An Alternate Musical History of the Last 15 Years or a NME Rebuttal.

All politics is personal and top 20 music lists are no different (my apologies to the late Tip O’Neil).

With that said while this is more of an interior soundtrack of my last 15 years these tunes are still ones that could quite easily carry the music critic’s anointment of “important”.

And hell, unlike NME I’ll justify (or bore) every choice with a short blurb cuz I’m kool like dat.

and oh yeah here is NME’s list (I love a list!) for comparison-

http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/59762

So without further ado for your consideration-

I am Trying to Break Your Heart – Wilco. Alt-country becomes alternate history of our post-modern malaise.

Deeper into Movies – Yo La Tengo. It’s the wall of sound solo. Sonic Youth for Hoboken’s middle class.

The National Anthem – Radiohead. Kid A bitches. A guitar band discovers krautrock and the joys of studio noodling just like all the greats before them.

Trucker’s Atlas – Modest Mouse. At over 10mins it still feels short yet it takes you through a journey across the dark side of the U.S. and one man’s tortured soul.

Waitin’ for a Superman – Flaming Lips. Middle age ineffectuality and despair got you down? Unintentional 9/11 reference?  A song about struggling through the miasma for adults? Here is your anthem.

Stan – Eminem. Self-loathing wrapped in enough interior rhyme schemes to make a college prof grade happy set to a Dido sample to make the kids cut class.

Everyone Choose Sides  – The Wrens. Ok I’d choose all of The Meadowlands but if you’re gonna make me choose sides I choose this.  And hey “a year in the meadowlands bored and rural-poor, lord, at 35, right? I’m the best 17 year old ever”. Now that’s how you write a fucking lyric.

All My Friends – LCD Sound System. He can sound like Mark E. Smith at times but here James Murphy just sounds honest.

Casmir Pulaski Day – Sufjan Stevens. If this song doesn’t make you cry then I got nothing more to say. Heat tugging without being manipulative.  

Shakey Dog – Ghost Face Killah. Jim Thompson meets James Brown. Forget the community college creative writing course and start here.

Wolf like Me – T.V. on the Radio. It’s got a kick ass beat and I can dance to it. And Bowie likes it.

Oh Comely – Neutral Milk Hotel. Oh come on! A track from one of the few records here that I would consider a work of art.

The Rip – Portishead. Greatest. Comeback. Ever!

The Past is a Grotesque Animal – Of Montreal. An 11min + disco epic that name checks George Bataille. Need I say more?

Good Intentions Paving Company – Joanna Newsome. This record is like a 19^th century novel (and I can say that about the others as well) and I keep finding new things here every time I listen to it. If I want to hear truly original music I turn to Ms. Newsome.

Dry the Rain – Beta Band. These EPs rocked so much and were so far ahead of the curve that these guys truly deserved the “beta” in Beta Band.

Carry the Zero – Built to Spill.  Pure pop candy for pure pop people

Death to Everyone –Bonnie “Prince” William.  I agree. An instant classic.

Waltz #2 (XO) – Elliot Smith.  Hey Pet Sounds lovers pay attention. This is an adult symphony for romantic depressives. Is he quoting Elvis quoting Linda Ronstadt at the coda? I wonder.

Da Funk –Daft Punk. 2 French dudes dressed as robots playing a totally original form of acid house techno infused with so much love and joy? I am so there.