A word of warning: This is not a top songs of the year list for us. Rather, these are five good songs from 2000 that are worth your time. And yes, we plan on doing this with every year of the decade over the next few months. Agree with these choices? Disagree? Debate here.
1. Elliott Smith’s later period is one highly debated by fans. He went big around the time of “XO” and went even bigger around the time of 2000’s “Figure 8.” For some fans, this made the album a bit of a wash, but the single, “Son of Sam,” still holds strong nearly a decade later. 2. It’s easy to forget, but The Mars Volta started from the split of the At the Drive-In, a band which did more to justify Thursday’s existence than it did The Mars Volta. A precursor to screamo, “One-Armed Scissor” is far less embarrassing than that descripiton sounds. 3. What a shame. Grandaddy’s “The Sophtware Slump” is a great album best known as the answer to a trivia question. The question: “What album was Jason Lee’s son, Pilot Inspektor, named for?” A damn shame for a great album. “Jed the Humanoid” is a definite highlight for sure. 4. Yo La Tengo will likely never break out of its cult audience, but they make great musical arguments why they should. “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out” is one of the band’s peaks, and “You Can Have it All” is a quiet triumph. 5. For us, hearing Radiohead’s “Nude” on 2007’s “In Rainbows” gave “Motion Picture Soundtrack” context. Many superfans were spoiled by a spare acoustic version of the song that made the “Kid A” version seem overly grand. But in the context of “Nude,” you see exactly what the band was going for. Worth revisiting for sure.
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In our continuing effort to try new things, here’s our latest: Band coverage! This time, SUNBEARS! completely ignores our rules on brevity, but because we like their pop-laden music so much, we learn not to be such sticklers. Want to see your band here? E-mail us or bug us on Twitter!
Listen to them
Q1: In 15 words or less, describe your sound:
Interesting music with a bit of pop-sensibility.
Q2: Name three influences that inspire you, with three words each on why they’re awesome: Scriptures/texts (any religious/philosophical scripture/text will do): To get inside the heads of thinkers/spiritualists long past no matter how bonkers or completely boring they may be. The outdoors: Because there’s always something more to look at. Real smiles: Because it’s always inspiring to witness someone being truly happy.
Q3: What’s a recent song you’ve been digging? Write ten words explaining why: Animal Collective – “My Girls”: I love the beginning with the triplet synth part, how swimmy it all is, until the beat drops on brings it all together.
Q4: In 140 characters or less, how do you use social networking to get the word out: Just using things like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter to communicate with people in an everyday sort of way. “What’s up? What’s happening!? These are my thoughts…”
Q5: In 15 words or less, what’s next for you?
To keep pushing forward. Writing more tunes, Playing more shows.
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1. The Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” is one of those albums that feels like you’ve heard it a million times, even if it’s only your first time. Phil Lesh’s coming-out party as a lead vocalist, “Box of Rain,” is the album’s honest, emotive high point. 2. The Beach Boys hit creative peaks long after Brian Wilson hit his personal creative peak, especially on the less-Beach-more-Boys classic “Sunflower.” The album was a truly collective work, and songs like “Add Some Music to Your Day” earned accolades, if not chart success. 3. When critics call Wilco “dad rock,” it’s because they think Wilco sounds like America. We’d prefer to leave that comparison alone and just appreciate the fact that “Sister Golden Hair” is a worthy guilty pleasure. 4. Neil Young is one of those guys who records music by the bucketful but is very picky about how it’s released. It took nearly 30 years for “On The Beach,” one of his best albums, to reach the CD format. Screw “Heart of Gold” – the dim, bluesy “For the Turnstiles” is how Neil Young should be remembered. 5. Did someone say AM Gold? Because you don’t get more golden than The Hollies‘ “The Air That I Breathe,” perhaps the best cheesy pop song to come out of the 1970s. Fun fact: Albert Hammond co-wrote this; his son, Albert Hammond, Jr., is The Strokes’ guitarist.
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1. We needed some euphoria, and Dananananaykroyd (what an annoying name!) provides it in spades on their latest album, “Hey Everyone.” “Pink Sabbath” makes us want to leap in the air like the coolest six-year-olds ever. 2. The Dodos are awesome. Hewing a little more closely to the “Sung Tongs” sound than Animal Collective does now, 2008’s “Visiter” was an underrated gem. And new album “Time to Die,” which we ganked “Longform” from, keeps the quality high, avoiding the fate of fellow blog buzz bands. 3. We’re suckers for sensitive white guys singing in unison. And you don’t get more sensitive than Kings of Convenience (featuring unsung indie hero Erelend Oye), whose “Winning a Battle, Losing the War” always wins our hearts. 4. YACHT’s killer “See Mystery Lights,” which looks like a huge breakthrough for the duo, has a lot of highlights, but the highest is “Ring the Bell,” a slow-building calling card for DFA’s newest act. 5. Like Grizzly Bear, Nurses plays in the space between electronic and natural sound, and while their victories on “Technicolor” split evenly between the percussive, the vocal and the digital, they do it with a little more flair than Grizzly Bear. Pure engagement.
