Best Records of 2000s
November 14th 2009 20:43
With this tumultuous decade coming to an end, there will be no doubt a flood of “best of” lists to bore us all to tears, I am sure. But I, for one, cannot resist this temptation. After all, a hallmark of the 00s is this new Web 2.0 with all its electronic media saturation. With that said, let me add to this web white noise.
Choosing a “best of” is difficult, obviously. How to choose a criteria? Most influential (thinking of Andre 5000)? Most units sold (re: Mily Cyrus)? Most paradigm-shifting (thinking of the Target Only LPs like Prince and Pearl Jam)? Best musically (thinking of Radiohead or Wilco). In the end, I decide to choose the record that were most important to me, personally. So here goes…
10. The Little Willies – self titled (2006)
This is a surprising pick for me. I am not a Nora Jones fan, but this is an irresistible record. Songs like “I Gotta Get Drunk” and “Lou Reed” are just so much fun. And it sounds like they had fun making it; this feeling infuses the whole record and leaves you just feeling good. A little country, a little rock, a little pop. A gem of a record. I hope they make more. I love unexpected discoveries like this one.
9. Garden State - Soundtrack (2004)
This is kind of cheating, I know. A soundtrack? Really? But it was a very important record. It seemed to define a new genre of music. People would ask “what kind of music do you like?” and someone could respond “ohh, Garden State type music” and the other would instantly know what was meant. I, for one, love this record. It introduced me to several artist that I was previously unaware: Iron & Wine, Nick Drake, The Shins. This soundtrack said to me: there is great music out there; here is a starting point. I owe a lot of my musical journey this decade to this humble collection of songs.
8. Fleet Foxes – self titled (2008)
The Foxes brought a whole new sound to the often noisy, distortion-drenched indie rock scene. They brought a grand cathedral like sound which made every song seem like a hymn. Like several of my other choices on this list, I appreciate the fresh sound, but also the fact the songs were good! Songs like “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” and “Blue Ridge Mountains” seem to capture a moment in time for the state of music in this decade. This debut record seemed to give hope for the next generation of musicians coming of age in the youtube/myspace era. There are younger people out there with a sense of musicianship, melody, history and style. The carved out their own identity with this one set of songs.
7. Andrew Bird – Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005)
Andrew brought such unique and unclassifiable instrumentation to his music, that he truly deserves a place on this list. His use of the studio for multi-track recording and looping is revolutionary, yet still able to retain an emphasis on songwriting and melody. Eggs has one of the best songs of the decade “Fake Palindromes” that still knocks my socks off in its bombast and elegance. Elegance is a good word for Andrew. Listen “Sovay” or “/=/” and you will feel like listening to songs that songs that Bach would have written had he been born in the 1970s. His later record Armchair Apocrypha garnered more critical praise, but I still prefer this one. Let’s not forget to mention that Andrew may be the best whistler in pop music since Axl intro’d “Patience”.
6. Gillian Welch – Soul Journey (2003)
Gillian and partner David Rawlings only put out two records this decade and both were superb. I chose this one based upon the song “Wrecking Ball” alone – easily one of the best tracks of the decade. Her Americana music bucks the digital trend by keeping true to her folk-rock roots of acoustic guitars and Spartan production – she lets the songs speak for themselves. But the songs seem fresh and new at the same time. For me, this record reinvigorated my love of female voices in folk music and led me to explore others like Tiny Vipers, Beth Orton and Aimee Mann.
5. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
I have not gotten into any other Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst music, but I really connected with this record. Lyrically, this record is so deep and thoughtful that it begs comparison to Dylan and Lennon – seriously. As I am sure is clear by now, I am a sucker for the acoustic guitar and this record is no exception. Conor’s deft picking is the perfect accompaniment for his substantial lyrics – the music never distracts from the message (just like any good folk record). Songs like “Train Under Water”, “Landlocked Blues” and “Road to Joy” are just devastating in their directness and passion.
4. Ryan Adams – Love Is Hell (2004)
Ryan had an amazing output of material this decade before going into semi-retirement this year. His catalog is tough to digest, it is so vast. From his early alt-country stuff to his later Grateful-Dead-esq stuff, he has definitely made his mark on the musical landscape of the 00s. My favorite is his quasi-new wave record Love Is Hell (especially when combined with its associated bonus material). It has Ryan at his most sincere (“I See Monsters”, “Political Scientist”), his most playful (“This House Is Not For Sale”, “Anybody Wanna Take Me Home”) and the best cover of the decade (“Wonderwall”). The Japanese Bonus Disk has some gems (“Black Clouds”, “This Is It”). Search it out.
3. Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
If I had this on vinyl, U would have burned a hole through it by now. OEND is the record I listened to the most this decade. For me, this is the definitive record of the neo-folk indie-rock movement of the 00s. Sam Beam beautifully travis-picks his way across a beautiful record of heart-breaking lyrics (the LP is a semi-concept record with a theme of death and dying). Songs like “Naked As We Came” and “Sunset Soon Forgotten” are testaments of such simple grandeur and should not be overlooked. Someone recently asked me the “desert island disc” question and I had to put this one on it – the only record from the past 20 years. The bonus tracks for this record are outstanding (they recently surfaced on the Around the Well collection).
2. The Avett Brothers – Emotionalism (2007)
Rarely has a band so grabbed me so quickly. These dudes won me over on the first spin of this record. Since then, I have bought most of their other efforts and all are very good (especially the Gleam EPs), but Emotionalism still stands above. Their knack for melody is truly rare in this AutoTune age. The Avetts have this distinctive American sound: combining rock, punk, folk, country and pop – plus they do it all with acoustic instruments (acoustic guitar, banjo, stand-up bass and piano)! What a breath of fresh air for a ProTools decade. Songs like “Paranoid in B-Flat Major” and “Pretty Girl From Chile” are just perfect, perfect songs.
1. Wilco – A Ghost is Born (2004)
This is arguably not their best record, nor the most paradigm-shifting (both are probably Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), but this is the record that introduced me to Wilco – and got me hooked for life. From those haunting opening notes of “At Least That’s What You Said” to the puzzling drone at the end, this record holds a very special place in my heart. It has an understated production and often whispered lyrics that really work as a whole. During a decade that saw the decline of the record and the rise of the individual (downloaded) track, this record begs to be listened to in its entirety. AGiB perfectly captures a difficult time in Jeff Tweedy’s life: first record without long-time musical counterpart (Jay Bennett) and rehab for prescription drugs. Like I said, most Wilco devotees will point to other records as their “best”, but for me, this is a perfect record for a perfect time in a perfect place.
Choosing a “best of” is difficult, obviously. How to choose a criteria? Most influential (thinking of Andre 5000)? Most units sold (re: Mily Cyrus)? Most paradigm-shifting (thinking of the Target Only LPs like Prince and Pearl Jam)? Best musically (thinking of Radiohead or Wilco). In the end, I decide to choose the record that were most important to me, personally. So here goes…
10. The Little Willies – self titled (2006)
This is a surprising pick for me. I am not a Nora Jones fan, but this is an irresistible record. Songs like “I Gotta Get Drunk” and “Lou Reed” are just so much fun. And it sounds like they had fun making it; this feeling infuses the whole record and leaves you just feeling good. A little country, a little rock, a little pop. A gem of a record. I hope they make more. I love unexpected discoveries like this one.
9. Garden State - Soundtrack (2004)
This is kind of cheating, I know. A soundtrack? Really? But it was a very important record. It seemed to define a new genre of music. People would ask “what kind of music do you like?” and someone could respond “ohh, Garden State type music” and the other would instantly know what was meant. I, for one, love this record. It introduced me to several artist that I was previously unaware: Iron & Wine, Nick Drake, The Shins. This soundtrack said to me: there is great music out there; here is a starting point. I owe a lot of my musical journey this decade to this humble collection of songs.
8. Fleet Foxes – self titled (2008)
The Foxes brought a whole new sound to the often noisy, distortion-drenched indie rock scene. They brought a grand cathedral like sound which made every song seem like a hymn. Like several of my other choices on this list, I appreciate the fresh sound, but also the fact the songs were good! Songs like “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” and “Blue Ridge Mountains” seem to capture a moment in time for the state of music in this decade. This debut record seemed to give hope for the next generation of musicians coming of age in the youtube/myspace era. There are younger people out there with a sense of musicianship, melody, history and style. The carved out their own identity with this one set of songs.
