OK, we're halfway through the naughts after this week. In case you haven't noticed, we've been going through some of our favorite songs of this decade, year-by-year, since August. Once every other week or so. This week, we hit 2004. (Want to hear the others? Click here: 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000)
1. If we had to pick one song of the decade, this would be it. In four and a half minutes, The Walkmen’s “The Rat” nailed the unnecessary gravitas and self-seriousness that defined this decade. No other song has come close to best defining it. 2. Animal Collective essentially did the opposite of what Radiohead did to become famous. Starting out as a strange, dense, openly experimental band, they found themselves making pop music by the beginning of 2009. We still heart 2004’s “Sung Tongs,” though, and “Who Could Win a Rabbit?” is the bridge between the two sounds. 3. The Arcade Fire suffered greatly at the hands of overhype, like many other perfectly-good bands of the era – Bloc Party or Vampire Weekend, anyone? But they deserved every bit of the hype they got, especially on “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out).” 4. The Streets – aka Mike Skinner – nailed the best album of his career in 2002 with “Original Pirate Material,” but as far as singles go, “Fit But You Know It” is easily his best. With that roughshod beat – the kind of beat that Lily Allen rides up the charts nowadays – backing a story of a drunk ticked about the unattainable hottie in front of him, it synthesizes the best of Skinner’s sound and storytelling. 5. The great secret of Sufjan Stevens’ “Seven Swans” – an album openly loaded with religious imagery – was that you didn’t need to be Christian to be deeply affected by it. “The Transfiguration” is beautiful on its own terms, but not without questioning its listener: “Consider what he says to you, consider what’s to come.” source
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.source
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
Conor Oberst (the mastermind of Bright Eyes who’s recently gone solo), Mike Mogis (also of Bright Eyes), M. Ward (of solo career and She & Him) and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) have created a supergroup. Yay! source
The quartet, which calls itself Monsters of Folk, will release its self-titled debut September 22. Usually we’re against supergroups, but these guys have way more pedigree than Tinted Windows. (But fewer hit singles.) source
Because, seriously, who can dispute the awesomeness of an indie rock supergroup that actually calls itself Monsters of Folk? It’s like the Justice League, except it’s gonna put you to sleep and make you a little sad. source
Sigh, magazines are feeling it too. Paste, which is probably one of the best music magazines out there (even if it does dig deep into that mushy adult-pop-indie), is begging for your help to stay afloat. Seriously. They have a donation page and everything. Plus, Paste is awesome. Why would we want this magazine to die? Sigh. Throw in $25 bones and help pay for someone’s freelance piece. You’ll feel better for it, trust us. source
I’m not that interested in getting anything too heavy off my chest or complaining in some monumental way. I’m more interested in telling stories where people can make their own implicit connections.
M. Ward • The singer-songwriter whose profile has shot up in recent years in part due to his collaboration with Zooey Deschanel in She & Him. Since 2000, Ward has been making albums, but his most recent, “Hold Time,” is the first one he’s made outside of the era of George W. Bush. While his music doesn’t hint at his politics, he uses his songs to capture the political mood, he says. • source
Hold Time is an enjoyable, well-constructed album, and as good a place as any for newcomers to start – it just doesn’t hold many surprises.
Marc Hogan • In his 6.8 review of “Hold Time,” the latest by singer-songwriter M. Ward, who’s become pretty popular over the last decade or so. This could be his mainstream ticket, kids. • source
,” is worth the listen)
brings us waves of dreamy guitar soundscapes (and some fun answers). Want to see your band here?