ben’s big noughties list

Like all massive nerds and men, I like a good list. So I’ve spent literally hours compiling my favourite 200 tracks of the decade, while my body cries out unheeded for post-Christmas exercise. It’s after the jump if you’re interested, but first here’s a few downloads of tunes from it that haven’t been featured on any list I’ve seen, but should have been.

First this, from Tortoise. The inquisitive child of a riff, the porno-soundtrack rhythm guitar, the splattering drums, the hip hop breakdown – it’s all perfect.

Tortoise – Monica

Next is this hugely underrated bit of driving microhouse (is that still a term?), with lupine howling and precambrian utterances coming from a boat off San Antonio.

Black Dice – Smiling Off (Luomo remix)

Copied in beefy 320kbps quality from the 7″ is Hot Chip’s alternate take on “Boy from School”, with Morodery undulations, frantic New Order guitars and a gutpunching bass drop after the breakdown.

Hot Chip – Boy From School (Maida Vale version)

One of the greatest recommendations I ever received from John Peel is this from Laura Cantrell - playing from a prep-kitchen radio, this country ballad had a melody and elegantly resigned sorrow that left me with eyes moister than any onions could provoke.

Laura Cantrell – Two Seconds

Brooding clouds, Paul Van Dyk cheese stabs, IDM clattering, and, oh yes, a sax solo freakout running through the whole thing. Fake tan and afrocentric beards collide with demented results.

Laurent Garnier – The Man With The Red Face

Ty is tainted somewhat by the dread hand of the backpacker hip hop fan, which does him a major disservice. Two streams of consciousness rage through a weed fug, with moist-eyed overdriven guitar soloing bleeding its heart everywhere.

Ty – The Nonsense

And so here’s the countdown (or rather countup), with only one track per artist for variety’s sake…

1. Daft Punk – One More Time
2. The Rapture – House of Jealous Lovers
3. Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Storm, Pt. 1
4. Phoenix – Too Young
5. Gillian Welch – Revelator
6. Booka Shade – Mandarine Girl
7. Tortoise – Monica
8. Strokes – Last Nite
9. Candi Staton – His Hands
10. Aaliyah – Try Again

11. Glass Candy – Rolling Down The Hills (demo version)
12. MGMT – Electric Feel
13. Bloc Party – Banquet
14. Black Dice – Smiling Off (Luomo remix)
15. Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies)
16. Ciara – Promise
17. Low – California
18. Joan As Police Woman – Eternal Flame
19. Sebastian Tellier – La Ritournelle
20. My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday (live @ Okonokos)

21. Battles – Atlas
22. Band Of Horses – The Funeral
23. Outkast – Hey Ya!
24. Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is The Move
25. Hot Chip – Boy From School (Maida Vale version)
26. Grizzly Bear – Colorado
27. Together – So Much Love To Give
28. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
29. Justice – Waters of Nazareth
30. The Libertines - Don’t Look Back Into The Sun

31. Animal Collective – Fireworks
32. Amerie – 1 Thing
33. Nathan Fake – The Sky Was Pink (Holden remix)
34. Bon Iver – Skinny Love
35. At The Drive-In – One Armed Scissor
36. The Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing
37. Wilco – Jesus, etc.
38. Felix Da Housecat – Madame Hollywood (feat. Miss Kittin)
39. Kurt Vile – Beach on the Moon
40. Modest Mouse – Float On

41. Arthur Russell – Springfield (DFA remix)
42. Jens Lekman – Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig
43. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
44. 50 cent – In Da Club
45. Black Dice – Cone Toaster
46. Laurent Garnier – The Man With The Red Face
47. Excepter – The Punjab
48. Gold Chains – Rock the Parti
49. Gang Gang Dance – House Jam
50. Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom – Relevee (Carl Craig remix)

51. The Microphones – I Want Wind To Blow
52. SebastiAn – Walkman (Werol Alkman edit)
53. Noze – Remember Love
54. Lambchop – Nashville Parent
55. The Walkmen – The Rat
56. The Coral – Dreaming of You
57. Ricardo Villalobos – Fizheuer Zieheuer
58. Les Savy Fav – The Sweat Descends
59. Dr. Dre – Still D.R.E.
60. Cat Power – The Greatest

61. Badly Drawn Boy – Once Around The Block
62. The Killers – Mr Brightside
63. TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me
64. Rubies – I Feel Electric (feat. Feist) (Tiedye remix)
65. Destroyer – European Oils
66. Richard Swift – Would You
67. Babybird – Back Together
68. Paul Woolford – Erotic Discourse
69. Test Icicles - Circle Square Triangle (James Ford remix)
70. !!! – Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard

71. Cassie – Me and U
72. Romathony – Wreck
73. Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Carl Craig remix)
74. DJ Kaos -Love The Night Away (Tiedye remix)
75. Yo La Tengo - Our Way To Fall
76. Ben Kweller – Falling
77. Royksopp - What Else Is There? (Thin White Duke remix)
78. Holy Ghost! – Hold On
79. HEALTH – Perfect Skin
80. Out Hud – It’s For You

