2009 : 18 "Blood Bank" by Bon Iver

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There is no song this decade that makes me feel a feeling of atmosphere the way "Blood Bank" does. The cover of the EP shows this snow-covered car with the door slightly open. This song sounds like walking through the snow to get that photo. There is no other way to put it. You know what I am saying if you have ever walked through snow so heavy that you need to pick up your knees with every step. I also love this song for the topic matter. How many other songs are about specific episodes of TV shows? The fact that it's about a episode of Northern Exposure makes it even better. I love the idea of looking at a bag of blood and trying to figure out whose it is. Are the things that make us who we are in our blood or someplace else? All these ideas keep me coming back to this song. —Rich Thomas Listen: Bon Iver >> "Blood Bank"

2009 : 17 "You Don't Have to Be A Prostitute" by Flight of the Conchords

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When I hear this song I sing it for hours. I am not sure if it is because it is making fun of the police or because it is catchy in its own right. The Flight of the Conchords are the best musical humor act of the decade. I want to remind you that this is the decade that saw Nerd Core artists become well known. The Flight of the Conchords are still the best. —Rich Thomas Listen: Flight of the Conchords >> "You Don't Have To Be A Prostitute"

2009 : 16 "Tokyo" by Telekinesis

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Am I the only person who thinks that this song sounds like an old Banana Spilts theme? I mean that in a totally good way. I loved the Banana Spilts growing up. I love that they capture that emotion and feeling without having to be a parody. This song makes want to dance and sing. Any song that makes me feel that way is successful. It is the small pleasures a song can give that are the best. I-I-I went to Toyko —Rich Thomas Listen: Telekinesis >> "Tokyo"

2009 : 12 "Demons Out" by Art Brut

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On your visa it says "entertainer" You'd better step it up or they're gonna detain you It's all smoke and mirrors- don't go and see 'em I wanted rock 'n roll- I got a science museum I could have picked any of the songs from Art Brut vs. Satan. This is my record of the year. Every song makes me want to be 22 years old again, in a totally good way. Art Brut is smart, witty, silly and fun. Art Brut is the band for every Rob Fleming wannabe out there. They are the geeks with an apartment full of vinyl and comic books that actually decided to put together a band. What more can I say beyond the quote below. How am I supposed to sleep at night when no one likes the music we write? Record buying public- we hate them This is Art Brut vs. Satan —Rich Thomas Listen: Art Brut >> "Demons Out!"

2009 : 08-09 Two tracks by Doom

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I have said before that I would rather listen to Doom than Jay-Z. I know that says more about me than it does about Jay-Z. I think most of my friends would rather listen to Doom also. One of the reasons is because I can see no way Charles Bukowski would ever show up on a Jay-Z track. "Cellz" has such a good lyrical world. It really demands I pay attention. I love "Still Dope" because Doom finds a way to re-use a sample he used on an older song, "Passion Flowers," in a way that makes the sample more interesting, not less interesting. Using it for this song makes it feel even better. It sounds to me like how a composer uses a theme to invoke the same feeling later in a work. That is the kind of idea I don't hear in other hip hop songs. —Rich Thomas Listen: Doom >> "Cellz"| "Still Dope" (featuring Empress Stahhr Tha Femcee)

2009 : 06 Aught Music Roundtable: "This Tornado Loves You" by Neko Case

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First Pass It's what's on the inside that counts. For all the (well-deserved) attention to Case's sexy, almost campy album cover, the songs on Middle Cyclone were fantastic, with one or two misses. "This Tornado Loves You" is the perfect opening to what's superficially referred to as a 'nature album.' The melody is upbeat, the vocals are confident, and the lyrics are a great example of Case's gift for metaphor: I carved your name across three counties and ground it in with bloody hides broken necks will line the ditch Perhaps some might view this as a metaphor for a woman scorned, but for me, it goes beyond simple gender classifications. Sometimes, when we're trying to get someone's attention, we end up doing more harm than good. —Jamie Yates Second Pass This song is built around an amazing notion. There is something scary and thrilling in the idea of being loved by a tornado. I think the literal idea of this song is better than the figurative idea. I think we all love the Tornado, but I am never sure the Tornado loves me back. I guess Neko Case is sure. —Rich Thomas Listen: Neko Case >> "This Tornado Loves You"

2009 : 04-05 Aught Music Roundtable: These Four Walls by We Were Promised Jetpacks

