Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
150. Kanye West – Stronger
The Daft Punk-sampling first single from Graduation not only showed a compelling progression in West’s production, but it showcased his always-improving lyrical prowess. Kanye’s known for his incessant bragging and unfathomable ego, but with beats and words this precise, this banging, this funny, he continued the consistency of delivering on his Cassius Clay-channeling talk.
Up until about a month ago, I lived in the blue part of that “map” up there – I recently transferred to deep in the red, but I have been a Texan my whole life. And there’s no place like it. Anyone visiting will tell you: there’s something about the Lone Star State, a vibe, a sense of pride you can’t find anywhere else in the Union, or the world for that matter. And I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
One of the best things about Texas is the music – from the country background of our capital to the rock and roll roots of the South Plains, to the Dirty South “Screwston” scene, to the metal movement based in DFW. Harlem, Willie, Buddy, Pantera, Paul Wall, we’ve got it all. I invite you to listen to the new mix Subservient Experiment has posted featuring only the finest in the state’s indie rock offerings. It’s an awesome sampling of great tunes from such a huge land mass, and it has inspired me to make my own mix.
So enjoy a helping of tracks from the friendliest region on the planet. I think you’ll agree: everything’s bigger in Texas, even the sounds.
