BIG EARS FESTIVAL GUIDE
Very close to everything you need to know
Composed by Tegan Medico, Kevin Dalby, Matthias Hicks & Rusty Odom
"One of the greatest things about the festival is that many of the artists are going to be around for the whole weekend, and there are lots of unplanned and unexpected things that will emerge. We’ve deliberately lapsed some space in the schedule to allow these things." -Ashley Capps
"If you don’t take a risk, great things don’t happen."
These were the words Ashley Capps chose to describe why he created BIG EARS, the second-year avant-guard music festival that will stretch across Knoxville’s downtown sector from March 26-28. Capps may be better known as the namesake of AC Entertainment and as co-creator of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, but he seems to be just as proud of his most recent brainchild and the fact that Knoxville was the perfect suitor.
"I love Knoxville," he told a crowded Square Room audience at the BIG EARS listening party in late February. "I’m really proud of Knoxville. It’s a great city." He continued with the appreciative crowd, explaining why he chose to bring the festival "home."
"The inspiration for an event like this really comes from some of the smaller scale festivals I’ve attended in Europe," he said. "What makes them special is that they are not taking place in the typical culture centers. They’re taking place in smaller towns, and for the people who choose to attend them, there is a real sense of shared purpose and community. We experienced that last year with BIG EARS....There’s something to be said for being away from the usual."
According to Capps, the allure of proximity was another big factor. "We’ve got a great walking city. There aren’t too many places where you can stay in a hotel and walk to as many great venues and never have to get in a car. The walk-ability of the thing is intrinsic to the overall vibe of what we hope to create."
As far as the music goes, Capps believes that the artists at BIG EARS, no matter how absent they may be from household acclaim, are some of the most innovative musicians playing today.
"There’s a real connection here with the 60's, in the sense that the 60's were a time of extraordinary cultural change and unprecedented creativity…Terry Riley embodied that as much as any person I can imagine."
Riley will serve as the 2010 Artist in Residence at BIG EARS. Have you ever wondered where the Who’s, "Baba O’Riley" got its name and why it wasn’t just called "Teenage Wasteland?" Well the answer points to the aforementioned composer and the influence that Riley had on The Who. Riley has been credited by the most important musicians of all time for his groundbreaking compositions. Artists like Philip Glass and Steve Reich are joined by Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd on the scroll of those who learned from Riley’s sound.
So it’s fitting that Riley be the one to lead a new assemblage of musical risk takers into a new decade, with nothing but possibilities ahead.
"It’s hard to see your own time when you’re in the midst of it, but it feels like there is a similar creativity at work," said Capps. "This festival is intended to draw a few of those parallels. Back in the 60's, rock bands played with orchestras...there was this really rich period of experimentation and a lot of amazing music came out of that. This very same thing is happening at this moment."
"There’s a whole new generation of musicians and creators who have grown up with this incredible ability to draw from so many different influences and traditions—and a lot of this music is going on at BIG EARS. There’s some music that you’re going to be saying, "Is this rock? Is this pop? Is it chamber music?" But a lot of these lines are blurred at the moment," he concluded.
The artists in Knoxville for the weekend are those who take advantage of those hazy boundaries. Though many of the performers are off the beaten path of commercial stardom, the talent at BIG EARS is easy to find. Continue reading for biographies of several of the acts that are participating at this year’s festival.
Note: The Cox Auditorium is located next to Neyland Stadium on UT campus. The BIG EARS Annex is the venue formerly occupied by The Catalyst in the Old City.
Terry Riley
Fri. 3/26 - 7:00 @ Bijou
Sat. 3/27 - 9:00 @ Cox Auditorium, Sat. 3/27 - Midnight @ TN Theatre
Sun. 3/28 - 7:00 @ Bijou Theatre
When the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra opened Disney Hall, Terry Riley was chosen to play a special program on an extraordinarily rare multi-million dollar pipe organ.
The Cox Auditorium on UT’s campus, formerly known as the Alumni Gym, also houses such an organ. The program that was thought to have been a once in a lifetime presentation will be performed again in Knoxville by the artist in residence at 9:00PM on Saturday, March 27th. Later that night, a performance of "In C" will take place with a cast of all stars (literally) at midnight at the Tennessee Theatre. Bang on a Can Allstars will join Riley for the twilight show. This recording is what bands like Pink Floyd and Velvet Underground and composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich have called inspirational. If you are attending the BIG EARS festival, you must see at least one of Riley’s performances in order for your weekend to be a true success. -RO
The Ex + Buke & Gass
Friday 3/26 - BIG EARS Annex @ 8:00
Since 1979, The Ex have been nothing but indie. The Ex has stood the test of time, most likely due to their unwillingness to go anywhere near tradition. The two piece began their career as a no-holds-barred band as the punk explosion swept its way around the globe. Their recent sound has expanded into further experiment, and recent collaborations include works with acts like Tortoise and Sonic Youth.
This band did indie before most indie musicians were even born, and Amsterdam’s finest maintain that mind frame to this day. Joined The Ex for this show is Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez. Dyer plays his own version of a six-string baritone ukulele (buke) while Sanchez has crafted a guitar/bass hybrid all his own (gass). The two also keep their feet busy with several pieces of foot percussion. Together this four piece promises to engage visually and enlighten musically. -RO
Bang on a Can Allstars
Sat. 3/27 - Noon @ Bijou Theatre W/ 802 Tour, Sat. 3/27 - Midnight @ Tennessee Theatre W/ Terry Riley
At the very beginning of Bang on a Can, founders Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julie Wolfe recognized that their new and open approach to presenting required new and openperformers. A new generation of virtuosic and passionate performers was needed to makethis music come alive. These new players needed new skills. They had to be able to cross musical boundaries, and be at home with many styles and technologies. And they had to be great. Michael, David and Julie quickly started assembling a core of such exciting, dedicated and versatile players, and these performers started showing up with regularity from festival to festival. Out of this core, in 1992, they assembled the Bang on a Can All-Stars.
The instrumentation itself shows the aesthetic intention for which the All-Stars were designed. Clarinets, cello, keyboard, electric guitar, bass, and drums – it is part rock band and part amplified chamber group. Constructed specifically to blur the lines between classical and pop ensembles, the line-up was chosen to give voice to a huge range of musics and styles, and the players have the musical backgrounds and abilities to match. Each player is completely at home with new music but has lived somewhere else as well - collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma, backing Mikhail Baryshnikov, and touring with Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. The players bring their otherworldly experiences back to their life with the All-Stars, and their mixing creates an intense, hard-rocking approach to performance that no other group can match. Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore also wrote a piece for the band.
802 Tour (Doveman, Nico Muhly, Sam Amidon)
Saturday 3/27 - Noon @ Bijou Theatre
W/ Bang on a Can Allstars
Doveman
First of all there is his voice. First you will hear it -- maybe hate it -- but then, eventually, it will begin to transform how you think voices are supposed to sound. A frog in the throat, a kink in the heart, a rasp that doesn't go away...
Then, hopefully, you will be overhwhelmed by the music -- an ebbing then swelling, oceanic thing, it comes than goes; tickles your ears then pokes you in the ribs; has unstoppable momentum when it is not finding new ways to climax or standing absolutely stock still.
Doveman is 25-year old Thomas Bartlett and a select group of collaborators. Most often, the band includes banjo player Sam Amidon, a folk singer and old childhood friend; drummer Dougie Bowne, sideman to Iggy Pop, the Lounge Lizards, and Cassandra Wilson; guitarist and conjurer Shahzad Ismaily, who has previously appeared with that magical trifecta -- Marc Ribot, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, and Rage Against the Machine; and trumpeter Peter Ecklund, an expert in genres like swing and dixieland jazz. At various times there are various others. Doveman does not rehearse, but they sure can play.
When listening to this music you should keep in mind artists such as Frederic Chopin, Cat Power, Keith Jarrett, Talk Talk, and Chris Whitley -- unless you don't know any them or are not a fan, in which case you should keep in mind Nick Drake, The National, Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and other, trendier bands whose music has recently appeared in car commercials.
Nico Muhly
Nico Muhly was born in Vermont in 1981 and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. He graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a degree in English Literature and received a Masters in Music from the Julliard School one year later.
Since receiving his degrees, he has amassed a string of commissions, collaborations, and premieres that would be notable for a composer twice his age. He has written orchestral pieces for the Boston Pops, the Chicago Symphony MusicNOW, the American Symphony Orchestra, the Julliard Orchestra, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Orchestra, and the American Ballet Theatre (for choreographer Benjamin Millepied). His works have been premiered on the BBC and at New York's St. Thomas Church, Carnegie Hall, the Whitney Museum and the New York Public Library - the latter, a special collaboration with designer/illustrator Maira Kalman in honor of her illustrated edition of The Elements of Style. Finally, Muhly has worked extensively with Philip Glass as editor, keyboardist, and conductor for numerous film and stage projects, and contributed to projects by a striking constellation of pop figures, among them Rufus Wainwright, Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons), Björk, Teitur, Will Oldham, and The National.
Sam Amidon
Sam Amidon was raised in Brattleboro, Vermont by folk-musician parents Peter and Mary Alice Amidon. He sings, plays fiddle, banjo, guitar, and can count in binary code on his hands really fast. "All Is Well," a collection of re-worked folksongs produced by Valgeir Sigurðsson and featuring chamber-orchestral arrangements by Nico Muhly and contributions from Eyvind Kang, Aaron Siegel, Ben Frost, and Stefan Amidon, is his first album for Bedroom Community.