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"Conductor" When I came across We Were Promised Jetpacks' debut CD These Four Walls in my local record shop I bought it solely based on the name of the band and the cover design. And, as it turns out, that was absolutely the right decision. Their songs have shades of Explosions In The Sky but with lyrics (sung in a lovely Scottish accent). There's something about the songs that just clicked with me right away and I found myself listening to the album on repeat for two days straight. "Conductor" is my current favorite off the album. The use of the word conductor as both a conductor of an orchestra and a simple conductor of electricity really tickles me. —April Walker "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" It makes me happy that a band with the name "We Were Promised Jetpacks" is enjoyable. I like the post-Indie-Rock sound they have put together: a straight-ahead rock sound that is unassuming. I like the way I can choose to dig into the song or enjoy it just for what is on the surface. Yes, I bought this album for the band's name. Sometimes you get luck with something like that. —Rich Thomas Listen: We Were Promised Jetpacks >> "Conductor" | "It's Thunder and It's Lightning"

2009 : 02 "In These Arms" by The Swell Season

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I want to tell Jeremy to postpone the write up for 2009. I want to ask him for another three months or so. After writing about all these other songs, I want a few more months to live with the ones from this year. They are still too light and unattached. They lack the emotional weight and attachment the other songs have gained. I want him to wait because I will understand 2009 a lot better in two or three years. I know the world will not wait for that understanding. I can tell you I love "In These Arms." The second Swell Season album is good in a different way than the first one. I hear some things here that remind me of my wife. Yes, my wife. I am married now, which I was not when 2009 started. In another year or two I will have a better understanding of what 2009 means. —Rich Thomas Listen: Swell Season >> "In These Arms"

2008 : 23 "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" by Sia

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There is something about a well-crafted pop song that is hard to describe. It is easy to make fun of pop music and look down upon it as making money in the world of the least common denominator. It is easy to think that pop music is all about fluff and nothing else. Everyone has a pop song they cannot stand for good reason. I think that is what makes good pop songs so rewarding. I love "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" because it has a dark nature that most pop songs do not have. On first listen you might not hear those dark undertones, but after a few listens those undertones are so sweet. It is like you discovered something not everyone will find. —Rich Thomas Listen: Sia >> "The Girl You Lost To Cocaine"

2008 : 21 "Snakes of Hawaii" by Army Navy

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Jeff jumped around the room and danced when "Snakes of Hawaii" came on. He got on the bed and started to air guitar and sing along with the track. Jeff knew if his wife or kids came home right now they would think it was funny. Jeff was not the type of man to jump around to a song. In his late 30s, this was the type of thing he could get away with in his teens. A video of this moment, if the universe was unkind enough to allow it to be recorded, would be one of those instant YouTube hits. Jeff was not ashamed to be dancing around to this song. Every once in a while a song should make you feel young. There is no reason at 37 a song can't make you feel 17. That is "Snakes of Hawaii." "Maybe there's no Snakes In Hawaii, Maybe there's not snakes at all," came out of Jeff's mouth at full volume. He felt the energy that the song was supposed to make him feel. After the song was over he heard clapping behind him. He turned around to see his four-year-old daughter, Donna. "Daddy, can I dance with you this time?" "Sure, darling, let's play that one again." —Rich Thomas Listen: Army Navy >> "Snakes of Hawaii"

2008 : 19 "Love Is" by Ringo Starr

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This is 100% what I want out of Ringo Starr. It is soft and sweet, heartfelt and loving. I have always felt like Ringo understands love. Liverpool 8. was supposed to be about his whole life. It was him looking back over the decades and sharing wisdom with me. That is what I want out of a Ringo Starr song —Rich Thomas Listen: Ringo Starr >> "Love Is"

2008 : 17 "Don't Haunt this Place" by The Rural Alberta Advantage

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The Rural Alberta Advantage is 100% of what I want out of an Indie Rock band. They have it all. Lo-fi production — check. Slightly sad vocal — check. Driving beat — check. Extra female vocals — check. Sad lyrics — check. This is an album that came out of nowhere for me in 2008. I felt like I was the only person who knew about it. That is an amazingly satisfying feeling. —Rich Thomas Listen: Rural Alberta Advantage >> "Don't Haunt This Place"

