30. Tortured Artist Saint – Dead Confederate
Six minutes of whiskey breathed howling, like some werewolf hybrid of Crazy Horse and Kurt Cobain with a flanged out tinge of southern foreboding.
she’s a cold bitch in honest company
29. Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
One of the catchiest mainstream pop tunes of the decade. There’s a flow to Hollaback Girl and a genuine sincerity one feels from this this listening experience. This is in stark contrast to the other manufactured pop of the decade that is mostly completely devoid of life. Gwen sells it in the video like a coked up infomercial pitchman.
28. Island In the Sun – Weezer
How in the hell are these guys still around? Weren’t they supposed to be a relic of the 90’s, of girls singing and acting out “The Sweater Song” at college parties who are now mothers? Well, the lesson here is that pop culture attachments other music critics lavish on music are worthless garbage for measurement. Simply write a strong melody and the rest will fall into place.
27. The Funeral – Band of Horses
Band of Horses came out of the blue from the Seattle indie scene, and broke ground fast with the help of KEXP in terms of airplay and promotion. A stint on the David Letterman helped as well. There’s a mystical quality to the guitar intro, and a power to the bridge and chorus akin to REO Speedwagon’s finer power ballad moments.
26. Tailspin – The Jayhawks
After parting ways with band founder Mark Olson in 1995, the Jayhawks embarked on a path of stylistic choices that seemed to split critics. Rainy Day Music(2003) was the final Olson-less album and although patchy, contains some of their finest work. The best of that would be Tailspin, with it’s almost heroic tone and addicting chorus. It’s an under looked gem of the decade.
25. Without Me – Eminem
Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside
If you think there’s anything innocent about those lyrics, think again. Eminem was back, and he had the hooks to back him up. It is likely he will not attain these heights again. Everything is working here,from the cynical lyrics, the irresistible sax work and the energized guitar crunch in the chorus.
24. Hold On Hold On – Neko Case
Neko plays the part of the partied out party goer who perhaps is tired of participating. She drives home alone, enjoying some pills, pondering everything. You can almost picture the tail lights of the car tricking through the dark roadways as the loose guitar jumbles up and then spits out again.
23. Bandages and Scars – Son Volt
Farrar’s guitar jumps through your window, punches you in the nose, then steals your car and heads for the highway. The perfect road trip song, a movement for the last days of the highway rambler in this era of climate change – a final celebration of freedom and leaving it all behind while we still can. The guitar pounds and churns like pistons, working with the rhythm section as speed increases. The quick pace is broken by sections of slowdown, perhaps pulling into that rest area for gas, or stopping by that bar out in I80 for some local culture.
The end of an era? Will we become a people who simply live our entire lives inside cities, never again feeling the joy of the open road? Maybe.
22. Mason City – The Fiery Furnaces
The Fiery Furnaces pull off a kind of psych freak Americana that would have been at home on a Buffalo Springfield record with about ten more ounces of LSD and a healthy inhalation of hash. The nonsense lyrics conjure up an old world aura, but the instruments and tone provide a futuristic backdrop. There are many false starts and legit changes in the arrangements, providing intrigue, drama and surprises. Iowa perceived at its best.
21. Diamond Heart -Marissa Nadler
But I look for you
In the traffic seas
And the bars I’m always frequenting
A solemn, heartbreaking ballad sung beautifully. It’s complete melancholy, but with a hint of triumph laced in the arrangement. Nadler will likely be a force in the coming years. Her exceptional voice and great skill in capturing moments like an auditory snapshot are not gimmicks or fad. This one doesn’t need to grow on you, it hits right away.