Sparktones – The Stranger

Happy MLK Day. It’s that day of the month again. The day when I shamelessly promote my own music. My third mixtape has dropped today, and it’s free. You should get it.

This mixtape is the second in the Sparktones series, which is probably gonna have one more mixtape in the series. Maybe two, we’ll see what happens. The first one was named after Orwell’s 1984. This one is named after Albert Camus’s The Stranger, and it has 11 tracks. Ten of them contain samples, and one of them is original material, but the original track is almost a year old now.

I feel like I slacked hardcore on today’s post, but I don’t really have much else to say. I mean, it’s my work, so I’m not going to talk about the tracks. It’s not professional enough for me to have any concepts or anything. Download it. Hopefully you’ll like it. Oh, and if you want to use a beat, just let me know. I can make it as long as you want, remove whatever, add whatever, etc. My info is on the contact page.

Download it.

10 Songs that Annoy Matt, Part 2

Today, I had an interview to get an internship at Grooveshark. If you don’t know about Grooveshark, it’s a site where you can listen to all your favorite tunes. Just go to the website, and type your favorite musician into the search bar. If you’re feeling it, create an account. It’s good stuff. Either way, today brings us to the second part of 10 Songs that Annoy Matt. If you missed the first part, read it. Then come back and read this.

—

6. Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Oh, but this is one of the best rock songs of all time! Truly an epic rock opera! That may be, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that the typical ignorant Top 40-obsessed self-proclaimed “classic rock genius” will download this one song, slap it on their iPod, and think they’re the shit because they have QUEEN on their mp3 player. Or maybe they’ll memorize the little “mama mia” part in the middle and scream it at the top of their fucking lungs whenever it comes on the radio in order to give the illusion that they enjoy and know a thing or two about “good music”. Bull. Shit. They probably can’t name the album this song was off of, and they probably can’t even name any member of the band itself (wait no I know this! Frankie Muniz? Fred Durst? Fred Flintstone? It starts with an F…his last name is a planet…Venus? Jupiter?…I know this…wait…he had AIDS right? OH I KNOW IT! Magic Johnson!). Name a Queen song not named “We Are the Champions”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, or “We Will Rock You” and then maybe we can talk. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a fine enough song, but it isn’t even Queen’s best. Put on “Radio Ga Ga” if you want to hear an outstanding song by these guys (better yet, watch their performance of the aforementioned track at Live Aid, it’s definitely on YouTube somewhere) [Editor’s Note: Check it out. If you stop it at 0:36, you’ll see Freddie wears white Adidas Sambas… also my shoe of choice. Money!]. And until you memorize the names Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor, don’t act like you know shit about 1970-1980s classic rock.

–

7. Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

This song is borderline atrocious, yet no music critic can resist putting this piece of shit track in their “Top 50 Songs of All Time” list. It feels like the Top 10 of these lists get so cluttered with songs from 30-50 years ago that a panic sets in; there’s a need to put a relatively new song up there, and “Teen Spirit” is the apparently agreed upon best song of the 90s. This isn’t even Nirvana’s best song, not even close. Kurt Cobain himself stated he HATED playing this song live, even he thought it sucked, and he was right. The vocals are borderline inaudible and that famous riff is migraine-inducing at best; overall, it sounds like Cobain wrote this song in 45 seconds while he was getting a blumpkin from Courtney Love backstage before the VMAs. The absolute worst part of “Teen Spirit” is the line “Our little group has always been and always will until the end”…perhaps the single most misinterpreted lyric in the history of music. Kurt Cobain hated life. He had no “little group”. He never did. He was being sarcastic. I don’t think I’ve ever been more pissed off at anything in my life than when I read this lyric as 6 or 7 “Senior Quotes” in my high school yearbook two years ago. If Kurt Cobain saw that shit, he’d probably double or triple his heroin kick just to avoid shooting all of them and then himself (God knows he was willing to do it). I almost needed an opiate myself that day.

