Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
210. The Go! Team – Universal Speech
Cheerleader chanting, party-inducing raps, and cheeky melodies made the Go! Team an indie rock sensation right around the time I entered college in 2005. This rarely-referenced album track from the sophomore effort Proof of Youth is one of my personal favorites. I’m pretty sure it’s that infectious drum beat at the beginning and the way it glides along with that piano line. It’s a surefire way to get sampled in hip-hop in the future, that’s for sure.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
220. Eisley – Marvelous Things
The Tyler, Texas quintet has remained active over the years, but it was this song, played late night on MTV2, that made me fall in love with their soft take on indie pop. It’s infectious, laid-back, and a perfect introduction to the band.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
230. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Plinking pianos, soaring background vocals, and an accessible approach to the band’s quiet tendencies brought Grizzly Bear their breakthrough track in 2009. While Veckatimest still had the trademark off-kilter minor keys and dark lyrics, “Two Weeks” came out of the oven ready for Gossip Girls. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
240. Menomena – Wet and Rusting
The finest track from Friend and Foe begins with Menomena’s trademark effects layered across an odd strumming pattern. By the time we reach the second chorus, the track turns into a cavalcade of rolling drums and scaling piano lines. And to top it all off, it’s simply beautiful.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
250. Rage Against the Machine – How I Could Just Kill a Man
For most of the decade, 3/4 of Rage were in shitty solo projects or the inevitably dreadful Audioslave. The other 1/4 released a new song every once in a while and lived off his earnings from the 90’s (that one is Zach). There were a few reunion shows – most of which sent people to the hospital – but overall the boys weren’t really raging much in the 2000’s. But at the turn of the century, before the nasty breakup, Rage put out their final studio album Renegades, a pretty kickass covers album. And although this Cypress Hill remake is a pretty straightforward take on the original, it still hits hard, the way these guys always knew how to.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
260. The Teenagers – Homecoming
All of my guy friends find this song pretty hilarious, yet every girl I’ve ever played it for is repulsed by its lyrics. Think of “Summer Nights” on Grease, but with a techno beat and the word “cunt” in the chorus. You know what? I’ll just let the lyrics speak for themselves.
Chorus:
Guy: I fucked my American cunt
Girl: I loved my English romance
Guy: It was dirty, a dream came true, just like I like it, she’s got nice tits
Girl: It was perfect, a dream came true, just like a song by Blink 182
And like Grease, it’s a singalong. Hilarious, right? Maybe? Ladies?
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
270. The Shins – New Slang
I heard all the brouhaha about Garden State and the hype surrounding this band, but I didn’t actually see the film until I met my good friend Kim in college. I believe it is still one of her favorite movies, and it is one that I enjoyed immensely, though I haven’t watched it since. I managed to get my hands on a copy of Oh, Inverted World back in high school, and, honestly, I didn’t really get it. Sure, the songs were pretty and soft, but I was initially bored. And dumb. It took repeated listens and a few years for me to appreciate it; what a brilliant little debut from a band that would, along with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, probably be the first in the new indie-Internet age to become too popular too quick.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
280. Say Anything – Wow! I Can Get Sexual Too
At this point I feel I need to make a quick reminder (especially to my music snob friends) that a lot of the songs in this list are not really songs I listen to on a regular basis. Most of them are here for nostalgic purposes and to give a perspective of my preference and its evolution over the past ten years. Having stated that, I love all these songs; they all hold a special place in my….uh, music heart. And, as they say, much like most countdowns, as the numbers get smaller, the hits get bigger. So hang in there, hipsters!
That being said, this song is really dumb. The lyrics are stupid, in a Bloodhound Gang kind of way (look for them later in the list, kids!), and this band really does nothing for me. But when this song came out, I rocked this bitch like it was “Stairway to Heaven.” And just try not to smile once while listening. The guy’s voice is humorously absurd, much like the story he’s telling.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
290. Les Claypool – Iowan Gal
Where do I begin? Les is one of my all-time favorites, and his past decade work will be represented well on this list through his Oysterhead project, solo work, and songs from his main band Primus. Needless to say, I’m a die-hard fan; I first discovered Les and Primus back in 1996 when my cousin Joe brought Pork Soda to my house during a Christmas visit.
Claypool’s solo work is weirder and leans toward jam-band noodling sometimes, but “Iowan Gal” is good ol’ Les, mostly just him and his mighty bass guitar slapping, popping, and showing off. It’s funky, humorous, and a return to form from the great weird one.
Today I begin a project that will take awhile, and one I should have started a few months ago, near the end of this past decade, like most respectable blogs/zines did: I will be showcasing and analyzing my Top 300 Songs of the 2000s – that is, the top 300 songs of the past decade. I will do so in intervals of ten per post. Let’s do this!
300. Cat Power – He War
I didn’t think much of this song when I first heard it on WOXY FM (then known best as 97X – BAM!) back in, I’m guessing, 2003. It didn’t really have a catchy chorus, and it was incredibly unconventional compared to the rest of the modern rock radio dreck I was listening to at a high school. Then again, 97X opened my eyes to a lot of great music. “He War” really grew on me thanks to heavy rotation and a certain burned CD I blared from my shitty yellow 1978 Ford Fairmont. I don’t really have another favorite Cat Power song; her work has never resonated well with me – but this track has stuck with me throughout the years, and earns a spot as one of the decade’s best.