His previous album of songs, a duo with Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) under the name Samamidon and called "But This Chicken Proved Falsehearted," was labelled "the most interesting folk album of 2007" by Stylus magazine.
Sam lives in New York City. He plays in the lamp-rock bands Doveman and Stars Like Fleas, and has also played with Tall Firs, The Swell Season, and Stares. In March, he premiered the Nico Muhly composition "The Only Tune" at Carnegie Hall.
Sam studied with the late free-jazz legend Leroy Jenkins and downtown/jazz violinist Mark Feldman. As a teenager he became known throughout the United States folk scene as fiddler, releasing 5 albums with his band Assembly to great acclaim, as well as performing with his parents.
Gang Gang Dance
Saturday 3/27 - 12:30 AM @ BIG EARS Annex (formerly The Catalyst)
W/ Javelin
Since their formation in Brooklyn at the turn of the century, Gang Gang Dance have developed and refined their ritualistic tribal-futurism – a unique fusion of edgy electronics, shimmering guitars, dark poly-rhythms, and the eerie vocals of Liz Bougatsos. Drawing inspiration from psychedelic rock, electronica, and noise as well as Indian, Middle Eastern, African, and Asian influences, their early performances are the stuff of legend…wild, sprawling, improvisatory happenings that sometimes blurred the distinction between performers and audience.
William Basinsky
Saturday 3/27 - Noon @ The Square Room, Sat. 3/27 - 10:00 PM W/ Ben Frost
William Basinski is a classically trained musician and composer who has been working in experimental media for over 25 years in NYC. His haunting and melancholy soundscapes explore the temporal nature of life, resounding with the reverberations of memory and the mystery of time. His epic 4-disc masterwork, The Disintegration Loops, received international critical acclaim and was chosen as one of the top 50 albums of 2004 by Pitchfork Media. Art Forum selected The River, his transcendental 2-disc shortwave music experiment on Raster-Noton.de, Germany as one of the top ten albums of 2003. His concerts and installations and films made in collaboration with artist-filmmaker, James Elaine have been presented internationally.
Vampire Weekend
W/ Abe Vigoda
Saturday 7:30 PM @ Tennessee Theatre
Vampire Weekend aren’t exactly the model candidates to be the next poster boys of indie rock stardom. Too clean cut. Too melodic. Too … Ivy League.
But these four bourgeois white boys from Columbia University have taken their irreverent blend of afro-pop beats, rapid-fire jazz guitars and undergraduate yearning to become one of indie’s premiere up-and-coming acts. Call it "trust-fund rock."
Vampire Weekend sound like Graceland if Paul Simon had recorded it at the tail end of an Aderall and Red Bull all-nighter.
On the strength of the singles "A-Punk" and "Oxford Comma" – easily the catchiest song written about superfluous punctuation -- their 2008 self-titled debut landed on more than one of the year’s "Best of " lists and helped the quartet secure a spot as the openers of 2008’s Bonnaroo.
But the band’s freshman effort was just a rough draft compared to its 2010 follow-up Contra. While their debut album relied heavily on simple guitar hooks and lots of empty space, Contra adds a new dimension of complexity that is anything but sophomoric.
Songs like "Cousins" and "Holiday" fly by at the same caffeinated pace as the band’s earlier material, while the band delivers more calculated and deliberate grooves on "Giving up the Gun" and "I Think UR a Contra." Trumpets, orchestras, synth-beats and looped samples abound, and frontman Ezra Koenig even breaks out the Auto-Tune for "California English."
Contra
debuted at No. 1 in January, even beating the pop sensation Susan Boyle, proving once and for all that well-crafted pop tunes are still much cooler than Les Miserables covers. Not too shabby for a bunch of indie-rock underclassmen.
Perhaps the festival’s creator said it best: "Why Vampire Weekend? Because they’re fun."
The xx
W/ jj and Nosaj Thing
Friday 10:30 @ Bijou Theatre
Hailing from the southwestern sector of London, The xx are one of the most promising acts at BIG EARS in 2010. The band is composed of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Baria Qureshi and Jamie Smith. Together this foursome has made a lot of noise in the US after garnering attention for their DIY recordings and live performances across the pond. They create a soothing and mellow—but still very charming—atmosphere with a dual-voice approach and simplistic scores. Their sound could just as easily motivate you to make the courageous move you’ve been putting off, as it could softly push you to sleep.
A smooth mix of 90's era hip hop and the indie pop of tomorrow, The xx should prosper for years to come.
jj
W/ The xx and Nosaj thing
Friday 10:30 @ Bijou Theatre
This Swedish duo is hard to diagnose. On the surface it sounds like electronica meeting indie folk in this girl-guy gig. But to describe the band with such generic terms would mean serious injustice. With music that’s nearly impossible to find anywhere unless you own an album, jj has been an unknown musically commodity in this part of the world, until now. From a nod to Lil Wayne on the party starting "Ecstasy" to the guitar-led singer/songwriting feel of "Are You Still In Vallda," jj’s music stretches the traditional walls of categorization from one song to the next. If it’s futuristic party anthems you’re after, give jj a listen. But don’t be surprised if you are swept off your feet by one of the angelic slower numbers. -RO
The Dirty Projectors
W/ Bang on a Can All Stars
Saturday 2:00 PM @ Tennessee Theatre
The Dirty Projectors is a Brooklyn, NY based experimental rock project that gets its name from a job its creator, David Longstreth, had cleaning projector equipment. But unlike Longstreth’s short-lived career, The Dirty Projectors’ unique style and performance techniques have been lauded by the indie crowd for several years, and have helped to make a name for the band by pushing the boundaries of common composition and performance technique.
This reputation has undoubtedly helped them collaborate with other commercially successful and respected artists who have been known to stray from the norm from time to time. In 2008, the band joined forces with David Byrne and Germaine Greer for the song "Notty Pine," on the compilation album "Dark Was the Night." The following year, they teamed up with Bjork in an original composition which benefited the non-profit organization known as Housing Works, which helps to provide shelter to homeless AIDS patients. In the past, Longstreth and his band have also been known to pool resources with fellow 2010 Big Ears Festival artists Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend.
The unique sound of The Dirty Projectors is alive and well with current band members Dave Longstreth (vocals, guitar), Amber Coffman (vocals, guitar), Angel Deradoorian (vocals, keyboard,samples, guitar,bass), Brian McOmber (drums), Nat Baldwin(bass) and Haley Dekle (vocals). Their distinguishing mix of lo-fi and hi-fi sound makes this band a must-see and a true jewel for the Big Ears Festival.
By Matthias Hicks
Hicks@blanknews.com
Adrian Belew
Saturday 3/27 - The Square Room @ 2:00
W/ Shortwave Society
As a member of Frank Zappa’s band in the late 70's, Adrian Belew became renowned for his whammy-inspired and pedal-breaking stylings. To this day he is unrivaled in the use of effects when it comes to the guitar. Though his current feature roles are that of frontman for the bands King Crimson and The Bears, he has always enjoyed hitting the road alone.
He plays several instruments on many of his own works. And, while these tunes are lesser known than the critically recognized Grammy nominated single, "Guitar Beat Box," his solo career has served as music education to masses.
His accolades don’t stop there. Belew has axed his way onto other prominent musicians’ albums for decades. Over the past 30 years, he has worked with David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Talking Heads and Nine Inch Nails. Belew was even a part of Paul Simon’s miraculous "Graceland," but that doesn’t scratch the surface when it comes to the impression he has made on others. He has inspired numerous musicians, and is bound to do so when he plays to an eager crowd in Knoxville.
Clogs
W/ Sufjan Stevens, Matt Berninger, Shara Worden, Aaron Dressner & Gyan Riley
Saturday 3/27 - 4:00 PM @ Bijou Theatre
The Clogs show at BIG EARS will be a once in a lifetime event. The Clogs will be performing their latest album, "The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton," during their set, sure. But this will be the only time that fans will be able to see the entire ensemble of contributors on the album together, live. Imagine for a moment being able to see some of your favorite collaborations of all time together in concert. Imagine how hard such a thing must be to put together—with differing touring schedules, recording sessions and the need for a good ole fashioned break every now and then.
With the futures of these artists all but guaranteed, this is an opportunity to experience just that. The shining achievement of the weekend will be when this unbelievable conglomeration of indie’s brightest stars come together for this late afternoon set.
Yes, Sufjan Stevens, and Aaron and Bryce Dressner (of The National), Matt Berninger (frontman of The National, Osso String Quartet) and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) will all be in the same building with the rest of the regular members of Clogs.
Padma Newsome fronts the band and Bryce Dressner serves as the leading man.
He has achieved serious acclaim for his works with "The National," but his veins of creativity don’t stop their flow with his patriotically-named act. The same can be said with his brother Aaron, Berninger, Worden, Riley and Stevens. They all put their regular gigs aside and lent their hands (and voices) on the record which ends up as an almost religious composition of cavernous melodies. This album’s soothing power is nothing short of a bath of Vick’s VapoRub or (more realistically) a cup of hot coca on a cold winter day.