–

8. Hootie and the Blowfish – “Only Wanna Be With You”

Rumor has it, my family bought their CD in like 1995 and played it on a long car ride. Rumor has it, even then at 5 years old I hated it so much that I had a fit until they turned it off. There really is nothing wrong with the song, in fact, when I found out the lead singer was black, I was so mind-blown that I almost garnered some respect for ol’ Hootie. I just think this falls in the same category with “Photograph” as a generally irritating and vastly overplayed alternative rock song that brings nothing new to the table. Alright, sure, this song is from like 15 years ago or whatever, but still, there is just so much better out there that I don’t see why this song blew up the charts, or why the album this song was from was certified diamond with somewhere around 18 million sales.

–

9. AC/DC – “Thunderstruck”

Truth is, as much as the opening riff kicks ass, Brian Johnson sounds like he has to sneeze during the entire first like 2 minutes. Come to think of it, he ALWAYS sings like he has to sneeze, it’s just especially bad here. Go watch it on YouTube if you haven’t heard it in a while; I guarantee you’ll laugh once you realize how much it sounds like he’s about to just spew saliva and mucus all over the place.

–

10. Dave Matthews Band

Alright, I said that I wouldn’t put Fall Out Boy on here because there was no particular song that irritated me, but my God, there’s something about DMB that just kills me. Maybe it’s just an acquired taste, but there are so many similar bands out there with a better sound, more poetic and meaningful lyrics, and overall better technique and showmanship that I can’t see how anyone can justify this band being one of the most popular groups of the 90’s and 00’s. There are actually other bands out there that generally irritate me (U2 being the biggest in my mind at the moment), but not enough to make it on here. As much as I love to hate U2’s endless liberal philanthropy and copious album sales, they are pretty goddamn catchy and pretty goddamn talented. I just do not find DMB to be either.

–

So, that’s it. I expect some people to think I’m a raging moron at this point; but I beg of you to realize that this is solely my opinion, no better than anyone else’s, but no worse either. It would be cool, though, if someone agreed with me on some of these…oh well.

10 Songs that Annoy Matt, Part 1

Matt Powers is back again this week, giving us another list. This one’s about 10 Annoying Songs. They’re songs that irritate him, and after reading it, I’ve discovered that most of them annoy me, too. I say “most” because, although I agree, the Beatles were at their finest from Rubber Soul onwards, there are times when I can go for a little With the Beatles or Please Please Me action. Either way, he’s mostly spot on. I’ll stop now since Matt has quite a bit to say himself. Enjoy!

—

A couple of years ago, I was called a “music snob” by a friend of mine. By “music snob”, I assume he meant I had a “holier than thou” complex when it came to music; an attitude that my music tastes were superior to others’ because I was blessed with some sort of higher knowledge and a better adapted ear to sort through the bullshit that is today’s Top 40 music scene and listen to only “good” music, and that everyone should follow my lead because I am basically music’s version of the second coming of Christ.

Alright, maybe that’s a little too much to interpret from a two-word phrase, but in reality, we all are “music snobs”, much like we all are “sports snobs” and “TV snobs” and “movie snobs”. Seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget, we all like different things, and we all think our likes are better than everyone else’s, because, well, that’s why we like them. Am I rambling yet? Too bad, because it gets worse. We all think our playlists are the end-all-be-all of the music industry, and we all think anyone who doesn’t like the bands we do must just not understand this fact.

Be that as it may, I’m not here to try to convince everyone that the bands I listen to are better than any others, because it’s, quite frankly, an unwinnable battle. For example, I can play my favorite album of all time, Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, a hundred thousand times, and people who just don’t like classic rock will never admit that my obsession with that record is justified. So, instead, I decided to get something off my chest that I’ve been dying to do for years.

There are a set of songs, maybe 20, that almost everyone has heard and almost everyone likes but piss me off beyond belief. I just cannot stand hearing them, particularly in the company of others.
All of these songs would be regarded as “popular” and “good” if I took a random poll of people on the street. But for one reason or another, they just get under my skin in a way that I can’t even begin to explain. Today, I narrowed that list down to ten, and present my “Top 10 Songs That Annoy the Hell Out of Me”. I only hope that some of you can read my assessment of these abominations and agree with me, or, at the very least, understand where I’m coming from.

