I don't know enough stupid metaphors to be a music critic. :(
Wow, typing this up has made me appreciate the treacle and violently passioned prose that passes for writing at Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and elsewhere. Why can't I just say that I like a song and be done with it? Because I wish to be a wordy bastard?
2006 was a good year for music, despite efforts to use music to destroy all life on this planet (Paris Hilton becomes a hit maker, the Black Eyed Peas release "My Humps" which makes everyone automatically loses IQ points, Daniel Powter somehow outsells everybody everywhere with the power of blandness, people actually think The Hold Steady have deep lyrics, etc.). Here are my haphazard picks for songs I really, really liked this year and can still remember.
Absolutely no 2006 retrospective is complete without putting Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" (youtube) on there at least once. (I'm looking at you, Pitchfork.) This is, hands down, I-ain't-gonna-tolerate-no-disrespect, THE single of the year. Cee-Lo's crooning ode to mental nuttiness coupled with Danger Mouse's beats and stings was just as addictive when it was leaking all over the place in late 2005 as it was playing on radios the next year. Best of all, it never got annoying, unlike Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous," another song I couldn't get away from. With "Crazy," I never wanted to.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I bought my mother The Scissor Sister's album Ta-Dah for Christmas just so I could listen to "I Don't Feel Like Dancin' (youtube) on repeat. After all, she loves the song as well and we both are having trouble making it past the fabulosity of the first track. This is ABBA at it's finest: a funny, toe-tapping number that will make you (despite the title) get up and shake your groove thang.
Chamillionare's "Ridin'" (youtube) is one of those songs that I heard once and quickly dismissed. But then it got played on the radio ever hour, made me dance, and got stuck in my head. Plus, it's a perfect summer cruising song. Even better, it inspired Weird Al's best song in years, "White and Nerdy" (youtube).
I'm still not sure what Midlake's "Rosco" (youtube) is about. I posted it earlier and said it was the best song of the 1970s that didn't originate in the 70s, and that's extremely true. It's beautiful and intensely 70s sounding and epic and dense. And I like it like that. I don't need to go deeper.
Lupe Fiasco's "Kick Push" (youtube) is the sweetest, most innocent hip-hop love song about tough girls and skateboards and childhood you will ever hear. It's incredibly catchy and danceable (I've made up my own dance for the chorus) and just a joy to listen to every single time. (This would probably be a good time to thank The Impact for playing it, because I heard all the cool songs in this post on that station. Without them, I wouldn't know about half of the music that I currently dance to. You rock and roll, Impact.)
I can't decide between two Hot Chip songs, so I'm just going to list them both. "Over and Over" (youtube) is a dorky dance anthem that better be tearing up club floors worldwide, or else there is no justice. And you should listen to the Diplo remix also [Edit: it's a mashup; I'm an idiot. LOL]. There, now you're addicted--like me! The other song I love and have named Squishy is "And I Was a Boy From School" (youtube), which I put on my Kikyou FST. It's gorgeous, even as an acoustic track, and also extremely danceable.
There is absolutely nothing better in music appreciation than discovering an artist who surprises you with their music. Lily Allen makes pop music like Jon Stewart makes news--without pants. No, actually, her songs have a way of making you laugh out loud, repeatedly. And she's totally pantless (in the British sense). I loved the schadenfreude in "Smile," but I have to admit that I love her debut single just a wee bit more. "LDN" (youtube) was my summer anthem this year.
Jenny Lewis is fast becoming one of my favorite singer-songwriters with bitter lyrics like this: "you can't change things / we're all stuck in our ways / it's like trying to clean the ocean / what do you think, you can drain it? / well, it was poison and dry / long before you came." Her song with the Watson Twins, "Rise Up With Fists!!!" (youtube), is a fight against easy decisions, the sorts of decisions that really shouldn't be that simple. "There but for the grace of God go I," indeed.
