#60
Artist: TV on the Radio
Song: “Staring at the Sun”
Album: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
Year: 2004
This band has such a unique sound and a truly electrifying stage presence. Both of the singers have very distinct, soulful vocals and the noisey rocking guitars are great. The recorded version of this song is slightly eerie. The video is pretty awesome too.
#59
Artist: Underworld
Song: “Crocodile”
Album: Oblivion With Bells
Year: 2007
This decade was largely about the music of Underworld for me. From the time that I met Andy Khouri, he had been talking about this group as one of his most important musical inspirations. Several years into our relationship, I finally began exploring the albums of Underworld and was getting really into them. Then, as a birthday gift, Andy bought me a ticket to see them at the Hollywood Bowl.
Little did he know he was creating a monster. We have now seen Underworld many more times together with our friends in LA, New York, and Oakland. He has traveled many other places as well to see them. I love at their shows we all dance together, and the feeling of excitement that comes over us as we recognize the next track coming in and how they’ve remixed it. This song has a really awesome bassy sound and harmonic vocals that is one of my absolute favorites.
#58
Artist: Soulwax
Song: “NY Lipps”
Album: Nite Versions
Year: 2005
This is another dance floor annihilator. The song is practically perfect in every way, like Mary Poppins. Sampling “Funkytown” has the propensity to be extremely cheesy and obnoxious however Soulwax are now the rightful owners of that song as far as I’m concerned. They’re also just one of the most creative electronic acts I’ve ever seen perform live as they somehow are able to remix things in a way that still sounds like dance music but incorporates live instruments. So rad.
#57
Artist: Amy Winehouse
Song: “Back to Black”
Album: Back to Black
Year: 2006
I know that Amy Winehouse is simply a soul revivalist and there are many important singers from whom she has developed a sound. I also know that she has The Dap Kings as her backup band and Sharon Jones is really fucking great and deserves just as much recognition as Amy Winehouse. Knowing all of this doesn’t lead me away from this album. This song specifically demonstrates the sorrow in her voice and the teardrop in the back of the throat that really moves me. It’s really a shame that she is such a hot tranny mess because she’s an amazing singer.
#56
Artist: Neko Case
Song: “Middle Cyclone”
Album: Middle Cyclone
Year: 2009
Finally we’ve come to some Neko Case, one of the most important female vocalists of this decade! This song is just so damn good. Neko recorded this album in an old barn with a big collection of old pianos brought in and the sounds of birds chirping, frogs croaking, and crickets singing kept in the background of the final tracks. I especially like this song because of its simplicity. It’s just a really pretty lady singing with her really pretty voice, an acoustic guitar, and a music box.
#55
Artist: Kylie Minogue
Song: “I Believe in You”
Album: Ultimate Kylie
Year: 2005
Kylie. Co-written and produced by the Scissor Sisters. What more could you ask for? As Andy mentioned when this song appeared on his list of favorite songs of the decade, we both love the breakdown part that goes “I….believe….in….you….I….believe….in….”
#54
Artist: Justice
Song: “Phantom Pt. II”
Album: †
Year: 2007
The hard hitting beats in this song are almost like a rock n roll version of an electronic dance song. I think that was the goal of this album by Justice and was mirrored in their live performance upon a mountain of amps and playing “Master of Puppets” by Metallica at the end of the set. Honestly, there was a ton of hype around Justice when they first exploded and I hopped on the bandwagon but after the newness wore off I see them as just so-so. However, this song is still very enjoyable and at least as you listen to it you can tell it is a sound that is distinctly Justice.
#53
Artist: MSTRKRFT
Song: “Street Justice”
Album: The Looks
Year: 2006
Another group that quickly became the token of the new wave of House music during this time was MSTRKRFT. However, unlike Justice, they are really fucking great live. This song is another song to get you seriously pumped in an almost confrontational way. I feel a dance battle coming on.
