'laten we samen dingen doen zingen, van liedjes die niet bestaan..' (Eva de Roovere -
Fantastig Toch)
Songs of a
Decade 2000-2009
It's been exactly ten
years since Bomfunk MC's scored a massive hit with Freestyler. In
home country Finland it already was a success in 1999, a year later it had
conquered Europe, so it's the perfect track to start this retrospective
with. Since then I have hardly ever looked into the charts, mostly because
at best 1% is worth listening to. There have been some songs I secretly
still enjoy though. The Rasmus' In the Shadows, also Finnish, is
just impossible not to ohow-ohow along to and besides, it's the kiddie emo
band every stupid rocker loves to bash. Same goes for Avril Lavigne, that
cutie skater girl whose Complicated is so terribly uncomplicated
that it's shameless teenage fun 4-ever. Robbie Williams was one of the
funniest guys of the decade, born to entertain. None of his singles are
truly bad and he actually closed the gap between pop and rock, by
performing for sceptic audiences on big festivals and winning them all
over. Add to that a handful of famous singers with style and quality
(Alicia Keys comes to mind, Fallin' is beautiful) and some funny
bands (Insane Clown Posse anyone?) and it almost becomes tempting to turn
on MTV for the first time in eight years. Almost.
Creating a top 10 out of
three million songs, a lot of which should be played in album order, is
utter nonsense of course. However, a couple of tunes need to be mentioned.
Because they ruled my decade, reached my personal top 100 or just have
wonderful anecdotes attached to them. My sincere apologies again for black
rappers, any buena vista social club, Peruvian panflutes and Marco
Borsato, you just missed the cut. However, other songs didn't make the
list because of a very strict admission committee: no one already
mentioned in the albums section is
allowed in, same goes for all tunes I was lucky enough to witness live.
Just to name a few, this includes Saybia's The Day after Tomorrow,
The Departure's Be My Enemy, The Veils' The Letter and
Milow's Ayo Technology. Ex aequo eleventh are both singing French
actresses Vanessa Paradis (Junior Suite) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (AF607105),
next to System of a Down (B.Y.O.B.), having fun with contrast. If
you insist on having something Peruvian, try Elsiane (Paranoia),
even though she's now Canadian. And the eighties comeback of the century
belongs to Grace Jones, her Corporate Cannibal kicks so much ass
it's offending.
10. Maria Ventura - Cold Blows the Wind
(from Tear Bird Train, 2006)
A fifteen year old girl from somewhere in America, a typical indie
folk dad and talented herself too: a debut album is inevitable then,
nothing special. But Maria Ventura became my epitome of plain people
making music all around the world, far away from popularity or other
strange phenomenons. Her rendition of this traditional actually
brings a tear to the eye. She seems to have disappeared from the
face of MySpace.
9. The 69 Eyes - Dance d'Amour
(from Paris Kills, 2002)
Only after I fell in love with Dance d'Amour the artists
involved turned out to be like totallly gay emo pussy metal or
something, garage glam is an available description too. Nevermind,
the track is still awesome and most male bands are overrated anyway.
For more European gothy gems (these fags are from Finland), try
Blutengel's very mesmerizing Der Spiegel (Germany) and
Covenant's We Stand Alone (Sweden).
8. Cowboy Junkies - It Doesn't Really Matter Anyway
(from At the End of Paths Taken, 2007)
Cowboy Junkies probably are the most appreciated band in the world
that never really entered the big spotlight, country music to tone
down your hatred for the genre. It Doesn't Really Matter Anyway
is soft and dreamy though mature, five minutes pass by like they're
barely three.
A filmmaker should always keep this song in the back of his head,
you never know when you're going to need a tune to guarantee
relaxation.
7. Morrissey - I Have Forgiven Jesus
(from You Are the Quarry, 2004)
Could be an anthem for my life, if only I were a bigger Mozzer fan
(ask God why that didn't happen, even though I'm an agnostic). It's
deceptive arrogance of a passionate man who knows he's good, feeling
lost in a loveless world. It's suppressed anger that arises, aimed
at that crucified dude who burdened us with desire. It's depression,
all week long. Most of all, it's simply music once again proving to
be the only real relief. Amen.
6. Kristofer Åström - How Can You Live with Yourself?
(from Northern Blues, 2001)
Some people appear to be too sensitive for this world, think Jeff
Buckley. Quite the opposite same is truth: this world is too
insensitive for some people. So they die or turn singer/songwriter
and change humanity with their guitar, in peace and quiet. Kristofer
Åström oozes intelligence and emotion in perfect harmony. This
Fireside frontman apparently doesn't really like the person he's
singing about, this is not a love song. Or maybe it is. Fuck you
very much, the razorsharp poetic version.
5. Def P & Beatbusters - Eerlijk Liegen
(from Aangenaam, 2001)
What happens when you combine a country's best rapper with a catchy
local ska band? You get one of the best festival acts of the decade!
Eerlijk Liegen is a linguistic masterpiece about how in the
midst of all their lies, everyone speaks the truth every now and
then. Astonishing rhyme and woodwinds are impossible to stand still
to or to translate, straight from Osdorp and Betuwe.
4. Eminem - Kim
(from The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000)
Horror movie meets Laurel & Harry, ultimate middle finger, love it
or hate it, provocative. But once you get Kim, it becomes
exciting, thrilling, shivering. Of course, everybody knows all about
Eminem's private life and that he's not mister innocent himself. And
when projected on HIS real life, revenge theater probably isn't
justified. That's not the point. Get dumped, go crazy, meet a girl
named Kim and discover this song. Then we'll fucking talk again.
Festival song of the decade, no doubt: crowds all over the world
going bananas, even people who hate parties get infected beyond
recognition and colors pop up at the most unexpected places. Eastern
Europeans, lots of emigration, maybe a tiny drop of alcohol,
that's what's going on here. Gogol Bordello is, like we say in
Dutch, van de pot gerukt (jerked from the toilet) & mesjokke (nutty
as fruitcake). Get moving! Start wearing purple!
2.
Madrugada - Hold on to You
(from The Deep End, 2005)
Good music. Classy music. Madrugada. From Norway. Decided to split
after guitarist Robert Burås was found dead at 31. Left a legacy of
exactly ten years that defies criticism. Hold on to You is a
warm bath, with maybe one candle lit on the side. To realize what's
important, to tell her or him, taking time, coming to terms with
slowly going mad. Madrugada, twilight, the blue hour, is one of
those very rare bands recommendable to literally everyone.
1. Rilo Kiley -
Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That
Surrounds You
(from The Execution of All Things, 2002)
Damn you, Jenny Lewis! You very talented, down to earth, magnificent
Jenny Lewis! Twice and a half I saw you live but you never played my
favorite songs, which really aren't that rare on the setlist. So I
have to give you a number one here, which in fact totally makes me
happy, VERY happy. Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight
That Surrounds You became the first one of the decade to crack
my all time top 10, solo song Godspeed is rapidly climbing
the chart too. Damn you, Jenny Lewis! I love you!
