So, I’m pretty sure The Jonas Brothers will be everyones favorite band in 5 years. I will like them, my sister will like them, my best friend will like them and, dare I say...Pitchfork will most certainly like them. It’s all very obvious to me. They are on the same path as The Beatles. Let me clarify, they will NOT be the next Beatles. They will NOT revolutionize anything. What I mean is this: The Jonas Brothers and The Beatles have a very similar lineage. Started off young, rose a bit, fell hard, then blew up. The only thing thats left for The JoBros to do is make sophisticated music that no one can deny as good, if not great.
Why would any one say this? Well, my only reason to believe what they could become is their influences. I know, I know, Miley Cyrus “loves” Radiohead and Bob Iver. The difference between Miley and The JoBros is that The JoBros are actually talented, where as Miley is a talentless, bumbling fool. The Jonas Brothers like music that matters. Songwriters who made a difference. You won’t write great music if you listen to garbage.
The one thing me and Nick Jonas have in common is our love for Elvis Costello. That lucky son of a bitch got a chance to hang out with Elvis and talk about songwriting. While no one was shocked that Elvis was polite during the meeting, he did shell out some serious, eye opening advise to little Nick.
“See how far you can carry people into the things that you love, and don't be persuaded to keep making the same record. If being a pop star is your ambition, you're bound to be disappointed. There's truth to the idea that little girls who like you now are gonna wake up one day and be embarrassed they felt that way, because they feel like they're more sophisticated now.”
A lot of people argue that they’ll never break out of the Disney world to be legitimate musicians. Look at Justin Timberlake, he broke out and became the closest heir to of the king of pop that I’ve seen. The Brothers will grow up and their contract with Disney will expire. I think once those girls Elvis spoke of wake up and feel embarrassed is the day The Jonas Brothers will turn it around and do something great. The JoBros have to grow with their fans (and win over a few guys in the process). If they do that, they will be the biggest thing since...themselves. I’m hope I’m right.
I feel nothing towards Radiohead. I can’t say I hate them. I can’t say I really like them at all. They have some okay songs. Overall, what’s the fuss? Now, I’m not going to waste my time and your time by bashing Radiohead, because there’s nothing to bad about them, but more importantly, there’s nothing to life altering about them. Radiohead is one of the most underwhelming bands in the 21st century. My first experience with Radiohead was seeing a big poster of Kid A in my guitar “teacher’s”1 room. Then I remember he taught me to play “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” off The Bends. I also remember being ridiculously into the riff, but for whatever reason, I never pursued the band. Every since I got into high school people haven’t shut up about Radiohead. I post from time to time on a message board designated to Alkaline Trio super-fans2. I started a thread to tell everyone about this blog. It somehow turned into this Radiohead bashfest. I’m totally okay with people hating any music, but only if it’s grounded in the music, not the musician. Too many people I know hate Radiohead because of what Thom Yorke does and says3.
Since it’s the end of the decade, year/decade end lists are coming out of the internets woodwork, including the very blog you are reading. Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Spin all had a Radiohead album as their number one. Paste, The Onion, Wall Street Journal and NME all had Radiohead in their top ten. Does a band like Radiohead really deserve all this praise? No, not really. But I won’t say they deserve no praise, because I am aware that they are bafflingly talented and are an ever-evolving group, which is something I greatly admire. The most frustrating thing about the Radiohead fanatics is their claims that Kid A changed the rock record forever. I disagree. The Beatles and Bob Dylan changed the Rock (with a capital fucking R) album forever. Sgt. Pepper and Highway 61 Revisited took Rock and put a mirror in front of it’s face and told him he was a pathetic bitch. If you can look Paul McCartney in the eye and say that Kid A is Rock record, then maybe you’ll have room to argue here, dear reader. Kid A is undoubtedly a great piece of work, but I have a hard time believing anyone could connect to it in ways that listeners connect to an album like Arcade Fire’s Funeral. Radiohead puts an awkward distance between them and the listener.
I’m sure it seems like this post is just a rip on Radiohead. That’s lame and cliche4. Radiohead does a lot of great things. They revolutionized the distribution side of music. They create thinkin’ man’s music, music that requires you to really listen, which I need for time to time in music. And on every record they try to focus on a new aspect of the band. For example, Thom Yorke spoke about how on In Rainbows they concentratedonpercussion. I admire them as artist and they certainly hold a spot in music history.
I know some of you are unwavering Radiohead fans. This post isn’t for you (probably should have mention that earlier). This post is for the people who blindly worship Radiohead or who blindly hate Radiohead. This whole discussion came up because I’m sick of critics copping out and putting Radiohead as the best everything ever. There’s always something better. Always5. You’re just not trying.
____________________________
1 when I mean “teacher”, I mean a dude I payed to jam with me.
2Dib Dub,
3This seems to be an issue with Amy Winehouse too.