#52
Artist: Mylo
Song: “Drop the Pressure”
Album: Destroy Rock & Roll
Year: 2004
Mothafuckaz Mothafuckaz Mothafuckaz Mothafuckaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaz Gonna Drop the Presh-aaaaaaaaaaaaah
#51
Artist: Bat For Lashes
Song: “Daniel”
Album: Two Suns
Year: 2009
The strange thing about this song is the combination of a slightly 80’s sounding electric drumbeat with some mysterious pagan vocals and other percussive sounds. I really love the sound of her voice and the longing that she inputs on each line in this song.
#50
Artist: Hot Chip
Song: “We’re Looking For a Lot of Love”
Album: Made in the Dark
Year: 2008
This song is kind of like a little melodic sexy love song mixed in with Hot Chip’s awesome and innovative dance tracks on this album. The landscape I picture when I listen to this song is a dark and stormy long walk home in a crowded city where no one else really sees you as you pass.
#49
Artist: M.I.A.
Song: “Bird Flu”
Album: Kala
Year: 2007
I love the tribal drumming in this song. I also especially love how M.I.A. puts Roc-a-wear on blast on the song for asking her to be part of an ad campaign and then asking her to lose wait to do it. She refused and then told everyone about it in this song making them her bitch. So awesome. M.I.A. is one of the most creative and politically revolutionary women in music and I <3 her for it.
#48
Artist: The Breeders
Song: “Istanbul”
Album: Mountain Battles
Year: 2008
Thank freaking god that The Breeders decided to make another album. Last Splash is easily one of my favorite albums of all time and I just couldn’t wait to hear Mountain Battles. It didn’t disappoint! This song gives you the chance to hear Kim and Kelly’s sweet yet suspicious harmonies with some spooky guitar and bass sounds. As kooky as these ladies seem, they are some of my heroes.
#47
Artist: Fischerspooner
Song: “Emerge”
Album: #1
Year: 2003
If you’re reading this, then I probably don’t need to explain to you why this song is on here. It’s basically one of the most played club anthems of this decade. If you want to see one of the most incredible/ridiculous/decadent/insane performances ever in the history of music watch this.
#46
Artist: The Chemical Brothers feat. Q-Tip
Song: “Galvanize”
Album: Push the Button
Year: 2005
This song filled my ears on the dance floor, in the car, at house parties, pre-parties, everywhere for a good 2 months. We wore that shit OUT. But come on, it’s the Chemical Brothers with freaking Q-Tip. It’s just great. Plus, the video had krumping.
#45
Artist: The Faint
Song: “Your Retro Career Melted”
Album: Danse Macabre
Year: 2001
Discovering this band in high school was one of my first forays into “electroclash” music along with Le Tigre. I only had their album for a few weeks before I found out they would be playing in town on the Danse Macabre tour and so I went to check out the show. They played at a small location but there were a ton of people there trying to get in. I met a guy in line who was wearing a completely gold outfit including a gold purse with David Bowie on it who we would later come to be know as Raul, the famous dancer at every Locust show. This album is very nostalgic for me but this song still stands forward as a great dance rock song.
#44
Artist: From Monument to Masses
Song: “Sharpshooter”
Album: The Impossible Leap in One Hundred Simple Steps
Year: 2003
If you do not own this album, drop everything you’re doing and go get it. Right now. This band is one of the most amazing live bands I have ever seen. There are only 3 of them but they utilize loop pedals to create a sound that is much larger and rather than use traditional vocals they play important sound clips from throughout history highlighting social justice struggles around the world. They are AMAZING.
#43
Artist: Queens of the Stone Age
Song: “Monsters in the Parasol”
Album: Rated R
Year: 2000
Rock and Roll. Simple. No need for difficult, cerebral pretensions. Just a sexy man singing a rock n roll song about an acid trip. Great.
#42
Artist: Interpol
Song: “The New”
Album: Turn on the Bright Lights
Year: 2002
The singer of Interpol desperately wants to be Ian Curtis. We all know this. In spite of this, or maybe because of this (probably not), I love this album. This song is so terribly miserable but still feels so sexy and romantic at the same time. It’s another song to listen to in the rain.
#41
Artist: Junior Senior
Song: “Move Your Feet”
Album: D-Don’t Stop the Beat
Year: 2002
Want to give them a listen for yourself? Download 60-41 here.
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