A couple of notes before I begin: (1) Bands that piss me off are (generally) not included. Fall Out Boy is probably the prime example of this; hearing them on the radio makes me die a little inside, but there is no one particular song by them that really does it for me. Also, I feel like the consensus is that FOB sucks in general; hence, they wouldn’t qualify under the “the song has to be popular and considered ‘good’ by the general population” rule of this list. (2) Songs that have come and gone do not count either. Owl City’s “Fireflies” irritated me for the week it was #1 on the Billboard Charts, and for the month that it completely dominated XM’s Alternative Rock station (channel 47 for those who care), which I listen to nearly every day to and from campus. (3) Shitty pop songs don’t count either. I recently decided “Tik Tok” by Kesha [Editor’s Note: I’m sure Mr. Powers means Ke$ha] is the worst song ever written, just edging out “Party in the USA” by everyone’s favorite 17 year old sex idol/future 18-year old single mother (is Miley Cyrus actually 18 now? I stopped keeping track). (4) Overly obscure songs can’t count either. BrokenCYDE is probably the worst band I’ve ever heard in my life, and their one single (which I can’t name off the top of my head and I am NOT going to Wikipedia to look it up because I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of my viewing their page) really really irritates me, but again, that band is far too unknown to make the list. You will know every song on this list, and probably every word to every song as well (but that, as you will see, is quite a relevant point). All right, enough! Here we go!

–

1. Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing”

Swear to God. If I’m riding in a car and everyone starts SCREAMING this shitty song one more time I’m gonna lose my mind. I wish I could slap Seth MacFarlane in the face for including this “ballad” in that episode of Family Guy. If you haven’t seen it, Peter and the guys buy a karaoke machine for their favorite bar, get plastered beyond belief, and start belting this ridiculous song at the top of their lungs. Family Guy’s viewership followed suit, and today, “Don’t Stop Believing” is one of the most popular party “sing-a-longs”. Seems like a lot of people didn’t pick up on the fact that you apparently have to be drunk out of your mind to find this song listenable in any way. And another thing — if you have to turn to Family Guy to find quality music from the 70s and 80s, you probably shouldn’t be singing along with any song in the first place.

–

2. Bon Jovi – “Living on a Prayer”

Am I gonna have to be the one to say it? Fine. Bon Jovi sucks. There. This song apparently made a comeback after it was featured in Rock Band 2, which pretty much speaks for itself, and is another one of those “EVERYONE SING ALONG!!!!!!!” songs that, as you’ll find out again and again, really get under my skin. I don’t mind varying music tastes; in fact, I’m about the last person in the world to tell someone the music they listen to “sucks”. But almost nothing pisses me off more than unoriginality when it comes to music. The music industry, especially today with the integration of technology (see: Manchester Orchestra, an alternative rock band that I saw live over the summer and features a guy solely creating effects on his Mac book), is so vast, that if you have to turn to the God awful Billboard Charts and Rock Band for new music, you are pretty sad.

–

3. Neil Diamond – “Sweet Caroline”

The Boston Red Sox should seriously buy some property rights to this song. If I hear this shit at a stadium NOT NAMED FENWAY PARK one more time I swear I’m putting a bullet in the head of the first drunk 25 year old whore I see screaming “BAH BAH BAHHHHHHHH” at the top of her lungs while her little blonde bimbo friends dance around on the seats next to her. Yes, this means you, Washington Nationals fans of section 437.

–

4. Every Beatles song pre-Rubber Soul

Four attractive young men playing simple repetitive songs that last no longer than 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Sounds familiar…Jonas Brothers anyone? Early Beatles paved the way for irritating modern boy bands — late Beatles revolutionized rock and paved the way for some of the greatest artists and bands of all time. I could seriously do without the former. (disclaimer: I know the Beatles are the most respectable rock band of all time. It’s just…I can’t…stand…their early…albums…)

–

5. Nickelback – “Photograph”

Truly one of the worst songs ever written. I actually just verified that this song reached number 2 on the Billboard charts. Have I mentioned the American public is borderline atrocious when it comes to music? Why would Canada infect our music scene with this garbage? If the vocals aren’t enough to give you a headache, the ridiculous acoustic riff playing over and over in the background surely will. I actually find Nickelback very tolerable in small doses, but this song, coupled with the fact that it infected our radio stations for months, is just too much.

