Again, this is not definitive, and it's not meant to be definitive. These are, as the title of this post reflects, just some of my favorite albums that happened to be released between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. This is not everything I liked from the decade. I limited it to one pick per artist, although if there are other albums I really like by them that were released this decade I do make a note of that. Other than number one it's not really in any order. The decision to list 15 was pretty arbitrary. No 2009 releases were listed.
So...bring on the indie rock! [featuring Kanye West]
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Alejandro Escovedo: A Man Under the Influence
Jennifer O'Connor: Over the Mountain, Across the Valley, and Back to the Stars
Sufjan Stevens: Illinois [but sometimes Seven Swans]
Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
The Mountain Goats: All Hail West Texas [but sometimes The Sunset Tree, and occasionally Get Lonely]
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Beulah: The Coast is Never Clear
The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday [but depending on the situation, Boys and Girls in America]
The National: Boxer [but now and then, Alligator]
The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic [and rarely Electric Version, and sometimes to be contrarian, Challengers]
Spiritualized: Songs in A&E
Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand
Stars: Set Yourself on Fire [sometimes In Our Bedroom After the War]
Spoon: Girls Can Tell [this one was close: sometimes Kill the Moonlight and other times Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but I think Girls Can Tell is just a personal favorite]
Anrew Bird: Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs
The Decemberists: Picaresque
Kanye West: Graduation [sometimes 808s & Heartbreak, and other times Late Registration]
Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood [but Blacklisted has her best song]
"New" Music Mondays, and Edible Audible Picnic series Pritzker Pavilion June 8 - August 31, 2009
Maybe this is cheating. Who cares. Collectively, having these every Monday (for free, too!), and the people with whom I saw them made my summer.
June 8 - St. Vincent June 15 - Pit Er Pat June 22 - Sea and Cake, Dirty Projectors June 29 - Black Moth Super Rainbow June 29 - Feelies, Icy Demons August 10 - Shellac, Shearwater August 17 - Emily Wells August 24 - Red Red Meat, Rural Alberta Advantage August 31 - Robert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine, Bunny Clogs
Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move (June 22)
[Part of the Concerts of the Year recap on RooYCD]
Jeff Tweedy The Vic February 14, 2009
Wilco UIC Pavilion October 18-19, 2009
This basically comes down to these things:
- The entire setlist on February 14 (but especially Someday Soon) - Misunderstood on October 18 [gets me every time] - Via Chicago [gets me every time] to open, and then Poor Places into Spiders (Kidsmoke) on October 19
I mean, everything second of these shows rocked, but these made it all worth the price of admission. Also, generally speaking, seeing your favorite band in concert seldom disappoints.
[the alternate line of Heavy Metal Drummer that they do live is awesome]
I put these shows together and maybe I shouldn't have. Sure, they pull from the same pool of songs and in each case they/he did about 30 of them. Also, in each case, Tweedy talked a lot when he wasn't singing.
However, in presentation they're very different. By nature, the solo show is very sparse and the set-list is a combination of fan favorites and rarities (and requests). The full band show is huge, meant to fill a larger space, and the set-list is more driven by songs that people know, and songs to which people can dance or rock out.
But either way, here they are. Different, but in some ways the same. I loved every minute of all of it.
[Part of the Concerts of the Year recap on RooYCD]
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band United Center September 20, 2009
We got there pretty early, cause we had floor tickets. It was gonna be a long night, cause Bruce Springsteen plays for two-and-a-half hours at least, and it's been a while since my mom's stood for that long [oh yeah, that was my mom with me at the Springsteen concert].
Ninety percent of the people on the floor had probably seen Bruce multiple times. We were rookies, and you could probably tell. The floor was starting to fill in, and you could tell that only one of us could see, and you said that we could move in front of you, which was incredibly nice. We moved up, and exchanged a little bit of conversation. I think I recall you saying that you had seen them before, but I don't recall if you said the number of times.
I had regretted not seeing him when he came to town back in May. I had tickets in my cart on Ticketmaster, but I probably didn't have enough money in my checking account to justify it. You were probably at that one, and at the one before, and the one before, going back probably at least a decade.
Started off pretty strong at the beginning [holy shit, Johnny 99!]