4just so everyone is on the same page, any extreme feeling towards Radiohead is cliche.
I can’t say for certain that I’ve been a music nerd my WHOLE life. But I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t wholeheartedly into some form of music. Here is where I go through the years and get real embarrassed…
Birth-4: I cried a lot.
5-7: When I was 7 my family moved from Holden, Massachusetts to Naperville, Illinois. Our babysitter got my sister and I goodbye presents. My sister got No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom and I got Space Wars: 20 Space Hits. I have no clue why he go that for me, but MAN did I love it. The only thing I really remember about this was jammin’ so hard to “Cantina Band” from Star Wars, and I can still jam to it. It’s good to know my 7-year-old ears agree with my 19-year-old ears.
8-11: Three words. Third Eye Blind. Yes dear reader, I was a 3eb super fan. I knew every word to every song on both Third Eye Blind and Blue Planet. I would look back every few years to Third Eye Blind and until the last year or so, I absolutely hated it. I was pretty anti-pop music for quite some time. After years of hatred, I gave in and just embraced it for what it is: amazingly well written, irresistible pop music.
12-14.5: I’d like to blame my sister for these three years. I listened to nothing but AC/DC. You think I’m kidding...I’m not. I like to lie to people and say that at this age I listened to Zeppelin, Clapton, GNR, KISS and AC/DC. It was just AC/DC and sometimes a song or two from those other artists (I listen to Led Zeppelin way more now than I ever did). In middle school I had my CD Walkman and a thick CD case filled with AC/DC (21 in all). Everyday I’d listen to a different CD on the bus ride home. I don’t know what was so damn appealing, but I was hooked. I kind of see it as the same reason why some young kids like the hibbity-hop. There’s a big beat to bob along to, and it’s the same flawless formula every time. After three years of nothing but that flawless formula, I began to see the flaws and just got bored. Although, I do jam Powerage once in a while.
14.5-16ish: I’d like to thank Jack Johnson for showing me the light. By that I mean, showing me that modern music could actually be good. During my Junior High years, I was pretty convinced that anything past 1991 was not worth listening to. I remember sitting on my couch and seeing this video. Today it seems stale, but at the time this was the coolest video I ever laid my eyes upon. From Jack Johnson, I started to explore more modern acts. I got into pretty much every pop-punk band on earth. For that time, it was the end all be all. I was so devoted to that music and that scene (or whatever), it was scary. The only bands that still remain a favorite of mine from this period are Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, OK Go and Coheed & Cambria. The rest sort of make me wanna puke. Though nostalgia gets the best of me sometimes and I spin certain songs by certain bands that will remained unnamed. As for Jack Johnson, I feel like everyone goes through a JJ phase. I've moved on entirely from him but I will always respect him for his music and what he showed me.
16ish-19: These last three years or so have been the most musically explorative years ever. I’ve listened to pretty much anything I can get my hands on. Indie, Hip-Hip, Pop, Jazz, Classic Rock, Classic Country, Folk. Anything...but not everything (save this debate for another time). I’ve done my best to take music at face value. If I didn’t I wouldn’t listen to Hank Williams Sr. Hank is one hell of a song writer, but if you really look at his songs, they’re all the same in almost every sense of the way. They’re all around 2 minutes and 45 seconds, they’re all about some lady, they’re all tongue-in-cheek, they’re all in the key of D and there’s never, ever a bridge. Must I continue? And although they’re shallow country songs, they’re fun and well written. That’s all that matters. I just wish country music now wasn’t such a joke.
In my later high school years, I was a pretty huge elitist when it came to music. If you didn’t listened to what I listened to, it sucked and you sucked. With age came the realization of certain things (okay a lot of things). Most importantly that what someone likes or doesn't like doesn’t really matter. All that matter is what makes you happy. Even if it’s Angels & Airwaves. Though it is hard to not rip on someone when on their facebook, under music, it says “Rascal Flatts, T-Pain, AVA, oldies”. If that’s what they like, the God Bless ‘em. I’d rather the world listen to music, than not at all.
On a final note, I highly encourage everyone to go and do this for your self. If you’d like, post what you listened to throughout the years. It’s really cool to reconnect with your self. I went back a listened to that “Cantina Band” song from Star Wars. It's basically a jazz song, and I got a Jazz boxset for Christmas. Spooky.
So I made this list. I slaved over it for a few days. I even wrote out an entry about what makes a good song and what makes a bad song. After writing like two or three pages, my faithful editor told me to try again or scrap it. I scrapped it. You may notice that 2009 songs on this list don't appear in the same order as the 2009 list. I can't explain why. I guess after a few nights rest, my opinions change.
Enjoy. Feel free to discuss.
-Garreth
Outkast - “Hey Ya!”