Confession: I think the band Death Cab For Cutie has a hugely inflated ego which is annoying and I ignore their music accordingly. But then I saw the "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" (youtube) video on Launch and was enthralled. The song is simple, the visuals are simple, and the theme of the song itself is simple, but also very effective. What's better than a love song with a practical side? ("Love of mine / Some day, you will die.") I'm also on a wordy love song kick (see: unfinished mixtape I'm still working on) and this one went on that list immediately. Okay, DCFC, you got me this time.
"Trains to Brazil" by Guillemots (youtube) is about geopolitics, but don't let that deter you from listening. There's so much more to get out of it, lyrically and musically. For one, it's freakishly upbeat, considering the masked subject material, and for another it really doesn't matter if you keep the geopolitical angle in mind while you listen or not. I originally listened with about half a brain, so I should know: it's still a great song.
I'm not as fanatical about Cat Power as other, hipper kids are. Her minimalism is only occasionally rewarding to me (and I have to confess that I love most of mc DJ's remixes of her stuff one hundred times more than the originals). It took me a few listens before I really fell for "The Greatest" (youtube (WARNING: WORST MUSIC VIDEO EVER)), but it was worth the effort.
Again, not being a hip indie kid has made me rather bewildered at all the foaming-at-the-mouth praise being directed to another band. In this case, The Knife, who you might know as the original artists of the song "Heartbeats," which was covered by José González and featured in a Sony ad. I love their videos, and I like their music, but sometimes it leaves me a bit...cold. Despite that, I have nothing but love for the Ratatat remix of "We Share Our Mother's Health" (youtube of the original). Ratatat owns me. This isn't a sly way to get one of my favorite groups on the list, I swear!
Along with the Scissor Sisters, a Regina Spektor tune had me dancing and singing in the car every time I heard it this year. I've tried Spektor before and found her to have a stronger voice than Tori Amos, but a wide streak of preciousness that makes me steer clear of her music. (I know, "the irony!" I sometimes find Amos pretentious but never teeth-gratingly precious. There's the difference.) However, "Fidelity" (youtube) drops the preciousness in favor of emotional honesty and good old-fashioned catchiness. My favorite song of hers in years.
There's a group consensus among music critics that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' best track from their newest album was "Cheated Hearts," but the first track I heard was Diplo's speeded-up remix of "Gold Lion" (youtube) and I loved it. And maybe it's the Wonderfalls fangirl in me that just won't die, but the stupid lyrics sound all profound and shit. And who cares if it doesn't? The music more than compensates for that.
Lady Sovereign's "Love Me or Hate Me" is not the best thing she's ever done; it feels lyrically lazy (the chorus is repeated how many times?), uncharacteristically self-congratulatory, and not as fun as some of her earlier stuff. That said, the remix featuring Missy Elliot is amazing (youtube of the original). Lady Sov's bristling delivery against Missy's smooth-as-silk flow just makes me incredibly happy. If this is the song that puts Lady Sov into the American music scene, she's going to kill them dead with the rest of her repertoire.
And finally, the song I'm kinda reluctant to admit I love. The first time "Do It To It" (youtube) came on, I thought it was the new Ciara single. The second time, I was convinced that it sounded more like Rihanna. Instead, it's a group, Cherish, that dishes out a dance floor challenge to all and sundry. The result is a lightweight pop tune that is thoroughly enjoyable, if a bit of a guilty pleasure.
...Oh, wait. My real guilty pleasure last year was how good "Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls was (youtube). Or maybe Bubba Sparxxx's "Ms. New Booty" (youtube). Or Fergie's "London Bridge" (youtube), which really should be enjoyed in all its "Oh Shit!" glory. Or the ridiculousness of Panic! At The Disco's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (youtube). Or T-Pain's ode to losers everywhere, "I'm N Love (With a Stripper)" (youtube). AND NOW YOU ALL KNOW THAT I AM A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE PERSON WHO HAS NO TASTE. I'M SO ASHAMED.
Although I like to think that I do have *some* semblance of taste. Proof: the worst song of the year was "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. Creepy as fuck.