Then he cut into Born to Run [the album, and later the song], and I was just fixated on the stage. Absolutely nothing was going to take me out of that moment, and it was the most incredible hour or so. "Thunder Road" is in the running for "best song ever," and to finally hear it was just an amazing experience. The piano and voice to start, and then the explosion of sound that stays through the rest of the record. The entire crowd sang along the entire time, and usually that's really annoying, but this was something else. "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" explodes when played live. "Night" and "Badlands" are, of course, awesome, and though I had only recently, at the time, started to gain appreciation for "She's the One," seeing and hearing it live made me love it ever more. Even "Meeting Across the River" was a great setup to "Jungleland" when I feel that I too often hit >> on record. Never again. All of this goes without mentioning "Born to Run" the track, which might be the best live experience in rock and roll. You knew that already, and you've probably seen these songs countless times, but do you remember how you felt the firs time? That's how this felt. All I can say is "wow."
Of course, there were other songs other than Born to Run, but when it was announced that he was playing Born to Run in its entirety, for the second time ever [it's since been done more times] that put me over the top. I said "yes, I am fucking going." Now, you were probably going anyway, which is absolutely awesome. I used my graduation as a reason to justify my buying tickets, but honestly, I probably would've gone anyway.
On our way out I realized I didn't thank you for letting us move up. I might've said something at the beginning, but I feel like I should have looked back at the end and given you a nod, or a wave, or even a high five. We just left after American Land, still missing out on "Rosalita" and "Dancing in the Dark," but I don't feel that that in any way detracts the experience, [and hey, we beat traffic!] but forgetting to say something to you does. So, let me take this opportunity: thank you, and maybe I'll see you next time. I will be going back.
[Part of the Concerts of the Year recap on RooYCD]
The Flaming Lips Pitchfork Music Festival, July 19 Allstate Arena, December 11
Ok, this is pretty much every Flaming Lips concert I've ever seen, including the ones this year:
- Race for the Prize intro, featuring confetti, balloons, Wayne's space bubble, and the members of the Flaming Lips coming out of a woman's vagina (formerly "and the members of the Flaming Lips coming out of a spaceship)
- Alternating set-list between slower numbers and sing-along songs. Always featuring the Yeah Yeah Yeah song, She Don't Use Jelly, and a group singalong to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. (sometimes includes Fight Test) The Yeah Yeah Yeah song features large, confetti filled balloons. The Yoshimi singalong is slower than the record, and at the ends of "Yoshimi," and "Jelly," Wayne has everyone sing along to the last verse and chorus a second time, just because.
- Some new songs worked in.
- Wayne can't really sing anymore.
- Wayne talks a lot between songs, and you realize that they probably could have played at least one more song if Wayne would say, like, half of the words that he normally says.
- Also, wait, hold on, Wayne still plays guitar?
- Big finish with Do You Realize??, everyone loses their shit, starts crying, and realizes that they just had the most amazing hour and a half.
- 48-72 hours of "oh my god, that was amazing," and other general happiness.
This has been floating around Facebook for a few days, but here it is on the blog. This is my no means meant to be definitive, but rather it's just my favorites of what I've listened to. It is in rough order. What'd I miss this year, what else would I like?
Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion RIYL: Life; music
The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You Recommended if you have a heart; or if you're the tin man and don't.
Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix RIYL: pop music
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart RIYL: Indie pop music
Neko Case: Middle Cyclone RIYL: Albums with great covers; fifteen minutes of swamp noise
Metric: Fantasies RIYL: Songs that should be listened to at night
Tegan and Sara: Sainthood RIYL: Two to three minute long indie rock songs; Canadians
Ha Ha Tonka: Novel Sounds of the Noveau South RIYL: Missouri between St. Louis and Kansas City
Bill Callahan: Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle RIYL: songs with birds in the title
Wilco: Wilco (the Album) RIYL: 101.9 FM; bands that have songs about themselves
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down: Know Better, Learn Faster RIYL: Asian Americans
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir: …And the Horse You Rode In On RIYL: Belle and Sebastian; Chicago
Justin Townes Earle: Midnight at the Movies RIYL: Country, folk, country-folk
Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career Recommended if you are twee
Andrew Bird: Noble Beast RIYL: Andrew Bird
Dinosaur Jr.: Farm RIYL: whatever alternative rock is
The Thermals: Now We Can See Recommended if you're interested in hearing what a band who really hated George Bush sounds like now that George Bush is no longer president.