Gnarls Barkley - “Crazy”
Jay-Z Feat. Alicia Keys - “Empire State of Mind”
Arcade Fire - “Wake Up”
*NSYNC - “Pop”
Outkast - “B.O.B.”
The Swell Season/The Frames/Glen & Mar - “Falling Slowly”
Wilco - “Impossible Germany”
Nelly - “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)”
Kelly Clarkson - “Since U Been Gone”
The Killers - “All These Things That I Have Done”
Justin Timberlake - “Like I Love You”
Queens of The Stone Age - “No One Knows”
The Walkmen - “The Rat”
The Strokes - “Last Night”
Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - “Umbrella”
The White Stripes - “Fell In Love With A Girl”
Brittany Spears - “Womanizer”
Norah Jones - “Don’t Know Why”
Gorillaz - “19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)”
Beyonce - “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Black Eyed Peas - “Pump it”
Amy Winehouse - “You Know I’m No Good”
Bob Dylan - “Mississippi”
The Raconteurs - “Salute Your Solution”
Ben Kweller - “Fight”
JET - “Are You Gunna Be My Girl”
Animal Collective - “My Girls”
Broken Social Scene - “7/4 (Shoreline)
Modest Mouse - “Float On”
David Bazan - “Bless This Mess”
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - “Magick”
Dr. Manhattan - “Misses Steward”
Natasha Beddingfield - “Unwritten”
MGMT - “Time To Pretend”
Nine Inch Nails - “The Hand That Feeds”
Sufjan Stevens - “The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders”
Ebu Gogo - “H.U.G.S.”
John Mayer - “Neon”
The Flaming Lips - “Do you Realize???”
OK Go - “You’re So Damn Hot”
Jay-Z feat. The Roots - “Can I Get A…/Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)/Ain’t No N**** (Live)”
Alicia Keys - “Fallin’”
Eminem - “Real Slim Shady”
Christina Auguilera - “Ain’t No Other Man”
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - “Let It Ride”
Basement Jaxx - “Where’s Your Head At?”
Brittney Spears - “Toxic”
The Hives - “Main Offender”
R. Kelly - “Ignition (Remix)”
Maroon 5 - “This Love”
Wilco - “Jesus ect.”
Alkaline Trio - “Take Lots With Alcohol”
Jimmy Eat World - “The Middle”
Paul Simon - “Father & Daughter”
Iron & Wine - “Woman King”
Kanye West - “The New Workout Plan”
Coldplay - “Yellow”
Arctic Monkeys - “Fake Tales of San Francisco”
The Caesars - “Jerk It Out”
Jay-Z - “Big Pimpin’”
Johnny Cash - “Hurt”
Foo Fighters - “The Pretender”
John Mayer - “Vultures”
The Killers - “Change Your Mind”
Franz Ferdinan - “Take Me Out”
Jay-Z & Linkin Park - “Numb/Encore”
Against Me! - “Walking is Still Honest”
Matt Costa - “Mr. Pitiful”
Coheed & Cambria - “Three Evils (Embodied In Love and Shadows)”
Acoustic guitar, piano, wurlitzer, electric bass, drum kit, electric guitar, oboe, alto saxophone, flute, banjo, glockenspiel, accordion, vibraphone, recorder, casiotone MT-70, sleigh bells, shakers, tambourine, triangle, electric church organ and vocals. One man performed all those instruments on one triumphant record. Sujfan Stevens Invites You to: Come On Feel The Illinoise! (or Illinoise for short) by Sufjan Stevens is the greatest record of the decade and my generation. If you’ve noticed the trend, the things that I connect to home, are my personal favorites. If you were ask my dad what the greatest state in the union is, you would have to put a gun to his head before he’d say Illinois (even then, I’m pretty sure he’d take the bullet). To me, that’s okay. Rod Blagovsafkjgawiugasvbitch makes us look bad, but who cares. Illinois is the best state because is has so much history: Lincoln, The Great Fire, the Cubs, Al Capone, Frank Lloyd Wright, ect. ect. Illinoise celebrates the grand history of the state, good and bad. It’s something to marvel when you can a.) keep listener’s attention with songs/stories about a state b.) make those stories feel personal to the listener and c.) create a record that makes modern listeners excited, even when it’s so heavily anchored in classical music. Even it’s more playful moments, Illinoise is beautiful from start to finish. My favorite thing about the core of Sufjan’s songwriting is the humane details in his lyrics. I remember the line “In the morning/through the window shade/When the light pressed up against your shoulder blade/I could see what you were reading” stuck out in my mind. As a songwriter, I tried to recreate it, but Sufjan has a special gift of being aware of the little beauties in life. So the least I could do was to notice the little beauties in his music. The strange time signature and the smooth transitions to common ones. The orchestration, the harmonies, the silly lyrics that don’t seem so silly by songs end. Like I said, he doesn’t hide the shame Illinois has. We’re reminded of John Wayne Gacy and the things he’s done. The strange thing I’ve always felt with this song is that Sufjan seems to be understanding of Gacy. Maybe not the actual things he did, but more so the monster he became. It’s a strange element of the song, and it’s one that haunts you long after the fact.