Right, I'm done now. Bonus points to anyone who comments with "[name of song] was released in 2005, bitch!"
2006 was a good year for music, despite efforts to use music to destroy all life on this planet (Paris Hilton becomes a hit maker, the Black Eyed Peas release "My Humps" which makes everyone automatically loses IQ points, Daniel Powter somehow outsells everybody everywhere with the power of blandness, people actually think The Hold Steady have deep lyrics, etc.). Here are my haphazard picks for songs I really, really liked this year and can still remember.
Absolutely no 2006 retrospective is complete without putting Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" (youtube) on there at least once. (I'm looking at you, Pitchfork.) This is, hands down, I-ain't-gonna-tolerate-no-disrespect, THE single of the year. Cee-Lo's crooning ode to mental nuttiness coupled with Danger Mouse's beats and stings was just as addictive when it was leaking all over the place in late 2005 as it was playing on radios the next year. Best of all, it never got annoying, unlike Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous," another song I couldn't get away from. With "Crazy," I never wanted to.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I bought my mother The Scissor Sister's album Ta-Dah for Christmas just so I could listen to "I Don't Feel Like Dancin' (youtube) on repeat. After all, she loves the song as well and we both are having trouble making it past the fabulosity of the first track. This is ABBA at it's finest: a funny, toe-tapping number that will make you (despite the title) get up and shake your groove thang.
Chamillionare's "Ridin'" (youtube) is one of those songs that I heard once and quickly dismissed. But then it got played on the radio ever hour, made me dance, and got stuck in my head. Plus, it's a perfect summer cruising song. Even better, it inspired Weird Al's best song in years, "White and Nerdy" (youtube).
I'm still not sure what Midlake's "Rosco" (youtube) is about. I posted it earlier and said it was the best song of the 1970s that didn't originate in the 70s, and that's extremely true. It's beautiful and intensely 70s sounding and epic and dense. And I like it like that. I don't need to go deeper.
Lupe Fiasco's "Kick Push" (youtube) is the sweetest, most innocent hip-hop love song about tough girls and skateboards and childhood you will ever hear. It's incredibly catchy and danceable (I've made up my own dance for the chorus) and just a joy to listen to every single time. (This would probably be a good time to thank The Impact for playing it, because I heard all the cool songs in this post on that station. Without them, I wouldn't know about half of the music that I currently dance to. You rock and roll, Impact.)
I can't decide between two Hot Chip songs, so I'm just going to list them both. "Over and Over" (youtube) is a dorky dance anthem that better be tearing up club floors worldwide, or else there is no justice. And you should listen to the Diplo remix also [Edit: it's a mashup; I'm an idiot. LOL]. There, now you're addicted--like me! The other song I love and have named Squishy is "And I Was a Boy From School" (youtube), which I put on my Kikyou FST. It's gorgeous, even as an acoustic track, and also extremely danceable.
There is absolutely nothing better in music appreciation than discovering an artist who surprises you with their music. Lily Allen makes pop music like Jon Stewart makes news--without pants. No, actually, her songs have a way of making you laugh out loud, repeatedly. And she's totally pantless (in the British sense). I loved the schadenfreude in "Smile," but I have to admit that I love her debut single just a wee bit more. "LDN" (youtube) was my summer anthem this year.
Jenny Lewis is fast becoming one of my favorite singer-songwriters with bitter lyrics like this: "you can't change things / we're all stuck in our ways / it's like trying to clean the ocean / what do you think, you can drain it? / well, it was poison and dry / long before you came." Her song with the Watson Twins, "Rise Up With Fists!!!" (youtube), is a fight against easy decisions, the sorts of decisions that really shouldn't be that simple. "There but for the grace of God go I," indeed.
