You Should Hear This: 2000

PopTodd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 1:39 pm

Yes, this is the album made entirely with toy instruments. But, get beyond the gimmickry, and this is just a flat-out great album; one of those rare conceits where the limitations that the artist placed on himself actually WORKED. Matt Mahaffey came out with an album that was truly inspired. He started out with genuinely good pop songs, and used the self-imposed limitations to create wildly innovative arrangements for the songs. On a first listen, for the first coupe of minutes, it is a bit distracting... but only if you know.
But, within a couple of songs, the distraction fades away and you get genuinely caught up in the songs. I don't think that he's done anything as brilliant, before or since. But this is one real, shining moment and it should have been a huge hit.
Love, love, love this record!

paper · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:23 pm

The Dreaded Marco · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:32 pm

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:43 pm

radcliffe Wrote:

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:47 pm

The Dreaded Marco Wrote:

The first features the song that, by liking it, made me realize I had gone soft. Saw BDB on Late Nite w/ Conan O'Brien within 48 hours of seeing At the Drive-in on Late Show, & where "One-armed Scissor" left me cold, "Once Around the Block" had me shaking, my voice quavering... I had become a puddle in my dorm room. & it's been all downhill since.

The second, I contend, is the best studio work by Dave Fridmann. Sleater-Kinney's The Woods is the only thing that approaches The Great Eastern.

The Dreaded Marco · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:52 pm

I saw BDB while he was touring for Bewilderbeast---a rambling, chaotic, 3 hour mess of a show. It was fantastic.

It's all been down hill since that debut--I can't get through any of his last 2 or 3 albums, but Bewilderbeast still sounds very good to me.

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

there was a vast amount of talk about that Delgados album, but i could never get into it.

shiv · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:02 pm

PopTodd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:03 pm

It's noisy.
It's harsh.
It's uncompromising.
It's Albini.
Get over it and either love it or hate it.

Stone · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:27 am **Posts:** 1562

One of my faves from that year (and my favorite of theirs):

The Black Heart Procession - - three -

This is a mostly slow and brooding album, but with elements of alt. country/Americana. I've always found this to be a very sad, but powerful record, which probably has a lot to do with the lyrics and the vocals of Pall Jenkins.

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:22 pm

The Dreaded Marco Wrote:

I saw BDB while he was touring for Bewilderbeast---a rambling, chaotic, 3 hour mess of a show. It was fantastic.

It's all been down hill since that debut--I can't get through any of his last 2 or 3 albums, but Bewilderbeast still sounds very good to me.

All downhill for me, since then, I meant.

& nice picks on Deftones & Pedro, shiv.

Stone · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:27 am **Posts:** 1562

And a sleeper from that year:

Pinetop Seven - Bringing Home the Last Great Strike

This is another mellow album, but quite beautiful. They employ many different instruments and many different musicians to bring their sound to full effect. I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I think this is a great album, and was one of my most listened to of 2000.

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

never even heard of that. sounds interesting.

Stone · **Joined:** Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:27 am **Posts:** 1562

rogneeb Wrote:

never even heard of that. sounds interesting.

Pitchfork's review.

mcaputo · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:42 pm

MARAH : KIDS IN PHILLY
Great rock n roll band that writes great rock n roll songs
--see Bruce Springsteen related artists

NEKO CASE : FURNACE ROOM LULLABY
Patsy & Loretta, Tammy, and a dollop of Aretha.
'--Thrice All American'---best song ever written about Tacoma,Wa.

RICHARD BUCKNER : THE HILL
--Rick exceeds expectations by putting music to the poems of Edgar Lee Masters' 'Spoon River Anthology'

CHUCK PROPHET : THE HURTING BUSINESS
--urban uptown blues ala Robert Zimmerman mixed with samples & beats.

AIMEE MANN : BACHELOR # 2
--PT Anderson's inspiration to the film Magnolia of which he wrote & directed.

THE VOLEBEATS : MOSQUITO SPIRAL
--crafty inspired 60's-70's AM pop without a hint of manufactured country in sight.

JOE PERNICE : BIG TOBACCO
--I play this, his second solo record more than latter day Pernice Brother records.

THE EELS : DAISIES OF THE GALAXY
--This is either the most sophisticated children's record ever made or the most
childlike adult alternative record ever.

GIANT SAND : CHORE OF ENCHANTMENT
--The musings of Howie Gelb. Still the one I like best in his vast catalog

IDA : WILL YOU FIND ME
--Acoustic guitars, piano, strings and close harmonies lift these songs like
an open-window breeze blowing motes of memory through a dusty room.

SLOBBERBONE : EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT WAS WRONG WAS RIGHT TODAY
--Texas twang as if funneled through The Replacements

CHRIS MILLS : KISS IT GOODBYE
--One of Chicago's finest carrying the alt-country torch with this beautiful, angry record.

FROG HOLLER : ADAMS HOTEL ROAD
--From the Pennsylvania dutch-country, they've released 6 records and I've yet to be disappointed. A loud electric can exist with a banjo, mando and full backing all pulled together by the solid songwriting of Darren Schlappich.

