The 2000s, The Full Circle of Indie

Someone smarter than I should write an interesting piece on the full circle of indie rock this decade -- its birth from the alternative/college rock scene of the 1980s and 1990s, fully establishing itself as a complete genre of music by mid-decade, and its preposterous end by 2009.

Is it really over? Probably not, but a case could be made that it's now devolved into one big fashion statement... Thank you Vogue magazine for shining a light! -PGJ

Slate Music Club 2009

Thanks to Patrick Rossmann and Jeff Moran for getting the 2009 Paulies going today -- good stuff as always. And while the rest of you reflect on the year, another useful resource is the Slate Music Club's year end listserv (a total rip-off of the Paulies, mind you):

Slate Music Club

Though I do love Jody Rosen's opening paragaph -- a perfectly apt, meta- approach to the end of this decade in music:

"Let's get the pressing question out of the way. Which Lady Gaga look do you prefer: Cubist Baton Twirler, Naked Boulevardier, or Bubbletard?

I'm not exactly joking. This year, much of the action in pop music was extra-musical: Gaga's fashion-forward exploits; the death of Michael Jackson; the Chris Brown-Rihanna affair; the Taylor Swift-Kanye West imbroglio; the rise of those TV talent show sexual-button-pushers, Adam Lambert and, uh, Susan Boyle. Ms. Gaga's multiplatform, pan-media, post-everything meta-stardom is just one of many current pop phenomena we scarcely could have envisioned at the beginning of this decade, and I hope we'll expand the scope of our conversation this week to reflect not just on 2009, but on 2000-09—the noughts, or aughts, or, as I prefer to call them, the Beyoncés, about which more below."

I’m a Gangsta, Miss Katie – Some Gems from Jeff Moran

David Foster Wallace's guest editor intro to the 2007 edition of The Best American Essays is my Paulie pick of the year. As much of a spirited downer as his classic lobster pot freakout, the essay explores how stepping up and declaring anything as "best" in this bountiful, inconquerable (digital) age is a sham. He fleshes out a pretty strong argument for his own deficiency.

His point is that since we obviously can't consume everything out there, we rely on filters – and that our opinions are only as good as those filtering for us.

http://neugierig.org/content/dfw/bestamerican.pdf

This is what I love about you people and Tall Paul's commitment to this yearly tradition. We're a damn good group of filterers. So here's a fat, dusty scoop from the lint compartment of what I've seen and heard throughout 2009.

Datpiff.com – A spyware & identity theft free (so far!) hip-hop mixtape download site for everything from 2001 and on. You can get all of the Kanye, Lil' Wayne, Lupe, Wale, Kid Cudi, et. al that you need.

Kid Cudi's "Poke Her Face"

Never has manipulating the meaning of a sample made hip-hop misogyny so damn fun. Shame on you, Common!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cDE3Gwn5ZM

Lil' Wayne – This was the year that I finally stopped asking 'what's a goon to a goblin' and learned to love Lil' Wayne. I'm still catching up on that 90+ mixtape appearance binge between Carters 2 + 3 that were highlighted in last year's Paulies. The recent No Ceilings mixtape is great fun. I think the 60 Minutes interview with Katie Couric is what sealed the deal for me. He's a complicated dude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyI26E5agM4

Hipsterrunoff.com – Anyone writing a Pauly must know about this site, right? Well, I'll include it anyway. Written in the voice of a 14-25 year old texting, it's a spot on homage and critique of the "alt" "scene" 4 ur post-indie self. Below is the classic post "Animal Collective is a Band Created By/For/On the Internet"

http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/2009/01/animal-collective-is-a-band-created-byforon-the-internet.html

J. Dilla – The rabbit hole of datpiff.com led me to discover the oft-praised producing work of the late Dilla. A lot of it really is as good as you've heard. Not everything, but lots. Below I've linked his remix of "No Place to Go"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbcazZpCRdU

Lupe Fiasco – Outty 5000

In other news, at some point in the last few years Lupe killed it over Nas' "Get Down". You can imagine him skipping in place in the studio with that delivery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8wQIMHw8eA