I have a friend who I never see anymore. We were in music theory together in high school and he showed me Sufjan Stevens. After a few days, I came back to him and sung my praises. I was pretty baffled when he offered me tickets to see Sufjan Stevens...the next day...for free. No time to prepare! I didn’t know the words to many of his songs! People would stare! Oh, the horror! That proved to be meaningless as the next day, my musical life would be greatly altered. One by one, the band came out, all wearing these large nondescript wings. Then to my great shock, an orchestra come out, also with wings. After awhile, one last man came out: Sufjan.
Everyone has a good cry to a sappy song now and again, but never have I ever cried to due instrumental music. Well, Sufjan and his orchestra were so perfect, I cried. Twice. The Seven Swans track, “Sister”, and Illinoise track, “The Predatory Wasp Of Palisades Is Out To Get Us!” Why is this important? Well, it shows the great strength of Sufjan’s music and the great strength of music in general. Whether or not you, dear reader, and I agree on this album or any album on my list, we can agree that music is a powerful thing that gets us through life (amongst a few other essential things).
Death From Above 1979 - You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine
Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robot
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Gavin Castleton - Home
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Sank
Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
NOFX - War on Errorism
Outkast - Stankonia
The Postal Service - Give Up
Radiohead - (Insert whatever album)
The Roots - Phrenology
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
There are a lot of great records on this list. For one reason or another I felt that these records didn’t do enough for me. Except Stankonia, I slightly regret not putting on the list. You may notice Alkaline Trio. You’re probably wondering, since they’re my favorite band, why the didn’t make the list. Well the answer is simple, Alkaline Trio just didn't have a better record than others. They don't really have strong albums, whereas they have strong collections of songs. Other albums worth noting: Fleet Foxes. My good friend Drew brought up how she felt that it was deserving of a higher place. Her argument was that it was just surprising that a record like that and a band like that could become popular. I say, no, its not surprising, just look at Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I guess ill just quickly explain my self on certain things:
I’ll defend Coldplay for a hot second. They’re great. I don’t care what you or Chuck Klosterman says. They can’t be this popular with out being ridiculously talented.
The Flaming Lips probably should have made it on the list.
Everyone should listen to Gavin Castleton
Common sucked after Be
I only put Radiohead on the honorable mention because Andrew Winslow would have a shit fit if I didn’t. Radiohead is good but not that good.
We Were Dead Before The Ship Sank is outrageously better than Good News For People Who Love Bad News.
Alright folks, hope you got your readin' hats on. I wrote quite a bit about quite a few albums. I decided to build the suspense and hold off on my number one. but there should be some good reading in this entry. I hope. After this post I will write briefly on the records that were great, but didn't quite make it.
okay. cool.
15. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
I could have put any Spoon record on this list and most everyone would be content. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga just has a more confident aura about it. Not only that but it contained one of the best and most popular film songs of the decade, “The Underdog”. On Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon laced Rock with Funk and it is about as unique as you think it’d be. Spoon’s best attribute is that they never seem to totally fail you. Yes, there may be moments of question (See: Gimme Fiction). Yes, you may worry they’ll become something you’ll come to hate. But every time, Britt Daniel and company manage to impress you and be the most indie band they can be. I’d like to think Spoon is the definitive indie band. They have the definitive sound. They’re on a definitive indie label. They’re definitively awesome. They’re not intrusive on your life like so many bands are these days, and that makes you want to welcome the band even more. Spoon is kind of like that dude you see on campus all the time, and you always love talking to him because he makes you laugh. You always say to your self, “Man, I wanna hang out with that dude more. He’s so cool.” You never get close to that guy, he never returns your calls, but it doesn’t phase you ever. That’s Spoon.
14. The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious
Like I said earlier, Green Day and blink got things going for punk again in the 90s. Was is REALLY punk? Eh. Not really. Green Day had their moments, blink wasn’t punk in the slightest. In the early stages of this decade, garage punk came back. The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Vines and The Hives led the way. Since then, everyone stopped caring about The Vines, The White Stripes and The Strokes moved on from the garage thing and it prove to be successful for them. The Hives, however, have not moved on. I could kiss them for that. The Hives’ outrageous vocalist, Howlin’ Pelle, once said the whole point of The Hives was to make the fastest most blistering punk music their bodies could handle. This is most certainly the case for their Major Label debut. While they played at light speed (a 12 song album clocking in at 28 minutes) they still managed to a). write great songs b). show that they weren’t JUST slamming out power chords. These dudes can arrange and play just as good as anyone. Energy and excitement is just bursting from the seams of this album. My favorite thing about The Hives is that they have no shame. They don’t give a shit about anyone or anything. They just want to be heard. Here’s a great example: in 2007 The Hives graciously toured with Maroon 5. Not only did they tour with Maroon 5, they blew M5 out of the water a won a whole new group of fans. AND during that tour they played small club shows for their fans on their days off. When you’re in a band everyone asks you “what’s your band like?” I can never answer that question, but The Hives have themselves down to a science. They’re concise and finely tuned. Veni Vedi Vicious just further proves this.
