self-titled: ^_^
Top 25 Songs of 2001
here it is, my top 25 songs of the calendar year 2001. I tried to put them in a particular order, and the order there kinda of works, but is largely arbitrary, since i hold much of this music on equal grounds sometimes, and quite fluctuating grounds the other times. but no matter, ignore the numbers and peep the music.
#25. Radiohead - Life In A Glasshouse (Amnesiac)
the closing track of the wonderful amnesiac, Thom and the boys eschew the raging rock of past outings and the blistering electronics and bizaro effects, and give us a song accompanied by a dirging piano and a new orleans style jazz band. The effect, mixed with thom's paranoid lyrics is quite haunting.
#24. Belle & Sebastian - Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It (Belle and Sebastian Sing Jonathan David)
Stuart Murdoch sings a great story over a hearbreaking country-tinged string-infused accompaniment. Perfect fodder for endless repeats during my summer work days.
#23. Les Savy Fav - Adopduction (Go Forth)
Even the title makes me laugh. Great little guitar and synth number from the seminal art-punkers. Kid gets abducted, parents don't want to pay the ransom, stockholm syndrome hilarity ensues.
#22. Mates of State - Everyone Needs an Editor (My Solo Project)
young husband and wife duo play the organ, pound the drums, and scream wonderfully energetic and fun harmonies. Saw these guys in concert, and the amount of sound these two small people made, and the amount of fun in that sound just floored me. Tempo and structure changes galore, and a great line "i'll color the sky with you / i'll let you choose the blue."
#21. Low - Like a Forest (Things We Lost In The Fire)
At almost a breakneck tempo for a Low song, this is just one of those chills-up-my-spine tunes. Wonderfully understated strings, Mimi's harmonies so low in the mix, but not so low that you can't feel their presence. Two and a half minutes of beauty.
#20. White Stripes - Hotel Yorba
Brother sister, husband wife, divorcees, whatever jack and meg white are, they know how to rock the fuck out on just a guitar and drums. She crashes cymbals with reckless abandon, he yelps with the soul of a tortured blues singer in the deep south early in the century. A boisterous bluegrass or southern or whatever porchside stomp.
#19. The Avalanches - Since I Left You (Since I Left You)
Title track of the year's best mix tape mass produced for thirsty dance floors everywhere. And what? it's all sampled? a triumph in ability that they not only pieced together a song from all found samples, but that it is such a goddam good song.
#18. Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (Poses)
Poses is such a great album, it would be hard to pick out a lead song if i hadn't for some reason (probably the title) chose this one to be my favorite way early in the game.
#17. Bonnie Billy - Sweeter Than Anything (More Revery)
Prince Oldham treated us this year with an EP of 6 covers, all magically transformed into Oldhamerrific goodness, even a song from such sugary fucks like Tim McGraw. This guy's is something else, and this PJ Harvey cover is one of the more passionate songs of the year.
#16. Death Cab For Cutie - A Movie Script Ending (The Photo Album)
So what if the "hiway" bits linger a little past their welcome? This song is just great. One of the greatest things to do is to be listening to this song on a clear, sunny day when he reaches the last "passing through unconscious states..." and looking up when he finally hits it big and just grinning like an idiot from ear to ear.
#15. Superchunk - Out On The Wing (Here's To Shutting Up)
Airplane paranoia, self doubt, cultural irrelevance, all wrapped up in a great popped up, rocket out package.
#14. The Microphones - The Moon (The Glow Pt. 2)
After a quiet intro guitar section, phil elvrum thrusts us deep into a rushed, dense, relentless story full of so many words, starting with a simple story of a personal moment launching into phils' patented too much to comprehend brand of suggestive lyrics and imagery. This song is an experience, always pushing forward, especially those gorgeous sax swells.
#13. Ben Folds - Annie Waits (Rockin' The Suburbs)
So there is life after BF5. Perfect pop music right here, drum machines, keyboards, great builds, great choruses, and most important of all... handclaps.