–

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for the last five!

Young-Holt Unlimited – Soulful Strut

I feel as if we’ve been on list-overload so far this month. It seems like a lot of blogs turn into just that… lists. And as much as I love lists, I feel like today it’s time for a real article. And a free download. It’s an incredible jazz album entitled Soulful Strut, and it’s by a group called Young-Holt Unlimited. It was released in 1968. Hell of an album. Very worth downloading.

It took me a bit of time to find this album, but I ended up finding it. There’s quite a story behind this one, too. My roommate was watching a YouTube video in the other room. I glanced over, but there was a lawn mower or something (turned out to be a car engine), and it didn’t seem that interesting. A few seconds later I heard an awesome song coming from over there, so I asked him who it was. He wasn’t sure, but he sent me the video so I could do some investigating.

After looking through the video description and checking the comments section, I couldn’t find anything, so I asked my friend to use his Shazam app on his iPhone to find out what song it was. Surprisingly, the ever-so-popular iPhone couldn’t solve our problem. There was an app for that… it just didn’t work. So we were stuck.

We tried a few websites that do basically the same thing as Shazam, but neither one worked (Midomi and Songtapper). After that, all hope seemed lost. In desperation, I put the video up as my Facebook status, offering a cash reward to whoever could tell me what song it was.

A bit later, I got a message from a friend of mine with a YouTube link to a song. He found it! Or so I thought. Something sounded off… and there were vocals. With the help of a site called Who Sampled, I was able to find the actual instrumental track and the artist. It was “Soulful Strut” by Young-Holt Unlimited.

After a quick Google search, I was able to find a fellow blogger, who provided a link to the download of the album Soulful Strut, which I am providing you the link to. So, take joy in the fact that I found this album, and go have a ball listening to it.

Moral of the story: The internet fucking rocks.

Download.

Dave’s Top Singles of the Decade: 5-1

Today it’s the second part of Dave’s Top 10 Singles of the Decade. Again, it’s the singles, so that means they were released as such. It’s not just songs, it’s singles. If you missed 6-10, go check it out. Then come back and read 5-1.

—

The Top Singles of the Decade

5. “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Upbeat but smooth, Sufjan Stevens created this surrealist indie folk single that just feels like Chicago. Running at 6:05, “Chicago” feels as epic as the city it’s describing, especially with the background trumpets and driving drum beats.

–

4. “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers (2005)

This song sounds like activism to me. I associate it with the Ugandan activist organization Invisible Children, who I worked with back in summer 2006. The song’s bridge—perhaps most well-known for the phrase “I got soul but I’m not a soldier”—builds excitement culminating with a big finish. It’s the best song The Killers ever put out and I still love to hear it.

–

3. “My Girls” by Animal Collective (2009)

In the same vein as “Hungry Like the Wolf”, I predict that “My Girls” will sound incredibly dated in 20 years. However, unlike the new-wave pop of Duran Duran, Animal Collective’s music will continue to reverberate because of its influence. “My Girls” is an upbeat electronica song that reeks of pop but deals with very down-to-earth, ordinary themes lyrically. As people’s American dream collapses around them, frontman Panda Bear proclaims “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things, like a social status. I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls.” These lyrics about the ordinary blessings in life contrasted with the extraordinary sounds of Animal Collective’s cross-genre bending electronica make it an incredible single, especially late in the decade.

–

2. “Yeah!” by Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris (2004)

This is the crunk jam of the 2000s; it’s the “YMCA” of the decade. I remember being in 8th grade when this song dropped like a bombshell. You couldn’t go anywhere and not hear that sick synth hook and Lil Jon’s hysteric cries of “Yeah!” This is the song that everyone stops what they are doing and dances to in whatever setting it’s played.