13. Green Day - American Idiot
You’re a fool if you think that American Idiot sounded different to any other Green Day record. If you want to hate a Green Day record for sounding different, you should really hate Warning. The only difference between American Idiot and past Green Day records is that the songs are strung together and there’s a “plot” (allegedly). The thing that makes this record great is the ebb and flow of all the songs. It’s was as true of an “album” as you could really find at the time. Not only that but it was a hit. Everyone had it. Including the people who hated it. What is there to hate about this record? “WTF, The songs are too good.” “Billy Joe’s song writing is growing, what an asshole.” “The band is way too creative.” Cry me a river you blubbering baby. Get over it. Green Day recorded songs that were ambitious but not overly pretentious. Must I reference Angels & Airwaves again to prove my point? American Idiot just came at a perfect time. Everyone form the ages of 14 to 22 hated Bush and they needed a song to sing. Green Day gave them a song to sing. And just in case they were heartbroken, they gave them a few more songs to sing as well. So, if you’re afraid to come out and say you love this record dear reader. Fear not. I’m here for you. Just say it. Scream it. That’s right. Let it aaalllll out.
12. The Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!
When I created this list, I didn’t include my favorite band, Alkaline Trio. I’ll expand on that later. I decided to include my number two. The Lawrence Arms created one of the best punk records of the decade. I say this because Oh! Calcutta! is pure Chicago punk. The bassist and co-vocalist, Brendan Kelly said that while writing this record, they kept in mind all the things that got them to love punk. They reflected heavily on why they were in this band and why they were making their 5th full length. The answer? Love, loss, beer, weed, the music, friends and the Chicago skyline. I would say 95% of the people who read this entry will absolutely hate this band and every song on this record. That’s okay. The closing line on Gavin Castleton’s Home is “Home is not the place you dwell/Home is where you see yourself.” That sort of how I feel about this album and this band. They represent comfort. So much so that this past October I drove from Nashville, Tenn. to Chicago, Ill. to see The Larry Arms play their 10th anniversary show. The album is the best representation of the band. The guitars are huge. The drums are huge. The bass is huge. Everything is just in your face and its perfect. For those who can appreciate it, Oh! Calcutta! is something that will last for a long time. It’s an album about the human condition and I think people can connect with that. I just pray to baby Jesus that my kids will like punk.
11. Fionn Regan - The End of History
My Mom is pretty cool. Every once in a while I’ll get Wall Street Journal articles about bands like The xx (thats actually the name of the band) or cool columns on music publishing or concert promotion from her in the mail. Her greatest moment of coolness is most certainly when she turned me on to Fionn Regan. In 2007, he was nominated for a Mercury Prize. Since my mom checks all the Irish news publications, Fionn Regan fell into her lap and then into mine. The Irish singer-songwriter from County Wicklow is a mind-blowing talent. On the surface, Regan just totally rips your fucking face off with his finger picking. Never have I heard better acoustic guitar playing. That goes with out future withdrawal or retraction. Once you get past the superficial mind-fuck, there is so much more to this record. These sweeping collection beautiful lullabies will leave you feeling like everything will be okay. While his guitar playing could be perceived as a distraction, it isn’t in the slightest. Even if he sucked at guitar, these songs would still be phenomenal. Songs like “Hey Rabbit” and “Noah (Ghost in a Sheet)” are so simple and cozy, but deep down they are songs sung for a purpose, speaking volumes at such a low amplitude. I hate to say this kind of stuff, but this guy is finishing what Elliot Smith failed to finish (that damn coward). And he is NOT the next Bob Dylan. If you like folk music and incredible songwriting, Fionn Regan is a necessity. The few of us who know Fionn Regan, have been waiting so very patiently for album number two. On February 9th, almost four years later, we’ll finally get our second album.
