#100
Artist: The Big Pink
Song: “Velvet”
Album: A Brief History of Love
Year: 2009
This band was recommended to me by my friend Joe Suitor only about a month ago. He consistently listens to Shoegazey Brit Pop and this band didn’t disappoint. I particularly like the beats and the Suede reminiscent vocals.
#99
Artist: The Raveonettes
Song: “Bang!”
Album: In and Out of Control
Year: 2009
This is one of those albums that was really difficult to choose which song(s) to include because the whole thing is just freaking great. The music of The Raveonettes is pretty simple and repetitive, which I can easily concede. However, the virginal 60’s pop happiness mixed with heavy distortion and sweet vocal harmonies reels me in. The other thing I like about this song is something that my friend Priscilla absolutely hates. The repetition of a consonant sound. In this song its “Fa-fa-fun all summer long!”
#98
Artist: Junior Boys
Song: “In the Morning”
Album: So This is Goodbye
Year: 2006
I have a vivid memory of listening to this song in the back of Lauren Behrle’s van driving down Vine St. in Los Angeles. I have no idea where we all were headed but I know I was fearing for my life as she drove with this song blaring out the windows. I like the sexy fresh vocals.
#97
Artist: Gossip
Song: “Standing in the Way of Control”
Album: Standing in the Way of Control
Year: 2005
Beth Ditto is just a bad ass. Her vocals on this song are so fucking tough. I have heard they put a pretty great live show, though I’ve never seen them. This is a good one to put on your dancing shoes to.
#96
Artist: Nickel Creek
Song: “Reasons Why”
Album: Nickel Creek
Year: 2000
This song is kind of uncharacteristic for the rest of my list as the band could totally fit and be played on an Adult Contemporary station. ::sings:: KYXY, ninety six point fiiiiiive. That was for all the LOTPQ reading this. Anyway, although this band may be kind of “uncool”, they’re really good. And honestly, I feel like maybe now they are considered cool but I’m so out of touch that I don’t really know. Basically, they play great Bluegrass folk and this song has some really beautiful harmonies so I really like it.
#95
Artist: Ryan Adams
Song: “Carolina Rain”
Album: 29
Year: 2005
I bet you’re shocked that it took me five songs to get to Ryan Adams. If you know anything about me you’re probably expecting a lot more where this came from. You’re right. Now get over it. This song is a great traditional country music murder mystery. The lyrics are crafted in such a way that it feels like you’re listening to someone in the south telling you a story, and as you go along you learn about more and more suspicious deaths happening at the hands of a dangerous woman. Very heavy on the pedal steel and twangy vocals.
The year that Ryan Adams released this album he also released two others and they are all my favorites of his whole discography. This has always amazed me that he could write so much meaningful music in such a short period of time. I think I also connect with it because these songs were written at a very drunk and lonesome time in his life where he was definitely struggling with addiction and mental illness. You can hear some genuine emotions coming through in these songs, not just pretty melodies.
#94
Artist: The Knife
Song: “We Share Our Mother’s Health”
Album: Silent Shout
Year: 2006
I really enjoy The Knife. This song is particularly hyphy. The crazy voice modulation seems like it should just be really weird and obnoxious but it totally makes sense with this group.
#93
Artist: The Shins
Song: “Girl on the Wing”
Album: Oh, Inverted World
Year: 2001
I saw The Shins for the first time at the All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival when Matt Groening curated it in Long Beach. This was prior to their blow up and I really hadn’t heard anything by them before. The friends I was with assured me that they were the band to see that weekend, and they were most definitely right. Very recognizable Sub-pop sound with those reverberating vocals on the recordings. I like the keyboards on this song.
#92
Artist: The Valley Arena
Song: “1000 lbs of Light”
Album: We Died
Year: 2009
Not only are these guys some of my best friends but they’re also really talented musicians. This is one of only two songs on my list from independent bands that may be lesser known to the general public. Which is a shame really because this album is just really good. Plus I just love them and their big ol goofy selves.
