99/09
Where end-of-year list madness and nostalgia collide. Yes, it's time again for littlerhymes and I to once again look back on our favourite songs of now compared to ten years ago.
I'm sorry mine is so late! I did promise to have this up about two weekends ago, heh.
9 from 99
Jebediah - Feet Touch the Ground (Of Someday Shambles)
Two weekends ago I had this massive pang of nostalgia, when I realised that it had been 10 years since my first Homebake. I remember Jebediah was on around 5 that day. We'd already seen a run of middling Aussie bands and were starting to get tired, but with the sun setting, the cooler air, and a laid back crowd the Jebediah set turned out to be a really good festival experience. I even remember standing next to a dad who had a happy five-year-old perched on his shoulders bopping along; they were both having so much fun. (Aside: Jebediah were just as awesome and fun 9 years later)
Of course, after that set we stayed in our spot near the front of the stage, and ended up almost getting crushed to death by a sudden crowd of Frenzal Rhomb fans. DDDDDD:
Supergrass - Moving (Supergrass)
I remember they came out to Australia for a tour the year after, and played a set for triplej which I taped, like the good fan I was, so I could listen to it over and over as I studied for my final year of high school. :) I probably still have that tape around somewhere! This album was probably the peak of my love for them; I'm not sure I could tell you any songs they've done since.
Silverchair - Emotion Sickness (Neon Ballroom)
This is my favourite incarnation of Silverchair, with the epic darkly beautiful songs, all lush orchestration and angst angst and more angst.
Muse - Muscle Museum (Showbiz)
This was another band I learnt to love through triplej. They're one of the bands I continue to really like, whose albums I can listen to at any time; earlier this year a friend borrowed the first four albums - post Twilight, sigh - and when she returned them I kept them in the car and listened to them on loop for a while. I didn't love The Resistance on first listen, but I'm coming around.
Fiona Apple - I Know (When the Pawn...)
This song is, hands down, one of the saddest, loveliest and most romantic songs ever.
And you can use my skin / To bury secrets in / And I will settle you down
It wasn't until this album that I completely and utterly fell in love with Fiona Apple. She might be crazy but her songs are so great; this album breaks my heart, over and over, and I love it. I wish she'd make more music - Extraordinary Machine was FOUR years ago, and she hasn't toured since 2007. :(
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time (Baby One More Time)
I was a Britney fan (and apologist) from the start. I have had this long-running Britney v. Christina argument with a friend since 2000 and while she maintains now that she has well and truly won it, I still love Brit-Brit and always have, even in my adolescent 'pop is evil' phase. I'm glad I went to her concert this year, and I'm glad that she's still around, making music and headlines and being everything to everyone in an endlessly fascinating way (Ro talks about this much more articulately in recap of the Circus tour shows).
Blur - No Distance Left to Run (13)
I had a Blur track in last year's list too. Blur were one of my huge music loves in my teen years, matched only by my love for Radiohead and BFF (see next entry). My first Blur album was The Great Escape, but then one of my foster sisters had all the earlier albums, plus the Starshaped and Showtime video tapes (I still have these! She gave them to me when she moved back to Hong Kong, along with Paul Moody's The Great Escape). This song was my favourite from the album; Tender has the great gospel sound, Coffee and TV has one of the best music videos of all time, but this song, oh, it broke my heart and made me ship Damon/Justine all the harder and I put it on *every* mixtape I made for the next year and a half.
Ben Folds Five - Hospital Song (The Unauthorised Biography of Reinhold Messner)
I've talked at length about my love for BFF in my songs from 1997 list. This, like Cigarette from Whatever and Ever Amen, is a tiny quiet sad song in the middle of louder, more boisterous tracks, and it sounds all the more real for it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Road Trippin (Californication)
First album after John Frusciante returned to them. I don't they've ever sounded better or more whole since then. I played the everliving fuck out of this album at the time (on my Sony discman, yeah!).
Blink-182 - What's My Age Again? (Enema of the State)
This is one of my favourite songs to butcher at karaoke/singstar! I was serious when I said that getting to see Blink this year was like being 16 again (in a really really good way). :DDDDDDDDDDD
vs.
You would not believe how many times I changed this list over the last month or so. :) This is not my list of favourite albums for 2009 - that may come later - but these are definitely songs that stand out for me. My original shortlist was longer, but I've tried my best not to double up on tracks I may have already posted earlier this year (which should still be available under the mp3 tag if you missed it before).