10. OK Go - OK Go
I don’t know anything about OK Go. I could probably spout more information about Alkaline Trio, Bob Dylan and Arctic Monkeys than I could about my own life. The only thing I know about OK Go is they know how to write near perfect pop music. They can do it better than anyone I could think of. Everything is there: Witty one liners, over-arching stories with each song that has a clear resolution, big hooks, bigger guitars, great energy and sweet videos to go along with sweet songs. Pop music usually always revolves around the three “L’s”. Love, Loss, Lust. That’s pretty much OK Go in a nutshell. Take “You’re So Damn Hot” for example. A song about getting over a past love, and how you've grown to hate this woman. But deep down...you still really wanna do this chick. OK Go’s lack of shame on their first record is what makes it pretty great. This past semester, I got my iPod stolen so I was forced to use my CDs. Just for kicks I busted out this CD. Their talent was like a revelation. The crunchy power pop chords with doo-wop backing vocals? Friggin’ genius! I always loved OK Go, but I assumed that they’d be a band I’d like for a time then forget about them and never listen to them again. After this last listen, they proved that after 7 years their music stood the test of time. That’s tough and worth noting. So thank YOU douchebag roommate who stole my iPod, wallet and spare change out my room while I was sleeping. I would have forgotten all about OK Go if you weren’t such a arrogant dick.
9. The Swell Season - Once Original Soundtrack
This IS the most personal record on my list. I was in a relationship for a long time. It was my first girlfriend. It was (and still sort of is) the best human relationship I’ve ever had. The first time I attempted to take her out, it failed miserably. I had just finished recording my EP and I was taking her to the city to take some photos for the album art. Well we missed the train and she had lacrosse practice. In a last minute desperation move, I woke up my friend Jake at 9:30 a.m. to get my copy of Once so me and my ladyfriend could watch it. I knew it was something she’d love and it was a super romantic movie with great music. My little trick worked and by the end of Once, my ladyfriend was starting to look like more than a friend. The fact that the music from this movie was the glue to the beginnings of the most important relationship in my life, it sort of gives me a good reason to put it in my top ten. When it comes to songwriting, my biggest thing is honesty. If it’s not honest, why bother giving my time and ears? Glen Hansard is as honest as a man can get. With songs like “Leave”, you feel like you’re right there in the room when Glen confronts his ex-lover. The bravery of these songs is something to admire. Hansard also seems to fall into a groove and find his own style of song structure. I think he knows the rarity of this and he embraces it. While his then girlfriend, Marketa Irglova, wrote and co-wrote some songs, she’s young and has a long way to go before she’s on Glen’s level. Unsurprisingly enough, over a year later me and my girlfriend hit a rough patch and while we were trying to sift through our issues, who comes up on her iPod? The Frames, Glen’s band. After a handful of songs things seemed to just magically heal them selves. Glen is the glue in my life. I wish I could just tell him that my self.
8. Gorillaz - Demon Days
Everyone knows the Gorillaz. Everyone knows “Feel Good Inc.” Everyone knows these silly group of monkeys. What people may not know is that Damon Albarn is one of the best musicians of our time and he created the most eclectic record of the 2000’s. I don’t think you could fully appreciate the sheer impressiveness of Demon Days until you watch the Demon Days Live DVD. It took 30 musicians to perfectly execute it live. Demon Days is a cultured piece of work. Demon Days is politically conscious, socially conscious, spiritually conscious. Albarn had his eyes open during the writing and recording of this record. On most songs there’s a guest musician and Albarn shows his musical awareness by selecting some of the most compelling artists around. Most you haven’t heard of but you definitely take note on some of them after listening to this album. Some people that appear are De La Soul, MF Doom, Bootie Brown. The exception is Shaun Ryder on “Dare”. You are so fucking annoying Shaun Ryder. You ruin that song for the world. Put a sock in it, you dumb Cockney jackass. The most mesmerizing song on the record is “Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey’s Head”. The song is a mostly spoken word account on a fictional/figurative town at the foot of Monkey Mountain and it’s monkey inhabitants, The Happyfolk. The famed actor, Dennis Hopper, narrates the haunting story of a eerie infiltration by the Strangefolk which led to the brutal eruption of Monkey Mountain. The song can only be a response to one thing: Albarn clearly disagreed with the United States and Great Britain's choice to go to war. This song made this album my number eight because it shows the diversity. When you’ve got a contemporary pop record like Demon Days, the last thing you expect is a song like “Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey’s Head”. If you don’t listen to the whole record and least watch a live version of that song. Dennis Hopper delivers it like the gospel and it gives me chills.