–

1. “B.O.B.” by Outkast (2000)

The drum-and-bass, metal, hip-hop, funky sounds of “B.O.B.” are unrivaled by anything that came after it. Lyrically, it’s almost prophetic given its 2000 release date—three years prior to the invasion of Iraq. It’s infectious and haunting, catchy and important, head-bangin’ and fist-pumpin’. It’s the best song of the decade.

Dave’s Top Ten Singles of the Decade: 10-6

The lists just keep piling up. Today it’s another installment of the series of Dave’s list. It’s the Top 10 Singles of the Decade. Today it’s the first part, tomorrow it’s the second part. Later this week, we’ll be giving you Matt’s feature on 10 Irritating Songs. That’ll also take up two days. Not really sure what the last day will be, maybe I’ll do something, maybe Chris’ll talk about Katie Grace Helow’s new album. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, here’s some Dave. (Now, keep in mind, these are singles, so they had to be released as such. It’s not just tracks, but tracks that were released as singles.)

—

Top Singles of the Decade

10. “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day (2005)

Although I’ve lost any affinity I once had for Green Day, especially their 2004 punk rock opera American Idiot, I have to give them their due: they wrote some pretty catchy tracks. It isn’t my favorite cut off the album but “Wake Me Up When September Ends” had three things going for it. First, its title is clearly a reference to the 9/11 attacks which shaped American culture more than any other event in the 2000s. Second, the music video dealt primarily with a soldier’s life fighting in Iraq—another topic ripped straight from the headlines. Finally, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” became a second national anthem in September 2005 as people in New Orleans were hit with the devastating forces of Hurricane Katrina and Faye. It’s a solid rock ballad with huge cultural relevance to the decade.

–

9. “Ridin” by Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone (2006)

Chamillionaire’s surprise hit was the closest that “conscious hip-hop” ever got to mainstream appeal in the 2000s, in which hip-hop saw the rise of the ultra-materialistic hip-hop mogul. For a few months in 2006, everyone was singing along to lyrics about racial profiling and police brutality towards black people. It has a driving beat and a guest verse by Krayzie Bone with ball-busting flow. Both musically and culturally, “Ridin” is one of the top singles of the decade.

–

8. “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five for Fighting (2000)

Before “100 Years” on Jared diamond commercials, Five for Fighting released “Superman (It’s Not Easy)”, which I think is a better song. The piano hook is catchy and the lyrics deal with the important themes of identity, relationships with other people, and how the two interact.

–

7. “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani (2005)

Although this is the only song by a female artist in the top 10, “Hollaback Girl” is an upbeat, edgy, 80s-retro dance tune that can go toe-to-toe with most of the songs on this list. It achieved enormous popularity upon its release and has an infectious call-and-response chorus.

–

6. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem (2002)

8 Mile had a mediocre performance at the box office but Eminem’s original song from the soundtrack is still played today at most sporting events for its honest and hard-hitting lyrics. The song has special significance to me from my cross country season in 2005, in which all of the members of our team listened to it before our Regional’s race in hopes of qualifying for States. We did, and I still consider this the best pump-up song ever.

7 Albums from the 2000’s You May Have Missed (Part 2)

Breaking news! Matt “Cassel” Powers is getting a cat next year. He’s calling it Cat Cassel. Pure brilliance. Either way, he’s back today with the second installment of his 7 Albums You May Have Missed. If you missed part one, read it. Then come back and keep reading this.

—

4. Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005)

It was difficult picking a Coheed album for my list, because each has its fair share of ups and downs (but then again, what album doesn’t?) But I feel like From Fear is Coheed’s best work, because, as everyone knows, the quality of a band’s album is directly proportional to the length of its title. I’m sure everyone’s heard “Welcome Home” at some point on the radio or in a (ugh) video game, but really, that’s no reason to be turned off by this progressive rock quartet. But, hey, don’t take it from me. Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins apparently loves these guys too. When Coheed drummer Josh Eppard unceremoniously left the band in 2006, Hawkins didn’t think twice about stepping in and taking the studio by storm as he laid down the drum track for every song on Coheed’s 2007 album Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 2: No World For Tomorrow. Confused by these titles yet? Don’t worry. Coheed has an album due out in early 2010 (apparently) titled just Year of the Black Rainbow (but, hey, according to my “album title length vs. quality of content” theory, that’s not necessarily a good thing).
Listen to: “Apollo I: The Writing Writer“, “The Willing Well I: Fuel For the Feeding End“, “The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut“