#91
Artist: The Prodigy
Song: “Warrior’s Dance”
Album: Invaders Must Die
Year: 2009
This song gets me seriously PUMPED. One of my favorites to listen to when I’m at the gym. What a triumphant return for The Prodigy. Maybe I should listen to Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, but I wasn’t immediately drawn into it the way I was with this album and obviously Fat of the Land.
#90
Artist: The Black Angels
Song: “You on the Run”
Album: Directions to See a Ghost
Year: 2008
Some music is just SEXY. That’s plain and simple. For me, this band’s stoney psychadelic rock with dark overtones is seriously sexy. I discovered them with Lauren Clyne at a music festival in NYC and was immediately into it.
#89
Artist: Katie the Pest
Song: “Baton Rouge”
Album: Other Cities
Year: Unknown (Recorded several times)
My friend Talia has been writing songs and recording them under the band name Katie the Pest for several years now, and the songs are great. Katie the Pest in many different configurations has played around Long Beach and when I lived there they were probably my favorite band to see live. This song particularly showcases Talia’s pretty pretty voice.
#88
Artist: Ryan Adams
Song: “Night Birds”
Album: 29
Year: 2005
A simple yet beautiful ballad that is mainly just Ryan’s voice and the piano. The soft drums in the background have a little bit of a jazz feel to them. The echo on his voice in the second chorus is a favorite part as it creates this dreamland misty feeling that makes me float away.
#87
Artist: Ratatat
Song: “El Pico”
Album: Ratatat
Year: 2004
I honestly don’t listen to all that much instrumental music. Maybe I’m some distant cousin of Rick Rubin because I have a big emphasis on the vocal track for music when I’m listening. However, Ratatat created a really amazing new take on guitar music by incorporating slightly hip-hop beats. Plus, they’re just fucking great live.
#86
Artist: At The Drive-In
Song: “Pattern Against User”
Album: Relationship of Command
Year: 2000
Man, I was just all about this album in high school. I think its still a really important addition to the landscape of rock music. In this song, I most like the drumbeat intro and outro with the unexpected yelp of “Hey!” in time.
#85
Artist: The Raveonettes
Song: “Dead Sound”
Album: Lust Lust Lust
Year: 2007
As I mentioned earlier, The Raveonettes are pretty simple and repetitive, so basically all the reasons I listed earlier for liking “Bang!” also apply here.
#84
Artist: Röyksopp
Song: “What Else is There?”
Album: The Understanding
Year: 2005
This song features a vocal performance by Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife. It may be her most pop-friendly vocal performance that she has ever recorded but it is still pretty incredible. Röyksopp lays out some mysterious beats and a really great guitar line following the chorus.
Something I haven’t mentioned yet is that when I listen to music I often see landscapes in my mind. I don’t know if its some sort of pagan sensibility that ties my mind to nature but music sparks this part of my imagination very vividly. I picture this song as the top of some really green mountain that has a dark storm coming towards it.
#83
Artist: Simian Mobile Disco feat. Beth Ditto
Song: “Cruel Intentions”
Album: Temporary Pleasure
Year: 2009
FRESH, FRESH, FRESH, FRESH.
#82
Artist: Ryan Adams
Song: “Why Do They Leave?”
Album: Heartbreaker
Year: 2000
This song is basically your typical blues heartbreak song. This is from Ryan’s first solo album after leaving the band Whiskeytown. I like the sound of his voice in combination with a female backup singer.
#81
Artist: Roisin Murphy
Song: “Let Me Know”
Album: Overpowered
Year: 2007
The interest in this song came after the near-bludgeoning I endured at the hands of Nick Locking for having never heard of Roisin Murphy, his imaginary girlfriend. When I told him that this song would be on my list he scolded me for “the upbeat dance-floor filler.” Luckily, my favorite pastime is being on the dance floor so this is the song for me apparently.
Want to give them a listen for yourself? Download 100-81 here.
