Last Call: Music Talk
We are going to talk about music. But first, links that have little to do with actual sports and nothing to do with us, just for a change.
The Links
Why columns are dying and Grantland Rice’s memory should live on. (Smart Football)
Jon Stewart: Very good or legitimately great interviewer? (Salon)
Abolish the MLB Draft? If you’re Dave Cameron, it makes sense. (FanGraphs)
Picking the songs of the not-yet-over Aughts. ( Pitchfork)
The Bull Session Questions
What’s right or wrong with that Pitchfork list? What are your songs of the decade?
And what better speaks to the importance of a song, its quality or its popularity?
Aside: You need to watch the “B.O.B.” video, too. It’s awesome.
My favorite song of the decade? “Ice Ice Baby”. Yes, it came out in the 90s, but I saw Vanilla Ice perform it on The Surreal Life in 2004, so it still counts.
I have a couple problems with Pitchfork’s list, having skimmed most of it. For one, I noticed that a big majority are 2006 and earlier. Almost like wine, those songs have had a chance to age, have some cultural/news/where-were-you meaning attached, etc. Impossible to compare to stuff that’s come out in the last 12 months or so. Check back in 2013 and revisit the list, I’d bet it changes even from the same writers.
The second, more obvious problem, is how can you even rate, for example, Lil Wayne and Sufjan Stevens? How can one possibly be better than the other? Obviously a 500 song list is probably an easier draw than a 10 lists of 50 from various genres.
The problem with that list is that is has no concept of genre differential at all.
Only 1 metal/hardcore song out of 500 (Mastodon, btw)??? No country, no underground rap (only radio stuff) no Muse, no Snow Patrol, no ska (Big D’s “She Knows Her Way” would be my vote and Tim Armstrong’s dancehall “Into Action”), no emo (say what you want about the genre but Brand New’s “You Won’t Know” and more arguably Finch’s “What It Is To Burn” or The Early November’s “We Write The Wrong” are great songs). No hard rock either; Foo Fighters? “Animal I Have Become”? Finger Eleven’s “Paralyzer”?
What this list should have admitted to was being the 500 best Cali-indie and radio-pop/rap tracks of the decade. Then all it would have is some quibbling, not glaring mistakes.
Okay, it might be my age or the fact that I don’t really listen to a whole of music anymore, but I went through the list up until about # 350 and I did not recognize 98% of the songs or artists.
Dear God, please hit Brett Favre with a bus.
Dear God, please hit Brett Favre with Bernard Pollard.
While he’s driving a bus.
Haha awesome
For age eligible Rookies: there is an online test for the Jeopardy College championship on Aug. 25. You can take the quiz here.
Yeah I’m trying to register but it won’t let me. Haha.
The crappiest thing about Favre coming back is that he’s gonna ruin my enjoyment of Percy Harvin’s rookie season. Everytime Percy breaks one off, it’ll benefit Farve the Coprse Fucker.
Add Packers fan to that mix and you see my dilemma. I really don’t mind Favre being back, but I don’t want him to limit Percy’s growth…
Needs more hipster doofus.
I’m one of those Packer fans who’s rooting for career ending injury… I can’t decide which would be more… tasty: Favre being injured before the Packers-Vikings games, so that he can’t play in the only games he really wants to play in, or during the Packers-Vikings game, Charles Martin style.
Man I don’t miss the end of 1999 when every damn thing was in list form. Best of this…best of that. I really don’t miss that.
But here is a question….favorite song of the decade? Other than Ice Ice Baby of course.
“B.O.B.” is up there for favorite, and I agree on it being best.
My favorite is probably the “Get By” remix that clocks in at 112 or something on that list.
Hah. You ruined the list for me. I haven’t gotten that far yet!!! But I agree that its a great pick for sure.
I hate to say this because I agree with Gourmet Spud in regard to Brandon Flowers’ Punchable Face (http://foodcourtlunch.com//?p=1369, the greatest column in the history of the internet), but Tranquilize by The Killers is epic. Tied in my mind with 3 Libras by A Perfect Circle.
I don’t think I could list a pure favorite. Probably “Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste” by Norma Jean or “She Knows Her Way” by Big D and the Kid’s Table. Or possibly even “Ocean Avenue.” Who DOESN’T like that song, eh?
Big D: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrtCyPxEjAk
I’m exactly the same way. I can never pick one of anything. But I will see your Yellowcard but I would go with Only One. And 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” was by far the best rap song of the decade. With anything Jay Z did coming in a close 2nd.
let’s not forget T-Baby…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aktLRiWXfqg
try again…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aktLRiWXfqg
Best rap song is Dr. Dre ft Eminem, Xzibit, and Phish, “What’s The Difference.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rvU4Qs8Hfk
Although my personal favorite is Swollen Members underground shit, “Killing Spree.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiNguZZwLYI
I think either of these songs are better than that spawn of the death of radio rap, “In Da Club.”
“Whats the Difference” is great, but it’s not even the best song the two of them did in the decade. “Forgot About Dre” is better by a long shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pq3b8-LmLk
And “In Da Club” wasn’t the spawn of the death of radio rap. Not even close. That title belongs too these douchnozzles…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7nA9S4GvSQ
Is it ok if I don’t have a favorite song of this last decade? As it is right now, I’m listening to the “oldies” station at work cuz the XM is down.
Meh, too much crap to put up with in the “modern” sense.
Oh that’s perfectly ok. I was just curious about peoples musical tastes.
This song has no chance of being one of the best of the 00s, but the video is goddamn hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SBDxrr1XUU
This is my favorite YouTube rap clip not involving Eli Porter. Khaled is a clown.
Kid Cudi’s original was much better than the remix, and his song the prayer is phenomenal. On that note, where is the Wale? Neal Diamond also released a phenomenal album, to go along with the earlier mentioned Foo Fighters.
/sulks angrily in the corner