2008 : 15 "This Will Never Be Our Town" by Jason Anderson

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Vince was driving around Portland when "This Will Never Be Our Town" came up in the shuffle. Somehow he knew this song was about him and here. He knew that Portland was a temporary home for him. He would never be able to stick here. He can't find the thing that connects a person to a place. His friends tell him his is being silly when he feels this way. One verse in the song hits him hard: Six months ago almost to the day It's weird to think how much is different and how much is exactly, exactly, exactly, exactly, the same On the trip back I remember saying to myself our town looks cute and then instantly thinking this will never be our town Six months in the future, Vince is loading the U-haul for his move to Reno. He thought about how true some moments are. —Rich Thomas Listen: Jason Alexander >> "This Will Never Be Our Twon"

2008 : 12 "Arms Like Boulders" by The War On Drugs

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There is a song you hear on the radio It's a funeral march so you change the channel But it's all you hear as you're driving up the 101 from Mexico to California There's no snow when you're looking for your sweethearts Yeah there's no snow when you're looking for your answers There is something about this song that makes me think the singer is singing to someone who is lost. Like he is holding out his hand, but the person cannot quite reach it. There is a fog the singer is trying to cut through, but the person cannot make him out. I like this song because it reminds me of Bob Dylan. I can imagine Bob Dylan singing these lyrics. I think it says a lot of about the lyrics. And you're, you're the kind to hide your eyes from the sun And in your world the strong survive But won't you lay your body down Yes and now, now's the time to wrap your ears around the sound Of your train coming round You'll have to lay everything down —Rich Thomas Listen: The War On Drugs >> "Arms Like Boulders"

2008 : 09 "Stephen Stephen" by Apples in Stereo

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I cannot tell you how much I geeked out when I saw Robert Schneider on the Stephen Colbert show. This is one of those moments where one of my favorite bands is on one of my favorite shows. He even wrote a song about Stephen Colbert. Yes it is those little things that are really important, in a silly, silly way. On top of that, it is a great song. What more can I ask for? —Rich Thomas Listen: Apples In Stereo >> "Stephen Stephen"

2008 : 06 "Oliver Square" by Cadence Weapon

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"What is there not to like about the Cadence Weapon album?" PJ asked Loud Mike. "He is a rapper from Edmonton Alberta Canada, and he raps about Edmonton. How rough it is to live there. I would think the hardest thing is putting up with the winters." "Come on, every city is tough. We have never been to Edmonton; maybe it is a really hard place." PJ and Loud Mike had to stand on BART because the Bay Bridge was closed again. "In that case, you get out in Oakland and tell the kids Edmonton is a hard place to live." "You have to admit that the samples are tight and Cadence Weapon has a great flow." "Yeah, he has a great flow and the samples are what keep me listening to the album. Listen, if you name a rap album Breaking Kayfabe, it better be about pro wrestling or about how how rap star are just working angles like pro wrestlers. I like the idea of rappers hiding behind a secret code. Too bad he does not do that." PJ knew that he had to be strong here. "I still love this album. He has a sound that carries the album. It is strong, even if you don't like the title." —Rich Thomas Listen: Candace Weapon >> "Oliver Square"

2008 : 01 "Inner City Pressure" by Flight of the Conchords

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Neon signs, hidden messages. Questions, answers, fetishes. You know you're not in high finance. Considering second hand underpants. I love Flight of the Conchords. I have convinced my wife to love Flight of the Conchords. After two seasons, I can't wait for the third season to hit the air. The show works because both the situation comedy and the musical comedy are excellent. This song is a great example of that I love about them. This song is a clear take-off on the Pet Shop Boys. They do lots of different song styles on the show. I love them the best when it is clear who the song is making fun of. They really nail the style of this song. The lyrics of the song are also great, just being a little off from what would expect from a pop song on this subject. The lines about second hand underpants, being a concert flutist, and having to stand there because they sold the chair are just a little out of place. You might miss them if you are not playing attention. On top of all of that, it is all in the service of the comedy of the show and running jokes in the show. You don't measure up to the expectation. When you're unemployed, there's no vacation. No one cares, no one sympathizes. You just stay home and play synthesizers. —Rich Thomas Listen: Flight of the Conchords >> "Inner City Pressure"