Marissa Nadler: Little Hells RIYL: Reverb vocals
St. Vincent: Actor RIYL: Songs about show business
The Mountain Goats: Life of the World to Come RIYL: The Bible (probably as literature)
I think years and decades are pretty arbitrary markers of eras in popular music. What makes the 2000s the 2000s, and what makes something released in October 1999 markedly different from something released in February 2000, other than that only one can be included in a "Best Albums 2000-2009" list? Mark Grace had the most hits in the 1990s, and Todd Zeile had the most errors in the 1990s, but really, what importance to either of those statistics have (beyond being cool trivia answers) when neither of those guys are going to get into the Hall of Fame of anything beyond "Cubs players beloved by certain groups of women in Lincoln Park between 1989 and 2002." (and a larger question of whether anyone...ever really loved Todd Zeile is certainly debatable)
Still, I'm a sucker for lists. It's hard to have a list of you don't set these markers, or else you just have a bunch of records (not that there's anything wrong with just having a bunch of records, and in fact, sometimes it's cool to just have a bunch of records). In the coming weeks, there will be lists. There will be a Favorite Albums of 2009 list, and there will be a Favorite Albums of the 2000s list. These lists will ultimately not mean much other than display how much I think I like Spoon.
I also might be moving this over to Wordpress but I haven't decided yet. In the end I don't think there's much of a difference considering that I don't really mess with layout that much, but I like the [preliminary] way this Wordpress looks.
The needle on my record player broke last night and it scratched side D of my copy of Being There that I was listening to for the first time. The first three sides sounded really great. Side D might be the weakest side, but I'll be damned if Dreamer In My Dreams isn't an amazing album closer, and I really, really wanted to listen to (Was I) In Your Dreams, but that big SCRRRRRATCH that came when I tried to play the last side really messed up my evening. I checked the record today in the light and it's a pretty decent scratch. I wanna see how it sounds but I sort of...can't at this point. Ugh.
Caps off a really frustrating week, I tell you what.
I'll be going to see Mountain Goats tomorrow, and it's my first concert since Wilco on October 19.
Brandon's perspective: this is the longest I've gone between concerts since Mother, Mother on March 3 and...yup, Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice on April 1.
Big picture perspective: STFU, you don't need to go to this many fucking shows, Brandon.
Night One, Sunday, October 18: Wilco (the song) A Shot in the Arm Bull Black Nova You Are My Face I Am Trying to Break Your Heart One Wing Misunderstood At Least That's What You Said Deeper Down Impossible Germany It's Just That Simple I'll Fight Handshake Drugs Sonny Feeling Jesus, Etc. Theologians I'm Always in Love Hate It Here Walken I'm the Man Who Loves You ------- You Never Know Heavy Metal Drummer Just a Kid Kingpin Monday Outtasite (Outta Mind) Hoodoo Voodoo I'm a Wheel
Night Two, Monday, October 19: Via Chicago * Bull Black Nova A Shot in the Arm Side with the Seeds * You Are My Face One Wing I am Trying to Break Your Heart Kamera * I'll Fight Impossible Germany Country Disappeared * Handshake Drugs Far, Far Away * Sonny Feeling Box Full of Letters * Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again) * Jesus, Etc. Can't Stand It * I'm the Man Who Loves You Hummingbird * ------- The Late Greats * You Never Know Hate it Here Walken Heavy Metal Drummer Poor Places * Spiders (Kidsmoke) * Passenger Side * Casino Queen * Outtasite (Outta Mind)
*'s indicate that new songs not played on the first night.
Yes, I'm utilizing the tag "life affirming occurrences." Maybe it's because I haven't seen them in 14 months, but I still know for damn sure that they brought it. One Wing KILLS live, absolutely KILLS. Misunderstood on night one made me melt on the inside, and so did Via Chicago opening night two. Night two also had the best encore/second set ever. Poor Places into Spiders (Kidsmoke) was every bit as omgworthy as I thought it would be. Far, Far Away is, like, my UIC song, even though it's not that far away from the city lights at all, but it's totally my UIC song, so to hear that played was amazing. I have an incredible new appreciation for Hoodoo Voodoo, which is completely different when seen versus heard on record or heard on bootleg at this point. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart is probably the best song of the 2000s, I ain't gonna lie.
I know it's a week later, and that last paragraph was really just a series of thoughts strung together, but let me tell ya, it was just that great.
Thumb In A Jar I Want You To Know Imagination Blind Get Me Pieces Plans Feel The Pain Over It Forget the Swan Back To Your Heart The Wagon Freak Scene --- Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover) The Lung
From Feel the Pain to Freak Scene was just...wow.
I think Dinosaur Jr. is in that realm of bands that I have to see every time they're in town now. Drove to Dekalb to see them earlier this year. Don't want to go to Dekalb ever again, but oh man, that night at Otto's was a great couple of hours.