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
Put your selves in The Arcade Fire’s shoes. You make a record. You get lucky and a great label picks it up. Pitchfork reviews it. You get a 9.7. The next week, you’re CD is sold out worldwide. What the hell do you do? If I was Win Butler, I’d like to find out why my album was the most popular indie album of the moment. A few weeks ago I had some friends over and we listened to Funeral. Afterwards we talked about why its so popular today and what it’s really about. On the surface the album is called Funeral because during the making of the album, 9 relatives died. 9 funerals to attend. That’s a lot of life to reflect on. If you’re a 20-something, you still probably feel young. After 9 funerals in a three to four month time span, you begin to really loose your innocence. One of the ideas that my friends and I tossed around is that this record is about the death of your innocence and the death of your childhood. We all want to hold on to our childhood but eventually the last string is cut and it is a freaky thing. Funeral is a graceful record through and through and i think the reason Funeral is so beloved is because of it’s grace. Every time I listen to Funeral, I get this image of a 16 year old girl who’s forced to stick with ballet; something she loved as a kid but has grown to hate in her adolescence. Pretty out there, I know. But listen to the record and read the words, you’ll agree. Even through out all these deaths, the Arcade Fire made a record filled with hope (something that Angels & Airwaves tried but failed. Tom Delonge cites AF as a huge influence. What a dick.) Their instrumentation choices set them apart from the rest of the pack and influenced bands like Architecture in Helsinki to use every instrument in existence besides the guitar. The lyrics are something to marvel as well. “Somethin' filled up my heart with nothin'. someone told me not to cry. but now that i'm older my heart's colder and I can see that it's a lie.” That’s the truth.
6. The Raconteurs - Consolers of The Lonely
Jack White has done wonders for my generation. He brought back song writing as the most important facet in popular music. He brought back the art of The Cool. Most recently, he (along with a few others) brought back the guitar. The first Raconteurs record was good. It was a good step forward for White. When The Raconteurs surprised the world on March 18th, saying that in one week, The Raconteurs would put out their second record, Consolers Of The Lonely, the world wasn’t ready. To my great shock, this was the best modern Rock N’ Rock record of the decade. Jack White and Brendan Benson could possible be the strongest songwriting team since...Hall & Oates...? If your heart’s not totally racing by the end of this record, you need to go to the doctor. They just do everything right. I don’t need to list it. If you can think of it, they executed it perfectly. No need to continue here.
5. John Mayer - Continuum
When I said Jack White was among the musicians who brought back the guitar, John Mayer was another. Continuum is a modern masterpiece. It’s fully thought out both sonically and musically. I just listened to this record Christmas day with my mom (like I said, she’s cool), and I couldn’t help but think how easy it sounds. Of his latest record, Battle Studies, Mayer said that he pined over every note of every song trying to create the best melodies possible. While these melodies are outstanding, the melodies of Continuum are so much more natural. This is in part because I’m pretty sure John Mayer and Steve Jordan jammed in a room until Continuum just fell out of them. I remember the day I found out John Mayer could do more than write Bubblegum-Pop. It was 2004, maybe 2005 and Dave Chappelle was trying to prove a point that white people are the only ones who respond to fancy guitar work. Chappelle hired Mayer to rip a few solos. I honestly thought it was a fake track that Mayer was fake-guitaring over. I was baffled but curious. I did some You Tubing and a few hours later I was a John Mayer convert. The next year, John Mayer put this somewhat hidden talent (at least to me) to tape with Continuum. Continuum is John Mayer at his core. It's the record he always wanted to make from the start but never could without a few hits under his belt. These songs are great pop songs that are hidden with amazing guitar work. Battle Studies is the exact opposite.
4. Dr. Manhattan - Jam Dreams
If you are my friend, you know Dr. Manhattan. If you have never ever heard of Dr. Manhattan, we definitely are not friends. I never ever shut up about the greatness of Dr. Manhattan. They are what I latch on to from home. Dr. Manhattan is mine as far as Murfreeboro, Tennessee is concerned. That’s not the point. Dr. Manhattan started in 2005 while Matt Engers, Adam Engers, Nick Vombrack and Andrew Morrison were in high school. After a demo, an Ep and a whole lot of shows, Vagrant Records took note of these dudes and signed them. They put out their phenomenally smart debut self titled record. They toured. A lot. They toured a lot more. They toured more than any band ever. More than Dylan. They achieved some pretty great things. They did Warped Tour, Bamboozle and got their video on MTV2. I’m not really sure what happened after this. Somewhere along the line their label, manager and booking agent cut them loose. They were back to square one. I was talking to the bassist, Adam, and he told me that they were dying to record another record. So they put aside shame and asked recording engineer Casey Bates if they could record now and pay later. Bates said, “fuck it. I’ll do it for free. I just wanna make good music.” A few days later, a man by the name of Chris Conely of Saves The Day calls dman (dman got to open up for Saves The Day for an entire tour) to ask what they’ve been up to. Once he heard about the situation, he offered his talents as producer to the band….also for free. While everything seemed to suck for Dr. Manhattan, their sheer talent enabled them to record a record for free. Pretty amazing. So after 303 words, shall I get to the content of Jam Dreams? Well, it’s pretty much the rocking-est, funkiest, jam dreamy-est collection of songs I’ve ever heard. The record is primal and fun and crazy and carefree. After seeing these guys 10 times, Jam Dreams fits them way better than their self-titled. The first record was serious music (minus “Tracy’s Buns”) made by goofy dudes. Jam Dreams is goofy music made by goofy dudes. Jam Dreams is a record that will sneek up on you and smack you in the ass. Most of my friends claimed that Jam Dreams wasn't as good as Dr. Manhattan, but once I made them think about Jam Dreams song by song, they sort of realized it's strength. This was not the case for me. My anticipation for the record was nauseating, possibly the my most anticipated record of the decade (excluding Angels & Airwaves’ first record...sigh…). Jam Dreams shows off the extreme talent of these dudes. After years of seeing this band and listening to them, the last thing I expected was a tapping guitar solo on “Mailman”. Or incredulous rapping on “Misses Steward” or three intertwining melodies on “Hard Time”. This record puts a smile on my face and I never ever get sick of it. It’s just another representation of where I’m from and why I’m proud of that.