9 from 2009
Taking Back Sunday - Everything Must Go (New Again)
;___; I love break up songs and I don't know why. This song...man. I don't know if it's about real events or not, but I'm completely won by the way everything comes together - the lyrics about the end of a dream and Adam Lazzara's angrysadbrokendown voice and all the bitterness and regret it conveys.
Neko Case - Polar Nettles (Middle Cyclone)
Her voice *______* A beautiful album and this is such a smoky, elegantly sad song.
Cursive - From the Hips (Mama I’m Swollen)
I've seen this described (derisively) as emo for grown ups. Whatever it is, I love the dark, slow-build towards the furious, howling conclusion.
M.Ward - Epistemology (Hold Time)
I love the sound of this song, all lo-fi and folky; I love the lazy huskiness of his voice; and I love the sentiment of it, the bemused contentment. And weirdly, I've been going through the book of Acts this year and so all the references of Paul amuse me, even if I haven't quite worked out how it all relates.
Kevin Devine - Carnival (Brother’s Blood)
This song is the very defintion of being broken down by bad decisions and going back for more. It's delicate and regretful and a little sexy and resigned and so so awesome. Even better live.
Built to Spill - Things Fall Apart (There is No Enemy)
It's Built to Spill! It's got a horn section! It's weary and lovely; the bit near the end where he almost growls, "godamn you, things fall apart" just kills me.
Fall Out Boy - Alpha Dog (Believers Never Die)
I didn't love Folie a Deux when it first came out but I really really got into during the first half of this year - I think it didn't leave my car CD player for about 2 months! I hope they never run out of big sounding stadium-ready pop punk anthems with clever, biting lyrics about the fleeting, unstable illusion of fame because I don't think I will get sick of hearing them. (I <3 Pete and Patrick and Joe and Andy 4eva!)
Manchester Orchestra - I’ve Got Friends (Mean Everything to Nothing)
"I think I'm in love. Play it loud and rock out (in an emo way)" I said back in March. I still feel the same.
Florence and the Machine - Drumming (Lungs)
I cannot get this song out of my head. The awesome drumming that builds and builds the song in relentless movement, the almost chant-like music, and Florence Welch's unearthly voice over it all...every time I hear this I want to dance and whirl around and just expel the energy that comes from this
Ro's 9 from 1999 and 2009
8 from 1998 and 2008
version littlerhymes | version proteinscollide
I'm sorry mine is so late! I did promise to have this up about two weekends ago, heh.
9 from 99
Jebediah - Feet Touch the Ground (Of Someday Shambles)
Two weekends ago I had this massive pang of nostalgia, when I realised that it had been 10 years since my first Homebake. I remember Jebediah was on around 5 that day. We'd already seen a run of middling Aussie bands and were starting to get tired, but with the sun setting, the cooler air, and a laid back crowd the Jebediah set turned out to be a really good festival experience. I even remember standing next to a dad who had a happy five-year-old perched on his shoulders bopping along; they were both having so much fun. (Aside: Jebediah were just as awesome and fun 9 years later)
Of course, after that set we stayed in our spot near the front of the stage, and ended up almost getting crushed to death by a sudden crowd of Frenzal Rhomb fans. DDDDDD:
Supergrass - Moving (Supergrass)
I remember they came out to Australia for a tour the year after, and played a set for triplej which I taped, like the good fan I was, so I could listen to it over and over as I studied for my final year of high school. :) I probably still have that tape around somewhere! This album was probably the peak of my love for them; I'm not sure I could tell you any songs they've done since.
Silverchair - Emotion Sickness (Neon Ballroom)
This is my favourite incarnation of Silverchair, with the epic darkly beautiful songs, all lush orchestration and angst angst and more angst.
Muse - Muscle Museum (Showbiz)
This was another band I learnt to love through triplej. They're one of the bands I continue to really like, whose albums I can listen to at any time; earlier this year a friend borrowed the first four albums - post Twilight, sigh - and when she returned them I kept them in the car and listened to them on loop for a while. I didn't love The Resistance on first listen, but I'm coming around.
Fiona Apple - I Know (When the Pawn...)
This song is, hands down, one of the saddest, loveliest and most romantic songs ever.
