With this soundcheck, we will be taking a step back to the year 2000. The start of the new millennium, this was a year that featured some of my favorite albums of all time, and some albums considered among the best of the decade. It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed, and such a milestone warrants some spotlight being shined here. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the outstanding music of Y2K.
1. Yo La Tengo – “Everyday”
The opener to Yo La Tengo’s And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, “Everyday” is a song that I more recently discovered during Christmas break. It’s a minimalist, ambient track, different from the rest of the record it opens. The song has the same vibe that the cover of the album presents, being summed up best by the line “I want summer’s sad songs behind me.” It’s equally sad and comforting, reminding me of the many summer nights spent out on my porch with my parents.
2. Elliott Smith – “Son of Sam”
Figure 8 is a personal favorite of mine from the near perfect discography of the late Elliott Smith, bringing new life to his lo-fi ballads. “Son of Sam” is the perfect album introduction, warmly inviting you into the record with gorgeous instrumentation and well- written lyrics. It’s one of Smith’s most essential songs.
3. The White Stripes – “Apple Blossom”
Before they would become household names with the colossal “Seven Nation Army,” The White Stripes would release their most underrated record:the heavily acoustic De Stijl. The record is a favorite of mine from the band, and a stark improvement from their debut. I recommend giving the entire record, but especially “Apple Blossom,” a listen.
4. The Avalanches – “Since I Left You”
Imagine yourself on a cruise sometime in the 1960’s, drink in your hand sitting by the pool. The weather is a pristine 80 degrees and sunny; life doesn’t get better than this. With their vast sampling, plunderphonics duo The Avalanches bring this scene to life on the title track and opener to their debut record Since I Left You.
5. Eminem – “Stan”
In his current state, it’s hard to imagine how Eminem is considered one of the best rappers of all time; however, listen to “Stan” once and you will know exactly why he is. Probably the best track from his best record, The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem creates one of the most emotional and vivid character portraits ever put to tape on this classic track.
6. Electric Wizard– “Vinum Sabbathi”
“Vinum Sabbathi” is the brutal opener to Dopethrone, one of the heaviest records of all time from Electric Wizard. The drug-fueled track creates a darkly fantastical image of pure depravity, featuring a haunting vocal sample towards the start. Looking for more ways to get into metal? Start right here.
7. Queens of the Stone Age – “Feel Good Hit of the Summer” & “In the Fade”
These two songs are the defining moments of QOTSA’s breakthrough record Rated R. The former is one of the most instantly iconic openers in all of rock music canon, while the latter brings some emotional weight to the stoner rock classic. Both songs are among my favorites of all time, hence both being included.
8. At the Drive-In – “One Armed Scissor”
Before they would split and become The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In created arguably the defining post-hardcore record with their classic – and for well over a decade final – record Relationship of Command. The album. and specifically “One Armed Scissor,” goes as insanely hard as does its album cover.
9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “Storm”
Being one of four lengthy tracks from GY!BE’s classic post-rock masterpiece Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, this lengthy, multiphase track is one of the most rewarding sonic experiences you could ever have. At times moving and at other times intimidating, this goliath of a song, and the record from which it spawns, is deserving of every second of your time.
10. Primal Scream – “Exterminator”
Psychedelic and darkly political, “Exterminator” (and the encompassing album, XTRMNTR) has never felt more urgent than now. One of the most Orwellian and dystopian songs of all time, listen to it ASAP.
11. Broadcast – “Come On Let’s Go”
No band has ever sounded so split between the past and the future as Broadcast do on “Come On Let’s Go.” Although 25 years removed,it still sounds alien compared to any other music on this playlist.
12. Deftones – “Digital Bath”
Equally Trip-Hop as it is Nu Metal, “Digital Bath” is likely the best song that Deftones has or will ever make. The track is a perfect blend of aggressive and entrancing and was the song that encouraged me to check more of the band out.
13. Outkast – “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)”
This song is one of the greatest rap songs ever made, a track that sounds so ahead of its time both sonically and lyrically. It’s a song that would ultimately define a decade with its political nature and breakneck production.
14. Modest Mouse – “Gravity Rides Everything”
Modest Mouse went psychedelic and abstract on their third record, the classic The Moon and Antarctica. “Gravity Rides Everything” strikes the perfect balance between the tone of the old and the abstract possibilities allowed on a larger label. This balance ultimately created one of the greatest indie songs of all time.
15. Radiohead – “Everything In Its Right Place” & “The National Anthem”
Commonly considered the greatest record of the decade, Kid A is an utter rebuke to everything that popular music was doing now, seeing the band create a dystopian masterpiece by abandoning their classic alternative rock sound. Opener “Everything In Its Right Place” sounds more akin to Aphex Twin than anything a rock band would ever produce, while “The National Anthem” breaks down into an insane horn section in its final leg. Truly is a defining record of a revolutionary decade.
