Fishpork’s 100 Favorite Tracks of the 2000s
This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.
1. Panda Bear - “Bros” (2007)
2. The Knife - “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)
3. Animal Collective - “For Reverend Green” (2007)
4. Grizzly Bear - “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)
5. The Knife - “Heartbeats” (2003)
6. Grizzly Bear - “The Knife” (2005)
7. LCD Soundsystem - “Someone Great” (2007)
8. TV on the Radio - “Staring at the Sun” (2003)
9. Crystal Castles - “Crimewave” (2008)
10. Beirut - “Ciloqut” (2007)
11. Thom Yorke - “Harrowdown Hill
12. Animal Collective - “Derek” (2007)
13. Nine Inch Nails - “Me, I’m Not” (2007)
14. Beck - “Lonesome Tears” (2002)
15. At The Drive-in - “One Armed Scissor” (2004)
16. Animal Collective - “Grass” (2005)
17. Deerhunter - “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)
18. Atlas Sound - “Recent Bedroom” (2008)
19. Panda Bear - “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)
20. System of a Down - “Chop Suey” (2001)
21. Animal Collective - “Peacebone” (2007)
22. Battles - “Atlas” (2007)
23. Error - “Jack the Ripper” (2004)
24. Enon - “Pleasure and the Privilege”
25. Elliott Smith - “Son of Sam” (2000)
26. Animal Collective - “Did You See the Words” (2005)
27. The Knife - “Marble House” (2006)
28. LCD Soundsystem - “All My Friends” (2007)
29. Thom Yorke - “Analyse” (2006)
30. The Flaming Lips - “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)
31. Girl Talk - “Smash Your Head” (2006)
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32. A Perfect Circle - “Judith” (2000)
33. Radiohead - “Idioteque” (2000)
34. Tapes N’ Tapes - “Manitoba” (2006)
35. TV On The Radio - “I Was A Lover” (2006)
36. Radiohead - “Reckoner” (2007)
37. Fever Ray - “Coconut” (2009)
38. Animal Collective - “My Girls” (2009)
39. Built to Spill - “Things Fall Apart” (2009)
40. Wilco - “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)
41. Modest Mouse - “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)
42. Animal Collective - “Leaf House” (2004)
43. Modeselektor - “Happy Birthday” (2007)
44. Arcade Fire - “Wake Up” (2004)
45. Autolux - “Blanket” (2004)
46. MGMT - “Time to Pretend” (2007)
47. Built to Spill - “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)
48. Wilco - “Side With the Seeds” (2007)
49. Elliott Smith - “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)
50. Avey Tare - “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)
51. Department of Eagles - “Waves of Rye” (2008)
52. Animal Collective - “Summertime Clothes” (2009)
53. Radiohead - “2+2 = 5″ (2003)
54. Dredg - “Sang Real” (2005)
55. While Lies - “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)
56. Grizzly Bear - “Ready, Able” (2009)
57. Matisyahu - “King Without a Crown” (2005)
58. Modest Mouse - “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)
59. Dillinger Escape Plan - “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)
60. Elliott Smith - “Twilight” (2004)
61. Deerhunter - “Flourescent Grey” (2007)
62. Holy Fuck - “Lovely Allen” (2007)
63. LCD Soundsystem - “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)
64. The Notwist - “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)
65. Liars - “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)
66. The Mars Volta - “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)
67. The Notwist - “Solitaire” (2002)
68. Of Montreal - “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)
69. Queens of the Stone Age - “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)
70. Radiohead - “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)
71. Saul Williams - “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)
72. Autolux - “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)
73. Sigur Ros - “Untitled 8″ (2002)
74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - “Maps” (2003)
75. Portishead - “Threads” (2008)
76. Sufjan Stevens - “Chicago” (2005)
77. Ugly Casanova - “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)
78. Animal Collective - “Brothersport” (2009)
79. Radiohead - “Pyramid Song” (2001)
80. Nine Inch Nails - “Only” (2005)
81. El-P - “Flyentology” (2007)
82. Queens of the Stone Age - “No One Knows” (2002)
83. Ghostface Killah - “Shakey Dog” (2006)
84. Modest Mouse - “Missed the Boat” (2007)
85. UNKLE - “Persons and Machinery” (2007)
86. Amon Tobin - “Verbal” (2002)
87. The White Stripes - “Denial Twist” (2005)
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88. Tomahawk - “Captain Midnight” (2003)
89. Modest Mouse - “Bukowski” (2004)
90. Sigur Ros - “Hoppipolia” (2005)
92. Fuck Buttons - “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)
93. Bon Iver - “Skinny Love” (2008)
94. Built to Spill - “In Your Mind” (2001)
95. The White Stripes - “Icky Thump” (2007)
96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - “We Are Rockstars” (2008)
97. Dub Trio - “Not Alone” (2006)
98. Modest Mouse - “The World At Large”
99. The Walkmen - “In the New Year” (2008)
100. Nine Inch Nails - “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)
Holy Fuck Streams Live From Brussels
April 24, 2009 by Mark
Filed under Electronic, News
After a pair of shows in Denmark, Holy Fuck continues to treat fans with live streams of its international performances. With the addition of Matt Schulz on drums, Holy Fuck has found its niche in a saturated electronic genre. If these live shows are any indication, their string of American tour dates that are approaching are going to be worthy of our attendance (Williamsburg here we come). The band has played a lot of new material from their next album, and all signs point to an excellent record. You can watch the live stream of Holy Fuck today at 3pm EST here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/holy-fcuk.
