Fair and Kind: Blog

The Signal

boundless loneliness will nudge us
on a bus over frozen ground
where highlands rise with receding snow
the songs in our ears are all we know
we've never been so at home
 
in a room filled with strangers
we fancy ourselves invisible
but possibility breeds exhiliration
settles and suffocates
they'll leave us alone
when we leave alone
without having spoken
 
routine fill us with purpose
we're sinking so far into ourselves
 
we wear our badges
speak in tongues
we're always searching for another one
but a signal (3x)
with no receiver's just noise
a signal (4x)
with no receiver's just noise
 
routine fill us with purpose
we're sinking so far into ourselves
 
A Fabulous Disaster

Forever crawls
Can’t someone make it crawl faster?
You shattered my walls
A fabulous disaster
 
I never fought
So blind, it couldn’t defeat me
Without a thought
You ambushed me so sweetly
 
Abandoned control
Departs in eager fashion
You afflicted my soul
In apathetic [...]

This is a list of my favorite albums that came out in the 10 years. I'm not a good critic. It is based on what I listened to the most and what influenced me the most. I can remember where I was and how I felt when I first heard all of these albums. 10. Is This It - The Strokes Back in my Napster days I downloaded Hard To Explain and for the first like 15 times I heard it, during the break in the song, I thought it hadn't downloaded fully. I wised up eventually. Favorite Tracks: Is This It, Someday, Trying My Luck 9. Give Up - The Postal Service How can I not love a band featuring two of my faaaavorite musicians? I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this album so by the time I saw them play at a sold out show at the Abbey Pub in Chicago, I knew all the words. Everyone loves this album. Favorite Tracks: Recycled Air, Nothing Better, Such Great Heights 8. Oh, Inverted World - The Shins One of my favorite musicians recommended this album when I asked her what she was listening [...]

Here are some of the songs that defined my decade.  It's sort of a haphazard list based on a number of intangible factors.  My only rule is that multiple songs per artist were not allowed.  I also left off Fair and Kind songs to appear modest.
Would love to hear your comments!
-Anand
50.  "She Wants To Move" (2004) - N*E*R*D
N*E*R*D's sensual hodge-podge of acoustic and electric guitars, piano, handclaps, dog barks and "HEY!"s over a floor tom heavy beat borders on being gimmicky and silly, but the genius that brings it all together is what made The Neptunes such a huge part of the 2000s.
49. "Young Adult Friction" (2009) - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
The whole album is a bit too cutesy, hipster, and one-note, but I kinda love that note, which perfectly combines upbeat melodies, drowning vocals, and '80s nostalgia (in the year that John Hughes passed away).
48. "Me & U" (2006) - Cassie
The minimalist beat and repetitive vocal counterpoint (which thankfully doesn't [...]