Confession: I think the band Death Cab For Cutie has a hugely inflated ego which is annoying and I ignore their music accordingly. But then I saw the "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" (youtube) video on Launch and was enthralled. The song is simple, the visuals are simple, and the theme of the song itself is simple, but also very effective. What's better than a love song with a practical side? ("Love of mine / Some day, you will die.") I'm also on a wordy love song kick (see: unfinished mixtape I'm still working on) and this one went on that list immediately. Okay, DCFC, you got me this time.
"Trains to Brazil" by Guillemots (youtube) is about geopolitics, but don't let that deter you from listening. There's so much more to get out of it, lyrically and musically. For one, it's freakishly upbeat, considering the masked subject material, and for another it really doesn't matter if you keep the geopolitical angle in mind while you listen or not. I originally listened with about half a brain, so I should know: it's still a great song.
I'm not as fanatical about Cat Power as other, hipper kids are. Her minimalism is only occasionally rewarding to me (and I have to confess that I love most of mc DJ's remixes of her stuff one hundred times more than the originals). It took me a few listens before I really fell for "The Greatest" (youtube (WARNING: WORST MUSIC VIDEO EVER)), but it was worth the effort.
Again, not being a hip indie kid has made me rather bewildered at all the foaming-at-the-mouth praise being directed to another band. In this case, The Knife, who you might know as the original artists of the song "Heartbeats," which was covered by José González and featured in a Sony ad. I love their videos, and I like their music, but sometimes it leaves me a bit...cold. Despite that, I have nothing but love for the Ratatat remix of "We Share Our Mother's Health" (youtube of the original). Ratatat owns me. This isn't a sly way to get one of my favorite groups on the list, I swear!
Along with the Scissor Sisters, a Regina Spektor tune had me dancing and singing in the car every time I heard it this year. I've tried Spektor before and found her to have a stronger voice than Tori Amos, but a wide streak of preciousness that makes me steer clear of her music. (I know, "the irony!" I sometimes find Amos pretentious but never teeth-gratingly precious. There's the difference.) However, "Fidelity" (youtube) drops the preciousness in favor of emotional honesty and good old-fashioned catchiness. My favorite song of hers in years.
There's a group consensus among music critics that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' best track from their newest album was "Cheated Hearts," but the first track I heard was Diplo's speeded-up remix of "Gold Lion" (youtube) and I loved it. And maybe it's the Wonderfalls fangirl in me that just won't die, but the stupid lyrics sound all profound and shit. And who cares if it doesn't? The music more than compensates for that.
Lady Sovereign's "Love Me or Hate Me" is not the best thing she's ever done; it feels lyrically lazy (the chorus is repeated how many times?), uncharacteristically self-congratulatory, and not as fun as some of her earlier stuff. That said, the remix featuring Missy Elliot is amazing (youtube of the original). Lady Sov's bristling delivery against Missy's smooth-as-silk flow just makes me incredibly happy. If this is the song that puts Lady Sov into the American music scene, she's going to kill them dead with the rest of her repertoire.
And finally, the song I'm kinda reluctant to admit I love. The first time "Do It To It" (youtube) came on, I thought it was the new Ciara single. The second time, I was convinced that it sounded more like Rihanna. Instead, it's a group, Cherish, that dishes out a dance floor challenge to all and sundry. The result is a lightweight pop tune that is thoroughly enjoyable, if a bit of a guilty pleasure.
...Oh, wait. My real guilty pleasure last year was how good "Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls was (youtube). Or maybe Bubba Sparxxx's "Ms. New Booty" (youtube). Or Fergie's "London Bridge" (youtube), which really should be enjoyed in all its "Oh Shit!" glory. Or the ridiculousness of Panic! At The Disco's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (youtube). Or T-Pain's ode to losers everywhere, "I'm N Love (With a Stripper)" (youtube). AND NOW YOU ALL KNOW THAT I AM A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE PERSON WHO HAS NO TASTE. I'M SO ASHAMED.
Although I like to think that I do have *some* semblance of taste. Proof: the worst song of the year was "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. Creepy as fuck.
Right, I'm done now. Bonus points to anyone who comments with "[name of song] was released in 2005, bitch!"