7. Andrew Bird – Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005)
Andrew brought such unique and unclassifiable instrumentation to his music, that he truly deserves a place on this list. His use of the studio for multi-track recording and looping is revolutionary, yet still able to retain an emphasis on songwriting and melody. Eggs has one of the best songs of the decade “Fake Palindromes” that still knocks my socks off in its bombast and elegance. Elegance is a good word for Andrew. Listen “Sovay” or “/=/” and you will feel like listening to songs that songs that Bach would have written had he been born in the 1970s. His later record Armchair Apocrypha garnered more critical praise, but I still prefer this one. Let’s not forget to mention that Andrew may be the best whistler in pop music since Axl intro’d “Patience”.
6. Gillian Welch – Soul Journey (2003)
Gillian and partner David Rawlings only put out two records this decade and both were superb. I chose this one based upon the song “Wrecking Ball” alone – easily one of the best tracks of the decade. Her Americana music bucks the digital trend by keeping true to her folk-rock roots of acoustic guitars and Spartan production – she lets the songs speak for themselves. But the songs seem fresh and new at the same time. For me, this record reinvigorated my love of female voices in folk music and led me to explore others like Tiny Vipers, Beth Orton and Aimee Mann.
5. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
I have not gotten into any other Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst music, but I really connected with this record. Lyrically, this record is so deep and thoughtful that it begs comparison to Dylan and Lennon – seriously. As I am sure is clear by now, I am a sucker for the acoustic guitar and this record is no exception. Conor’s deft picking is the perfect accompaniment for his substantial lyrics – the music never distracts from the message (just like any good folk record). Songs like “Train Under Water”, “Landlocked Blues” and “Road to Joy” are just devastating in their directness and passion.
4. Ryan Adams – Love Is Hell (2004)
Ryan had an amazing output of material this decade before going into semi-retirement this year. His catalog is tough to digest, it is so vast. From his early alt-country stuff to his later Grateful-Dead-esq stuff, he has definitely made his mark on the musical landscape of the 00s. My favorite is his quasi-new wave record Love Is Hell (especially when combined with its associated bonus material). It has Ryan at his most sincere (“I See Monsters”, “Political Scientist”), his most playful (“This House Is Not For Sale”, “Anybody Wanna Take Me Home”) and the best cover of the decade (“Wonderwall”). The Japanese Bonus Disk has some gems (“Black Clouds”, “This Is It”). Search it out.
3. Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
If I had this on vinyl, U would have burned a hole through it by now. OEND is the record I listened to the most this decade. For me, this is the definitive record of the neo-folk indie-rock movement of the 00s. Sam Beam beautifully travis-picks his way across a beautiful record of heart-breaking lyrics (the LP is a semi-concept record with a theme of death and dying). Songs like “Naked As We Came” and “Sunset Soon Forgotten” are testaments of such simple grandeur and should not be overlooked. Someone recently asked me the “desert island disc” question and I had to put this one on it – the only record from the past 20 years. The bonus tracks for this record are outstanding (they recently surfaced on the Around the Well collection).
2. The Avett Brothers – Emotionalism (2007)
Rarely has a band so grabbed me so quickly. These dudes won me over on the first spin of this record. Since then, I have bought most of their other efforts and all are very good (especially the Gleam EPs), but Emotionalism still stands above. Their knack for melody is truly rare in this AutoTune age. The Avetts have this distinctive American sound: combining rock, punk, folk, country and pop – plus they do it all with acoustic instruments (acoustic guitar, banjo, stand-up bass and piano)! What a breath of fresh air for a ProTools decade. Songs like “Paranoid in B-Flat Major” and “Pretty Girl From Chile” are just perfect, perfect songs.
1. Wilco – A Ghost is Born (2004)
This is arguably not their best record, nor the most paradigm-shifting (both are probably Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), but this is the record that introduced me to Wilco – and got me hooked for life. From those haunting opening notes of “At Least That’s What You Said” to the puzzling drone at the end, this record holds a very special place in my heart. It has an understated production and often whispered lyrics that really work as a whole. During a decade that saw the decline of the record and the rise of the individual (downloaded) track, this record begs to be listened to in its entirety. AGiB perfectly captures a difficult time in Jeff Tweedy’s life: first record without long-time musical counterpart (Jay Bennett) and rehab for prescription drugs. Like I said, most Wilco devotees will point to other records as their “best”, but for me, this is a perfect record for a perfect time in a perfect place.
| 43 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog