On with the end of the 90's...

1999

“Uninhabited Man”- Richard Thompson
A quietly powerful, and disturbingly introspective, song that just gets under your skin and occupies the room with you at the same time.

“She’s a Jar”- Wilco
A pretty intense folk-rock ballad that manages to embrace both ‘sing along’ and ‘stream of consciousness’ qualities.

“Time After Time”- Cassandra Wilson
Wilson incorporates her own stylings with the previous interpretations of the song, a key one being Miles Davis’, from her album of Davis tributes- sometimes definitive covers come from the strangest places.

“Time Has Told Me”- Kelly Willis
The Nick Drake song, done as well as anybody who’s not Nick Drake can do it.

“Donque Donque Kjang”- Ululating Mummies
There never will be enough groovin’, goofy, avant-garde world dance music in my book, so these guys just have to get a mention or two. This also just happens to be a wonderful track no matter what it’s called.

“Get Behind the Mule”- Tom Waits
A mission statement from Waits, doing his own take on rural blues and gospel music.

“Stolen Car”- Beth Orton
The classic Orton track, folky with modern sensibilities and overtones.

“I Know Why the River Runs”- Julie Miller
Ooh, she just oozes confidence, that Julie Miller. Not only did she establish herself as a major American Roots artist on this one, but I believe that she really does know why the river runs.

“Thunderstorm”- Matthew Sweet
A suite from Sweet, actually, and probably an unheralded masterpiece at that. It’s also fun to spot the influences, from the Beach Boys to CSNY to Pink Floyd, etc., because they’re all there in a wonderfully rich pop tapestry.

“Way of the World”- Continental Drifters
The band features Peter Holsapple, Susan Cowsill, and Vicki Peterson and this one is as much jangle pop as it is alt-country, sort of like the Kennedys but with a bunch more heft.

“This Time”- Los Lobos
A solid Memphis-style R&B number, proving that, once again, Los Lobos can pretty much accomplish anything they set their minds to.

“Mystical Machine Gun”- Kula Shaker
Mostly because it sounds so freaking cool.

“Bathsheba Smiles”- Richard Thompson
Thompson covered a lot of stylistic territory on Mock Tudor, all of it expertly done. This is a pop rock song with no small amount of lyrical irony, and the attention to structure and melody is spot on.

“Nicotine and Gravy”- Beck
Classic Beck- funky and detached, simultaneously.

“Big in Japan”- Tom Waits
The logical conclusion to the song “Goin’ Out West”, perhaps? This is what it sounds like when Waits tries to lighten the mood- it could only have been improved by actually using a rhythm section of a washtub bass and garbage can instead of making it sound that way.

“I’m Always in Love”- Wilco
If I ever get a convertible, this song is high on the list of the songs that I’ll play in it first, it’s got a great 60’s pop/garage feel.

“Red Dragon Tattoo”- Fountains of Wayne
It doesn’t try to be more than high energy fun, but that’s what these guys do best.

“Annette”- Ululating Mummies
They channel Pere Ubu and the Ventures here, to grand results. This needs to be in a David Lynch movie.

“Lonely Holiday”- Old 97’s
Wonderful hooks, albeit with a bit more polish, from Rhett Miller and the boys.

“Ten Year Night”- Lucy Kaplansky
A great love song from Kaplansky.

“Oh Yeah”- Los Lobos
Not only do they try their hands at injecting some techno influences into their sound, they get one of their best tracks ever as a result. Remarkable.

“Split Personality”- Matthew Sweet
One of Sweet’s better high octane tracks.

Oh, you meant NOW! Okay, I'll have my mess of a list in working order come Saturday. In the meantime...

“Mystical Machine Gun”- Kula Shaker
Mostly because it sounds so freaking cool.

Agreed. I almost included this one in mine, but I already had three other Kula Shaker songs, which is obvious overkill, and "Mysitcal Machine Gun" was unfortunate enough to be the one cut. Nice to see it's not getting left out of the cold!

Okay, here we go. 1999:

“108 Battles (of the mind)” Kula Shaker
Gee, it sure is nice of the rules of listing things alphabetically to go and put the best song of the year right up at the top, huh? Most of Kula Shaker’s stuff leans towards the big, bombastic Oasis model, but not this ditty. “108 Battles” is a garage band rocker through and through, squeaky organ and harmonica breaks and all, and the energy in the band’s performance is truly awe inspiring. What’s more, this is one of the few times that their George Harrison rip off lyrics don’t sound like, well, George Harrison rip offs. Like most Kula Shaker songs, it’s not very original, but that’s not the point. What matters is that they do a tremendous job at it.

“A Sleeping Company” Olivia Tremor Control
Off of their second album, Black Foliage. That album strove to combine the artsy sound collages and pop sings that sat side by side on Dusk At Cubist Castle. If you ask me, that wasn’t a very good idea, as their knack for great hooks was already obscured too much as it was. Still, these guys could record a bag full of cats falling down a flight of stairs and make it sound good, as this track aptly demonstrates. (and no, I DON’T support the idea of throwing bag full of cats down stairs)

“A Spoonful Weighs A Ton” The Flaming Lips
The Soft Bulletin marks The Flaming Lips at least partial return to this corner of the space/time continuum after the impossibly wild 4 disk concept Zaireeka. Rather than returning to their rock roots, however, Wayne Coyen and co. create an intricate and well orchestrated pop album in the vein of Pet Sounds or maybe The Moody Blues. Everything on this album is extremely elegant (with Mercury Rev’s Dave Fridmann involved, such a project ought to be), especially this choir powered track.

“Bitter Tears” The Magnetic Fields
From the collection 69 Love Songs, huh huh huh, get it? The title's not just dirty jokes, though; this 3 CD set really does boast an absurd 69 all-new songs. For obvious I’ve only heard a portion of these songs so far. Out of what I have heard, “Bitter Tears” is easily the best. A moody yet driving tune with a nice layer of reverb draped over the top. It’s also one of the (in my opinion) few songs The Magnetic Fields has done since Susan Anway left that actually benefits from Stephin Merritt’s deadpan voice rather than suffering because of it.

“Californication” Red Hot Chili Peppers
If nothing else, I’d like to take a moment and applaud these guys for coming up with this title. Isn’t this a great title? It seems blindingly obvious, but I know that I’d have never thought of that! Actually, this whole song is filed with some of their most brilliant wordplay (“space may be the final frontier but it’s made in a Hollywood basement"), especially considering that pretty much all of it has to rime with a VERY difficult word. VERY impressive.

“Clouds” Cibo Matto
My, what a difference three years can make. Cibo Matto has gone from two faces to anywhere between four and thirteen, depending on when you count (with none other than Sean Lennon in their ranks). They’ve significantly evolved musically as well. “Clouds” is one of the most futuristic songs I’ve ever heard, flaunting some of the best robot distortions vocals around. The real treat, however, is the melody. I honestly can’t come up with a point of reference to describe it, it’s definitely not like anything in western pop, or even classical, but it’s got very little connection to traditional Japanese music as well. Not to give you any ideas, but “Clouds” is easily worth buying the Stereotype A album on it's own.

“Golden Avatar” Kula Shaker
Speaking of most of Kula Shaker’s stuff leaning towards Oasis bombast, there’s this jewel off of Peasants, Pigs, And Astronauts. I have no idea what it’s supposed to be about (if it’s about anything), but it sure sounds great. The airy middle eight is especially great, in a “Pictures of Matchstick Men” kind of way.

“It Might Be Bad” The Go
And suddenly, we jump from intricate, highly produced brit-pop to one of the most deliberately messy albums ever: Whatcha Doin’ by The Go. These guys will definitely go down in history for being the group Jack White was in before The White Stripes, but that’s not because they aren’t worth listening to on their own. Whatcha Doin’ is one of the best garage rock albums ever made: simple, repetitive, catchy, and awe inspiringly fun. Thee guys are actually a lot tighter than the crude production values of the album suggests, as the great vocals on “It Might Be Bad” aptly demonstrates.

“Jet Generation” Guitar Wolf
Why’d I call Whatcha Doin’ ONE of the messiest albums ever? Because it can’t touch Jet Generation, that’s why. If I’m remembering correctly, Guitar Wolf claimed that Jet generation was the loudest mixed album in music history, and I believe it even if it’s not true. These guys are so absurdly dedicated to volume, guitars, volume, science fiction, volume, trash culture, and feedback as a result of volume that all logic insists that they must be a Spinal Tap style parody. Yet it’s the fact that these guys are dead serious that makes them so cool. They’re easy to laugh at, sure, but let’s see YOU dress up like ‘50s biker, claim to be the offspring of a wolf, and sing rock songs about UFOs… ALL IN FRONT OF PEOPLE! That kind of bravery must be respected.

“Jimmy The Explorer” The White Stripes
Speaking of Jack White, here’s where the latest golden boy of underground rock enters the scene on his own. There’s not a lot that can be intelligently written about a song that contains a like a bout a monkey jumping on a bed, followed by about ten seconds of Jack impersonation of said monkey. Still, it’s a great example of The White Stripes almost unrecognizable form of the blues.

“Learn To Fly” The Foo Fighters
As tempting as it would be to include a comment or two about the video and seeing Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins in fat suits, I’ll try to refrain. *deep breath* Anyway, this is a great example of modern pop rock and… Um… The performance is… Er… Forget it; did you see those fat suits? Those things were hilarious! No wonder that video won a Grammy! I LOVED those fat suits! ...Awww, dang it!

“Live With Me” Ghost
There are four or five bands called Ghost our there, so I’ll clarify by pointing out that this is the Japanese Ghost. I only recently stumbled onto these guys, but they are definitely worth checking out. They boast a real knack for Brian Wilson style pop production (lots of piano, xylophone, and vibes on this one) something that seems to be popping up in a number of places on this list. However, they do a much better job of slipping some solid rock beats underneath it all that many of their contemporaries. The album is called Snuffbox Immanence and is well worth checking out if you find it anyplace.

“No Cutting Corners” Milk Can
Well, I snuck in a PaRappa the Rapper tune earlier, so why not UmJammer Lammy? This is the song at the final level of this PaRappa spin off (that’s an essential purchase for any rock fan with a Playstation), and it’s one really great rock anthem. It doesn’t make much sense unless you’re familiar with the game, and even then it’s pretty nonsensical, but dang is this thing catchy!

“No Leaf Clover” Metallica
Okay, I’m not the biggest Metallica fan out there, and I’m sure a few true Mettalica fans will cry foul at me giving props to S&M, but this is a very powerful performance no matter how you look at it.

“One More Cup of Coffee” The White Stripes
Probably the best song on their debut, with is a little ironic, as it’s a cover. This is actually a Dylan song, but the White siblings (he said, dripping with irony) really make it their own, infusing it’s south-of-the-border melody with a sense of true mystery and menace. It’s the echo-drenched organ that really makes the song.

“Otherside” Red Hot Chili Peppers
Here’s to comebacks. These guys really deserved all the fame they earned with this one, it’s one of the few songs to come out in all of the ‘90s that honestly doesn’t sound like it’s coming from any pre-established genre. This sparse, moody song just is.

“Promises” Def Leppard
Speaking of comebacks, or comeback attempts anyway, here’s Def Leppard. With “Promises”, these guys go directly back to the big, produced to microscopic precision sounds of their ‘80s albums. No, I don’t know how they thought it would sell in today’s market either, but it’s a noble effort. Anyone who knows anyting about Def leppard will immediately notice that “Promises” is a blatant rewrite of “Photograph” (even featuring Mutt Lang on backing vocals), but it’s also a vastly superior song. I’ve always found “Photograph” to be very forgettable, but “Promises” is one of the best songs they’ve done yet.

“Paper Sun” Def Leppard
Funny that the two great song off of ‘99’s Euphoria fall right next to each other in this kind of list, especially since they sound so different. First off, don’t think for a second that this has anything to do with Traffic’s song of the same name, this “Paper Sun” is downright scary: a big, doom laden, power balled completely lacking any sap (or even romance). I think it may be my favorite Def Leppard song ever.

“Red Death At 6:15” The White Stripes
Okay, I have to confess that I’m making a wild guess about the date for this one. Apparently, it’s one of The White Stripes’ vinyl-only releases (like all good indie bands), and I’ve only heard it on an internet radio station that didn’t provide any release information. If you ever stumble on any collection of Detroit indie rock that contains it, though, buy it and let me know. I’d love to hear it again.

“Ride” Incubus
Few recent bands have recorded as many songs I like and slipped them in between as songs that I despise as Incubus. This is the one that really made them big, and it’s one of my favorite songs of ’99. It’s also one of those songs that will always be permanently attached to summer in my mind. Really, it’s a great song to have going in a well air conditioned vehicle while driving through own on a hot August afternoon. Well, I think so, anyway.

“Ruby” The Apples (in stereo)
Her Wallpaper Reverie is the most elaborate album The Apples (in stereo) have ever attempted, and also one of their most consistent. Rather than following in the footsteps of Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds, it actually manages to stand along side those masterpieces. Unfortunately, that makes it very difficult to single out any one track that stands out enough to mention (the fact that the album maintains it’s unity by reprising the same musical themes doesn’t help much). “Ruby” makes the cut, though: a great, lively music hall tune that strongly recalls Face to Face era Kinks.

“She’s So High” Tal Bachman
We’ve all heard about the offspring of famous rockers: Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers is probably the biggest success story, though Sean and Julian Lennon are no slouches either, plus Cher and Greg Allman’s song Elijah a.k.a Exter Blue of Deadsy who…, well, never mind (and, of course, there’s the ever persistent, Dweezil Zappa, who I’m convinced will be the only human other than Cher to survive the nuclear holocaust). However, it’s Guess Who/BTO mastermind Randy Bachman’s son Tal who I think is the most impressive Rock Star Kid so far. “She’s So High” is a stone cold classic of power pop, easily better than all but the very best songs Badfinger, Big Star, or The Raspberries produced.

“So You’ll Aim Toward The Sky” Grandaddy
A real college radio favorite if ever there was one, at least as far as North Carolina is concerned. This is, how should I put is, repetitious to say the least, but it’s just so beautifully elegant (in a lo fi way) that that is a real virtue. You’d listen to it again anyway, so why not have the song do it for you?

“Sour Girl” Stone Temple Pilots
Wow. This is one of my favorite songs of all time. Delicate and haunting, yet driving and very much a rock song. In fact, it’s only one step away from being The Byrds. To think these guys used to want to sound like Soundgarden. The mind boggles.

“Strawberryfire” The Apples (in stereo)
One of the best things The Apples ever did, certainly one of there most successful stabs at “Strawberry Fields”/”I Am The Walrus” psych. This is dreamy, easy going, almost trance indusing music. In fact, it’s really not so much like “Strawberry Fields” as it is one of the tracks of Donovan’s Sunshine Superman album, just with a stronger beat. Good music to think cosmic thoughts to.

“Suzie Don’t Leave” The Go
It really is funny how these songs get arranged on these lists. After three examples of airy, cosmic balladry, along comes this trashy piece of garage punk. By design, there’s not much that you can say about this song, other than it WILL be stuck in your head until you listen to another Go song.

“Swingin’” Tom Petty
Off of Echo, which shows ol’ Tommy boy to be very ahead of the curve: latching onto the garage band revival a few years before it became “The Thing”. This has pretty much all the essential elements of a Tom Petty song, but it’s provided with an unpolished power that’s rarely been glimpsed in Petty’s music. As a result, I think “Swining’” Stands as my favorite Tom Petty song ever. Shame on the classic rock stations of the nation for not playing this twice a day at least.

“The American Scene” The High Llamas
Another bunch of Brian Wilson disciples, The High Llamas have the whole Pet Sounds vibe down to a science. Actually, “The American Scene” is a bit more rock oriented than most of their endeavors, but the comments above are still pretty acturate.

“The Big Three Killed My Baby” The White Stripes
Ol’ Jack is very unhappy about something on this one, and you know what? I really have no clue just what it is. It really doesn’t matter, I guess; most White Stripes song make very little literal sense. In any case, this is another great example of how something as traditional and commonplace as the blues can be warped into something bizarre and unconventional.

“The World Is Not Enough” Garbage
Not a lot to say, other than this is one of my favorite James Bond themes, even if it is attached to a disappointing film.

“Then The Morning Comes” Smash Mouth
For my money, the best song Smash Mouth has done. It’s a pretty obvious attempt at rewriting the “Hello, I Love You” Doors vibe of “Walking On The Sun”, but actually manages to surpass that song by reigning itself in a little. “Then The Morning Come” is a much more focused song, great hooks abounding.

“The International Language Of Screaming” Super Furry Animals
A truly great rock song, this. Funny title, too’ or I think so anyway. Finding myself at a bit of a loss to come up with anything more meaningful to say about the song, I’ll throw in a tidbit about the video. Unless I’m mistaken, the subtitles for the lyrics are in Esperanto. Get it?

“What Is The Light?” The Flaming Lips
One of the trippiest songs on The Soft Bulletin, boasting heavy echo and some really great piano noodling.

“Why I’m Here” Oleander
Pretty much the final gasp of life for the grunge sound, at least it seemed that way until Puddle of Mudd came along. This would actually be a pretty good place to draw the line of that sound, since it’s such a good note to end on. The haunting Alice In Chains melody very pretty, and the mandatory loud Nirvana chorus is pounded out with perfection. Textbook Seatle sound? Yeah, but only good songs make it into the textbook.

“Working For Vacation” Cibo Matto
And we end this little show on a nice, easygoing note. In the hands of another artist, “Working For Vacation” could have fallen into bland easy listening territory, but Cibo Matto manage to keep it lively and even spacey, in an almost Stereolab way. Of course, Miho Hatori out-sings Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen (rest in piece) any day of the week.

I meant to ask these during one of the above posts, but I haven't had time to do much lately. Well, better late than never I guess:

“Time After Time”- Cassandra Wilson
Wilson incorporates her own stylings with the previous interpretations of the song, a key one being Miles Davis’, from her album of Davis tributes- sometimes definitive covers come from the strangest places

Pardon my ignorance, but is there any relation to the Cyndi Lauper song?

“Big in Japan”- Tom Waits
The logical conclusion to the song “Goin’ Out West”, perhaps? This is what it sounds like when Waits tries to lighten the mood- it could only have been improved by actually using a rhythm section of a washtub bass and garbage can instead of making it sound that way.

Another possibly imagined conection, but is that the same song that provided the name for the band Big In Japan?

“Time After Time”- Cassandra Wilson
Wilson incorporates her own stylings with the previous interpretations of the song, a key one being Miles Davis’, from her album of Davis tributes- sometimes definitive covers come from the strangest places. - Mr.Porter

Pardon my ignorance, but is there any relation to the Cyndi Lauper song? - Blitz

Same song. I've heard Miles' version. It's not too bad, except it sounds like the Prince of Darkness was veering a little too close to Kenny G territory for my tastes. He also did Michael Jackson's "Human Nature". I'm wanting to say that both songs appeared on Tutu, but it could easily have been The Man With the Horn. But don't quote me on that.

np - Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde

"Music is a world within itself/And a language we all understand." - Stevie Wonder

Re: Miles' version of "Time After Time"- it's amazing that a really mild interpretation of a pop song would create such a firestorm, but that's what I remember at the time (1985ish). I think it came out on a 12" single first and then made it to an album. Miles stuck by it, though, and kept on performing it live. I agree with Benn, it's OK,- it's just the melody, really. Wilson made it into something really special, though.

Another possibly imagined conection, but is that the same song that provided the name for the band Big In Japan? - Blitz
That, I couldn't say, though it is a music industry phrase (in a self depreciating way people will sometimes say "my records don't sell well over here, but at least I'm big in Japan") so it's just likely coincedence.

Part of that "big in Japan" may stem from the wild success of Cheap Trick's Live At Budokan album. Up to that point, the Rockford, IL band had extremely minor success. The highlight of their career had been "Surrender", which was their only real hit after three albums. Then came Budokan, which broke them wide open, with such hits as "I Want You to Want Me" (which had already appeared in a studio version on an earlier l.p.) and "Ain't That a Shame". They finished out the decade in a reasonably superstar fashion, then began to fall back into obscurity again. They were rescued briefly by "The Flame" (which guitarist Rick Nielson hated). Since then they've been successful as a live band, putting out records that have gone nowhere.

But the point is that Cheap Trick's big break came from a live album recorded in Japan. Bob Dylan, IIRC, even tried his hand at having a hit album with a Live at Budokon slab shortly after Cheap Trick found success with theirs. He didn't have much luck.

The "Big in Japan" phenomenon was used in This is Spinal Tap, where at the end of the film, Tap found they had a big hit in Nippon with "Sex Farm Woman".

np - Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra

Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand." - Stevie Wonder

To find a really sweet, effective use of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time", catch the move "Strictly Ballroom", part of the Red Curtain Trilogy by Baz Luhrman. (The other two are "Romeo and Juliet" -- DeCaprio et al, and "Moulin Rouge".) It's kind of a cross between Dirty Dancing, Best in Show, and any given salsa movie.

That, I couldn't say, though it is a music industry phrase (in a self depreciating way people will sometimes say "my records don't sell well over here, but at least I'm big in Japan") so it's just likely coincedence. -Mr Porter

I had a feeling that was probobly it, especially after I look the band up on VH1.com and found out that not one but TWO other bands have used that name over the years. Just thought I'd throw that out there anyway.

But the point is that Cheap Trick's big break came from a live album recorded in Japan. Bob Dylan, IIRC, even tried his hand at having a hit album with a Live at Budokon slab shortly after Cheap Trick found success with theirs. He didn't have much luck. -Benn

You know, I've heard that rock concerts have been banned at the Budokon these days (or they were at one point, at least)

The "Big in Japan" phenomenon was used in This is Spinal Tap, where at the end of the film, Tap found they had a big hit in Nippon with "Sex Farm Woman". -Benn again

Among other things. I seem to recall the Disney cartoon Bonkers and even Full House throwing characters into sudden fame in teh land of the rising sun. Yet, no one has mentioned the first American band to achive their greatest fame in Japan: surf inovators The Ventures! Shame on us all!

Bet you thought I’d given up on this, didn’t ya? Well, not quite; but I have been pretty busy lately. To make matters worse, I’ve made a number of little discoveries lately that have prompted some significant additions to several lists (not that I’m complaining about that, mind you), but more on that later. First, here’s the long awaited (yeah right) 2000 list.

2000:

“Beg, Borrow, And Steal” The Stand
All you proud owners of Nuggets will recognize this one. Actually a ska band, The Stand do a very good job covering The Rare Breed’s only record. They sound a little less like The McCoys than the original artist did, but “Beg Borrow, And Steal” is so much like “Hang On Sloopy” that it’s impossible to sound TOO different.

“Drifters” Paul Rodgers
This sounds a little like a Bad Company song. Well, actually it sounds a lot like a Bad Company song. Ok, this sounds so much like a bad Company song that they could have called it a Bad Company song and the rest of Bad Company would probably have been fooled. That wouldn’t have been a very bad thing, either; this would have been one of Bad Company’s better efforts if they had.

“Easy Tonight” Five For Fighting
My weird fetish for the “other” song continues with this often-overlooked outing by the “Superman” artist. “Easy Tonight” was the single before “Superman”, and it was actually re-issued as the dust from that uber-hit settled. It just didn’t seem to make it into the land of hits either time, which is too bad, seeing that it’s a far better song. Imagine Live, but with less secondhand U2 melodrama, and you’ve pretty much got this song.

“Easy Way Out” Elliott Smith
With this, we enter into the absolute best album 2000, Figure 8. On what would turn out to be Elliott Smith’s swansong (excusing any posthumous releases), he finally figured out how to avoid the spots of mediocre filler that crept into all his previous albums. The result is one of the most consistent albums I’ve ever heard. Honestly, every single track could have made it onto this list. But enough about the album as a whole, let’s get to the individual songs. “Easy Way Out” is about the simplest song on Figure 8, simply guitar and vocals, but that just gives the great lyrics and perfect melody more focus. “Easy Way Out” sounds a lot like it fell out of Rubber Soul or Simon & Garfunkel’s Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, in the best possible way. It also became very morbid listening after Smith took his own life.

“Flyswatter” eels
E (a.k.a Mark Oliver Everett) seems to have a kind of creative schizophrenia not unlike Neil Young. Where Young leaps between country/folk and deafening noise, E seems torn between post-Nirvana alternative rock and Mary Poppins music. Beautiful Freak found the first ruling over the second, while Electro-Shock Blues saw the two equally clawing at each other’s throats. 2000’s Daisies Of The Galaxy saw the differences between E’s rather exclusive interests grow to the point that he had to split the album in two. Souljacker would eventually appear with the heavier side of the sessions, but Daisies Of The Galaxy as released is a runway for E’s twisted take on seemingly innocent pop. “Flyswatter” is about the heaviest song on the album, obviously a tougher version of eels’ debut “Novocaine For The Soul”. It’s arguably a better song, though, boasting one of the best rifts a rock song has had in a long time (it’s a riff played on a toy piano, but stiff a riff). Then again, it’s the first eels song I eve heard, so I’m a tad biased.

“Go” The Apples (in stereo)
On Discovery Of The World Inside The Moone, The Apples take a step back from the sprawling, Moody Blues meets Brian Wilson-esque ambition of Her Wallpaper Revere, but manage retain that album’s intricacy within the more compact pop-rock format of their earlier efforts. “Go” is highlighted by a set of jubilant horns and flute that almost sounds like it was recorded for an Austin Powers movie. Okay, it’s more like the Austin Powers people listened to this.

“Grace Kelly Blues” eels
Probably the best example of E’s twisted take on innocent, old fashioned pop music yet. To he honest, this acoustic-based track, adorned with some marching band horns and lovely steel guitar, honestly sounds like a latter day Monkees song (that or a Sesame Street song). I guarantee that if you ever encounter this song, you’ll be humming some part of its sing-along melody for the rest of the week. It’s a good this the track is so strong musically, to, since the lyrics are pretty much textbook E cliché (unhappy, everyday people who aren’t happy, irony everywhere, the occasional profanity to show how serious he is). But lets be honest, nobody listens to eels albums to hear poetry; it’s the tunes that we’re interested, and that’s what “Grace Kelly Blues” delivers.

“Grace To Grace” Geddy Lee
The Chipmunk-voiced Rush bassist plays the solo game on this effort, and to the surprise of no one it sounds a LOT like a Rush song! In fact, it sounds EXACTLY like a Rush song; boasting some intricate riffing, obscure lyrics that must mean SOMETHING, and a lot of imaginative studio tricks. That said, “Grace To Grace” is a bit more straightforward that most Rush songs, and is actually better produced that Rush’s more recent efforts.

“Hard Times Killing Floor Blues” Chris Thomas King
One of the songs from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack., and also one of the least countrified, hence it’s inclusion on this list. King has received some pretty good press since this effort, but so far this is the only thing he’s done that I’ve actually heard. A simple blues song, with Kings eerie vocals floating over the finger picked guitar and a few crickets in the background. Whoever said less is more was on to something.

“Hello I Love You” Oleander
From Stoned Immaculate, a Doors tribute album. The artists who gave up “Why I’m Here” (which made one of my earlier lists) take on the Doors’ second number one with a surprising level of success. In their hands, the otherwise happy and friendly song develops a rather sinister feel. The riff that opens and closes their arrangement in particular has a lot of bite. Interesting tidbit: Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger plays on this.

“Here Come Some Changes” Photon Band
A very recent discovery of mine, and a truly pleasant one at that. Photon Band (no “the,” apparently), sound a lot like The Apples (in stereo), with youthful harmonies and catchy melodies shouted over fuzzy guitars, all recorded in someone’s basement. However, there are two distinctive differences. One, Photon Band is a LOT trippier than The Apples. Two, Photon Band rocks a LOT harder than The Apples. On their earlier songs, they actually sound like what The Stooges doing a Hollies tribute album would be like (wow!). This one, however, has them in epic, acid rock anthem mode; recalling The Move or The Pretty Things (SF Sorrow era). Well worth finding out more about.

“I Can’t Believe” The Apples (in stereo)
Maybe The Apples’ best rock song, and that’s saying something. The cool thing about “I Can’t Believe” is that there’s really nothing revolutionary or innovative about it, unmemorable lyrics and a textbook garage pop melody wrapped around a Kinks-based riff, but it still sounds totally distinctive. For example, I wanted to be more specific in my comments about how derivative the song is, but I still can’t come up with any individual song that it actually sounded like. Logically, I ought to put that idea to rest and say that it’s quite original, yet “I Can’t Believe” simply screams “textbook 1966 garage band standard.” It perfectly recreates the feel of these songs without ever loosing it’s unique identity. One of the year’s best, by far.

“I’m Not Feeling Human” Olivia Tremor Control
Imagine, if you will, a Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks refugee from “Smile,” recorded with The Red Krayola (or maybe a wind up toy monkey) on back up, and you’ve pretty much go this one down. The first half of the song is standard spacey OTC soundscape, but then it breaks into a sparse, bouncy pop ditty not unlike The Lovin’ Spoonful (except much trippier). All in all, it’s actually much more focused than the usual Olivia Tremor Control outing, like most tracks off of Singles & Beyond.


“In Particular” Blond Redhead
Blond Redhead got their start in ‘94 as label mates of Sonic Youth, and their near-atonal guitar tweaking was subject to some not unsurprising comparisons. However, by their fifth album, Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons, they were in an eclectic league of their own. “In Particular” sounds like an especially mellow Stereolab track, thanks in no small part to Kazu Makino airy vocals. The whole thing also has a slightly mischievous feel to it, sort of like the music that would accompany some cartoon character as he sneaks around a house to make preparations for a day of hectic troublemaking… Okay, that illustration was WAY too in depth.

“Kids In America” Len
If memory serves, Kim Wilde’s 1980 hit “Kids In America” was left off of everyone’s lists for the year, quite unfortunate since I think it was one of the best straight pop songs of the era (not that there’s that much competition, of course). I’ll try to make up for the oversight by throwing in the cover by Len, a Canadian band better known for contributing “Steal My Sunshine” to the Go soundtrack. “Kids In America” appeared on the soundtrack to Digimon: The Movie (figures, huh?) and may or may not be better than the original. On the one hand, Len’s take lacks most of the harmonies of Wilde’s version, always a step down in my book, and tack on a pointless bit of turntable scratching. On the other hand, they also kick the tempo up a notch and replace the oh-so-‘80s backing of the original with some taste post-grunge/alternative/whatever guitar work. Of course, both versions are built around a synth keyboard that will sound the same whoever plays it, so who cares?

“Letters From The Wasteland” The Wallflowers
Once again, I’ll start out this post by saying that I’m not going to mention that Jakob is Bob Dylan’s son… DANG IT! Well, anyway, “Letters From The Wasteland” is probably my favorite Wallflowers song, though it sounds so much like “One Headlight” that I should probably give that song credit. Then again, both songs sound so much like Tom Petty compositions (aside from Jakob’s rather impressive voice) that maybe I should just give them the nod and have done with it?

“Man Of Constant Sorrow” The Soggy Bottom Boys
Supposedly, a lot of people actually thought that George Clooney was singing this rather than Dan Tyminski. Don’t ask me why (the lip-syncing wasn’t THAT great). Anyway, it’s not hard to see why this song caused as much of a stir as it did. Not only does it rock, but it’s also time-tested (I believe Bob Dylan did a version on his first album). Oh, just so you know, I’m picking the guitar and vocals version for the list, NOT the honky tonk version that seemed to get all the radio time (at least, it did around here). Gotta love that guitar pickin’.

“Melody Of Certain Three” Blond Redhead
This track comes only one track after “In Particular,” but it sounds like it came off a different album by a different band. Pretty standard college radio fodder, actually, thought the 6/8 melody is stronger than average, especially the slightly baroque bridge. Good guitar playing too.

“Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues” eels
A great example of what makes E both one of today’s most fascinating artist and one of today’s most frustrating. This song was slipped onto Daisies Of The Galaxy as a hidden track because Dreamworks wanted at least one radio ready track, but E didn’t know how to fit it into the album. It’s easy to understand both sides’ reasoning. Being the only song that really captures the Garbage-esque groove that covered Beautiful Freak, it did stand the best chance of rubbing the charts the right way, but E was making a determined effort to move the eels sound away from that at this point, so it just sounds weird next to the rest of the album. There’s no doubt that the song is MASSIVLEY catchy, though much of that relied on the endless repetition of its three-chord riff; anyone else could have written this and it would have sounded exactly the same. To make matters worse, E’s lyrics continue to bounce between fantastic and filler at the blink of an eye (the repetative hook “G*d D*mn right, it’s a beautiful day” doesn’t help much either).

“My Friend” D.C. Talk
This is what a great riff sounds like, ladies and gentlemen. It’s just a little finger picking done on an acoustic guitar, but it’s great! The melody helps a lot to. I don’t know if this makes much sense, but it’s one of the most sarcastic sounding tunes I’ve ever heard. Not lyrical, but musically. The overblown production really helps that general feeling, producing an effect not unlike a really scary circus tune. The lyrics deserve praise as well for handling a potentially disastrous theme: contemporary Christian artists who go mainstream. 99% percent of songs that approach that topic come off as preachy, elitist, and generally embarrassing, but this one manages to make its point without climbing onto a soapbox.

“Nythod Cocwn” Super Furry Animals
Is that Welsh for “David Bowie”? Well, I think this mellow song sure sounds like an outtake from the Space Oddity sessions. Don’t ask me what the title actually does mean, everything on Mwng was done in Welsh, so I don’t have a clue.

“One Life” The Pillows
Huh? Oasis? If Noel Gallagher wanted to, he could probably sue these guys for ripping off “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” but then he’d have to answer to the estate of John Lennon for ripping off “Imagine” and all those other ballads (not to mention Pachelbel’s Canon). Funny thing is, “One Life” actually doesn’t share “Don’t Look Back In Anger”’s similarity to “Imagine” and company thanks to the heavy doses of Japanese pop in the melody (which is generally much more intricate that that either of those Brit boys’ works).

“Reflections On A Tall Mirror” Bevis Frond
At least I think this is a ’00 song. Last time I tried to include a Bevis Frond song in a list, it turned out to be a reissue from ten years before. To make matters worse, the Frond (or, more accurately, guitarist Nick Saloman) have released so many albums on so many indie labels that I have no clue what order they’re supposed to be in. In any case, this is some great Hendrix meets Sabbath acid rock.

“Ride On Shooting Star” The Pillows
Like “One Life,” “Ride On Shooting Star” was recorded for the soundtrack of the anime series FLCL (Fooly Cooly). Since it takes a few years for anything cool to make it from Japan to America, that soundtrack only got its US release this year, so maybe I should have waited for a later list… Naw, I want to show this song off now! “Ride On Shooting Star” is an amazing rock song, plain and simple. I could compare it to stuff like “Paperback Writer” or “You Really Got Me,” but that’s be missing the point. Go out to your local Suncoast and by the FLCL soundtrack and hear it for yourself. You’ll thank me.

“Son Of Sam” Elliott Smith
Easily the prettiest song to be named after a serial killer (and there are so many, don’t ya know), as well as Elliott Smith’s single greatest song. “Son of Sam” displays all of the essential components of Elliott Smith’s music - enigmatic yet memorable lyrics, haunting melody, intricate production, general similarities to Nick Drake and The Zombies – at their absolute peak. The song manages to maintain a delicate balance of tone throughout, so that is at once tense, dreamy, enticing, and unsettling. It’s easy to detect where “Son of Sam” builds off of earlier songs like “Waltz #2 (XO) and “Sweet Adeline,” but it always does what it borrows better than it’s predecessors. The best song of the year, sheer brilliance.

“Stare Too Long” C.O.C.
This one actually managed to get played on the local classic rock station, believe it or not (of course, the fact that they’re local North Carolina boys had to help a little) C.O.C - aka Corrosion of Conformity to those who have time to say it all – is generally known for being a very Metallica influenced outfit, but “Stare Too Long” is pure southern rock. Heck, it’s even got a slide guitar! The odds were stacked against the song really taking off (country and classic rock listeners wouldn’t know these headbangers, and mainstream rock has little use for this sort of thing), but hopefully, with the passing of time, people will recognize this as the classic it is. On a side note, the album “Stare too Long” hails from, America’s Volume Dealer, is one of my favorite album titles of all time (get it?)

“Stupidity Tries” Elliott Smith
Smith was in an especially Beatle-esque mood when he laid this one down. The most upbeat (or at least upbeat sounding) track off of Figure 8, this one could easily have been slipped onto Abby Road with no one noticing (on a slightly related note, the Japanese edition of Figure 8 includes a cover of the Abby Road song “Because,” which I’d love to hear sometime)

“Today I Lost A Tooth” Olivia Tremor Control
Just a little guitar ditty that I like. Like “I’m Not Feeling Human,” “Today I Lost A Tooth” is featured on the Olivia Tremor Control Presents Singles & Beyond compilation, which means that it actually should be listed somewhere between ’92 and ’96. However, I don’t have the original release information, so I don’t know exactly where they would go. Besides, it’s next to impossible to find even this compilation in stores, let alone the original singles, so I doubt anyone would even have notice if I hadn’t said anything… Aww, dang it.

“Tomorrow Comes Today” Gorillaz
You know, there was a time when a group that was made up of cartoon characters would necessarily be a kiddy band. My how times change. To fuddy duddies, this a collaboration between Dan “The Automator” Nakamura and Blur’s Damon Albarn, with input from cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. To those who are “with it,” however, this is the debut of bassist and self-professed “pagan” Murdoc, 10 year old guitarist Noodle, spirit channeling drummer Russel, and brain-dead vocalist 2-D. And what a debut it is! Erie, vocals and that creepy whistle floating high above a deep, up-from-the-underworld beat, VERY memorable.

“Vertical Lives” Papas Fritas
Another lo-fi retro indie group with a Beatles influence sound on Blitz’s list. Who could have guessed? Well, to tell the truth, “Vertical Lives” sounds more like The Move or ELO than The Beatles, what with the bouncy, over-accented beat and the overdubbed harmonies and big, toothy grins all over the place.

“Warning” Green Day
Not the most interesting song, but this low-key little ditty from those rapidly maturing ex-punks Green Day has a lot of funny little moments in the lyrics. My favorite is the line “Get your philosophy from a bumper sticker.” Good one… Make a great bumper sticker

“What Am I Supposed To Do?” Papa Fritas
A much more straightforward rock song that “Vertical Lives,” “What Am I Supposed To Do?” sounds a bit like what would have happened if The Zombies had recorded some slightly new wave songs in 1980. And no, I DON’T know where I’m getting these analogies from.

“Wilder Shores Of Love” Marianne Faithful
Now here’s a surprise! The one time Mick Jagger protégé sneaks onto the list with this mostly acoustic, slightly creepy number. Musically, it’s not unlike a lot of ‘60s acid-folk: somewhere in between British Folk and Raga. However, Marianne’s vocals take it to very odd places. This sounds a bit mean, but she really sounds like someone’s rich, evil, great aunt. Not that that’s bad or anything, it certainly makes for a distinctive song.

“Ymaelodi A’r Ymylon” Super Furry Animals
Another track off of Mwng, probably the best. This is a lively, surprisingly intricate, harmony driven rocker that strongly recalls The Association at their best. Just strange enough to be trippy, but still straightforward enough for anyone to get into it. Now if only I had some clue what they were saying…


Well, that brings the millennium to a close, and it looks like no one else is paying attention anymore. As I’ve said on several occasions, though, I’ve still got lists up until 2003 at least partially worked up. I’m probably going to go ahead and post them eventually, if only for my own amusement. Also, I feel a bit of an obligation to mention my favorites from the past few years since, unlike the older lists, most of the artists responsible are still very new and active in the music business. And since my tastes generally go directly against the general populace’s, they need all the publicity they can get. But first, here’s some stuff that should have been acknowledged in earlier lists but got overlooked:

“Gone Daddy Gone” The Violent Femmes (’82)
Off the same album as the more well known “Blister In The Sun,” “Gone Daddy Gone” is one of their best rockers; back before they got lost in the ruts of strained weirdness and boring attempts at camp. You don’t usually think of a xylophone as making good rock music, but it sure gets a good, surf-influenced workout here.

“American Music” The Violent Femmes (’91)
Ten years latter, The Femmes aren’t anywhere near as interesting as they used to be. Still, “American Music” almost recaptures the quasi-ironic charm of their early days. Bouncy, ultra-cheesy music backing their lyrics that just HAVE to be sarcastic… right?

