Rosseus

#56Lupe Fiasco “Kick, Push”2005 A hip-hop song...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:00:00 -0600

#56
Lupe Fiasco “Kick, Push”
2005

A hip-hop song about skateboarding? It’s true.

Lupe Fiasco announced his presence to the world with this first single, earning a Grammy nomination and setting the stage for larger exposure with his hit second album Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool.

#57Spoon “Everything Hits At Once”2001 Spoon...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0600

#57
Spoon “Everything Hits At Once”
2001

Spoon consistently made great albums throughout this decade, but Girls Can Tell (their first of the decade) may be the best.

“Everything Hits At Once” is my favorite from that album…and favorite Spoon song overall.

#58MGMT “Kids”2008 MGMT came out of absolutely...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0600

#58
MGMT “Kids”
2008

MGMT came out of absolutely nowhere to explode in popularity in 2008.

Psychedlic synthpop songs like “Kids”, “Time to Pretend” and “Electric Feel” helped MGMT go from complete unknowns to household names in a very, very short time.

#59Phoenix “Lisztomania”2009 This song’s...

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:00:00 -0600

#59
Phoenix “Lisztomania”
2009

This song’s title is a reference to 19th century Hungarian virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt, who apparently was the subject of Beatlemania-type adoration a full century before the Fab Four took the world by storm.

After making solid pop music for several years, Phoenix finally got the credit and mainstream exposure that they deserved with 2009’s fantastic Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

#60The Shins “New Slang”2001 “You gotta hear...

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0600

#60
The Shins “New Slang”
2001

“You gotta hear this one song—it’ll change your life.”

Gag.

That’s how Natalie Portman’s character introduced the Shins to the mainstream world in 2004’s Garden State.

While it may not be exactly life-changing, “New Slang” is at least strong enough to stand on its own legs without Zach Braff tearfully shoving it into your face.

#61The National “About Today”2004 The National is...

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0600

#61
The National “About Today”
2004

The National is often soft and subtle as it is, but “About Today” takes that to its extreme.

Soft, somber and undeniably beautiful, “About Today” details the foreboding sense of loss as a relationship falls apart.

#62Arcade Fire “Neighborhood #3 (Power...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:00:00 -0600

#62
Arcade Fire “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)”
2005

This is Arcade Fire at its heaviest…the song that normally provides a late jolt to an already intense live show.

“Power Out” is actually extremely powerful, providing the intensity and urgency that makes Arcade Fire so great as a band.

#63David Byrne & Brian Eno “Strange...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0600

#63
David Byrne & Brian Eno “Strange Overtones”
2008

Two legends join forces for the first time in decades to prove that they’re both still capable of releasing great and relevant music.

“Strange Overtones” is the clear standout track from Byrne & Eno’s solid 2008 effort Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

#64Justin Timberlake “SexyBack”2006 Justin...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0600

#64
Justin Timberlake “SexyBack”
2006

Justin Timberlake had quite the decade. He broke away from the N Sync, played a key role in NippleGate, became an SNL star by singing about putting his d**k in a box AND dated hot-but-annoying women like Cameron Diaz and Jessica Biel.

Oh, and he released a ton of rump-shaking music like this song.

#65Johnny Cash “Hurt”2003 This was the last call...

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:00 -0600

#65
Johnny Cash “Hurt”
2003

This was the last call for the extremely long and legendary career of Johnny Cash.

An inspired cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic, Cash’s voice provides an overwhelming amount of sadness and despair that actually improves upon the original version.

It’s the perfect swan song for the long, hard life that Cash lived.

#66The Strokes “Someday”2001 The Strokes arrived...

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0600

#66
The Strokes “Someday”
2001

The Strokes arrived early this decade with a sort of retro garage pop that helped them headline a mainstream rock mini-revival along with The White Stripes.

Like many of their songs, “Someday” is a well-crafted pop song that almost has a timeless quality to it.

#67Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You”2004 This...

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:00:00 -0600

#67
Alicia Keys “If I Ain’t Got You”
2004

This song is a favorite among American Idol contestants, which is about the only negative thing I can say about it.

Alicia Keys provided some of the very few classic soul/r&b songs of the decade and this one is probably her best.

deletehate: Drew Brees

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:20:31 -0600

deletehate:

Drew Brees

#68Mark Ronson “Valerie (ft. Amy...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0600

#68
Mark Ronson “Valerie (ft. Amy Winehouse)”
2007

This song was originally written and recorded by the Zutons and that version is pretty good…but Ronson and Winehouse bring a whole new life to the song.

My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-11-29)

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:47:17 -0600

My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-11-29): Radiohead (30) Beck (30) The Smashing Pumpkins (29)...

#69Arcade Fire “Keep the Car Running”2007 I’m...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0600

#69
Arcade Fire “Keep the Car Running”
2007

I’m not entirely sure what this song is about, but I get the feeling that it’s trying to convey the feeling of trying to escape something that’s inevitable…a foreboding fear of a reckoning that could come at any moment.

That kind of peril and immediacy is the perfect fit for the sound of this song and Arcade Fire in general.

#70Sigur Ròs “Hoppìpolla”2005 This is a beautiful...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0600

#70
Sigur Ròs “Hoppìpolla”
2005

This is a beautiful song, which is probably why it was used in about a dozen movie trailers, tv shows and commercials over recent years.

“Hoppìpolla” conjures up every adjective you should expect from a great Sigur Ròs song: orchestral, gorgeous and grandiose.

No matter my mood, things always seem a little happier after hearing this song.

#71Wilco “Jesus, Etc.”2002 This is a Wilco...

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0600

#71
Wilco “Jesus, Etc.”
2002

This is a Wilco song.

Americana for a late night lounge session, “Jesus, Etc.” glides along with the help of a lovely violin over talk of last cigarettes.

#72The Flaming Lips “Do You...

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0600

#72
The Flaming Lips “Do You Realize??”
2002

We’re all going to die, so why not live our lives the best we can and realize the beauty within us and all around us?

The Flaming Lips are at their best when expressing simple messages like this about the celebration of life and love.

#73Metric “Help, I’m Alive”2009 This song...

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0600

#73
Metric “Help, I’m Alive”
2009

This song taunted me so long. Months before the long-awaited release of Metric’s album Fantasies, “Help, I’m Alive” leaked onto the internet and showed great promise for the forthcoming album.

There was just one problem: we’d all have to wait many months before hearing the rest of it.

Thankfully, Fantasies did come out early this year and essentially proved to be worth the wait.