At any rate, my listening habits of late have been to fall back on the old favorites... the ones that really stand out. I then realized that a lot of these would comprise a "best of the decade" list if I tried to make one. I thought I'd have trouble listing just 10, but well, I came up with 100 pretty easily.
So here it is... MY TEN MOST PERSONALLY RELEVANT RECORDS OF THE FIRST DECADE OF THIS CENTURY.
Funny that my top pick is an album that is largely all covers, when I generally don't go for covers albums. It's not like there are any hits here though, and Kelly easily demonstrates that "Stay" is very likely the greatest track that Charlie Rich ever laid down (which is maybe why he did so 4 or 5 times). She definitely has some incredible musical knowledge and taste. I remember many of my peers complaining about Kelly had the tools to make an orchestrated Dusty Springfield style opus and was underutilzing her talent here, but I, for one, enjoy the mouth trumpet solo quite a bit.
"Oh, look, a band with the word RIVER in their name... I should check this out." That's how I dicovered this record, as it found its way into my hands one day while gathering and filing new releases. "What is with all of these Tim Hardin references?" Slowly, though, it worked its way into my rotation, in my new truck, and I soon found myself identifying with so many of these songs. They go to a dark place, and I was in a reflection period, so it wasn't hard to do. "I"m coming in to your town!" I always want to play that one when I reach a destination.
I remember when she came out with Failer and people were taking notice. She had gained the reputation as a potty-mouth tough girl, and I quickly dismissed her. Next comes the sophomore release... not too shabby. Then the live show... the praise for Yzerman... and then Jim Bryson sings "Somewhere Else". He wrote that, and from there I continued to get pulled in. I listen to this record today, several times a week. I just have too. To me, her sincerity in song is unmatched.
This was a sleeper for sure. 2003 was full of them, as you soon will see. It wasn't even until 2004 when it got me. I had listened, and enjoyed it a fair amount... then one day I was driving (because you know, all of the greatest musical moments in the world happen in your car... or mine at least) and "All The Lightning Rods" came on. Then the anthems... "The Mighty Midshipman"... lots of airplay, driving between A2 and GR, and the hearing loss that likely ensued. Will Johnson soon became of my favorite singers and songwriters... and I longed to see them live. I finally did, and I was underwhelmed. Oh well. It was good while it lasted.
Hard to believe that he's still going after all of these years. So many artists fade into our memories, and where do they go? Rehab clinics? I have no idea. He's had some nice songs here & there with the last few releases, but this, I wasn't expecting. Laura & I saw him play, and even she began to request him as we rampaged all over greater Detroit. That's not something that comes easy... and it soon dawned on me that these were some of the finest songs Matthew has written. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" has a feel that is unabashedly vintage roots rock - with a nice Pogues touch - while "Killing the Ghost" harkens Matthew's new wave tendencies. It was a culmination of all the different things he done musically, and a nice transition into whatever comes next (which is 2010's, Dear Lover, as a matter of fact).
If you want to be angry and pissed off, well, here's a pretty good way to get your angst on. I mean, check out the name. Yea, it's a little over-dramatic at times, but the energy levels are pretty intense, even its smoother, poppy moments ("The Imperatives"). Like Centro, this arrived a bit late in my mind as well, but man, the live show did not disappoint. "It was the hottest summer ever when we got into the big park... I was thinking of ending and we were barely even friends" - it's a nice thought anyway.
Not just relevant for me, but relevant for a lot people, I think, because in my mind, this album paved the way for all of the whiney, Neil Young impersonators that have ruled over the past decade. That was good for a while, but it started to wear itself out by the time Band of Horses hit. At that point, MMJ had abandoned the sounds heard here. It's largely an acoustic affair, and I admire Jim James for always going for it and not caring whether he's going to hit that virtually untouchable note or not. "The Way That He Sings" is a country rock classic, and while "Bermuda Highway" is the favorite, "Hopefully" probably best demonstrates James putting it all on the line.
From top to bottom, I really can't find any filler on here. I had heard of Patty and I think disliked her because I had confused her with Patty Larkin. The girl folk thing had not really done it for me to that point, but man, could this woman sing with some soul. While it's not necessarily my thing, "Making Pies" might be about as perfect of a song as I've heard, and "The Long Ride", well, that's about the saddest.
Sonically speaking, this is about one the more pleasurable listening experiences of this era. Whether the song is flush with layers of organ and piano or stripped down to just a voice and a guitar, the production quality here is impeccable. John Roderick's lyrics are absurdly clever... and absurd, and he knows it. No less, the musical pedigree is high and the man has the ability to create some of the catchiest pop hooks around.
More angst, of the British variety. These guys make some of the snottiest pop music around, with often biting lyrics that don't give you a very good name. Labeled early on as alt-country types, and not willing to embrace that tag, they really start to work on their pop skills here. Um, I'm trying to sound smart here, but whatever, it's just a good listen with plenty of resonation in my life (which is probably unfortunate).
One thing that stands out with all of these albums... they had that slow burn effect. They don't quite grab you intially, but eventually they sink their teeth in and don't let you go. The next thing you know, you can't do without it. And they all caught me at some point in time when I probably needed them most. 10 records that got me through the decade, kept me alive, what have you. Esp. with that '03 class. They weren't even in my top 10 that year.
Where are 2004 & 2009, you ask? They are there, I'm sure, and you'll probably start to see them in subsequent rounds. But this is it for now.
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