–

5. NoFX – Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing (2006)

Think punk rock is dead? Think the guys from NoFX are starting to show signs of age? Think political mumbo jumbo makes for pedantic, uninteresting music? Think again! NoFX (almost) returns to their 1994-form with this 19-track record pressed by bassist Fat Mike’s own independent label, Fat Wreck Chords. And, naturally, despite all the album’s angry railing against the entertainment industry (“60%“), the Bible belt (“Leaving Jesusland“), and the war on drugs (“Getting High on the Down Low“), NoFX truly still kicks ass (I know, I know, how many times am I gonna say something ‘kicks ass’…?). But really, Wolves is a perfect blend of laid back, stupid, nonsensical jabs and real socio-political commentary that makes for a pretty awesome punk album, whether you agree with their message or not. Oh and as usual, there will be no “Parental Advisory” sticker on this album. NoFX is STILL not a member of the PMRC, and wants everyone to know it. Oh, and they were also blacklisted as a “gay punk band” on this hilarious website, so, you know they’re awesome.
Listen to: “60%“, “Cantado en Espanol“, “You Will Lose Faith“

–

6. Silversun Pickups – Carnavas (2006).

I’m getting a little tired of hearing how similar these guys are to The Smashing Pumpkins (the whole ‘shoegazing’ genre, the female bassist, the initials ‘SP’, the unusual vocals, the heavy electronic sound…), so I won’t even try to compare the two (wait, shit!). In all seriousness, my roommate my freshman year, Brett, can verify that the first time I listened to this album start to finish, all I had to say was…“that was a real fucking album.” What do I mean? The songs were so perfectly positioned, the transitions between each song were so smooth, and the album art was so unbelievably appropriate for the band’s sound and genre that it really had no business being released during this decade, a time when it feels like most alternative rock groups slap 12 random songs on a CD, whip up a cool-looking cover in Photoshop and release it to the masses. SSPU so incredibly integrates the sonorous smashing of Chris Guanlao’s drums, the rugged rhythm of Nikki Monninger’s bass, the nearly deafening distortion of Brian Aubert’s guitar, and the spectacular sounds of Joe Lester’s keys that you really can only hear it to believe it. Becoming the first indie band to reach #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts, as well as grabbing a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (not that it really matters, as nearly every band that has ever won that award has actually turned out atrocious) is just icing on the cake, and, hopefully, signs of things to come from this Los Angeles based quartet.
Listen to: “Future Foe Scenarios“, “Lazy Eye“, “Common Reactor“

–

7. System of a Down – Steal This Album! (2002)

Yeah, sure, everyone knows these guys, which is why none of their well-known albums (Toxicity, Hypnotize, Mesmerize) make this list. Steal This Album! was the victim of the outburst of music sharing sites during the first half of the decade; hence, it was leaked in its entirety long before its planned release and never garnered nearly as much attention or accolades as any of SOAD’s other releases. However, despite the lack of any real standout track, Steal This Album! shells out 16 ass-kicking (one more for the road?) songs that provide, if nothing else, somewhat of a career interlude between Toxicity and the monster double-album Hypnotize/Mesmerize.
Listen to: “A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)“, “Mr. Jack“, “Streamline“

So, that’s about it. If I didn’t suck too much maybe Alexei will invite me back to write a review one day. [Editor’s Note: Don’t worry, everyone. He’ll be back.]

