ILM Top 100 2005-2009: TRACKS

lots and lots of 09 stuff. was last year a sea-change year for music or something; so much so that things from before sound old hat?

i'm just kidding. but seriously, i'm looking forward to seeing more stuff from '05-'08, it's just not as exciting to see repeats from the yearly poll we just did. (xpost)

"Zero" is a great choon though.

like, I squeezed the top 4 singles from my '09 list way down at the bottom of my ballot for this, partly because I just don't rate the year that high, partly because I'm more interested to see how the canon from previous years has already changed shape.

"Zero" kind of seems really old to me now, though. Is that just me? Maybe I've just heard it so many times, but it almost seems as old as "Date With the Night" and "Maps," even though there's a six year difference.

I never really gave the new YYYs a chance partly because of that, JF...it's like Maps but less timeless. In one ear and out the other.

I didn't really mean it like that. I meant that this song has already managed to enshrine itself so well within the YYYs identity that it's hard for me to fathom it only having come out a year ago.

fwiw, i agree w/ that skip. it's v disposable 2 me and id never mention it in the same breath as maps

79. CHROMATICS "In the City" (2006) [223.5 points, 8 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFOxribt3kA

aaah yeah

Virtually everything on this list is making me think "WTF, people still rate that?" I do love how Lex is pretending he didn't really like that Robyn track at the time though.

fwiw, i agree w/ that skip. it's v disposable 2 me and id never mention it in the same breath as maps

I never liked "Maps," or any Yeah Yeah Yeahs, before "Zero." I think they appeal to different listeners.

The exception is the Courtney Tidwell track which should be at least 50 places higher.

Interesting...I would have voted for this a year ago but I've gone off most of the IDIB camp...

xxxp youre right this wasnt even hard to find:

'Be Mine' is perfect in every way, from the swoop of the strings to the jitter of the beats to the jacking of 'Time After Time' to the amazing lyrics.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, August 16, 2005 11:13 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lol!

it's one of the few "what was i thinking" moments of my music listening career

I didn't really mean it like that. I meant that this song has already managed to enshrine itself so well within the YYYs identity that it's hard for me to fathom it only having come out a year ago.

― Johnny Fever, Thursday, July 1, 2010 2:08 PM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I know you didn't, just going off on a tangent.

"In the City" is really boring.

It's still a good song, it's one of the few where Robyn actually works (the others being Who's That Girl and With Every Heartbeat). She's much better doing sincerity then she is doing wacky.

hey i try not to fuck with polls beyond year-end but there's tons of good tracks on this so good job everyone.

78. THE FALL "Blindness" (2005) [225.5 points, 9 votes, 1 first place vote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPg3A9Mz-cI

No one? I know there at least nine of you who like this, and one of you very much.

i never really pay attention to the Fall anymore, but this one is pretty great.

Do you like The Fall - Y/N?

77. MAXWELL "Pretty Wings" (2009) [227 points, 9 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkPy4yq7EJo

xp Y

...Waow! Didn't really expect to see "Blindness"!

alright! another track i voted for, albeit another '09 one.

My third track to place - all from '09.

You're contributing to your own disappointment? xp

I'm liking the bottom 20 a lot more so far. The Maxwell song is well constructed though.

Usually content to sit back and watch with these as I don't really feel confident enough in my musical articulacy to contribute by and large, but as no one was repping for Blindness, then I will just say that the John Peel version was probably the last incontrovertibly truly great, stands-with-their-early career Fall songs. The momentum and shifts in intensity were remarkable and the sinister, vision of future/satire of present, minimalist lyrics, the different stanzas with their different vocal styles, from high-pitched fear, to desert dry commandment, all contribute to make this one of their finest moments. Top ten for me, I'd imagine, top five even. (Word of warning to anyone who's interested, album version I'm kinda lukewarm about, JP session is the one to go for).

As for the reset, love Shine Blockas (thanks ilm!), one of my favourites from last year, and thoroughly enjoying sitting back and seeing what's going to turn up, esp those gems which I've never heard before, which are such a feature of the countdowns.

76. ÂME "Rej" (2005) [228 points, 10 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51MZQBFKmgg

I'll throw in a word for "Blindness" as well. Just incredible -- one of those songs that was in my top 45, then was cut at the very end from my ballot. In retrospect, I probably should've cut something else instead.

C'MON "REJ"!!!!!

My first vote! That track literally is mdma to me.

and good to see that despite the nominations list, ILM dance crew is still repping

Ah Rej - a real creeper of a track. Kind of infamous for being a "nothing" tune, until you hear it in a darkened room at Plastic People at full volume.

Surprised it wasn't a little bit higher tbh.

it's still getting played and seems to be popular w/the UK funky DJs who take their cues from techno - cooly g's played it, and braiden dropping it into his set at sónar this year was <3 <3 <3

Hey, that Joy Orbison tune is pretty good! I never would've guessed something called "Joy Orbison" sounds like that, I thought it was gonna be indie pop or something. Can't see how anyone could think it's "abrasive", unless you feel all techno/house is abrasive.

Rej is cool too! I should've voted for it, I'm not sure why I didn't.

REJ! AWESOME! HANDS IN THE AIR!

And I wouldn't call Rej a "nothing" tune - it's much more tuneful than, say, that The Fall monstrosity.

i've never heard a track by the fall. everything i've ever read suggests that i shouldn't.

I'm sure their absolute crappiness is one more thing on which you and me would agree.

Tuomas OTM re: Joy Orbison.

I love The Fall but am pretty certain you wouldn't, lex! :)

Yeah - Rej has definitely not aged at all. I heard it played out at a club a few years ago (maybe by Luke Slater?) and even then it had been out for ages, but it didn't seem old at all.

Think it's just got that timeless feel to it. Incidentally it is a fucking travesty that Mandarine Girl is not nominated in this poll. If only I'd bothered to nominate...

lex, you oughta play "Blindness" so you can at least say you've heard something you are certain you'd hate.

totally forgot abt rej, so glad it made it