OK, I start this thread. Recommend any (lesser known) album or song from 00-09.

Here's mine recommendation for year 2001.
Circle - Kultaa .
One of the best and the most important Krautrock, Post-Rock, Experimental Rock, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hardcore Punk, Ambient, Heavy Metal, What ever bands of the last twenty years. Kultaa is opening track of maybe their best album Taantumus. It's toneless jam that stops the time. I saw them live in 2001 (and also later). It was my first gig in the rock club. The people were sitting on the floor and just gazed to the stage. Some were in trance and danced very weirdly. The band didn't say anything during the gig. They were in trance like the audience. And then came the vocalist with his personal way to sing. My friend still thinks it was the best gig ever. And I guess everybody who has ever seen Circle play live (and likes at least a bit kraut rock) will put them among the best live acts.

I didn't find the album version (which I like more) but here's live version of the song
Circle - Kultaa

Here are 3 songs from 3 different great albums from 2001. I'm likely to be the only person voting for any of these songs (or their parent albums), so I think they fit the bill.

RES - "They-Say Vision"

One of the most criminally slept on artists I can think of, RES's brand of weird soul/rock/pop didn't find a big audience in 2001, but it found a devoted one, likely because it was SOOOO different to the cookie cutter neo-soul box so many artists felt comfortable inhabiting at the time. This song was the leading force - very difficult to categorize. Lyrically and sonically, it breaks through the barriers of wanting to please everyone else but yourself - hence the title of 'They-Say' Vision. It was produced by Santogold, who became a critical darling 7 years later, but I still find RES's stuff to be superior.

Janet Jackson - "Better Days"

After the failure of her marriage to Rene Elizondo, Janet went through a deep depression, best encapsulated by The Velvet Rope's dark moodiness. I know she's considered a pop tart, but her music can be very uplifting, and this song embodies that perfectly, as she strives to put the pain in her past. Her voice sounds a lot like her brother Michael in parts of this song.

Aaliyah - "I Care 4 U"

She's got a few singles that are recognized as the great songs they are, but her last 2 albums One in a Million and Aaliyah don't get the recognition I feel they deserve as landmarks of popular music. As time passes, the more Aaliyah's absence is really felt. Beyonce took over and made everything have to be outrageous booty shoutouts of negligible restraint and even less intelligence. On the contrary, Aaliyah was a well-studied "street but sweet" triple threat, and the vocals she nails on this song reveal that she is just as capable of being a pillowy soft seductress as a powerhouse diva. Missy Elliott wrote this, and it's one of the best things she ever has been involved with, I think.

Sodastream: Heaven on the Ground

Travis Drageset, for allmusic: “Guitarist Karl Smith's vocals are a lot like those of Stuart Murdoch on a down day, but they work on The Hill for Company because the songs are inspired enough not to sound like just another Belle and Sebastian knockoff. On it muted trumpets fittingly punctuate mournful strings or elegant guitar and bass runs, and emotive lyrics abound.”

David Sheppard, for Q Magazine: “Smith’s thin, reedy voice may not be to everyone’s taste, but his odd, conversational lyrics (unrequited love, ageing, loneliness) frequently intrigue and surprise”. “Heaven on the Ground is a gorgeous Nick Drake ballad as heard though a concrete dividing wall”



lyrics

youtube

I don't think All For You would garner much consensus from the critical community as an overall great album from 2001. I know you like it a lot, though. You did highlight one of the better tracks on the album, though.

Sorry Petri ! I've opened a similar thread by mistake; I hadn't seen yours !

So from now on I'll post my recommendations here. I've posted a link in the other thread so that people will post here instead of there.

OK, I'm posting my songs in this thread as well.


For fans of Massive Attack:




For fans of Van Morrison:




For fans of indie pop and beautiful vocals in particular:



Kings of Convenience and their album 'Quiet Is the New Loud' has been a favorite for quite some time, but I didn't "discover" the last song 'Parallel Lines' until recently, which has now become my favorite. Perfect title for a perfect album!

Wow.. KINgs of Convenience !! This is an album I haven't heard for ten years I guess... not a bad record though

IMO 2001 is a very French year

This is a song/album that both Honorio and me love, because Hon introduced me to this artist

Yes, nicolas!! Many thanks. Dominique A is a French artist I like a lot. In the late 90s to early 00s many French artists had some success in Spain due in part to the support of Rockdelux and Spanish label Green UFOs that published albums by Dominique A, Experience, François Breutz, Vincent Delerm and Yann Tiersen. I would like to recommend here three excellent French albums from 2001:
- Dominique A "Auguri": chanson for the new century.
- Yann Tiersen "L'absente": absolutely delicious.
- Experience: "Aujourd'hui Maintenant LP": hardcore à la française. The tittle song is great (sadly the You Tube video is banned but you can listen to it on Spotify).