The timing of the combination came partly due to the fact that The National and My Brightest Diamond are also playing in Knoxville over the weekend, but the addition of Stevens came as a pleasant surprise to music fans across the world just hoping to hear a recording of the event after it takes place. BIG EARS attendees have a chance to actually be there. If there is one show that shouldn’t be missed during the festival, this is it.
Joanna Newsom
Saturday 10:00 PM @ Bijou Theare
For most mellow music enthusiasts, hearing Joanna Newsom’s oozing voice once is enough to know that she is something special. With Newsom, childlike innocence meets respectful and unforced sexiness. Her sets are a spoken word lyrical journey accompanied by a full-sized harp, a finely tuned piano and occasionally the traditional banjo.
Described as one of the most influential women in the psych-folk movement, her music often beckons appreciation of Mother Nature and the preservation of the earth without being preachy. Though Newsom says she enjoys dancing to hip hop, Motown and West African music, she rarely allows any of those styles impact her own style. Newsom’s set will please those looking to whet their whistle with a meaningful set of musical poetry.
St. Vincent
Sunday 3/28 - 4:30 @ Bijou Theatre
W/ Special Guest
Just as the masculine moniker may shroud the feminine mystique behind St. Vincent, so does multi-instrumentalist and musical architect Annie Clark’s fairy tale voice obscure the shadowy intrigue of her songs. Often described as "score-like" and "cinematic," her tunes do convey an air of nonchalance, as if they are an auxiliary to some greater scene playing out. Yet, as the impact of any cinema is undoubtedly enhanced by its score, so does St. Vincent craft her music into a commanding presence; it can certainly stand alone. With intricate musical arrangements beneath Clark’s modest but sweetly pretty vocals, St. Vincent’s sound is organically chic. -Tegan Medico
The National
Sunday 3/28 - 9:00 @ Tennessee Theatre
W/ My Brightest Diamond
The National is the must see show of the weekend. No matter you’re musical taste, you’ll have to go out of your way to find something wrong with this act.
A true band of brothers, The National features a set of twins (Aaron and Bryce Dressner) and a set of regular brothers (Scott and Bryan Devendorf.) They are joined by Matt Berninger, whose deep baritone perfectly interweaves the band’s brooding indie rock sound. Bryce Dressner serves as curator of the BIG EARS festival, and as a result, special guests are guaranteed.
During live sets, the patriotically named unit has been known to incorporate elements from nearly every genre of music, and during their closing performance at BIG EARS, they’re likely to bring dozens of musicians on stage. Soft and dark melodic variations turn to outright rock with The National’s music.
Having just completed their follow-up album to "Boxer," one of Blank’s best albums of the previous decade, this show promises fresh material as well. The album won’t be released until May, so this is a chance to preview the work. One things for sure, The National will have you pledging allegiance as the weekend comes to an end. -RO
Purchase your tickets at www.bigearsfestival.com.
More Info...
The second Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the weekend of March 26-28, 2010, continues to expand. The festival has unveiled some of the unique and rare performances to be experienced this year. Sufjan Stevens along with Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner of The National and Shara Warden (My Brightest Diamond) will be joining Clogs in their performance of the new song cycle The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton. Big Ears 2010 will feature the only live performance of the piece currently scheduled with all of the guest vocalists from the recording, which is slated to be released in early March.
Electronic ambient composer Tim Hecker will be collaborating for the first time with composer/performer Ben Frost, each of whom will also be performing separately during the weekend. The Bang on a Can All-Stars will perform a program of pieces written for them by the Dirty Projector’s Dave Longstreth and Thurston Moore as well as Michael Gordon and Evan Ziporyn. In addition, Bang on a Can will perform Brian Eno’s Music for Airports in a special show with The Books and Tim Hecker. Rock guitar legend Adrian Belew (Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson) will introduce his new solo work during the festival.
Aritst-in-residence Terry Riley’s series of programs during the festival weekend will also feature some rarely heard work. Riley will perform a concert on the extraordinary new pipe organ at the University of Tennessee’s Cox Auditorium, presenting music commissioned in 2008 by the LA Philharmonic to christen the pipe organ at Disney Hall. This will mark the first time that the program has been presented outside of Los Angeles. Riley will also perform his rarely heard recent work, Autodreamographical Tales, with the Bang on a Can All-Stars, prior to a performance of his legendary masterwork, In C, with an all-star cast of festival performers.
In addition, Riley will perform other solo work as well as with his quartet, featuring electric violin virtuoso Tracy Silverman, guitarist Gyan Riley, and drummer Ches Smith (of Secret Chiefs 3 and Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog). The Calder Quartet will also present a program of Riley’s string quartets as well.
The Big Ears Festival also marks a couple of other exciting "firsts": It will be the first time the Dutch punk anarchists The Ex have ever performed south of the Mason Dixon line in their 30-year history and the festival finale will feature the long-awaited return of The National, who will debut new material from their much anticipated new album to be released in May. The full schedule of concerts will be announced today, Wednesday, February 17, and tickets for the new shows will go on sale Friday, February 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets are already on sale for many of the major concert events of the weekend, and a limited number of "Inner Ear" all access weekend festival passes are still available as well.
Additional elements of the Big Ears Festival weekend will be revealed in the coming weeks, including surprise collaborations, art installations, a film program, workshops, lectures, interactive experiences, and more.
BIG EARS 2010 is celebrating the 75th birthday year of the legendary American minimalist composer, Terry Riley. The National¹s Bryce Dessner is co-curating the weekend.
Artists performing include Vampire Weekend, The National, Joanna Newsom, Andrew W.K., St. Vincent, The xx, the Calder Quartet, Iva Bittova, Tim Hecker, Nico Muhly, Ben Frost, Sam Amidon, Doveman, jj, and more. More festival details, including travel and hotel information and up-to-the-minute news and additions to the schedule and line-up, are available at www.bigearsfestival.com.
"The Hangout" Adds a Brilliant New Twist to Festival Season
The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival is thrilled to announce an incredible lineup for its inaugural year. The 3-day music and arts festival is scheduled for May 14th-16th and is sure to be an experience like no other. Located directly on the sandy white beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, The Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival is the first major music festival of the summer festival season. A full confirmed lineup is listed below with more bands to be announced in the coming weeks.
"Watching this caliber of performers directly on the beach will truly be a unique experience. Theres just nothing like it," said A.J. Niland, of HUKA Entertainment. "This will be one of the biggest beach parties this area has ever seen."
With performances taking place on four stages, and two main stages on the beach, the festival hopes to bring the Gulf Coast into the national music scene. In addition, festival organizers have other activities still to be announced. Attendance will be limited to 35,000 people per day.
Festival tickets are available online at www.hangoutmusicfest.com as well as at The Hangout restaurant and Surf Style stores along the central Gulf Coast. Ticket prices are $159 for a three-day pass and limited $82 day passes will be available. VIP ticket packages and travel packages start at $500 and are available online or by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW.
There is a wide assortment of lodging options surrounding the festival including traditional hotels and beachfront condos to camping at the local state park. Visit www.hangoutmusicfest.com for more information.
Official festival website is www.hangoutmusicfest.com
2010 Hangout Beach, Music and Arts Festival Confirmed Artists:
Trey Anastasio and TAB * Flaming Lips * Zac Brown Band * John Legend * Ben Harper and Relentless7 * Govt Mule
Alison Krauss and Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas * Govt Mule * Ray LaMontagne * Michael Franti and Spearhead
Black Crowes * Rodrigo Y Gabriela * Funky Meters * Blind Boys of Alabama * Matisyahu * Girl Talk * Guster * Brett Dennen
Keller Williams * Jerry Jeff Walker * North Mississippi Allstars * A.L.O. * The Whigs * Ozomatli * OK GO
Orianthi * Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam * Pnuma Trio * Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears
Toubab Krewe * Mat Hires * A.A. Bondy * Rachel Goodrich * Moon Taxi
El Cantador * Kristy Lee * Roman Street
WHEN: FRIDAY MAY 14th - SUNDAY MAY 16th
WHERE: THE SOUTHERN END OF AL-Hwy 59, GULF SHORES, ALABAMA
PRICES: $159 3-DAY PASS / LIMITED $82 DAY PASSES / VIP TICKET AND TRAVEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE
FESTIVAL WEBSITE: http://www.hangoutmusicfest.com
Nashville Festival gets it right, again
Phoenix, Passion Pit, Cold War Kids, Drake
Headline Rites of Spring Fest in April

February 11th, 2010
NASHVILLE, TN
While most are trying to keep warm during one of the coldest winters the Southeast has seen in years, The Music Group at Vanderbilt University is already gearing up for the warm days of spring and the annual pilgrimage music lovers make to its Rites of Spring Music Festival. Taking place on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24, 2010, the Rites of Spring Music Festival is the perfect kick-off to the spring season and the best place to see some of the hottest talents in music, including Drake, BEN HARPER and Relentless7, Phoenix, and Passion Pit.
Canadian hip-hop star Drake has quickly risen up the charts since his first mixtape release in 2006, ironically titled, Room for Improvement. His third and highly acclaimed 2009 mixtape So Far Gone was named "The Hottest Mixtape of 2009" by MTV. His single from that mixtape, "Best I Ever Had" landed at #1 on Billboard Rap Chart and #2 on Billboard Hot 100 in July 2009, making Drake only the second artist (after Nelly Furtado) to have his/her first two top ten hits in the same week. Drake’s quick rise to fame has led to collaborations with artists such as Jay-Z, Timbaland, Mary J. Blige, Kanye West and a show-stopping performance with Lil Wayne and Eminem at the 2010 Grammy Awards. His debut album, Thank Me Later will be released this spring.