Plus :

XTC : Wasp Star
Calexico : Hot Rail
Clem Snide : Your Favorite Music
Gingersol : Nothing Stops Moving
Archer Prewitt : White Sky
Nadine : Lit Up from the Inside
Willard Grant Conspiracy : Mojave

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:11 pm

mcaputo Wrote:

GIANT SAND : CHORE OF ENCHANTMENT
--The musings of Howie Gelb. Still the one I like best in his vast catalog

The reissue of this is supposed to finally come out in a week or two. I'll probably buy it.

DumpJack · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:02 pm

mcaputo Wrote:

IDA : WILL YOU FIND ME
--Acoustic guitars, piano, strings and close harmonies lift these songs like
an open-window breeze blowing motes of memory through a dusty room.

I liked this way more than I should have .

DumpJack · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:58 pm

Scanning my 2000s for the less than obvious

Tragically Hip Music at Work
The Makers Rock Star God
Johnny Cash American III]
Eryka Badu Mama's Gun
dZihan & Kamien Freaks & Icons
Lemon Jelly lemonjelly.ky
Dimitri from Paris A Night at the Playboy Mansion
Cypress Hill Live at the Fillmore East
Belle & Sebastian Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
Marvelous 3 Ready Sex Go
Mojave 3 Excuses for Travellers
Neil Young Silver & Gold
Phoenix United
PJ Harvey Stories for the City, Stories from the Seas
Sleater-Kinney All Hands on the Bad One
Tommy Womack Stubborn
Tsar Tsar

nobody · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 7:33 pm

Everyone's already heard it, but I'll just take this as another chance to mention that De Stijl by White Stripes is a classic album. I am a fan of them in general, but for me this is the special one. It has a consistency with it's raw and stripped back approach that I don't think they ever really touched again.

I'm too lazy to go see what else I like is from 2000 right now. I will say just because I just saw it that the PJ Harvey album from 2000 was like her experiment on what the world would be like if PJ Harvey made really boring music, sorry Jack. On the other hand, despite seeing more bad than good reviews, that Belle & Sebastian album is my second fave of theirs after Tigermilk.

The Dreaded Marco · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:05 pm

Stone Wrote:

And a sleeper from that year:

Pinetop Seven - Bringing Home the Last Great Strike

This is another mellow album, but quite beautiful. They employ many different instruments and many different musicians to bring their sound to full effect. I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I think this is a great album, and was one of my most listened to of 2000.

I tracked this down based on this discussion. It's good. I couldn't find any of their other albums--how are they? It looks like they're all fairly well reviewed.

Stop Breathin' · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:51 pm

Tee Wrote:

& nice picks on Deftones & Pedro, shiv.

I don't understand how I can so vehemently disagree with monty so often, then be completely on the same wavelength here.

Natural Mike · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 9:51 pm

PopTodd Wrote:

It's noisy.
It's harsh.
It's uncompromising.
It's Albini.
Get over it and either love it or hate it.

I was reading this thread while watching a DVRed episode of Chicago's Best and your name came up - my mind was blown.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:15 pm

Natural Mike Wrote:

PopTodd Wrote:

It's noisy.
It's harsh.
It's uncompromising.
It's Albini.
Get over it and either love it or hate it.

I was reading this thread while watching a DVRed episode of Chicago's Best and your name came up - my mind was blown.

I love that show.
And you should really check out that place that I recommended. It's amazing. (I think that ive mentioned it here before too.)
Also, they invited me to join them for the taping, but a: igot the note late; and b: it was during the workday anyway.
Woulda freaked you out more if I was eating with Britney, huh?

thisotherkingdom · **Posted:** Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:55 pm

allmusic Wrote:

The first and only album by Louisiana's Agents of Oblivion is a distinct departure from the music of Acid Bath, the previous band of songwriters Dax Riggs and Mike Sanchez, though it does shed some light on that band's unique collision of styles. While fellow Acid Bath member Sammy Duet went on to pound out grinding black metal with Goatwhore, Riggs and Sanchez put together a band more concerned with melody and straightforward rock songwriting. There are strong echoes of T. Rex (whose "Cosmic Dancer" they cover here) and Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie in the soaring, melancholic grandeur of slower tracks such as "Phantom Green," "Endsmouth," and "Big Black Backwards." Meanwhile, the hard rock numbers, notably "Slave Riot" and "Ash of the Mind," recall Iggy Pop and, again, T. Rex, though the heavy drums and thickly distorted guitars have a density more in line with the grungy metal of the Melvins or early Alice in Chains. The lyrics, though, are purely Riggs' work: vivid, desolate, and filled with image-laden references to insects, death, and decaying skulls that avoid sounding trite or adolescent, as they might have in lesser hands. His sorrowful, crooning vocals, too, are really superb, perhaps influenced by Bowie and Jim Morrison but still quite distinct. In the end, Agents of Oblivion may not be the most groundbreaking record to come out in 2000, but it is still a fine piece of desolate, melancholy hard rock that, rather than simply recasting its '70s rock influences, invests them with real personality and creativity.

Probably my favorite Apples in Stereo album.

McLusky seem to be a love-em-or-hate-em band, and their debut probably isn't the best intro point, but there are some real punk rock gems on this album.

Hard to pick my favorite QOTSA album, but this is usually my go to answer. Probably an obvious one, but definitely a need to hear this album if you haven't.

+1 on:

Neko Case
Giant Sand
White Stripes
Slobberbone
Marah

Oh shit, just remembered the debut Perfect Circle album. I played the shit out of that one as a 18-19 y/o.

You Should Hear This: 2000

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