Please let me post my own translation of the lyrics of the Dominique A song (Top 5 of the year for me). And a big sorry for the French people, surely it will be filled with mistakes.

POUR LA PEAU

Comme tu as su attendre
Comme tu lui as parlé
Et comme elle résistait
Elle voulait se défendre
Et c'était presque beau
De vous voir, presque beau
Ta patience infinie
Ses "non, "oui", "pas ici".
Un jour ça s'est passé
Elle voulait dans ta chambre
Et tout a bien été
Et tout était très tendre ;
Mais après, comme toujours,
Ça t'as rendu tout chose.
Elle s'est lavée vite fait ;
Tu savais bien comme c'était mais

Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?

Ton sang chauffé d'un coup
Tu le sens cavaler
Te porter n'importe où
Te faire faire un peu tout, sans frein;
Là, tu es dans un lit
Où ton sang t'a mené
Et la fille est jolie
Et après, vous parlez
Et tu dis "j'ai quelqu'un" ;
Tu dors sous d'autres draps
Depuis longtemps déjà,
C'est pourquoi tu es là
Avec ton sang qui dort
Sous tes mains, sous ta peau ;
Ton sang paisible enfin
Paisible, lui au moins.

Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?
Qu'est ce que tu n'ferais pas pour la peau ?


FOR THE SKIN

The way you knew how to wait,
the way you talked to her
and the way she resisted,
she wanted to defend herself.
And it was almost beautiful,
to see you, almost beautiful,
your endless patience,
her "no", "yes", "not here".
One day it happened,
she wanted in your room,
and it was alright,
and it was so tender;
but after that, as usual,
you became unease,
she washed herself quickly.
You know how it works but...

What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?

Your blood suddenly heated up,
you feel it rushing in,
taking you no matter where
making you do everything, without restraint.
There you are, on a bed,
your blood took you there,
and the girl is beautiful,
and then you talk
and you say "I got someone".
You sleep under other blankets
from a long time now,
that’s why you’re there
with your blood that sleeps
under your hands, under your skin,
your blood calm at last,
calm, at least it.

What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?
What you would’nt do for the skin?

Most of my left field recommendations would come from 2009. Before then I only heard albums I bought, and I only bought stuff that was popular among critics.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11 (Great guitar album)

BLK JKS - After Robots (Eight ninths of a great album by a South African band)

Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is A Mouth (Genre-undefinable. A little indie, a little folk, a little gospel.)

Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali (My favorite Afro-pop album)

Blue Sky Black Death - Late Night Cinema
- Slow Burning Lights (Two instrumental hip hop albums)

Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer (This album got some press but I think it's been unjustly forgotten on 'angry female' stereotypes. I can't get Ampersand out of my head sometimes.)

Rokia Traore - Tchamatche

Lindstrom - Where You Go I Go Too

The Bellrays - Hard, Sweet, and Sticky (For those of you who liked my pick for Unacclaimed)

Fennesz - Black Sea (Minimalist)

Paavoharvu - Laulu Laakson Kukista

Dungen - Ta Det Lungt
-4 (Psychadelic rock from Sweden. Only Ta Det Lungt really got critical attention but I think their last two albums have been even better.)

I'd be interested in hearing recommendations from those members with a broad exposure to rock recorded in other languages that does not get international press.

I want to give the early voters get a chance to include Bohren & der Club of Gore in their 2002 lists. Jazz dark ambient style. The album "Black Earth" will be my number one.

With that I'm off to the Canary Islands.

I'm not totally sure I know anyone who's heard this song and doesn't like it. Almost certainly my #1 rap song of all-time. A DJ and a combo rapper/guitarist (picture how badass that is).

The Lab Rats - Fluid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29uGcfgTNpg

My favorite album from the 00's is Not The Tremblin' Kind by Laura Cantrell. But don't take it from me, just ask John Peel:

"My favourite record of the last ten years and possibly my life is an LP by a New York woman born in Nashville called Laura Cantrell. It's country, and I don't know why I like it, but it has the same sort of effect on me as Roy Orbison had in the '60s."

-John Peel

If you're looking for something different from 2002, I recommend Sparks' Lil' Beethoven, which hasn't appeared on any lists so far. Sounding nothing like anything else from the decade, this album eschews the Sparks' typical sound for a hypnotically repetitive, classically-influenced style. It's definitely an all-or-nothing style and might be annoying to some, but I like the album quite a bit on first listen.