Grammy award-winner Ben Harper is currently playing some of the most exciting music of his career with BEN HARPER and Relentless7. A straight up American rock group, Relentless7 has become an exhilarating staple among major music festivals. After lead guitarist Jason Mozersky played a demo for him in the late ‘90s, Harper invited Mozersky and friends (future Relentless7 members) to play on his 2006 album Both Sides of the Gun. Released in May 2009, their first album, White Lies for Dark Times, is a timeless rock record: raw, unrelenting, haunting, thunderous and emotional.
The rock-synth sound of French alternative rock band Phoenix reflects both an eclectic ‘80s upbringing and the same culture that produced late ‘90s bands like Daft Punk. Originally based out of vocalist Thomas Mars’ garage, Phoenix got their touring start performing Hank Williams and Prince covers at French bars. Paris-based Source Records signed the group and produced their debut album United in 2000. Nine years and four albums later, the group’s 2009 global smash album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix won them a 2010 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.
Ever-evolving, indie pop, electronica band Passion Pit formed in late 2007 when frontman Michael Angelakos sat down to write a few songs for his girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. After toying with the plug-ins and the infinite possibilities of a computer program, Angelakos added in pitch-perfect hooks and catchy choruses to help create Passion Pit’s debut EP, Chunk of Change. Flash forward to 2008, and the band released its first full-length studio album, Manners. The album’s single "The Reeling" peaked at #29 in fall 2009 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
"The concerts that The Music Group organizes are on par with other major festivals in Nashville and nationwide," says Dwayne V. Elliott, director of student campus events at Vanderbilt University. "I’m incredibly proud of the caliber and diversity of the acts that our students bring to campus for their peers and the community." The Jay-Z concert organized by The Music Group this past fall was recently chosen as ‘Best Concert’ in Metromix’s ‘Best of Nashville 2009 Awards’ and last year’s Rites of Spring broke attendance records. Elliott continues, "These accolades are a real testament to the hard work of the Vanderbilt student programming board."
The Music Group will offer up an amazing line-up of well-established and highly praised acts, music festival favorites, promising musicians from the underground music scene and everyone in between. Additional confirmed talent includes: Cold War Kids, Doug E Fresh, Melanie Fiona, JJ Grey & Mofro, The New Mastersounds, Salvador Santana, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue and Two Door Cinema Club with more to be announced soon.
Tickets are available to the general public and will go on sale Monday, February 22nd at 10 am CST
at all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 615-255-9600. Tickets can also be purchased with Cash or Check with no service fees included only at the Sarratt Box Office on the Vanderbilt campus. For general event information, call 615-322-2471. For more information, visit www.ritesofspring.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ritesatvandy.
Is the sun setting on Sundown?
by Jared Hussey
Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Better yet, what came first: Sundown in the City or Market Square rebirth? Do not scoff or cry sarcasm; it is one and the same. They began at the same time, and they each begat one another so we are left to decide for ourselves. I suppose only God knows which came first.
In the current debate surrounding the decision to strip-down Sundown for the sake of Market Square vendors and residents, we turn to priorities. How important is Sundown? Where does it rank in terms of vitality? And most importantly, is it more important than the concerns of those who petitioned against it? We tried to get to the bottom of it and going in, we knew only one thing concrete and factual—the once summer-long, 12-show line up was now down to 5 shows on April 22, May 6 and 20, and June 3 and 17.
Knoxville is a hot bed for several things, but live instrumental entertainment has not been one of its most sought after fields since the early days of country music. But in 1998, all that changed. The organizers of Sundown in The City quickly realized that when you satisfy the people’s craving for great music, they embrace it. They adopt it and make it their own. They nurture it and stimulate its growth. This is why Sundown is more than just a free show. It’s networking in its purest form. It’s Facebook in the flesh. Is their anything more encouraging and uplifting than seeing all of Knoxville’s beautiful children, both young and old, gathered under a flawless twilight sky in the perfect warmth of summer evening? Only time will tell if the festival and the square are symbiotic and interdependent like living creatures.
Ultimately what matters most is the Market Squareans, if you will. Those incredibly lucky individuals who get to call it home or run their little piece of entrepreneurial heaven share their neighborhood with all of us for three months every summer. I say that out of respect, because after all, it is the quintessence of downtown gathering.
Several businesses were hip to giving their opinion on the decision. Starting at one end and working our way down we were able to canvass the many businesses in the square and surrounding area. We asked business owners from the downtown sector if they were happy about fewer shows for Sundown or if they feel it will negatively impact their business.
If you ask Bernadette West at Preservation Pub, she’ll tell you that Sundown has served a great purpose, and she understands that things change over time.
"I think the square is completely different from when they started Sundown," she said. "AC (Entertainment) was trying to do the same thing that we were in the beginning. We just wanted to get people downtown and everybody’s been successful in doing that."
"At this point, I would prefer having five really good acts instead of several so-so acts. But anything that happens downtown is a positive. I think downtown needs to be a vibrant meeting place for all kinds of people, not just the certain demographic that the businesses are after. The more diversity downtown has the better the future will be."
Ask any Knoxville native in the 25-35 age group if they hung out downtown in their early years, and they’ll probably agree with West. Where would downtown be now if Sundown had started ten years earlier? From an economic standpoint, Sundown has become a weekly hit-or-miss night depending on which business owner you talked to.
A representative of Earth to Old City said, "Sundown brought more money in when the economy was better, but now it doesn’t matter because people are saving for other things regardless." Moving down to Tomato Head, we were able to speak with Mahasti Vafrie. His response to fewer shows was, "This is absolutely negative. We got so much foot traffic from Sundown."
That feeling was reiterated next door. Lisa, who is one of the managers at Café 4 went on to say, "We absolutely love Sundown." Across to the other side of the square is Shonos. They serve as a pillar and a staple in the culture of the new Square.
"This is absolutely negative," said Willy Shonos. "Sundown was so good for us, and it offered great exposure for all the local businesses."
Soccer Taco was next, and while opting not to elaborate, they did vote a "Definite negative" on the decision. After that was Coco Moon. The person we spoke to wished to remain anonymous but would go on record saying, "Sundown is a chance for businesses that have very slow winters to recoup some of the losses."
LaCosta was next, and manager Ken Eddelman was our first on-the-fence response. Ken said, "Sundown had a negative effect on the high end, but a positive effect on the low end." He explained, "We loose the $50-$100 dinner customers, but replace them with a whole lot of $3 beer customers."
In an attempt to homogenize the results pool it’s good to venture off the square because just one block over, Gay Street is tied into Sundown just as much as businesses on the Square. To represent the voice of Gay St. as a whole, there is none more fitting than Downtown Grill & Brewery. There we found general manager Mark Harrison. When we asked his opinion of the reduction of shows, we became the bearer of bad news as this was the first he had heard of it. Harrison replied, "I am very sad to hear this. This is where people go before and after the show. This could hit us hard."
We ran into just two businesses that felt the change will affect them positively. Coffee n’ Chocolate, and Barnes & Barnes were both happy to hear the latest decision. Barnes & Barnes said they didn’t make a whole lot of money off of Sundown anyway, and Coffee n’ Chocolate told us it was bad for business. If they were signers of the petition, no one knows, but they obviously support the new schedule.
As of now, Sundown in the City will still be held in Market Square. Some rumors out there say the concert series could move to the World’s Fair Park, but many sources discount the idea. If you remember, the lawn once hosted Hot Summer Nights. That particular summer concert series presented some incredible shows, but not for free. While it seems like the logical way to go with this dilemma, and it certainly would maintain the awesomeness that is Sundown, it’s still not the Square. Sometimes it’s the venue that makes it special and not just the music. This topic may create more questions than it does answers, but one thing is certain: Sundown in the City in Market Square has been the go-to event in Knoxville over the last ten years. And for that,we can all be grateful.
Cymbals Eat Guitars Interview
Blank recently caught with Cymbals Eat Guitars’ Bass player and Vocalist Matthew Whipple to ask him about the band’s growing success and what it’s like to be touring as part of a three-headed indie music monster. Cymbals Eat Guitars will be playing the Pilot Light on March 10th with Freelance Whales and Bear in Heaven. This is a must see show if you’re a fan of rock music, but if you miss it, just check them out on the interweb.
Blank: In a sentence or two, how did the band come about? Is it true that you found each other on Craig's List? Where'd the name come from?
MW: The band has sort of been a long-term outlet for Joe's songs since he and Matt our drummer played together in high school. There have been a few players over the years who were found via craigslist but their stints in the band were pretty short. The current lineup feels like the one that's here to stay for a good long while. Joe and Matt have been playing together forever, and Brian and I both came into the band via auditions, mutual friends, and the like. The name refers to what Lou Reed used to say about the early Velvet Underground records explaining why Moe Tucker played a drum kit with no cymbals.
Blank: I'm old fashioned. I like to have a cd or record in my hands. But nowadays people don't mind getting their music online. I see that you have included slap bracelets into the mix when you buy your record package. Don't you find it interesting how music is marketed nowadays?