Fishpork’s Ten Favorite Shows of 2008
As a collective, Fishpork attended 15 live shows this year (and there are still two more: Of Montreal tomorrow and Crystal Castles on New Year’s Eve, both at the Music Hall of Williamsburg). Unfortunately, a band does not have complete control over how well received their live performance can be. This was the case with all bands that played in our least favorite venue of 2008: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Although Animal Collective managed to overcome the venue’s sound limitations the best, others were not so lucky (The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal). Unless Jeff Mangum announces a show here, Fishpork will avoid it at all costs in 2009. Highlights of the year included an intoxicating performance by Deerhunter, a sweaty dance party curated by Girl Talk, and a 3am secret show by Modest Mouse. These were our favorite shows of 2008:
- Deerhunter @ The Music Hall of Wiiliamsburg
- Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom
- Enon @ Hiro Ballroom
- Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
- Built to Spill @ Terminal 5
- Animal Collective @ Electric Factory
- Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
- Radiohead @ APW Festival
- Saul Williams @ The Trocadero
- Battles @ Johnny Brendas
Honorable Mention:
Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brendas
Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall
Health @ House of Blues
TV on the Radio @ Electric Factory
Of Montreal @ Electric Factory
Least Favorite Show of 2008
The Mars Volta @ Electric Factory
Favorite Live Venue of 2008
Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA
Least Favorite Venue of 2008
Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
Light Hope and the Princess of Power
Crystal Castles got its start by remixing better known bands, such as Bloc Party and Death From Above 1979. Earlier this year, they released their first full-length album. But first, what’s up with that name? Due to an uncommon reliance on video game samples, you might think the band got its name from the popular Atari game with the same name. That’s actually not the case. Crystal Castles is named after the secret refuge of She-ra, from the popular 80s cartoon, and the following is my personal interpretation of the connection:
Vocalist Alice Glass plays the role of Adora in this two-piece electronic music outfit from Toronto. Her voice, usually heard in distorted fashion, is her Sword of Protection, transforming her into She-ra, Princess of Power, and preparing her for battle. What does that make Ethan Kath, the multi-instrumentalist wizard behind the deafening bass and Atari samples? No, he’s not He-man, She-ra’s twin brother. Instead, he assumes the role of Light Hope, a magical entity composed entirely of light. He is the protector of the Crystal Castle and serves as mentor to She-ra.
Ethan Kath is a light of hope, indeed, especially in an electronic music scene where the putting the word “fuck” in your band’s name seems like the best way to get noticed these days (see Holy Fuck and Fuck Buttons). Mr. Kath needs no such gimmick, as he has created 50-minutes of pure magic in his self-titled debut album. Within the album’s 16 tracks, there is a song that speaks to every emotion. Whether you’re enraged (”Alice Practice”), blissful (”Good Times”), frustrated (”Xxzxcuzx Me”), or reminiscent (”1991″), the palette of sentiments is full. Mr. Kath’s beats are oddly original but aren’t composed of original sounds, especially with his heavy use of sampling. The band’s producer has confirmed that Kath uses a modified keyboard that was found broken in the garbage with an Atari 5200 sound chip. The result is a twisted soundscape, supplemented by heavy, repetitive bass, and backed by the distorted pleadings and screams of Glass.
There’s not a moment on the album that feels slow or tedious, or a song that can be classified as filler. No wonder why Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) asked them to open up for a leg of his North American tour. From the original backbeat of the band’s first single, Crimewave, to the extremely chill electronic tinkerings of Magic Spells, a completely instrumental track, I was unable to find an ounce of fat. I can’t say the same for recent albums by others in the genre, including both electronic “fuck” bands, or even LCD Soundsystem’s instant classic, Sound of Silver. There are no songs here as impressive as “All My Friends” or “Someone Great,” but it just might be a better album. I haven’t decided yet. - Mark
RECORD REVIEW
Artist: Crystal Castles
Album: Crystal Castles
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Record Label: Last Gang Records
Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brenda’s
Now that I work in Philly, I’m slowly being sucked into the local music scene. No longer is it necessary to drive all the way out here just for a show or take the train into the city. There are so many great venues in this town! One of the best in the area is Johnny Brenda’s. Although it’s in a rough neighborhood, they host some of the greatest bands you’ve never heard of. Best of all, they serve the best local microbrews around. In my winter/spring splurge of Philly concerts (Enon, Holy Fuck, Saul Williams, and Battles), this one had some high expectations. The band is a lo-fi electronica band from Canada. Instead of computers, they make music with toy keyboards, film sequencers, distortion pedals, etc. It’s all in real-time and very improvisational. The decision to use live drums (Matt Schulz from Enon) and bass adds an authentic feel to the sound.
What a great show! The two albums are very good, but the music works best live. If you didn’t see the band on stage, you would have thought that Schulz was replaced by a high-tech drum machine. He was relentless and full of energy. Graham and Brian stood over two huge platforms that contained all their sources for tinkering. The best part was the use of a 35mm film sequencer. I don’t really know how they achieved the sound they did, but it involved pulling 35mm film through the sequencer and the use of a turntable needle. It sounds pretentious (something that Johnny Greenwood would do with Radiohead on Amnesiac), but the result fits perfectly with the backbeat and distortion. The crowd loved it all, as they yelled for an encore at the end of the show. Standouts of the night were Casio Bossa Nova and Tone Bank Jungle. - Mark