7 Albums from the 2000’s You May Have Missed (Part 1)

Hey, it’s January 7th, meaning it’s Christmas in the homeland. In honor of that, I’ve turned the blog over to Matt “Cassel” Powers. It’s a tough position, debuting on Christmas, but Cassel passed (no pun intended) with flying colors. Today, it’s part one of his 7 Albums You May Have Missed. Read on. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

—

I was considering doing a Top 10 Albums of the 2000s list, but (a) Alexei was already doing one [Editor’s Note: That might not happen. I’m having trouble deciding. Read Dave’s or Curtis’s.], (b) there was no way in hell I would be able to settle on a list I would be content with, and (c) it would probably turn out atrocious, incomplete, and way too biased towards the latter half of the decade. So, instead, I cooked up a list of 7 albums I discovered over the past 10 years, be it from illegal Napster downloads (wow, that was a long time ago — ah…the years of Bonzi Buddy, AOL 4.0, and Ski Free), word of mouth, movies, video games, shows, etc etc.

I remember getting my first iPod for Christmas in 2003 (soooo cutting edge, I know, I know, no need to compliment me). Like 1 MB for $7,000, it barely fit in my pocket, and had (gasp) real buttons that, like, clicked! I distinctly remember getting excited when I added my 100th song (and, consequently, got my first “memory full” error message). So, as I sit here playing with my brand new Microsoft Zune iPod Nano (even I, a devout Christian, Republican, and, subsequently, Windows user, cannot even joke about the horror that is the Zune), I scan over my new and improved music collection, looking for 7 albums somewhere between Adema and Zebrahead that can sufficiently define the last 10 years of my life (from a musical standpoint). Hmm, actually, the last 10 years of my life were mostly spent hunched over a computer and/or with headphones jammed in my ears. So really, the following list pretty much defines my entire life during the glorious George Bush era (insert political jab, anyone?).

–

1. Alien Ant Farm – ANThology (2001).

Think back. Way back. You KNOW this band. That’s right. They did that cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” 9 years ago. Reality is, AAF never intended for “Smooth Criminal” to be their leading single off this album, and it was only after some random DJ heard it and slapped it on the air that the song garnered any attention. So much attention, actually, that Anthology peaked at #12 on the Billboard charts. Someone in my family (probably my sister) ran out and picked up this CD at our local (gulp) TOWER RECORDS and later burned me a copy. Last summer, nearly seven years later, I was transferring my music library to my new computer when I stumbled across my original copy of this album, and figured hey, these new iPods hold like 5,000 songs anyway, why not give it a shot? After a couple of run-throughs, I realized that AAF actually kinda kicks ass, and that their one hit “Smooth Criminal” is really one of the weaker tracks from this record. Their original intended debut single “Movies” was chosen as such for a reason, but the aforementioned cover and its infamous music video blew up so quickly that the band had burned out and faded into obscurity before any of the other tracks really got any attention.
Listen to: “Movies“, “Death Day“, “Universe“

–

2. …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Source Tags and Codes (2002).

I tend to never judge an album based on music reviews; after all, reviews are merely opinions, and to each his own, blah blah blah. But Pitchfork.com is known for being, well, rather hellish when it comes to reviewing albums. Except here. Pitchfork gave this album a 10/10, a score usually only reserved for Radiohead records, and I happen to fully agree with their assessment. I’m not really into the whole indie rock scene or whatnot, but these four dudes from Texas actually pack quite a 46-minute punch from start to finish. Just don’t bother picking up either of their follow-up albums, So Divided or Worlds Apart. Trust me.
Listen to: “It Was There That I Saw You“, “Monsoon“, “Source Tags and Codes“

–

3. Between the Buried and Me – The Great Misdirect (2009).

I have to be in a certain mood to sit back and enjoy progressive hardcore metal (and by “sit back” I, naturally, mean bounce off the walls and go batshit insane), but this album, start to finish, is nothing short of amazing. Even if you don’t like heavy growling vocals, there are enough brutal breakdowns and enticing instrumentals strewn throughout this album to please any rock or metal fan. The album opens with a 4-minute melodic instrumental track and concludes with an ass-kicking 8 minute solo featuring layered guitar riffs, keyboards, tons of bass slapping, and pounding drums. Throw in a little country-influenced vocal interlude (“Desert of Song“), and a little funky piano piece (“Fossil Genera“) and you’ve got yourself an album. Give these guys a shot; believe me, if you’re a fan of progressive rock of any sort, it WILL grow on you.
Listen to: “Obfuscation“, “Fossil Genera: Feed From Cloud Mountain“, “Swim to the Moon“

Check back tomorrow for the last four albums!

