Retroactive Thinking: Top 10 Albums From 10 Years Ago
Every year I like to reflect not so much on what’s happened in modern times but what pieces of pop culture have stuck with me a decade later. This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Check in Thursday for the Top 10 Movies from 10 Years ago.
10. Fountains of Wayne: Welcome Interstate Managers – In 2003 if there was any song you could not escape it was Stacey’s Mom. A song so infectious that many people are still visiting doctors trying to get the earworm removed from their head (Just like in Star Trek). In actuality the song is probably the worst one on the album (and it’s still amazing). The highlights are tracks like Mexican Wine, Bright Future in Sales and my personal favorite song Hey Julie. I first heard Hey Julie in an episode of Scrubs and fell madly in love with it. The song is a love story about dealing with a shit job but being able to come to home to someone you love. Despite being single this past year when I was working one of my least favorite jobs of all time I listened to that song every Friday before clocking out. It’s nice to have rituals.
9. Belle & Sebastian: Dear Catastrophe Waitress – Scottish Indie group Belle & Sebastian changed out their sound quite a bit on this sixth album. While I’ve always liked the group their albums always felt like they overstayed their welcome by a track or two. That’s not the case with Dear Catastrophe Waitress. Even 10 years later it still shines as their best album since their sophomore smash If You’re Feeling Sinister. Be it from the pop friendly Step into my Office baby to the Stay Loose a dance track that reminds me of Early Blur records like Boys & Girls.
8. Bishop Allen: Charm School – Bishop Allen’s debut record gave us an interesting look at what this Indie duo could do. It’d be four years until they release the even better follow up The Broken String but that doesn’t make this debut record any less fantastic. The highlight tracks are their song Eve of Destruction (inspired by the P.F. Sloan song) and Things are what you make of them.
7.Wyclef Jean: The Preacher’s Son – You ever have one of those moments in life where you put on a CD and within the first track you’re immediately hooked. That was my experience with Preacher’s Son. The record kicks off with Industry where Jean begs fellow rappers to quit the gangster imagery and focus on unity. It is the map to the rest of this record. Track after track Jean begins to create 2003’s most beautiful and sincere rap album. Sadly it was not a massive success for the artist and genuinely deserves a relisten.
6. Jamie Cullum: Twentysomething – I’ll be honest, 8 of these 10 records I only heard within the last year or two while trying to decide what would be my picks. Jamie Cullum was not one of those 8. From the moment the single All At Sea first came onto VH1 (because by 2003 VH1 was were you saw music videos) I wanted this album. This became the record that I played for everyone that year. I’d listen to it in my car all day, lend it to friends and memorized most of the words. The following year I remember driving to college everyday blasting the title track and singing my little heart out.
5.The Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium – I’m ashamed by how late I was on the Marts Volta bandwagon (How late? I heard this album for the first time on July 4th this year). I went in with zero expectations. I liked At the Drive-In but not nearly as much as other people did. However about three tracks into this album I was amazed. If I had to try to explain how amazing this album is I’d have to do it like this. I have a terribly short attention span but yet I listened to the twelve and half long Cicatriz ESP twice in a row. The unique musical variety helped make this debut one of the most impressive albums of 2003.
4. The Dresden Dolls – I discovered Dresden Dolls back in the MySpace days when bands would just randomly friend you. I immediately fell in love with the quirky song Coin-Operated Boy (which I assume is about a dildo but what do I know) but for some reason I didn’t pick up the record until this year. If I had to compare it to anything I’d be forced to say early Ben Folds Five but it’s still it’s own unique sound of vaudeville inspired, piano driven punk music.
3.Warren Zevon: The Wind – When Werewolves in London singer Warren Zevon found out he had an inoperable lung cancer he went into the studio and recorded his goodbye. It’s impossible to not get teary eyed while listening to songs like Knocking on Heaven’s Door and Keep Me In Your Heart. Goodbyes have never rarely sounded so beautiful.
2. The Avett Brothers: A Carolina Jubilee – In the last couple of years Avett Brothers has climbed the ranks as one of my all time favorite bands. Their sorta first full length (some people say it’s country was but with it’s 8 short tracks it feels more like an EP) is a bluegrass folk pop record unlike anything else back then. Predating groups like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers by almost a decade The Avett Brothers (at this time a three-piece) created a toe-tapping sound with countless catching sing-a-longs like The Traveling Song, I Killed Sally’s Lover and Do you Love Him?
1. The Postal Service: Give Up – 2004 was one of the biggest years of my life. I graduated High School, I started college, I saw a ton of indie films that inspired my writing and I discovered Indie music thanks to the Garden State soundtrack. One of my favorite songs on the soundtrack was Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine. When I found out it was cover I tracked down the original version and immediately fell in love. I had no clue this was at all related to Death Cab for Cutie (who at the time was a band I’d heard of a few times and nothing more). In 10 tracks this side project managed to make not only the best album of 2003 but one of the best albums of the decade. Every track is packed with beautiful lyrics and fun electronic sounds. It sounds like it’s ripped straight out of the 80’s and I love everything about it.
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