“When I’m Not” The Magnolias (’92)
Happy, REM/Rembrandts jangle-pop. What, you thought a band called “The Magnolias” would record scary death-metal? Anyway, this one’s a textbook example of innocent, teenage fun, due largely to the fact that their lead singer both looks and sounds like he’s not a day over fourteen.

“Esperanza” Dick Dale (’93)
The original guitar hero responsible for “Miserlou” and still one of the coolest people alive mounts an impressive comeback with Tribal Thunder. Thought the album boasts several lighting fast rockers in the “Miserlou vein that are all done quite well, my personal favorite is the slower, spaghetti western refugee “Esperanza.” (Hey! The board didn't edit Mr. Dale's name!)

“13 Ghosts” Marshmallow Overcoat (’95)
Imagine, if you will, if The Doors had been fronted by Fred Schneider of the B-52s rather than Jim Morrison. (Yikes!) That’s a pretty summary of Marshmallow Overcoat’s (aka just The Overcoat) retro-garage sound. They try very hard to re-create the minor-key, tinny organ dominated feel of garage psychedelia, but whoever this poor fellow is behind the mic has such a funny voice that you can’t help but wait for him to beak into “Love Shack.” Not that it’s bad, but it’s pretty funny.

“Major Happy’s Up and Coming Once Upon a Good Time Band” The Rutles (’96)
The first and best Beatles parody returns with their answer to The Beatles Anthology: Archeology. The first track is, obviously, a parody of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and it stands up surprisingly well next to its inspiration, though it’s a bit more ornate and “I Am The Walrus” like.

“We’ve Arrived! (and to prove it we’re here)” The Rutles (’96)
The best track off of Archeology, if only for the great, Spinal Tap worthy title. Actually, this thing could be called “Frank’s Polka party” and it’s still be an awesome song. Unlike “Major Happy’s…” up above, “We’ve Arrived!” doesn’t draw from just one Beatles song. The lyrics are a bit of a nod to “Back In The U.S.S.R,” as is the sound of a plane at the beginning, but they also recall early Beatlemania in general. Musically, “We’ve Arrived!” draws from Revovler era songs like “She Said, She Said,” Paperback Writer,” and “And Your Bird Can Sing.” In fact, they vocals are plagued by rampant giggling, drawing from the Anthology version of “And Your Bird Can Sing.” To top it all off, there’s a voice chanting “number 8” over the fade out. Yes, this Beatles fan is happy!

“Counte of Red Leaf Pine” Lenola (’97)
The guys who did the soon to be mentioned “Here Come Some Changes,” but in a much more lo-fi stage. Actually, this kind of sounds like Olivia Tremor Control, but more because of the production values, or lack of, than its tune. Musically, it’s a lot like a Syd Barrett solo song (which aren’t exactly known for their production values either), but more focused.

“My Clock of Light” The Three 4 Tens (’97)
One of the best psychedelic revival bands since The Dukes of Stratosphear or maybe The Soft Boys, and, by no coincidence one of the few that went after the more energetic aspects of psychedelic music rather than the stoned, droning aspects. “My Clock of Light,” like all of the tracks off of the aptly titled Throw-Back-Move, could have been done by The Electric Prunes or The Nazz or any of those great bands. I don’t know much about these guys at the moment, but they just might be my newest favorite band. (out of, like, 500 or so)

“I Love Rock and Roll” The Jesus and Mary Chain (’98)
One of the more interesting contradictions in recent Rock memory, these guys juggled ear-splitting feedback fests with ultra radio-friendly pop melodies, usually at the same time. “I Love Rock and Roll” leans more to the second side: simple, but very hummable. It all needs to be taken with a few sprinkles of irony, of course (it opens an album that ends with a song called “I Hate Rock And Roll”), but what doesn’t these days?

“Something For Brown” Lenola (’99)
Better produced than the previously mentioned “Counte of Red Leaf Pine.” This is also a much more intricate and drawn out number than their previous outings; a little reminiscent of later day grunge, actually. Fortunately, their melodic talents are still intact.

“Extra-Ordinary” Dressy Bessy (’99)
Dressy Bessy is an indie band with a loudly proclaimed love of ‘60s pop, high harmonies, and a bright and sugary atmosphere. In other words, they’re exactly like The Apples (in stereo); and I mean EXACTLY. The only way I could tell that they weren’t The Apples was the prominence of a female vocal, and even THAT sounded a lot like The Apples. Thankfully, Dressy Bessy successfully matches their influences’ knack for strong tunes enough to make them kindred spirits rather than knock-offs. I had trouble deciding between the heavier, straightforward “Extra-Ordinary” and the lighter, more intricate “I Found Out.” Maybe I should have listed both?

“I Feel Fine” The Three 4 Tens (?)
No relation to the Beatles song, this is probably the best Three 4 Tens song out there. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to track down when it was actually released. As far as I can tell, its only album release was on an indie compilation called Psychedelphia, and my information on even that is sketchy. And, since they make a deliberate attempt at sounding like they’re from 35 years ago, it’s pointless to compare it to their other works and try to guess the date from musical development. But I couldn’t just let a perfect, jubilant, high energy rocker like this go without some recognition, could I?

If memory serves, Kim Wilde’s 1980 hit “Kids In America” was left off of everyone’s lists for the year, quite unfortunate since I think it was one of the best straight pop songs of the era (not that there’s that much competition, of course).

Well, you see, first of all, the song was a 1982 release. And second of all, if you look here, you'll see I ranked it at #5.

BTW, personally, my favorite tracks off Archaeology were "Eine Klein Middle Class Music", "Joe Public" and the outstanding, "Shangri-La". Fell in love with that last song right from the start.

np - Black and Blue - the Rolling Stones

"Music is a world within itself and a language we all understand."

See, that's why the "if memory serves" thing is there, 'cause it usually doesn't! For the record, though, "1980" was supposed to be "80's." I dunno why I typed the more specific (incorect) date.