Sparks The Rhythm Thief

The Notwist's Neon Golden. Has not appeared inside any list yet, so maybe i should try over here to help it.

We have reached 2003 and The Knife's "Deep Cuts" including "Heartbeats" as well as this song which is really just as great. Cool video as well. Olof Dreijer is the first guy who starts to dance and Karin Dreijer is the girl who sits down to the end.

Oops! I Did It Again, by ..... Richard Thompson!!!!

Thompson said about this song: "Taken out of context, this is a pretty nice song"

I just remembered Youngblood Brass Band's Brooklyn from seeing it as Charlie Drigg's #1, and it will be near the top of my '03 list as well:

I'm really surprised for how many Wilco fans we have that I'm the only person who's voted for Minus 5's Down With Wilco for 2003. I think all of the songs have Wilco as the backup band and Tweedy sings on two of them.

Family Gardener- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z91JbbnzzPE

Retrieval Of You- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV_1239aolk

My favorite album of 2003 is Fabulous TRobador's Duel de tchatche.

This very idiosyncratic record probably in my all-time top 20. This is not rap, this is not chanson, this is not world music. "Duels de tchatche" means more or less verbal jousting, as in rap but also as in a lot of traditions all over the world.
This album is a mix of tradition and modernity, of local and universal. FT are a duet from Toulouse, on of the main cities in the Southwest of France.
They are very proud of their local roots, sing some songs in the Occitan dialect. But they also draw some of their influences from the foro of Northern Brazil or the North african traditions, adding rap and ragga on top of that.
Of course as in rap the words are essential. Claude Sicre, the guy who writes them, is a very talented street poet. So I have no idea as to how non-francophone people can appreciate those very funny and witty songs.
The first one is a "duel de tchatche", the second is the single.



Si tu te fais

Demain, demain

One of my favorite 2003 albums (maybe my favorite, I have some listening to do though) is Metaphorical Music by the late Japanese DJ Nujabes. It's jazz-rap with just completely solid, moderately funky beats all the way through, sometimes instrumental, sometimes not. Here's "Lady Brown" with rapping from Cise Starr:

Here is my recommandation for 2004. Daniel Darc was part of the new wave band Taxi Girl with Mirwais (who produced Madonna's Music).

This song, Psaume 23 just puts this very famous psalm into music. Beautiful result.

Daniel Darc-Psaume 23

Two of Brazil's most successful female artists of recent times, Zélia Duncan and Adriana Calcanhotto, released noteworthy albums in 2004.

Zélia Duncan's Eu me Transformo em Outras is IMO the best album of the genre called Samba-Canção. It won't be everyone's cup of tea though. Personally I think it's an excellent collection of songs, impeccably arranged. The musicians performing alongside Duncan are superb and I could listen to her deep and soulful voice for days on end. Here's a song called Deusa da Minha Rua from the album.



Adriana Calcanhotto's album Adriana Partimpim is not as sophisticated as Zélia Duncan's release but it's more fun. Calcanhotto adopts the persona of a chldren's entertainer for the album, so the songs are childlike - but they are also meticulously crafted and delightful. Here's Fico Assim sem Você from the album.

Here is an working link to Daniel Darc's song. Connoisseurs will recognize the musical borrowing of Lou Reed's "Sad Song" from Berlin.

The Organ: Memorize the City

Heather Phares, for allmusic:
While this sound comes from the legacy of '80s college rock -- at times suggesting a fusion of the Smiths' witty, bouncy melancholy and the on-the-sleeve passion of Throwing Muses -- and also has ties to some of the other bands remaking new wave and post-punk in their own images, the Organ and Grab That Gun have a freshness that isn't often heard in any kind of rock music. This is partly due to the simplicity of the band's playing; some call it amateurish, although innocent is probably a more apt description. There's also a remarkable sincerity to the band's music, a large part of which comes from singer Katie Sketch's striking vocals and lyrics.

John Clarkson, for pennyblackmusic:
Memorize the City finds her very aware of her native city’s failings and shortcomings as she wanders around it for a last time before she has to leave it ( "I walk around the streets and memorize the city/I can’t turn around until I reach the shore/Sometimes I close my eyes and you’re not very pretty" ).
With a potential new romance set to fade away before it has had the chance to bloom, she is, however, reluctant to let the city go and to walk away from it entirely ( "Although our lips barely touched/ I have never felt so much/ and I would really like to feel that way again" ).