#12. Dntel - (This is) The Dream of Evan and Chan (Life is Full of Possibilities)
Death Cab's Ben Gibbard helps out electronic wonderkid Dntel for this gorgeous song of lush synths, static, and perfect vocals. A meeting of two great minds, a song to make any moment right.
#11. Dump - Pop Life (That Skinny Motherfucker With the High Voice?)
The highlight song of an album of Prince covers full of highlights from the bassist of Yo La Tengo. Armed with an acoustic guitar, some weird keyboard thingy and what appears to be a drum machine, James McNew takes me elsewhere. To a place where everything is chill and relaxed, and this becomes the anthem of popular music instead of the similarly minded N*Sync song.
#10. Belle & Sebastian - Jonathan David (Belle & Sebastian Sing Jonathan David)
Yeah, I know what you're thinking, "two songs from a 3 song single?" well, what can i say really... it's good stuff. This song grew on me like a weed, easily taking over Carriage Clock as best of single. IT's Belle & Sebastian doing what they do best: being awesome.
#9. Spoon - Me and the Bean (Girls Can Tell)
Never has a band from Texas sounded so British. It sounds like late night gutter rock from the secret spots of the Queen Mum's domain, taken from the 60's or 70's and frozen in time. Dirty-sounding vocals, spark-shooting guitars, and shimmering pianos built a song that feels right at home with the cover art.
#8. Figurine - IMpossible (The Heartfelt)
They know the way to my heart: drum machines and synths. Easily the best song written about the digital age, even surpassing Britney Cleary's "IM Me." It was no easy task picking one song from this album, but i managed. It makes me smile and it makes me feel special in my special places. This Dntel dude is on a role.
#7. Weezer - Photograph (Weezer)
Weezer and hand claps and falsetto "ooh-oohs." That's really all it takes.
#6. The Dismemberment Plan - Following Through (Change)
The d-plan in effect. The more i think about it, the more i know that Change is destined for the number 1 spot if i make my top albums of the year list. So the plan's grown up, they still have one of the most unique rhythm player in the biz, but travis is keeping things a little more low-key and delivering more personal lyrics that really hit home.
#5. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Under The Hedge
Arena guitar hooks to make Rush blush. Leo's unrestrained passion, and the rock. Oh yes, the rock.
#4. The Dismsmberment Plan - Time Bomb
I guess this is really close to the other d-plan song, but that's what happens with last minute arranges, I guess. this song floored me live, and did a number of me on disc two. I spoke of travis's moving and personal lyrics, i do think that "i am a lost soul and i send out a sickened light for anyone to see / a cry for help, a warning to stay away, a burning, blinding, bleaching, death mask white." is one of the best lines of the year, moreso when coupled with his passionate delivery.
#3. White Stripes - Fell in Love With a Girl
Speaking of the rock. None of that porch-side hillbilly shit here, no no, just the biggest rock in the world. And to think, it's all being made by two waifish indie-kids.
#2. The Strokes - Someday / Last Nite
No rules about sticking two songs in a slot. When it came down to it, i just couldn't decide. More of the rock. I could probably throw the whole album in this slot, but i didn't. The hype machine isn't always that off, i mean sure, these guys aren't saving rock, but they're definitely doing their best to keep it going. Too bad they've got all the ingredients for an explosion, leaving the world to wonder if maybe, had they stuck around a little longer if they could've been rock's saviors.
and the number one song of my year:
#1. The Secrets - The Loneliest Duet
And to think, if i didn't happen to be in OtherMusic one day while they were playing this, i'd be adrift in the sea of life, always seeing this self-produced, CDR'd, hand-drawn CD art disc on the OM shelves and thinking, "hmm, friends of the employees, pass." This song may just have had more playtime than all the others on the list combined. Brilliantly employed drum machine, nice keyboardy stuff, and electric guitar that i've just recently begun to listen in wonder at it's effective simplicity. Boy girl vocals, camel lights, whiskey, cemeteries , thrift stores, vinyl, and indie love. the world i want to live in.