And you can use my skin / To bury secrets in / And I will settle you down
It wasn't until this album that I completely and utterly fell in love with Fiona Apple. She might be crazy but her songs are so great; this album breaks my heart, over and over, and I love it. I wish she'd make more music - Extraordinary Machine was FOUR years ago, and she hasn't toured since 2007. :(
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time (Baby One More Time)
I was a Britney fan (and apologist) from the start. I have had this long-running Britney v. Christina argument with a friend since 2000 and while she maintains now that she has well and truly won it, I still love Brit-Brit and always have, even in my adolescent 'pop is evil' phase. I'm glad I went to her concert this year, and I'm glad that she's still around, making music and headlines and being everything to everyone in an endlessly fascinating way (Ro talks about this much more articulately in recap of the Circus tour shows).
Blur - No Distance Left to Run (13)
I had a Blur track in last year's list too. Blur were one of my huge music loves in my teen years, matched only by my love for Radiohead and BFF (see next entry). My first Blur album was The Great Escape, but then one of my foster sisters had all the earlier albums, plus the Starshaped and Showtime video tapes (I still have these! She gave them to me when she moved back to Hong Kong, along with Paul Moody's The Great Escape). This song was my favourite from the album; Tender has the great gospel sound, Coffee and TV has one of the best music videos of all time, but this song, oh, it broke my heart and made me ship Damon/Justine all the harder and I put it on *every* mixtape I made for the next year and a half.
Ben Folds Five - Hospital Song (The Unauthorised Biography of Reinhold Messner)
I've talked at length about my love for BFF in my songs from 1997 list. This, like Cigarette from Whatever and Ever Amen, is a tiny quiet sad song in the middle of louder, more boisterous tracks, and it sounds all the more real for it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Road Trippin (Californication)
First album after John Frusciante returned to them. I don't they've ever sounded better or more whole since then. I played the everliving fuck out of this album at the time (on my Sony discman, yeah!).
Blink-182 - What's My Age Again? (Enema of the State)
This is one of my favourite songs to butcher at karaoke/singstar! I was serious when I said that getting to see Blink this year was like being 16 again (in a really really good way). :DDDDDDDDDDD
vs.
You would not believe how many times I changed this list over the last month or so. :) This is not my list of favourite albums for 2009 - that may come later - but these are definitely songs that stand out for me. My original shortlist was longer, but I've tried my best not to double up on tracks I may have already posted earlier this year (which should still be available under the mp3 tag if you missed it before).
9 from 2009
Taking Back Sunday - Everything Must Go (New Again)
;___; I love break up songs and I don't know why. This song...man. I don't know if it's about real events or not, but I'm completely won by the way everything comes together - the lyrics about the end of a dream and Adam Lazzara's angrysadbrokendown voice and all the bitterness and regret it conveys.
Neko Case - Polar Nettles (Middle Cyclone)
Her voice *______* A beautiful album and this is such a smoky, elegantly sad song.
Cursive - From the Hips (Mama I’m Swollen)
I've seen this described (derisively) as emo for grown ups. Whatever it is, I love the dark, slow-build towards the furious, howling conclusion.
M.Ward - Epistemology (Hold Time)
I love the sound of this song, all lo-fi and folky; I love the lazy huskiness of his voice; and I love the sentiment of it, the bemused contentment. And weirdly, I've been going through the book of Acts this year and so all the references of Paul amuse me, even if I haven't quite worked out how it all relates.
Kevin Devine - Carnival (Brother’s Blood)
This song is the very defintion of being broken down by bad decisions and going back for more. It's delicate and regretful and a little sexy and resigned and so so awesome. Even better live.
Built to Spill - Things Fall Apart (There is No Enemy)
It's Built to Spill! It's got a horn section! It's weary and lovely; the bit near the end where he almost growls, "godamn you, things fall apart" just kills me.
Fall Out Boy - Alpha Dog (Believers Never Die)
I didn't love Folie a Deux when it first came out but I really really got into during the first half of this year - I think it didn't leave my car CD player for about 2 months! I hope they never run out of big sounding stadium-ready pop punk anthems with clever, biting lyrics about the fleeting, unstable illusion of fame because I don't think I will get sick of hearing them. (I <3 Pete and Patrick and Joe and Andy 4eva!)
Manchester Orchestra - I’ve Got Friends (Mean Everything to Nothing)
"I think I'm in love. Play it loud and rock out (in an emo way)" I said back in March. I still feel the same.
Florence and the Machine - Drumming (Lungs)
I cannot get this song out of my head. The awesome drumming that builds and builds the song in relentless movement, the almost chant-like music, and Florence Welch's unearthly voice over it all...every time I hear this I want to dance and whirl around and just expel the energy that comes from this
Ro's 9 from 1999 and 2009
8 from 1998 and 2008
version littlerhymes | version proteinscollide