Ok, here are words about the 2 French "anomalies" that appeared in my list :

TTC is a French hip-hop band with lot of electronic elements in their music, they had a huge critic success in France, especially their 2004 album "Bâtards Sensibles", despite crude and sexist lyrics (it's hard to top "Girlfriend" in that aspect).
There are not much other bands sounding like them, which was kind of a big deal in France given that all the bands on the previous 10 years sounded either like IAM (sort of oriental Wu-Tang aesthetic) or like NTM (closer to NWA in the sound). I think people from any country can enjoy their sound, part of it at list because I think it gets annoying through an whole album.


On the other hand you probably have to be French to enjoy Didier Super, even slightly, with his redneck (we would say "chti") voice, bad taste, cheap synthetizer and over-the-top stupid lyrics. But if you like this kind of humor, some songs are completely hilarious.


The mix of those TTC and Didier Super could give birth to Stupeflip which I forgot past year but should have been given a nod, very blunt French sort of hip-hop, at times brilliant.

And now, ladies and gents,
After Katerine,
After Les fabulous Trobadors,
Here is the French song that nicolas loves and evrybody in the forum hates, especially the French people

Les Bombes 2 Bal – La Voiture

Les Bombes 2 Bal are a girl group (well, actually there’s a guy on drums) from Toulouse. The singer is the daughter of Claude Sicre, leader of the Fabulos Trobadors. They are great on stage because they have a couple of dancers who join the audience during the concert to teach people how to dance on their forro rhythms from Northern Brazil.
The lyrics are funny, don’t miss them (I have posted a translation below).

I made the vid myself because I couldn’t fin dit on the Web, so excuse me for the poor quality, I had to hurry.


La Voiture par nickraven4





I ain’t washed the car
I left all the scratches
I didn’t do no repainting
And now the cops are there
I ain’t fastened my seat belt
I went over the white line
I was driving at a fast speed
Let’s see if they’re cool

I just woke up a while ago
My hair is not fixed right
I’m not very well rigged out
And now the cops are there
I ain’t paid the vignette (French tax on cars)
My headlights are smashed to bits
My tyres are flat
Let’s see if they’re cool

I’m unlucky these days
I got no muffler
Run away yeah but how ?
It’s too late the cops are there
My blinkers are fucked up
But I ain’t run over nobody
Just bumped into the pillar
Let’s see if they’re cool

I’ve done something foolish
I had lost part of my consciousness
I have broken my abstinence
And now the cops are there
I’m not at home in France
I haven’t paid any insurance
My licence is on vacation
Let’s see if they’re cool

They are waving me to move along
Oh my god what a luck
Anyway I ain’t done nothing
And now the cops are behind
Hey but what’s this whistle
Is that for me or am I dreaming
Well I guess i’ll have to argue
Let’s see if they’re cool

Original lyrics

La voiture, les Bombes 2 bal


J’ai pas lavé la voiture
J’ai laissé les éraflures
J’ai pas refait la peinture
Et voilà les flics sont là
J’ai pas bouclé ma ceinture
J’ai mordu sur la bordure
Je roulais à vive allure
On va voir s’ils sont sympas

Je viens de me réveiller
Je ne suis pas très bien peignée
Je suis mal attifée
Et voilà les flics sont là
J’ai pas payé la vignette
J’ai les phares qui sont en miettes
J’ai les pneus tous dégonflettes
On va s’ils sont sympas

J’ai pas de pot en ce moment
J’ai pas de pot d’échappement
M’échapper oui mais comment
C’est trop tard les flic sont là
J’ai les clignos qui déconnent
Mais j’ai écrasé personne
J’ai juste enflé la colonne
On va voir s’ils sont sympas

J’ai commis une imprudence
J’avais pas toute ma conscience
J’ai rompu mon abstinence
Et voilà les flics sont là
Je ne suis pas chez moi en France
J’ai pas payé l’assurance
Mon permis est en vacances
On va voir s’ils sont sympas

Ils me font signe de passer
Mon dieu quelle chance j’ai
Tout façon j’avais rien fait
Voilà les flics sont là
M****, c’est quoi ces sifflets ?
C’est pour moi ou j’ai rêvé ?
Bon, va falloir discuter
On va voir s’ils sont sympas….