2007 : 38-39 Aught Music Roundtable: Love Is Simple by Akron/Family

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Roundtable Part One: "Ed Is A Portal" When this album was released, I wrote that Love Is Simple is "[t]he latest entry in the attempt to write the great American psychedelic folk roadtrip album, and one of the most successful I've ever heard. This album is the triumphant album of experimental folk-rock that acts like Califone, Wilco, and the Flaming Lips have been almost-making for a decade now (and that Camper Van Beethoven were almost-making 20 years ago), but it also breaks from that framework periodically, expanding into ecstatic mind-expanding jams—jams that locate the choice middle ground between the sloppy, shambalic, "No Neck Blues Band" type and the more polished, technically-efficient, "Phish" type, and consequently are more effective than either. Mystical in orientation, singular in vision: at its best, it's like a backwoods Americana version of the Boredom's Vision Creation New Sun." I don't actually think that I have anything to add to that, beyond saying that this track, "Ed Is A Portal," nicely sums up what I'm talking about. You can spare the seven and a half minutes. Trust me. —Jeremy Bushnell Roundtable Part Two: "Phenomena" Phenomena, phenomena, phenomena. There are two kinds of songs that get stuck in your head, the kind that you can't wait to get rid of and the kind that you want to stay there stuck for as long as you can. "Phenomena" is in second category for me. I love the kind, flowing sound of the instrumentals and the dreamy tone of the vocals. It really makes me want to sing "Phenomena" over and over again. I found Akron/Family's third album Love Is Simple because eMusic suggested it to me. Love is Simple is the perfect title for this album. I can hear a love for the music and a simple approach to making the music. The songs on the album have a deep, rich sound without sounding over produced. This album really caught me by surprise when I first heard it. Phenomena, phenomena, phenomena. —Rich Thomas Listen: Akron / Family >> "Ed Is A Portal" | "Phenomena"

2007 : 37 Aught Music Roundtable: "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.

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First Pass Back when we were covering 2005, I wrote that M.I.A. might be the Artist of the Decade, in part because she was the living embodiment of a number of important trends that defined music in the Aughts more broadly. To see that logic continue to play out, one need merely examine the rise of "Paper Planes." It was released on M.I.A.'s second album, Kala, in 2007, but wasn't the lead single. (That was the likably weird "Boyz.") This track lay dormant until used as the backing track for the Pineapple Express trailer in early 2008, whereupon it blew up in a big way, permeating the culture until even the people who are arguably the biggest musical superstars in the world had to pay tribute. It's easy to see why: the second "Paper Planes" starts playing (about a minute in) is the exact moment this trailer starts to become cool: Once upon a time it may have been possible to keep your categories separate: movie trailers over here, viral YouTube clips over here, music videos over here, commercials over there. But the Pineapple Express trailer neatly collapses all of these categories: I'd say that it single-handedly sold more copies of "Paper Planes" than any commercial could have, except that it actually is a commercial, for both the movie and the song. Except that it isn't. Except that it is. One might see this as dispiriting: straight-up evidence that capitalism continues to mutate and evolve, spawning ever more pervasive forms. (The fact that the explicit topic of "Paper Planes" is the circulation of capital can be read as a crowning irony.) Or one might see it as a symbol of the unpredictability and ultimate richness of cultural cross-transmission. Probably it's a little of both, but the fact that a simple dance track can invoke these kinds of questions pretty much exemplifies the enjoyment that I derived from M.I.A. this decade. —Jeremy Bushnell Second Pass I fly like paper, get high like planes If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name If you come around here, I make 'em all day I get one down in a second if you wait There is something about this song that just captures me. Maybe because it is violent, but sung by a woman. Maybe it indulges the part of me that likes to watch gangster movies. Maybe it is because I like to sing along with the part about murder as I am at the gym. Maybe it is because I want to think the song is about running a lunch truck like the YouTube video. Anyway, I love this song. It totally sucks me in, like an action movie. This song is total escapism for me. This is one of the best work out songs on my iPod. Some some some I some I murder Some some some I let go Some some some I some I murder Some some some I let go —Rich Thomas Listen: M.I.A. >> "Paper Planes"

2007 : 34 "Turn On Me" by The Shins

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I love the sound of this song. It is amazingly resigned for a break-up song. It is like the singer knew that it would never work out. He is resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do. He knew that she would turn on him. He might even be happy that it worked out this way. It is a very interesting way to approach a break-up song. —Rich Thomas Listen: The Shins >> "Turn on Me"