Charles Hamilton – Cable in the Classroom

Poor Charles. 2009: Releases 8 mixtapes using countless Sonic the Hedgehog samples, gets into a beef with Soulja Boy, gets punched in the face after talking shit to a girl in Harlem (subsequently posted to youtube) and gets dropped from Interscope. In that order.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWgMTFHpjbs

To wrap things up, here's a video of an elderly woman in a wheelchair firing a machine gun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdDj0Syzrn8

Patrick's 2009 List

Hello Paulies,

Another year, another top ten. It was a big year for me personally as I got married this summer. Musically, it was a solid way to end the decade. I didn't listen to as much music as I wanted (Built to Spill or Clipse to name a few) or see as many shows as I would like (I'm getting old), but I managed to follow enough. I'll keep my 2009 list pretty short in anticipation for a longer decade best of.

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

This came out last January and was immediately my top for best album. It was the standard I used to compare everything else that came out. A year later it still holds up. My Girls is my favorite track on the album, but there's lot buried in there. The cover art is pretty cool too.

2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

A close second. This is by far the best Dirty Projectors album yet. It's great, because it's a complete album. There's a variety of songs, sounds, and vocals, but they all blend together so well.

3. The XX – XX

I'm not sure how this album will hold up for me over time, but for now I'm really, really liking it.

4. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

This was on heavy rotation all spring. Seeing them live this summer was a bonus.

5. Visqueen – Message to Garcia

A Seattle band, in case you haven't heard of them. It's NPR rock. A music highlight this year was seeing them play on campus (I work at Seattle University) to a crowd of college students and toddlers.

6. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Putting this list together reminded me to listen to this album more.

7. St. Vincent - Actor

I know they were on people's list last year, but I didn't really get into them until I saw them at Sasquatch this year. I think their former album is better, but this one is still good.

8. Dark Was the Night – Various Artists

This is a great road trip album to keep in your car. A veritable who's who of indi rock. Plus David Byrne and Dirty Projectors!

9. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

Heads Will Roll is a great song. Karen O is a great front woman.

10. Avett Brothers – I And Love And You

Why not? Their title track is somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me (damn you, sentiment) that I never tire of.

That's it for now. I'm still playing around with my best of the decade list. I look forward to reading others.

The 2009 Paulies - Best of Lists

Last week we posted a half dozen "best of the decade" lists, so let's now look at a few "best of the year" lists from 2009:

NME Best Albums of 2009
5. Animal Collective, "Merriweather Post Pavilion"
4. Wild Beasts, "Two Dancers"
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz!"
2. The xx, "The xx"
1. The Horrors, "Primary Colours"

Spin Magazine
5. Girls, "Album"
4. Grizzly Bear, "VECKATIMEST"
3. Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz"
1. Animal Collective, "MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION"

Onion A/V Club
5. Dirty Projectors, "Bitte Orca"
4. Sunset Rubdown, "Dragonslayer"
3. Animal Collective, "Merriweather Post Pavilion"
2. Grizzly Bear, "Veckatimest"
1. Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"

Sound Opinions Podcast, Chicago Public Radio
Jim DeRogatis
1. Ida Maria, "Fortress 'Round My Heart"
2. Neko Case, "Middle Cyclone"
3. Kid Sister, "Ultraviolet"
4. Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
5. Lily Allen, "It's Not Me, It's You"

Gregg Kot
1. St. Vincent, "Actor"
2. BLK JKS, "After Robots"
3. Cymbals Eat Guitars, "Why There are Mountains"
4. The xx, "The xx"
5. Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"

Catching Up on Lost Time...

Hello Paulies,

This marks my return after absence in 2008. Reasonably inexcusable, considering I'm a charter Paulies member. But, I didn't have much to say about 2008. So, let me gloss over it now, before I go planters on the decade-that-was.

MICROCASTLE/DEERHUNTER - If you wrote a 2008 Paulies entry, chances are I didn't read it. I DID, however, do a word search through last year's postings for the words "deer" and "hunter." To the best of my knowledge, the only reference to Microcastle was an honorable mention from Eamon. Suffice to say, Microcaste was the best album of 2008... by a wide, wide margin. From start to finish, each song is beautiful and new and hard-but-listenable. "Nothing Ever Happened" makes my head explode, and should be the subject of more misplaced Bohemian Rhapsody/Paranoid Android comparisons. Want one song? Try "Never Stops." This album makes me wish I did drugs. And though I don't, Microcastle is still head and shoulders over anything I've heard the past few years.

FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO/BON IVER - "Skinny Love" is one of the memorable songs of the back half of the decade, and Monsieur Iver's voice is tremendous. Makes you wonder if Tunde Adebimpe should release an album of acoustic guitar music.

THE FAME/LADY GAGA - Clearly, the most important pop music of 2008 and likely 2009. Can't believe she released a new album a month ago, while singles from her first album are still tearing up the charts. Say what you will about Lady Gaga (and there's much to say), but this is great pop music. Just Dance? Yes, please. Poker Face? Ok then. Paparazzi? Keep it coming. 

YOU & ME/THE WALKMEN - I feel like all their songs sound the same... generally, in a good way. That said, "I Lost You" was a highlight of the year. The rest of the album? Not as good, but the same.

THE WIRE (SEASONS 1-5) - When I suggest Arrested Development is the best sit-com of all-time (which I genuinely believe), it comes with an understanding of the relativity of the statement... that a damn good argument could made for Seinfeld. I mean, I can't argue w/ Seinfeld. It's less that Arrested Development is the "best" anyway, but rather that it's my "favorite" comedy... and more importantly, like all of these conversations, it's up for discussion, debate and diverging opinion. Not The Wire. The Wire is the best dramatic series in tv history. It's beyond argument or debate, like the common knowledge that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever... or the oh-so-obvious reality that The Beatles were the greatest rock band ever. It's incredible how layered the series is. The best social commentary on civic failure you can find, a remarkable thread of plotline after plotline, theme after theme. There are twenty remarkable characters (at minimum), each more complex and heartwrenching than the last. Anyway, I missed the boat entirely, and never saw it when it ran on HBO (in large measure because I didn't get HBO). But, over the past 12 months, I've watched all five seasons... and frankly, DVD-binging is the best format to digest it, since hour-long episodes aren't always enough... and one week waits are just too much.

 

Alright... with those loose ends out of the way, 2009 it is...

 

Matt Levine

The 2009 Paulies

We've launched. Now let's see some lists.

The 2009 Paulies - Prelaunch List No. 3

First came the British, then the indie. So now let's look at what the mainstream, Rolling Stone, think about the decade in music.

Complete list of 100.

Here is the top ten:
10. Kanye West, "The College Dropout"
9. M.I.A., "Kala"
8. Bob Dylan, "Modern Times"
7. Eminem, "The Marshal Mathers LP"
6. Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
5. The White Stripes, "Elephant"
4. Jay-Z, "The Blueprint"
3. Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
2. The Strokes, "Is This It"
1. Radiohead, "Kid A"

The 2009 Paulies - Prelaunch List No. 2

If NME was the great influencer of Paul, Pitchfork is the great influencer of the Paulies more broadly. And with that, Pitchfork's top 200 albums of the decade.

Click for the list.

Their top ten:
10. The Avalanches, "Since I Left You"
9. Panda Bear, "Person Pitch"
8. Sigur Ros, "Ágætis Byrjun"
7. The Strokes, "Is This It"
6. Modest Mouse, "The Moon and Antartica"
5. Jay-Z, "The Blueprint"
4. Wilco, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
3. Daft Punk, "Discovery"
2. Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
1. Radiohead, "Kid A"

The 2009 Paulies - Prelaunch List No. 1

Care of NME, the top 100 albums of the decade (complete with videos from every single album):

Complete list here.
[Ed.: Unsurprisingly, it's my favorite "best of" list so far, as NME was the biggest influencer of my taste from 2000-2003.]

Their top ten:
10. Radiohead, "In Rainbows"
9. The Streets, "Original Pirate Material"
8. Interpol, "Turn on the Bright Lights"
7. Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
6. PJ Harvey, "Stories from the City..."
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever to Tell"
4. Arctic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am..."
3. Primal Scream, "XTRMNTR"
2. The Libertines, "Up the Bracket"
1. The Strokes, "Is This It"

The Paules 2009: Background

Welcome to the 2009 Paulies. Over the next few days we'll be adding "best of" lists from the decade of 2000-2009, in anticipation of our launch on Sunday, December 14.