over the hooky substance. Great punchy pop songs throughout. -- A.D.

Drop Trio -- Cezanne, 2005 -- There was a while there in Houston when you couldn't avoid a Drop Trio show in Houston. The group was a regular at every club and coffee shop in Montrose. Even after years of playing, this recording at the tiniest jazz club ever sounded fresh and lively, surprising, even. It captures the free-wheeling spirit of the best Drop Trio show, which is the kind of set that will have you on the edge of your seat watching the interplay between the guys. Everyone on the planet now knows DT's Ian Varley as the keyboardist for Black Joe Lewis, so with no DT shows scheduled in the foreseeable future, best to pull out this disc and bop around. Available on Itunes; recommended track: Wallawalla. -- S.C.

The Jonx -- No Turn Jonx Red, 2007 -- The first time I interviewed the affable dudes in The Jonx, I had no idea what kind of music they were making. I mean, I'd listened to the disc, but it just didn't make sense to me. That changed in '07 with this disc, which was still in the same avant garde punk style, but felt more cohesive. I genuinely enjoyed it. Available on iTunes, recommended track: Island. -- S.C.

Ghost Mountain -- Siamese Sailboats, 2008 -- A couple of teenagers from Baytown with a phalanx of synths, sequencers and samplers, making loopy twee-hop with references to Avril Lavigne and sci-fi. Not only is this somehow not awful, it makes for a stunning album; a mix of Of Montreal, WHY? and Steve Reich that speaks to a youth spent growing up both on the internet (where even the most geographically-isolated musician can find kindred spirits and inspiration) and in a town not so well known for catering to creative types. (Best, and perhaps most telling, GM lyric ever: “Getting trucks stuck in mud on purpose isn’t my thing / I’d rather get up to watch Sesame Street early in the morning”). Recommended track: Atomic Brain. Available on MySpace. -- J.M.

Cedar of Lebanon -- 1996 Sessions DAT recordings (recorded in '96 but never saw the light of day until 2009) -- Angular guitars reminiscent of Unwound are paired with thin, screaming, shaky vocals creating classic '90s emo before the genre turned to garbage and sold at Hot Topic. Chicago Riots and Fork In the Road are solid emo tracks. Available here; a proper release will be available soon from Team Science Records. -- J.G.

Matty and Mossy -- Fraimers Hamey, 2001 -- The lone album by Jana Hunter’s first band (which included her brother John) is a wonderful, hypnotic and imaginative blend of skewed Elephant 6-style pop, fluid post-rock guitar work and Hunter’s expressive, otherworldly voice.  Recommended track: Trojan Radio. Available at CDBaby.com. -- J.M.

Solange -- Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams, 2008 -- Unburdened by the expectations that force her sister to turn out massive pop hits, Solange created a surprisingly effervescent, danceable solo album. Available on iTunes. -- A.D.

Paul Wall and Chamillionaire -- Get Ya Mind Correct, 2002 -- Each rapper has done just fine for himself on his own. But there's still something about a duo in this genre that staves off repetition. This is the sound of urgent underground rap making its way to the surface. Available on iTunes. -- A.D.

Snit's Dog and Pony Show -- 3 Chords and A Cloud of Dust, 2001 -- I didn't want the decade to pass without a mention of one of the few blues-rock/classic rock bands I find palatable. Instead of another cheesy, SRV-wannabe wank, Snit and crew idolize the Georgia Satellites and make tireless southern, bluesy rock that goes down very smooth with a cold beer on a hot Houston night. Snit is a member of the still-gigging Hollisters and still holds down the fort at Shakespeare Pub a few times each month. Available on iTunes, recommended track: Acceptance and Respect. -- S.C.

Lanky -- Odd Hour Work Week, 2005 -- Houston was blessed for a few years to be the home to Tody Castillo, Arthur Yoria and a guy from New Jersey who called himself Lanky. It was a blessing of singer-songwriters. Anyway, I believe he recorded this album in Jersey, but pushed it hard for a couple of years here before moving to Nashville. It's a very strong pop album featuring one of my favorite songs from the decade, Crashing the Car is Learning to Drive. Available on iTunes. -- S.C.

Jandek -- Glasgow Sunday, 2005 -- This one's easy to over-romanticize because it documents the first-known live performance by the enigmatic musician. But there's also something that separates it from dozens of other titles, a sort of slashing, almost raging sound unique to this recording. Ordering information here. -- A.D.

The Ka-Nives -- Get Duped, 2006 -- Classic rock and roll that's extremely low-fi and haphazardly pieced together. Most songs are covers paying tribute to Chuck Berry and the like, but more drunk and rambunctious. Check out Where Was Moses When the Lights Went Out. Available online and at Sound Exchange. -- J.G.

Read part two here.

Read part three here.

Read part four here.

Read the final installment here.