I know that it's quite absurd to recommend a compilation, given the fact that it's not eligible, but "The Golden Apples of the Sun" is an extraordinary document of a movement (the New Weird America, Freak Folk or whatever) that was developing at this very moment and compiled by one of the main protagonists, Devendra Banhart.
01. VETIVER with HOPE SANDOVAL Angel's Share
02. JOANNA NEWSOM Bridges and Balloons
03. SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE Hazy SF
04. VIKING MOSES! Crosses
05. JOSEPHINE FOSTER Little Life
06. ESPERS Biss & Abyss
07. VASHTI BUNYAN & DEVENDRA BANHART Rejoicing in the Hands
09. CURRITUCK CO. The Tropics of Cancer
10. WHITE MAGIC Don't Need
11. IRON & WINE Fever Dream
12. DIANE CLUCK Heat From Every Corner
16. LITTLE WINGS Look at What the Light Did Now
17. SCOUT NIBLETT Wet Road
18. TROLL Mexicana
19. COCOROSIE Good Friday
20. ANTONY The Lake

From Congo, Havana and Paris

this one is from Guinea (african music anyone ?)

How is this for brilliant contrast...

I discovered Déportivo's Parmi eux because it was on Michel's list and now Old Crow Medicine Show's O.C.M.S. because it's on nicolas's list. Thanks both!



And I discovered Gonzales's Solo Piano becuase of a recommendation by Henrik and because it's on Honorio's list. So thanks to the two of you too.

(Sorry, I'm in video posting mode.)

In fact I took OCMS from John's list. Thanks John

Thanks for the Gonzales post, Dan. Wonderful.

I was just going to post a video of my favorite discovery this month, Gustavo Santaolalla's "De Usuahia a la Quiaca" from the film "Diarios de Motocicleta". Then I discovered that he released already in 1997 on his "Ronroco" album. Well, here it is anyway.

This land is your land - Sharon Jones & the... par Petite-Rigolote

Decent mod rock from some Londoner good guys:



And my favourite 2005 song. The album version is a bit longer and has a lower tempo, but this is great too:

Here's an early heads up for 2006, a year with lots of underrated gems.










Other underrated acts of 2006, but at least their works are on AM:

Studio
Regina Spektor
Ellen Allien & Apparat
Built to Spill
Destroyer

... and this great song by The Divine Comedy (Petri already has it as #1)

Mojave 3: Ghostship Waiting

Nitsuh Abebe (Pitchfork):
Puzzles Like You is another shift in sound and style, and another staying-the-same for the way Halstead writes (and presumably always will write) his songs. These tunes are as upbeat as anything the guy's ever recorded; some of them (like "Ghostship Waiting") even work up little heads of steam before racing out to an energetic finish.

James Marshall (Yahoo Music Album Review)
"Puzzles Like You" suffers slightly from an inconsistent sense of purpose and an over-reliance of a single idea that run out of steam before the album's conclusion, but such gripes and criticisms are offset when confronted with something as irresistible as "Ghostship Waiting".

For those who find it refreshing to explore cleverly constructed pop music that is both accessible and kinda arty (and not necessarily sung in English)...

Recommendations for the 2007 poll:

Underrated song for the 2007 poll...

A beautiful French song from a wonderful EP (followed by a good but not as great LP)

Not really obscure but I was kinda surprised that this was not on the AM songs list.
One of the best pop singles of 2007:

MARK RONSON feat. AMY WINEHOUSE-Valerie

I tried to post this last night but the IT gremlins caused problems, so I’ll try again...

Ahead of the 2008 poll next month, I’ve listened to more albums than usual from Latin America, Spain and Portugal. I’m really pleased I made the effort because I’ve discovered a few I really like. Here are some of them with YouTube links to a song from each album in brackets.

Isol / Zypce – Sima (La culpa)
Teleradio Donoso – Baylar y Llolar (Éramos todos felices)
Banda de Turistas – Mágico corazón radiofónico (La máquina favorita)
Marcelo Camelo – Sou (Liberdade)
Christina Rosenvinge – Tu labio superior (La distancia adecuada)
Onda Vaga – Fuerte y caliente (Mambeado)
El Columpio Asesimo – La gallina (La marca en nuestra frente es la de Caín)

I think I tried to hype Rokia Traoré with some success already in our yearly poll at the end of 2008. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a big sensation!

Perfect Timing: Drive-By Truckers par cowboycamera

What's wrong with dads ?

The Mandé Variations is a masterpiece, but a very demanding one. Listening to this album requires absolute silence, focus, for it is a mystical experience.
I've been to this part of Africa and every note feels like a sun ray (or a raindrop, depends on the season).
I can picture the red clay, the green grass that spurs in the rainy season, the people, the children everywhere.
Toumani is universal. A virtuoso, yes, but much more than that, a true artist. A magician.

Beautiful French song: Dominique A. - Immortels (thanks Andre!)



How to make a Buddy Holly song your own: M. Ward - Rave On