MW: Certainly. It's neat because bands can come up with creative things like that to cater to fans that buy the records of the bands they love. The slap bracelets are actually tied in with our song "Tunguska", though, which has an actual lyric about slap bracelets, so it just sort of makes sense. It's not so much a marketing tool as just a special bonus. We like to think the music is enough to sell the record to whoever is considering buying it.
Blank: You are known for your live shows. How do you keep your performances fresh and unique?
MW: We try to incorporate new songs into our sets as soon as they are ready, in our minds and ears, to be played for our fans. That can sometimes take a long time, since it takes us about 3 or 4 months to complete a song, and that involves a lot of editing, consideration, and reconsideration. We're playing 2 brand new songs on this tour, one called "Definite Darkness" and another called "Wavelengths", both of which will be on our next record.
Blank: I know it's hard to have a level of fame as a goal, but is there a bar of recognition that you've set and a bar that you would'nt like to pass (so that you can go out and have a glass of milk in peace)?
MW: There's no real feeling of "fame" in what we do and I don't think there ever will be. Three quarters of us live with our parents in the suburbs, so there is really no way to be concerned with something so non-existent in our home lives. In terms of shows, in my opinion there is a certain threshold in terms of the size of your shows that I don't think a band can cross without losing some of the fans that helped you get there. The last few stadium shows I have been to have been pretty lame across the board. It's not special to be half a mile away from your favorite band watching them on a giant screen. I'd rather watch something like that on TV...emotionally it wouldn't feel any different. We like a relative level of intimacy and just want to be able to go out on tour and fill decent-size rooms with enthusiastic people.
Blank: Now that you're on the inside of it all, has the road effected the way you look at people who make music for a living?
MW: Absolutely. You realize very quickly that it has taken some of your favorite bands 10 or 15 years to finally be making a relatively comfortable living doing it. That is not to say any of us got into this with any notions of immediate financial success. If anything, it's just more inspiration to keep making great music for at least that long.
Blank: Is there anyone involved that doesn't get enough credit?
MW: That's an interesting question. Brian our keyboard player is the only member of the band who can drive a stick shift. We would not be able to tour in Europe without him! He's taking a well-deserved break from driving currently. He went to school for music so he often takes on the role of translator/interpreter when we're discussing a song arrangement or a certain part. He is also very quick with a fix when a piece of gear breaks, which is often, and always at a very inopportune moment.
Blank: How do you like your sound described?
MW: We really enjoy when it is apparent that someone has really listened closely to our record and comes up with comparisons that maybe we haven't heard before but that totally make sense. While it is lovely to be compared favorably to your favorite bands, it's becoming increasingly obvious when someone is just repeating what they have read elsewhere. Words like "epic", "ornate", "meticulous" and "monumental" also tickle us pink.
Blank: Who do you enjoy listening to these days? If you like Pavement, how happy are you that they are back together and on the road?
MW: Driving across North Carolina in the van today we have listened to Ryan Adams, Neutral Milk Hotel, Guided by Voices, and Pavement. And yes, we are incredibly excited to have the chance to finally see Pavement live. None of us were old enough or in a place as music fans to appreciate Pavement before they took a break, and now we're playing several of the same festivals this summer. It's wild. Can't wait!
Blank: You've gone from reading Pitchfork to having the 43rd best album of the year in the magazine. How does that feel?
MW: It feels wonderful. We have all been dedicated Pitchfork readers for some time now. To be heralded by them has been a great honor considering they have informed our own tastes considerably over the years. We get derided pretty often as a "Pitchfork band" but we don't see anything wrong with the label. They essentially granted us an audience in reviewing our record and we're forever grateful.
Blank: What's it like on this tour with two other crazy talented independant acts?
MW: Freelance Whales and Bear in Heaven have been wonderful to tour with so far. Everybody is easy to get along with, and both bands are totally excellent live. Don't miss their sets if you come to a show!
The next big thing from Google: Google Wave.
by Jessie Krueger
February 13, 2010
Chances are you don't have the slightest idea what Google Wave is. Many people have heard of it, but don't know anything about it. Unfortunately, it's difficult to explain in a few words. The best way to understand is to have people watch Google's loooooooong video, but it's an hour and a half long. Most people aren't going to watch it just to find out what Wave is, but to better understand how to actually operate Wave once on board. Let me attempt to explain: Google Wave is a real-time, online collaboration combining email, instant message and bulletin boards, bringing together friends and strangers alike. More importantly, it will be the next big thing if we can find a way to easily explain it.
Google inventors have said that it's what email would look like if it were invented today, not two decades ago. Consider the varying speed of computers and internet. How many times have you had a family member send a photo or video attachment that was too large for your email provider to open, or took too long for your computer to download?
Is it particularly easy to reply to only certain sections of email messages, or can you reply to only one or two people included on a group email?
Google Wave has solved all of those problems and then some.
The basic components of Google Wave
Email
Your Wave name is YourChosenName@googlewave.com. A wave in this instance is a message. You start a new wave, but instead of typing an email address, you drag and drop names from your contact list into the message. Compose your message and hit "Send." You may drag as many names as you like into the wave.
Easily upload photos, videos, maps, PDF's and a variety of other file attachments that show up directly in the wave or are downloadable with one mouse-click.
Wave members can reply directly to one person (or a sub-setof people) on the original recipient list, and can reply only to specific parts of the message, forming what's called a thread. Other members can continue that thread, start a new one somewhere in the message or reply to the message as a whole. It forms a tree-like document that is fluid, not linear like traditional email.
Instant message
The messages you type into a wave are seen in real-time by all members. Each keystroke appears in the wave as you type for everyone to see, and the message can be edited by or replied to by anyone at any time.
Collaboration
For me, the document collaboration possibilities are particularly appealing. This article was typed directly into Google Wave (which has a spell check and a basic selection of font styles and sizes, headers, indentation and other formatting options). There is no email sent back and forth, no attachments and once the other editor and publisher are dragged into the wave, the document can be viewed and edited at any time. Not only is it real-time, but it's any-time.
Google Wave can be used like a bulletin board by making a wave available to the public. Wave automatically gives you a fake contact that, when dragged into a wave, makes that wave open to the public and searchable. Since Google is the premiere search engine (and in fact became its own verb), you had to assume there would be a search function.
A Google Wave member can search for public waves with endless keywords. Just search the words "public Knoxville newspaper" and Blank will be one of the first listings.
Unpolished
Wave is in the pre-beta or preview phase. Basically, Google is testing the baby version so they can fill in the gaps and fix the problems. Right now you have to be invited to use Google Wave by someone who already is a user. Once enrolled, each user gets a certain number of invitations to share with friends. You can also request access straight from Google, but it's a pretty slow process.
If you would like an invitation, send an email to pub@blanknews.com or jessie@blanknews.com and we'll see what we can do to help. Just do us a favor and at least pretend you're truly interested in the product and not just killing time. Invites aren't that easy to come by.
The Best of the Decade
2000-2009
Movies of the Decade
Comedies of the Decade
TV shows of the Decade
Knoxville Events of the Decade
January 6th, 2010
Blank Newspaper's Top 50 albums
of the decade (2000-2009)
Presented by

Visit www.discexchange.com to see their Best of the Decade Lists.
50. Tom Waits Orphans (2006) ANTI/Epitaph
56 songs of pure Tom Waits gold are divided into three different discs on this 2006 release. The price of this triple disc outfit is high, but as with most things, you get what you pay for. Waits has not faltered at all despite the fact that he’s been in the game for decades.
49. The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America (2006)
Loose piano accompanies beautiful guitar strokes in this series of humorous but meaningful anthems for youngsters. Though it seems like it may all come apart at times, it never does, and actually creates a brave style of music in the process.
48. Al Green Lay it Down (2008) Blue Note
In case you were wondering if Al Green "still had it," well, he does. And he proved it with "Lay it Down," a modern twist on his timeless voice. ?uestlove, drummer for The Roots helped produce the record and it paid dividends, for both.
47. Santogold Santogold (2008) Downtown
Ms. Santi White came out of the gate on fire with her debut. Since then, she has toured the world, leaving eardrums bleeding and faces smiling. The music is fun and easy to move to and it features the loudest bass you’ve ever heard.
46. Timber Timbre Timber Timbre
A tambourine, a guitar and plenty of dark lyrics make the self-titled release a tribute to southern blues. Taylor Kirk pays homage to the songmakers of New Orleans on an album that may one day become the southern equivalent to Bon Iver’s For Emma Forever Ago.
45. Arcade Fire Neon Bible (2007) Merge
You’ve probably heard: My body is a cage You need to hear: No Cars Go
This Canadian act could have taken home the Artists of the Decade award with just one more album. But having only released two immaculate recordings in the decade, they’ll have to wait until 2020 for such an honor. Neon Bible was the follow up to the group’s first album, Funeral. The project cemented the legacy of this band as a legitimate force in music. There are dozens of instruments played by dozens of musicians on AF’s second studio job. Parts of this album beckon Flaming Lips from the mid-nineties, while other parts preach with churched organs, but from the album’s first track to the last, Neon Bible is a winner and as lyrically compelling as it gets.
44. Built to Spill Ancient Melodies of the Future (2001) Warner Bros.
Over the years, Built to Spill has earned a reputation for being "The" indie band. Some people may frown on that, but they are wrong. Seeing Built to Spill is live will make even the most hesitant fan come over to the other side. They are the only band that can have a bunch of guitar players without stepping on each others toes.
43. Tool Lateralus (2001) Volcano
The fifth studio album from the prog rock veterans was a true learning experience for listeners of rock music. They expanded our brains and injected them with long marching songs. They could have told us to do about anything, and we would have done it.
42. The Beastie Boys The Mix Up (2007) Capitol
You’ve probably heard: Electric Worm You need to hear: B For My Name
The boys’ second instrumental album was not nearly as fresh as 1996's In Sounds From Way Out, but it was still good enough to crack the top 50 of the decade. The Mix Up was highly anticipated and produces to this day as a groovy, let-it-play-through record.
41. Sufjan Stevens Illinoise (2005) Asthmatic Kitty
Sufjan Stevens plans to do an album about every state in the union. That’s right, 50 concept albums. After doing "Michigan," another wonderful album, the multi-instrumentalist struck gold within the indie music realm with the second album in the series. This album was on nearly every top list of the decade and even claimed the top spot in a few of them.
40. D’Angelo Voodoo (2000) Virgin
Nope, we’re not putting the cover photo in the paper. Sorry ladies. This album was the smoothest album of the decade and great to listen to when you’re feeling really good about things.
39. The Good the Bad and the Queen (2007) Virgin
This self-titled album was one of Danger Mouse’s lesser known collaborations. A group of talented British rockers joined Mouse for this amalgamation of soul-rock-folk.
38. Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever to Tell (2003) Interscope
Maps was the first song that many Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans heard. If those listeners were anything like the staff at Blank Newspaper, they didn’t really know what to think. "Fever to Tell" was the first album on a big label for the band with the crazy frontwoman who poured beer all over herself on stage and so forth. Though it originally seemed a little too faddish and directly targeted towards people who enjoy being strange, this album has something that appeals to everyone. It makes you feel like a wild animal. And deep down, that’s exactly what we all are.
37. Sigur Ros Takk… (2005) Geffen
You’ve probably heard: "Saeglopur" You need to hear: "Milano"
I once read a review of Sigur Ros that described their melodies as "whale-like." Not to undermine the validity of a personal interpretation, but when I think of the sounds whales make, I think of a mentally inept elephant droning clumsily as it walks directionless into a tree. Sigur Ros is inarguably the polar opposite of a clumsy, directionless drone. In Takk…, their melodies are gracefully minimal and carefully overlaid upon one another with stunning fluidity as if to pierce every emotion possible with one unified ethereal air, leaving listeners wondering what the hell they are feeling besides slightly haunted. In their characteristic form, Sigur Ros directs these melodies along a delicate crescendo into a powerful but polite climax of sound and back down again. Completing the journey to whichever faraway place they conjure in the imagination: their native Iceland, outer space, a misty ocean edge, a landscape in a dream, or perhaps some hidden emotion. In any case, Takk… leaves one feeling completely serene, slightly exposed and, for listeners who really listen, wanting more. -Tegan Medico
36. My Morning Jacket Z
Veteran (yes they were a band for 7 years at this point) space capaders bring it to a pinpoint with their 4th studio album. What else could these exasperatingly hard to define musical ninjas have done besides this album. With a more succinct song pattern in tow from previously jammy Neil Young-without-a point nodding albums Jim James and cahoots have made their masterpiece of spacey, fun, genre bending defiance of what is indie music or pop rock for that matter. Exactly what I would hope for from someone who notes that there biggest musical influence is the Muppet Show. -Dutch Thrille
35. Modest Mouse The Moon and Antarctica (2000) Sony
Perhaps Modest Mouse’s most acclaimed album, The Moon and Antarctica brings Isaac Brock’s blunt yet profound lyrics, sometimes bizarre vocals, and the band’s eccentric instrumentation into a cohesive collection of atmospheric post-modern rock. Though it is spacey, in that it might indeed make you feel like you are on the moon at times, it is not alienating. Anyone with a taste for the slightly strange yet undoubtedly smart can appreciate this work. -Tegan Medico
34. Mute Math Mute Math (2006) Teleprompt/Warner Bros.
This album was released twice in the aughts, once with each label listed above. "We All Break the Same" is a wonderful interpretation of how their raucous live shows are. If this band comes anywhere close to where you are, go see them.
33. The National Boxer (2007) Beggars Banquet
Two sets of brothers make up this band of indie rockers. Sometimes classical, sometimes rock, but always ingraining, "Boxer" gains steam with each track-by-track listen. Many consider this record to be the finest of 2007, and their live shows are just as exciting.
32. Drive By Truckers Decoration Day (2003) New West Records
Oh, if only the Truckers would have stayed completely in tack. See, the reason that this record was so phenomenal was Jason Isbell. He wrote the title track, a tear-jerking ballad about a childhood friend’s accident in Iraq. The entire album is full of classic southern rock. If they would have kept the unit going with Isbell, who went solo soon after the release, they would have gone down in history as the band who continued the classic rock of the seventies and eighties.
31. Sonic Youth Rather Ripped (2006) Geffen
Sonic Youth’s 2008 release: "The Eternal," came in 51st on our little list, while "Rather Ripped" surprised our editors by being on several lists. True fans of Youth are right at home with this tip of the hat to their work of the eighties and nineties. The music of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore always has the power of a locomotive and sounds like burning hair spray looks, but their chemistry is especially dynamic in "Rather Ripped."
30. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes (2008) Sub Pop
You’ve probably heard: "White Winter Hymnal" You need to hear: "Blue Ridge Mountains"
Grunge rock may be a signature of Seattle, but Fleet Foxes is a prized autograph. This Seattle based five-piece shocks listeners not with aggressive, angst-filled vocals or loud, grinding guitar riffs, but rather with flawless vocal harmonies woven into elegant yet energizing instrumentation. Although the group is not purely acoustic, Fleet Foxes’ sound is very organic. Most of their self-titled album’s tracks feature nature (ex. "White Winter Hymnal," "Blue Ridge Mountains," "Meadowlark," and "Sun It Rises," etc.) in terms of lyrics, certainly, but also ambience. Brian Wilson meets Crosby, Stills, and Nash meets Enya might be an accurate description. -Tegan Medico
29. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend (2008) XL
Vampire Weekend had no problems getting the attention of British and American crowds with their solo, self-titled project. It’s quirky, it’s almost too hip for it’s own good, but in the end, it’s just really fun. Their second project, "Contra" will most likely legitimize the quartet as a rock band to watch for the next decade.
28. Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) Domino
These guys were teenagers when they sold out the legendary Astoria in London. And they hadn’t even released a single. With this release, they became stars immediately. It is a great departure from the soft-core entertainment value that British bands like Oasis started and bands like Coldplay kept alive.
27. The Killers Hot Fuss (2004) Island
You’ve probably heard: "Somebody Told Me" You need to hear: "All these Things That I’ve Done"
A fitting title for the 2004 debut album of this young rock band from Las Vegas, Hot Fuss earned The Killers a fast lane to fame and reminded mainstream rock how to be glamorous. With their catchy new-wave glimmer, flashy gender-bending, and scandalous subject matters, The Killers were delightfully sordid. What makes this album most remarkable, however, is that beneath the synthesizer and eye-liner is a solid collection of tracks that explore such themes as jealousy, sin, love, sex, identity, and coming-of-age and they do so with moderate compellation and earnest. Though the chorus to the album’s biggest single, "Somebody Told Me" (‘You have a boyfriend that looks like a girlfriend I had in February of last year’) might give casual listeners an unfair impression of lyrical proletarianism, there is considerable craft in amateur front man Brandon Flowers’ expressions, a hint of the noticeable sophistication many of the band’s future projects would later display. -Tegan Medico
26. Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid (2008) Fiction(UK)
You may have heard: Grounds for Divorce You need to hear: The Bones of You
There weren’t many bands as important in Manchester, England as Elbow in the aughts. But that doesn’t really matter to us here in east Tennessee now does it? What does matter is the depth of their sound. It’s indie pop albums like The Seldom Seen Kid that make a little entertainment rag in Knoxville urge people to spread their listening wings and fly over the big pond every now and then. "Grounds for Divorce" has been heard in the background of American commercials over the last two years, so you may already be familiar with this band without even knowing it. We discovered the band through a presentation of "Live from Abbey Road," a television program that also produced a special live version of this album with backing from the BBC concert orchestra. While the special live version is more remarkable in parts, the original album version will show you everything you need to become a fan.
25. TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) Interscope
TV on the Radio seemingly came out of nowhere to take over the charts and critic’s hearts. This album offers a deep, artistic look into their music. They can bend into any number of genre’s, but the beauty is in the flow from one style to the other. Their music is traditionally untraditional in every sense.
24. The Shins Chutes Too Narrow (2003) Subpop
The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow is the perfect antidote to a bad day. With pop-influenced guitar and endless hooks, the album shines amongst others in the decade. If you break down each element, the songs are rather simple. The combination of the softly-strummed guitar and sweet lyrics create a catchy and streamlined effort at indie rock. The album took the Shins nearly three years to complete, so each part complements one another flawlessly. Chutes Too Narrow will have you tapping your foot and singing along before the first song even ends. -Tegan Medico
23. Cat Power The Greatest (2006) Matador
Chan Marshall is the real person behind Cat Power. Her music is Electric, Folky, Bluesy guitar rock, but more than any of that, it is fragile. This southern gal hit it big with her 2003 release, "You Are Free," which is also a wonderful album, but "The Greatest" is just that when it comes to Cat Power.