3. Bob Dylan - “Love & Theft”
You have to understand where Bob Dylan has been to understand where he is today and where he will go in the future (the little future thats left). Dylan is inherently American and “Love & Theft” is an inherently American record. Ironically it was released on September 11th, 2001. It’s interesting to think about Bob’s career. In the early stages of his career he was a groundbreaking rock musician who wrote the rule book on modern pop music. As time went on, he broke the rules less and less. What he did do was fine tune those rule and come about as close as you can to perfecting them. You might see this as boring but if you take the time and just listen to “Love & Theft”, it’s exponentially more exciting because of that. Recorded with his touring band in 12 days, “Love & Theft” is the smoothest Dylan ever sounded. He got rid of the annoying producers, got rid of the annoying session musicians and just had fun and made a record with his friends. The albums third track, “Mississippi”, Dylan shows off that he can still write a beautiful pop tune. The song was originally written for a 1997 Dylan album but he ended up giving it to Sheryl Crow. He finally got it right in 2001. “Mississippi” is the epitome of smooth. He sings with such sorrow and regret, you can’t help but take in all the wisdom he has. On the past 3 or 4 records, Dylan has a lot to say. On “Love & Theft”, Bob squeezes in as many words as he can but gives enough room for the music to breathe and room for the band to create a luscious web of sound. A lot of people like to think that Oh Mercy or Time Out Of Mind were Dylan’s comeback records, those were precursors to what was to come, the best and most fun Dylan record since Blood On The Tracks.
2. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Poor Wilco. They never get a break. As I read justabouteverymajor Top Records of The Decade list, Wilco is always somewhere in the top five. They can never quite squeeze their way into the number one spot. They never will. Can I tell you why exactly that is? No, I can’t. Do I wonder why I complained that poor Wilco never got the number one spot on any list, yet here I am not giving them my number one spot? Yes, yes I am. Wilco’s just always been that band that gets short changed with the runner-up position. It’s kind of funny, seeing that they’re from The Second City. So what’s wrong with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? Well...nothing. I think… I mean it’s a pretty much perfect record. Sort of. I guess it comes down to how the listener relates to it. On one hand, you could have the artsy college kid who is lost on the path of his or her life and that student connects with its disconnection. Then on the other hand, you could have the college kid who just doesn’t get it. That’s something that is totally possible. This record is so fucking weird, most human beings can’t connect with it too heavily. The songs are most certainly great. I mean, you can’t turn away from a song like “Heavy Metal Drummer”. I can’t really say that any song is bad. But Jeff Tweedy, what in God’s name are you talkin’ about in “War on War”? Or “Kamera”? Nonsensical lyrics are fun and all...but it holds the record back. I salute them for creating a sonic adventure. For pulling apart all these songs and finding they best way to present them to the world. If you ever watch the documentary on the making of this album, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, you’ll see that. You’ll see them pick apart the songs. How many bands really care to do that? Being a musician, I can tell you that doing what Wilco did is hard. I know I seem to be sort of raggin’ on the record, but there are a ton of things that make this record great. First, they proved to the world what everyone said they couldn’t do. The major labels rejected Wilco but Wilco believed in them selves and their music enough to prove them wrong. After being booted from Reprise records for not creating something “commercial”, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released almost a year late and went on to sell 500,000 records: A commercial success. Another thing that makes Yankee Hotel Foxtrot a landmark album is that they consistently challenge the listener. If you start off a record with with a song like “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”, you’re really asking the listening, “Okay, do you ACTUALLY want to be here, or are you just fucking with us?” Slightly off topic, I have a theory that with their next record, A Ghost is Born, they sequenced the songs backwards just to create discomfort with the listener. Well it totally worked. Regardless, Wilco could have just made a typical, yet solid, rock record with these songs. It would have been so easy. Even I could have done it. But they didn’t make a rock record. They made a weird, monster of a masterpiece. Now that I think of it, the imperfections, the atonal garbage that litters this album is what makes it so great. It’s so uncertain. Wilco took their uncertainty and made it the most certain thing on earth.
stay tuned for the honorable mentions and the number one album of the decade...