81. Julianna Barwick – Dancing With Friends (live on Ma Fama)
82. The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar
83. M Craft – You Are The Music
84. Mclusky – To Hell With Good Intentions
85. Radio Slave – Modena
86. Interpol – Obstacle 1
87. Hercules And Love Affair - Blind (feat. Antony)
88. Kanye West – Slow Jamz (feat Jamie Foxx and Twista)
89. Watussi – If All We Had Was Love
90. Kate Bush - A Coral Room

91. Ex-Otago – Rhythm of the Night
92. The Sleepy Jackson – Rain Falls For Wind
93. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
94. Laura Cantrell – Two Seconds
95. J Dilla – Stop!
96. Klaxons – Golden Skans
97. Golden Silvers – True Romance
98. Feist – 1234
99. UGK – International Player’s Anthem (feat. Outkast)
100. Alphabeat – Fascination

101. Born Ruffians – I Need A Life (Four Tet remix)
102. These New Puritans – Navigate Navigate (Loving Hand remix)
103. John Legend - P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care)
104. Frode Haltli - Jag Haver Ingen Karare
105. Hope Sandoval – Suzanne
106. Midlake – Head Home
107. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Relative Ways
108. Bonnie ”Prince” Billy - Strange Form of Life
109. Adele – Hometown Glory
110. Arch M – 21^st Union

111. Nine Inch Nails - The Hand That Feeds
112. Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
113. Jack Penate – Tonight’s Today
114. The Sea And Cake – Too Strong
115. Sound Team – In The Dark No One Can Hear You Sweat
116. Sam Amidon – Saro
117. Ryan Adams – This House Is Not For Sale
118. Clipse – Trill
119. The Bravery – An Honest Mistake
120. Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control (Soulwax edit)

121. Lindstrom – Another Station
122. Fennesz – Endless Summer
123. DJ Shadow – You Can’t Go Home Again
124. System Of A Down – Chop Suey!
125. King Khan and the Shrines - Welfare Bread
126. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
127. Ty – The Nonsense
128. Cody Chestnutt – Look Good In Leather
129. R Kelly – Ignition
130. Doves – Black And White Town

131. Justus Kohncke – Timecode
132. Spektrum – Kinda New (Tiefschwarz remix)
133. Coldplay – Talk (original version)
134. Rihanna – Umbrella
135. Valet – Kehaar
136. King Biscuit Time – I Walk The Earth
137. Alan Braxe – Intro
138. Alice Smith – Love Endeavour (Maurice Fulton remix)
139. The Bug – Poison Dart (feat. Warrior Queen)
140. Spoon – You Got Yr Cherry Bomb

141. DNTEL – (This is) The Dream of Evan and Chan (feat. Ben Gibbard)
142. LCD Soundsystem – Losing My Edge
143. Digitalism – Pogo
144. David Banner – Play
145. Broadcast – Come On Let’s Go
146. The Futureheads – Hounds of Love
147. Madonna – Hung Up
148. Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz - Get Low (feat. Ying Yang Twins)
149. The Pipettes – Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
150. Justice vs Simian – We Are Your Friends

151. James Blackshaw – Transient Life In Twilight
152. Motorpsycho – Year Zero (A Damage Report)
153. Mystery Jets – You Can’t Fool Me Dennis
154. M83 – Don’t Save Us From The Flames (Superpitcher remix)
155. The Teenagers – Homecoming
156. Justin Timberlake – Like I Love You
157. Radiohead – There There
158. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
159. Vitalic – Poney Pt. 1
160. The Knife – We Share Our Mother’s Health (Trentemoller remix)

161. Salif Keita – Ana Na Ming
162. Bjork – Unison
163. Three Six Mafia – Stay Fly
164. Ludacris – Area Codes (feat. Jazzie Pha)
165. Jim O’Rourke – Therefore, I Am
166. Jay-Z – Takeover
167. Iron And Wine – Jezebel
168. Philip Jeck – Fanfares
169. Manhead - Birth School Work Death
170. Liars – Grown Men Don’t Fall In The River, Just Like That

171. The Bronx – History’s Stranglers
172. Spank Rock – Bump (Switch remix)
173. Mos Def – Hip Hop
174. Crystal Castles – Air War
175. The Big Pink – Velvet
176. Prince – Illusion, Coma, Pimp and Circumstance
177. Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U
178. Maximo Park – The Coast Is Always Changing
179. Akron Family – Ed Is A Portal
180. Cribs – You Were Always The One

181. Fugazi – Cashout
182. Yeasayer – 2080
183. Joseph Arthur – Can’t Exist
184. The Game – Hate It Or Love It (feat. 50 Cent)
185. Robin Thicke – Wanna Love You Girl
186. Estelle – American Boy (feat. Kanye West)
187. Mark McGuire – A Matter of Time
188. Slum Village – Raise It Up
189. Benny Benassi – Satisfaction
190. Roisin Murphy – If We’re In Love

191. The Long Blondes – Guilt (Pantha Du Prince remix)
192. Lemond – Current Affairs
193. Mylo – Drop The Pressure
194. Cee-Lo – The Art of Noise (feat. Pharrell)
195. Shit Robot – Simple Things (Work It Out) (feat. Ian Svenonius)
196. Lil Wayne – A Milli
197. Johnny Boy – You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve
198. Jurgen Paape -  So Weit Wie Noch Nie
199. Jamie Lidell – Another Day
200. The Streets – Has It Come To This?