22. Radiohead Hail to the Thief (2003) Capitol
After blowing everyone’s mind with an unseen concoction of experimental electronic rock at the turn of the century, Radiohead revisited styles of old with "Hail to the Thief." This record features more songs than does any other Radiohead album and it also owns the band’s longest runtime. You know how they say less is more? Well, in this case, more is more.
21. Bob Dylan Love and Theft (2001) Columbia
In his 31st studio effort, Bob Dylan reminded us all that he is still king of the song writers. From Mardi Gras to knock-knock jokes, Love and Theft showed yet another, less serious side of Dylan. He revisited the mindsets of his previous works and took them all down a peg as only he could (because nobody else had the right). The album was released on September 11, 2001.
20. Ryan Adams Heartbreaker (2000) Bloodshot
As sad as you might expect a record titled Heartbreaker to be, Ryan Adams wowed the masses with his solo debut. His pain and experience outnumbered his years but his croons bought our trust from the first listen. Emmylou Harris lent her soothing brogue to "My Sweet Carolina," and though it was the record’s most eloquent cameo, it was hardly the only one. Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch and Ethan Jones comprise Adam’s backing throughout for the best sad album of the 2000's.
19. MGMT Oracular Spectacular (2008) Sony
You’ve probably heard: "Electric Feel" You need to hear: "Kids"
The breakthrough album of this head-banded hipster duo, Oracular Spectacular, will have you dancing to some funky electronic new-wave beats and then laying on your bed staring at the ceiling to a trancelike melodic menagerie. Each track, however, contributes to a cohesive experience of modern pop psychedelia that is uniquely MGMT. It is crafted and complex, both musically and lyrically, yet still completely fun. -Tegan Medico
18. The Decemberists Picaresque
This record, full of English blue-collar tall tales, reminds the listener that there’s nothing quite like a good story, if told correctly. "The Mariners Song" is a whale of a good time and is the perfect halfway point for the fun that follows. "The Hazards of Love," a 2009 release, is higher than "Picaresque" on many people’s list and definitely worth having, but this is the record that put The Decemberists on the map.
17. Bon Iver For Emma Forever ago (2008) JagJaguar
You’ve probably heard: "Skinny Love" You need to hear: "Stacks"
This record was written, performed, recorded and edited solely by founder Justin Vernon while secluded in a Wisconsin cabin during the dead of winter for four months. If you can imagine the soundtrack that could accompany that sort of setting and the heartbreak and spiritual searching that guided Vernon’s creative dedication, a purging of his heart and mind, you can maybe get a feel for this album’s chilling beauty. It’s delicate but powerful, raw yet ethereal, numbingly emotional, and altogether lovely. -Tegan Medico
16. Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose (2004) Interscope
With a broken finger, Jack White needed something to scratch his music-making itch in 2003. Thank goodness for whatever accident caused the break, because it produced the finest record of Loretta Lynn’s career. With help from a few of his 20-something friends, a group of people who would later become The Raconteurs, Lynn and White dominated a Nashville studio with soul-filled country unlike anything we’d ever heard.
15. M.I.A. Kala (2007) XL
This Sri Lankan beauty played capture the flag with our ears in late 2007 with "Kala." The album produced one of the most memorable singles of the decade with "Paper Planes." The winsome hit became the flagship song of dancing twenty-somethings all over the world. Several movies also featured it as a backdrop for the onscreen action. But this album is much more than just one song. Somehow this project broke all barriers and proved that this brand of music is not just entertaining, but full of talent.
14. of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer? (2007) Polyvinyl
If you think the name of the album is strange, try to sound out some of the songs. This glam rock act is full of surprises both musically and on stage. Lead singer Kevin Barnes has gone through many transformations over the years and has had problems both personally and professionally in the process. The only constants were his inventive song writing and relentless efforts to make his music work. For "Hissing Fauna..." he actually made most of the record by himself, due in large part to quarrels between members of the band. The end result is an anthem to honesty and self-evaluation.
13. Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009) V2 Records
You’ve probably heard: 1901 You need to hear: Love Like a Sunset
With Phoenix playing opposite of PHISH on Friday evening of the 2009 Bonnaroo music and arts festival, you would think that it would be pretty easy to get a front row seat, right? Well, does PHISH have an album on this list? There was just something about this French quartet in the summer of 2009. Though they had garnered moderate attention in the states, they had never received the credit many thought they deserved. But with "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," all that changed. They knew that they had struck musical gold and with a sweep of the North American landscape, Phoenix took over the charts and our hearts. Cadillac even took notice and used the catchy "1901" as a vehicle for selling their products. After hearing this album, you’d be crazy not to go backwards in their catalogue and pick up "It’s never been like that," while also looking forward to whatever these guys will offer next.
12. The Avett Brothers Mignonette (2004) Ramseur
Though the Avett’s more recent albums have given the North Carolina act star power, "Mignonette" was the band’s finest record of the 2000's. It proved right away that the "brothers" were capable of painting vivid emotional ballads of toughness in the face of heartache. What could start off as a somber love song could easily turn into a textbook punk opera at the stroke of a single yell. The Avett’s music is unpredictable and extremely uncharted, but it owns a sense of familiarity. "Mignonette" wasn’t their first or most popular, but true fans will tell you that it is their best.
11. Beck Sea Change (2002) Geffen
Some casual music fans consider Beck a bit of a novelty. Sure, they’ll dance to his music if the situation presents itself, but they aren’t waiting in line at record stores on the day of his latest release. But if you ask us (and you kind of are, since you’re reading this), Beck is one of the finest musicians of the era. Fast forward ten or twenty years. Look back on who stuck around and who actually innovated. You will be hard pressed to find many like Beck, amidst a constantly changing musical hemisphere. "Sea Change" was a bit of a stretch in that it showed a more down-to-earth side of Beck than we were used to seeing. Again, he experimented, but it was more of a personal stretch than musically groundbreaking. Just when you think you’ve got one of your favorite artists pegged, they surprise you with their eighth album. And that is a beautiful thing.
10. Bruce Springsteen The Rising (2002) Columbia
The Boss’ post-911 tribute to America was not only well-timed, but it was well thought out. He didn’t just rush to get something out to sooth the ailing souls of so many, he wanted to make sure the album would provide healing power years later. The hardest working band in show business (The E Street Band) rejoined Springsteen for the first time on a studio record in 18 years and together they rediscovered the chemistry that had made the original outfit so powerful. Nearly everyone who you talk to will tell you that "The Rising" is the best record of 2002, but more importantly, it meant that the Boss was back. It was rumored that days after the 9/11 attacks, a person in the car beside Springsteen rolled down their window and told him "We need you now." Though the story may just be hearsay, the message was correct. We did need him, and he came through.
9. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001) Nonesuch
Wilco has risen to the top of the music industry over the last ten years. Their music is soft at times, tougher at others, but always soothing to the ear. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been lauded as a revolutionary record, and for good reason. This album also gave lead singer Jeff Tweedy a leg up over fellow Uncle Tupelo founder Jay Farrar, who formed the band Son Volt after the split. Wilco’s success has reached unimaginable heights, and it’s because of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."
8. Fred Eaglesmith The Official Bootleg Series Volume 2 (2004)
One of the finest story-telling songwriters to rise to fame in the past 20 years, Fred Eaglesmith compiles some of his best work on "The Official Bootleg Series, Volume 2." He has the charm of a southern preacher. His post and pre song banter rivals any that you’ll ever hear. But all along Eaglesmith remains as common as an old shoe. As funny as this double disc is at times, it can quickly transform into the most thoughtful cowboy ballad with one mandolin solo. Willie Bennett is one of his would-be-ruminants and plays one of the finest harmonica solo’s of all time on the first song of the second disc. About nine and a half minutes into "49 Tons," you’ll find Bennett as he starts a hurricane of explorative space jam. The song turns into something you’d expect more from a Flaming Lips side project than a group of southern Canadians. As soon as the winds die down, Eaglesmith explains to the crowd that behind him stands the hardest working band in North America. And its hard not to believe him.
If you’ve never heard of Eaglesmith, don’t beat yourself up, but do yourself a favor an pick up this album. Fans of nearly every vein of rock, bluegrass, folk or country music will be in heaven with Volume 2, though volume one is almost as brilliant. Local bluegrass station WDVX does a great job of netting the Canadian and his band of gypsies anytime they come close. So, thank you for doing that, WDVX. We enjoy Fred Eaglesmith.
7. Robert Plant and Allison Krauss Raising Sand (2007) Rounder
What do you get when you mix Allison Krauss with Led Zeppelin and a T bone? Well, you get the seventh best album of the decade, of course. "Raising Sand" was the brainchild of T Bone Burnett, whose talent as a producer is nearly unrivaled over the past 25 years. Burnett has spent much of his time in recent years winning awards for putting together soundtracks for the big screen (O’ Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski, Cold Mountain). You may see have seen him pick up a few awards during this year’s awards shows for his most recent work on "Crazy Heart." When he decided to link this seemingly odd pair of people together, not only was sand raised, but the oceans nearly parted. This album is a testament to both Plant and Krauss’ abilities as humans, not just musicians. Whether it was an old Zeppelin tune reworked or a original, the way the two pulled from one another produced soothing fireworks.