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In our continuing effort to try new things, here’s our latest: Band coverage! This time, indie-pop stalwarts Wheat
(fresh off a solid 7.4 on Pitchfork) discuss their love of music, coffee … and coffee. Want to see your band here? E-mail us or bug us on Twitter!
Listen to them
Q1: In 15 words or less, describe your sound:
Syrup with cream. Maybe some caffeine, maybe some alcohol. Many mistakes kept.
Q2: Name three influences that inspire you, with three words each on why they’re awesome: Family: I try harder Music: I feel lighter Coffee: I keep going
Q3: What’s a recent song you’ve been digging? Write ten words explaining why: Bon Iver: “Woods” Amazing smash of lullaby and bad hip-hop vocoder awesomeness!
Q4: In 140 characters or less, how do you use social networking to get the word out: We use Myspace, Facebook, the regular wheat website, and e-mail. (Is that social networking?) And we still use postcards. I know that might seem old school, but we love the tangible object.
Q5: In 15 words or less, what’s next for you?
Bring our new songs and love to the people. Another song, another record, another coffee.
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The craziesWe mentioned it earlier in the week, but you need to see it; Republicans freaking out over the health care policy. New York Congressman Tim Bishop probably got it worst; he needed an escort.
The convertDon’t expect Arlen Specter, that longtime Republican who defected to the Democrats, to get a pass. Here’s a room full of people shouting over this poor question-asking woman:
The soldierMissouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill heard loudly from this soldier, who uses a strict interpretation of the constitution to demand an apology from her on health care.
In our continuing effort to try new things, here’s our latest: Band coverage! This time, a good friend of ours, Skye Zentz puts down her ukulele and throws us some love! Want to see your band here? E-mail us or bug us on Twitter!
Listen to her
Q1: In 15 words or less, describe your sound:
Tropical entree smothered in bluesy overtones on picnic blanket next to Joni Mitchell’s dulcimer.
Q2: Name three influences that inspire you, with three words each on why they’re awesome: Chris Merritt: Brilliant Melodic Bodywash Ani DiFranco: Feminine Guts Galore Rufus Wainwright Second generation folky
Q3: What’s a recent song you’ve been digging? Write ten words explaining why: Beyonce – “Ego”: It plays with your head. Love those early Motown nods.
Q4: In 140 characters or less, how do you use social networking to get the word out: I do what I can with what little digital prowess I have. In short, I connect. Tweet tweet, ya’al. From myspace to your face.
Q5: In 15 words or less, what’s next for you?
Bowling Alley Tour (Praying!), Nursing home and library gigs (Seriously.), Jello Slip-n-slide?
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In our continuing effort to try new things, here’s our latest: Band coverage! This time, Hopewell (whose new album, “Good Good Desperation,” is worth the listen)
brings us waves of dreamy guitar soundscapes (and some fun answers). Want to see your band here? E-mail us or bug us on Twitter!
Listen to them
Q1: In 15 words or less, describe your sound:
Swept river manger up from strangers from the you. Swept river rolled hellfire wires.* * – Since this question is any credible musician’s worst nightmare, I put the lyrics to one of our songs into the “cut up machine” and generated a lyrical montage a la William Burroughs. That should do the trick.
Q2: Name three influences that inspire you, with three words each on why they’re awesome: Lou Reed: genius now ornery Brooklyn, NY: Such modern history Vincent Gallo: Style over substance
A friend in Canada … On “Meet the Press,” top-ranking Sen. Mitch McConnell discounts the idea of health care for all Americans using an argument involving both Ford Motor Co. and a friend of a friend who died because Canada wouldn’t allow him to get a medical procedure. Hm.
“It was about news”CBS’ Bob Schieffer, who’s had a full weekend of comments about Walter Cronkite to make, makes yet another one on CNN about what made Cronkite stand out – he cared about the news above all else. “He loved no scoop better than HIS scoop,” Schieffer said.
From bad to worseFox News had a friendly chat this morning with Obama budget wizard Peter Orszag, who says that the economy is worse than anyone thought – backed by unemployment figures. “You can’t go from job losses of 700,000 a month … to job growth like that,” he said.
” is one of those albums that feels like you’ve heard it a million times, even if it’s only your first time. Phil Lesh’s coming-out party as a lead vocalist, “Box of Rain,” is the album’s honest, emotive high point.
.” The album was a truly collective work, and songs like “Add Some Music to Your Day” earned accolades, if not chart success.
” is a worthy guilty pleasure.
,” one of his best albums, to reach the CD format. Screw “Heart of Gold” – the dim, bluesy “For the Turnstiles” is how Neil Young should be remembered.
‘ “The Air That I Breathe,” perhaps the best cheesy pop song to come out of the 1970s. Fun fact: Albert Hammond co-wrote this; his son, Albert Hammond, Jr., is The Strokes’ guitarist.
(fresh off 
,” is worth the listen)
brings us waves of dreamy guitar soundscapes (and some fun answers). Want to see your band here?