An Horse

My friends saw Silversun Pickups when they came through Gainesville. They raved about the show. I was more interested in the band that opened for them, and I’ll admit it was solely because of the name. They’re an Australian act called An Horse. That’s right, folks. Horse – it’s more than just an animal.

An Horse seems to be all about opening for people. In 2008, they opened for Tegan and Sara, as well as Death Cab for Cutie. Like I mentioned earlier, they opened for Silversun Pickups this year, and they’re going to continue touring with Tegan and Sara this year. It’s a Canadian tour, so all you Canadians should probably check it out.

They released their first album last year. It’s called Rearrange Beds, and it’s got a bunch of dope tracks. “Camp Out” is my personal favorite. “Rearrange Beds” is another great track, which isn’t terribly surprising, since it is the title track, after all. “Postcards” is their most popular track on last.fm, and apparently it was in some BMW commercial. “Scared as Fuck” isn’t bad either. You can do what I did, and go to their tracks page on last.fm. Since they’re a cool band, they have full versions of all of their songs up to listen to. You can hear Rearrange Beds in its entirety, for free.

I’ll be honest, at first I made a big deal about this group just because they were Australian and had a cool name. Then, I actually listened to their music, and I’m glad I did. They’re a great group. Visit their official site, buy their album, do whatever you can to support them. And remember… Horse – it’s more than just an animal.

Dave’s Top Ten Albums of the Decade: 5-1

Tomorrow I’m actually writing. Dave’s reign here at everydaymusic continues today. It’s the second part of the Top Albums of the Decade. In case you missed #10-6, go read it. Then read about #5-1 below.

—

A lot happened in the 2000s. This is a cultural/artistic review of the decade and the year 2009.

2009 was a particularly bad year for the arts but I put together lists anyway, often with numbers 10 through 4 being begrudging fillers. Some of these lists don’t have explanations because I either didn’t care enough to justify the list or I had already written an expanded list elsewhere.

Happy New Years, everyone! Onward to the 2010s! God bless!

The Top Albums of the Decade

5. Stankonia by Outkast (2000)

ATLiens put Outkast on the map but Stankonia will be remembered as the too-short-lived hip-hop duo’s finest album. The album’s chaos, displayed by the legendary “B.O.B.”, contrasts nicely with the smoother verses of songs like “Ms. Jackson”, all while retaining the Dirty South’s unique sound.

4. Renegades by Rage Against the Machine (2000)

Although Rage was barely a factor in music in the 2000s, Renegades is an incredible reimagining of classic songs by other artists spanning all genres. We needed Rage this decade during the Bush years and we didn’t have them, so we can only hope that they return stronger than under the reign of a Democrat.

3. The College Dropout by Kanye West (2004)

Between incredible music and high production values, The College Dropout is an incredible hip-hop album. However, Kanye West made a huge cultural impact this decade in taking hip-hop in a different direction than the crunk subgenre made famous by Ludacris and Lil Jon or the thug-rap of 50 Cent. The College Dropout is a middle class hip-hop album that rocks a polo and jeans, rather than a chain and baggy pants. The frequent skits and often-introspective lyrics round out the decade’s third best album.

2. Kid A by Radiohead (2000)

It is almost appropriate that Kid A was one of the first major albums leaked onto the internet because it’s like a prophecy for the technological revolution of the 2000s. Kid A’s style of combining jazz and rock elements with electronica left us with an album that could never have foreseen how representative it was of the decade as a whole. Music went online in the 2000s, and Kid A sounds like the internet.

1. The Blueprint by Jay-Z (2001)

The Blueprint brought the sample back into hip-hop. It’s a decade-defining album in terms of its impact on hip-hop—launching Kanye West as a producer, reviving Nas’ career, cementing Jay-Z as the most important artist of the decade, paving the way for thug-rap like 50 Cent, etc.—and all of its songs are amazing. It’s the best album of the 2000s.