6. Kings of Leon Aha Shake Heartbreak (2005) RCA
You’ve probably heard: Taper Jean Girl You need to hear: Soft
Kings of Leon’s first two albums are by far their best, with Heartbreak narrowly edging out Youth and Young Manhood. The 2005 release isn’t about commercial accomplishment. In fact it is the exact opposite. The album is filled with sharp and edgy lyrics and features songs written solely by the members of the band for the first time. The four piece is composed of three brothers and a cousin, and together the Followill family seems to avoid the possibility of any of this record’s songs being played on the radio.
Their recent success has put the Nashville natives atop the music world, but with lesser content than that of their second release. Taper Jean Girl, a playful rock’n’roll hymn, is the project’s finest track and is one of BLANK’s favorite tunes of the decade. But what makes this album Kings of Leon’s best is its innocence. It was raw. It was fun. It was different with every song. Their more recent albums have been a bit repetitive and predictably somber. At the time of this release, noone really knew what would come of this band, including the members themselves. KoL’s extreme success doesn’t surprise anyone who is a fan of this disc, but I never thought I would hear Casey Casum introduce a Kings of Leon song as the number one song on the Weekend top 40.
5. The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) Warner Bros.
You’ve probably heard: Do you Realize? You need to hear: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
This album took The Flaming Lips from a great experimental band with fuzzy guitars, crazy drum beats and courageous vocal styings to a band with all that stuff with an appeal to the masses. While they may not have to put up money to make their albums anymore, these wonderful wierdos have opened doors to musicians around the globe with their willingness to stretch and create new boundaries in music. With YBPR, the tenth and best of their 12 studio albums, the Lips made it easier for entertainers to be themselves both in the studio and on stage. It only took them twenty years to win a Grammy, but with this release, the rocksploration experts finally earned widespread acclaim from the everyday person. The thought-inducing, death-accepting, "Do you Realize" will forever be remembered after being named the official rock song of the state of Oklahoma. The aughts also saw At War with the Mystics in 2007 and Embryonic in 2009 from The Flaming Lips, but neither matched the broad-but-manageable brush strokes of Yoshimi. Just before the decade came to a close, the Lips surprised everyone with another album, a complete revision of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. The album is now available on iTunes and features Stardeath & White Drawfs along with Henry Rollins and others.
4. The Strokes Is This It? (2001) RCA
You’ve probably heard: Last Night You need to hear: Is This it
Thank God that The Strokes came along when they did. Had they not, I doubt Blank Newspaper would be around. And neither would hundreds of other quality music publications, both online and in-print. "Is This it?" was the question that legitimately talented rock’n’rollers-to-be were asking themselves at the time. Thankfully, the breakout hit for the NYC youngsters waded through all the other garbo of that era and made rock music rock music again. These kids were talented in a way that had become antiquated at the turn of the century. Boybands littered the charts. Rap was bigger than ever. The hip hop/rock scene sat in the throne atop the music biz, and we’re not talking Run DMC and Aerosmith, we’re talking crap. MTV actually showed music videos back then and more often than not, viewers were subjected to watching Linken Park or Limp Biskit (not sure how to spell either band name, but I hope I spelled them both wrong). Come to think of it, maybe that’s why MTV doesn’t show music anymore. Hmm.
Julian Casablancas’ vocals are gritty and great, Albert Hammond Jr.’s guitar is unmistakably his own, and bassist Nikolai Fraiture displays one of the silkier efforts of the decade. This album, as much as any other, preserved rock music as we knew it before the eighties and reminded us all that good music still existed.
3. Radiohead Kid A (2000)
You’ve probably heard: Everything in its Right Place You need to hear: Optimistic
Radiohead more than proved themselves before Kid A, but this 2000 album release topped all other their efforts other than "OK Computer." Kid A showcases Radiohead's ability to blend electronica elements with pure rock n' roll. Thom Yorke's voice lulls the listener throughout the 11 tracks, while the spacey keyboard and techno beats keep the songs moving. Kid A earns a spot on the best of list because it broke down previous barriers. Radiohead found the perfect balance between trance and rock to create a true musical masterpiece. The songs on the album lack traditional hooks and choruses, which allows the real beauty of each note and word to really shine.
2. The White Stripes White Blood Cells (2001)
You’ve probably heard: Hotel Yorba You need to hear: Little Room
When The White Stripes were first getting started, people tried not to like them. After a while, most gave in, but there were still a few folks of respectable music taste who weren’t buying in. "It’s just a guy showing off on guitar and his sister, er, his wife, er...whatever man, I don’t get it."
Oh but it was so much more. The song, "Little Room" says it all when it comes to White and where you knew he was going the first time you heard him. Other tracks speak of falling down and getting up and starting over. The concise lyrics that lace this record are strong in their simplicity. White is forcefully obvious about the fact that his lovelife hasn’t always been peaches’n’creme. There’s just a great sense of equality to think that even rockstars have relationship problems every now and then. Meg White plays the drums in the two-piece and though she seems to stay out of the way on this record, Jack would be nothing without her.
This record is also significant because it was the first time that we heard Jack’s unmistakable guitar solos. Though his instrument says different, Jack promises to remain humble on "White Blood Cells" and despite being critically hailed all over the world, he seems to have kept his word. One straight-forward track entitled "I’m finding it harder to be a gentlemen," explains how difficult the world has become for those who simply want to enjoy life. It is just one of the many humourous but very real songs that this album owns. If you are looking for a place to start with The White Stripes, look nowhere other than "White Blood Cells."
1. Arcade Fire Funeral (2004) Merge
You’ve probably heard: "Wake Up"
You really need to hear: "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"
You know that feeling you get in your chest when you ride a bike downhill? Or the warm shiver that permeates you when someone you’ve hoped to God would kiss you takes your hand and pulls you in? Or the energizing pulsations of a huge crowd chanting in sync that makes you feel part of something larger and more powerful than anything you yourself could ever create?
Meet Arcade Fire and their aptly-titled lovechild, Funeral.
This band from Montreal stunned the musical world in 2004 with a debut album the word "innovative" does not quite justify. With a motley arrangement of instruments ranging from the conventional guitar-bass-drums rock ensemble to the orchestral crew of viola, piano, French horn, tuba, glockenspiel, accordion, et cetera players, Arcade Fire does music in a way most contemporary music-doers don’t. Certainly, there are countless bands out there that use unique instrumentation to establish their sound, but what sets Arcade Fire apart is that you almost don’t notice it. You don’t listen to a track on Funeral and think, "Oh, that was a peculiar yet highly interesting overlay of melodies," and sit back satisfactorily with your self-awarded gold star for being a good little music snob. Instead, you think, "That was awesome!" You then admit to yourself that you are an uninspiring dullard, belt out one of Win Butler’s cuttingly earnest lyrics, kiss your dog, and feel like starting a global revolution to perfect mankind and discover the meaning of life. The songs of Funeral, though crafted, aren’t experiments. They are experiences, and you live each one out as if whichever raw emotion inspired their creation came from your own soul—as if you already know the chorus, the bridge, the crescendo from some timeless collective conscience. It’s intense.
And all this from an album created from death. Yet, just as a real funeral raises deeply complex emotions to the surface and sharply reminds you that life should be lived, so does Funeral. That, perhaps, is its point.
Artist of the Decade
Jack White
It’s not the supreme success of the White Stripes that makes Jack White the artist of the decade. It’s not because of his invention and prosperity with the Raconteurs. And it’s not because of his latest outfit, The Dead Weather. There is one reason in particular that we can proudly say that Jack White deserves such an honor: Loretta Lynn.
It was his dream to work with the Tennessee lady of legend and when he suffered a broken finger in 2003, he turned potential downtime into a collection of musical genius.
His various projects differ in many ways, but were all injected with his blues-minded fighting guitar. Even with his latest outfit in which he plays drums on most occasions, he lends his skills on the guitar on a few occasions.
A documentary was shown on the big screen around the world about White, The Edge from U2 fame, and Jimmy Page, guitar player for Led Zeppelin. The motion picture was recently released on DVD, and proves that it’s not just garage rocking teenagers who enjoy White’s company.
Best Rap Albums
1. Dr. Dre Chronic 2001 Aftermath
Yea, yea, yea. We know it came out in 1999, but it was late November, and it didn’t get to make it onto any decade lists then. So the best rap record that came out in the aughts actually came out a little over a month before the 2000's even started.
2. Deltron 3030
Dan the Automator teams up with Del the Funky Homosapian for the ridiculously lyrical story about what life may be like in the future. The beats from this record were like nothing before or nothing since. The perfect blend of technology and magic, if you will.
3. Jay Z Blueprint 2
Biggie, Dr. Dre, Rakim, Beyonce, Big Boi, Twista, Lenny Kravitz and Scarface were all featured on the follow up to Jay Z’s revolutionary "Blueprint." "The Bounce" is as tightly produced as any song of the decade and the message is even stronger.
4. Eminem Marshall Mathers LP
This album meant that Eminem wasn’t just some Total Request Live creation. This meant he was serious about his craft and it proved that he was a rare talent indeed, no matter the color of his skin.
5. Lupe Fiasco Food and Liquor 2006
Jay Z produced Lupe Fiasco’s debut album after hearing his a bit of his work with Kanye. As it turns out, he may have jump-started the career of the man who will one day take his place. Much like Hov, Fiasco’s rhymes stretch beyond women and the life, most of the time.