The end of the 90's. We were all so worried about Y2K back in 1999 but the music for the most part that stood out to me is what I think of as fun music. I didn't realize it, but this would be the last Everything But the Girl album for more than 20 years, it dominates 1999 for me.
20. Never Let You Go by Third Eye Blind
There were a lot of these bands in the late 90's. Not sure why they all went away. We are getting a lot of music today influenced by the late 90's and early 2000's but I don't really hear this sound coming back at all.
19. Cowboy Take Me Away by The Chicks
Maybe the most important Gen X country band, especially in terms of the influence they had.
18. If You Had My Love by Jennifer Lopez
I just remember my wife was really into this song, so it sticks with me.
17. Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega
The most 1999 thing ever.
16. The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang
I found my way to this song from the movie Loser.
15. All My Little Words by The Magnetic Fields
This is such a wonderful song. The word unboyfriendable is genius.
14. I Try by Macy Gray
She has a unique voice, but also she's a good vocalist.
13. No Difference by Everything But the Girl
The beauty of Everything But the Girl was always their lyrics and this didn't change when they went to doing electronic music. Being in your 30's can be tough.
12. The Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers
I just love the sound of this song.
11. Someday by Sugar Ray
A fun band. This song makes me think of driving out to Joshua Tree National Park.
10. What's My Age Again? by blink-182
Another one from the Loser soundtrack.
9. Thank You by Dido
Maybe this is the most 1999 thing ever.
8. Stars All Seem to Weep by Beth Orton
Beth Orton was for me one of those artists I probably would have liked more if I had given her more of a chance. I'm pretty sure this album was produced by Ben Watt of Everything But the Girl.
7. Five Fathoms by Everything But the Girl
I'm happy that Tracey Thorn and Beth Orton are friends, every so often she'll post about them doing something together on BlueSky. A great song if you are going out on the city.
6. Every Morning by Sugar Ray
This makes me think of driving around LA.
5. Steal My Sunshine by LEN
Don't know what else they ever did, but this song is fun.
4. Blame by Everything But the Girl
Again it's hard being in your 30's especially if you have regrets about a past love affair.
3. Save Me by Aimee Mann
We all came to this from the Magnolia soundtrack. Such a great comeback moment.
2. Forget About It by Alison Krauss
When Krauss nails it she nails it.
1. Temperamental by Everything But the Girl
I love this song. Lyrically it's great and I love how they constructed it. Again they are dealing with issues that I think we all equate more with people in their 30's.
I actually know an actual person from the Class of '86--the sister of a woman whom I dated---who was so heavily influenced by the Chicks and specifically "Cowboy, Take Me Away" that she actually moved from Fairfax County out to Colorado, got herself a job on an actual dude ranch and moved back home to northern Virginia with an actual cowboy she met there. They dated for some months before he moved back to Colorado. I went bowling with them once in Front Royal. I didn't even know what a "dude ranch" was until the cowboy told me while we were sitting together trying to figure out the new computerized scoring system at the lanes (you still had to enter your roll-by-roll scores into the computer).
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, I'd affirm that the Chicks were pretty darned influential.
And great, too, by the way. My wife was at Transylvania and then Vanderbilt Divinity School when they broke. The Wide Open Spaces record came out in 1998 and then Fly (which includes "Cowboy, Take Me Away") in 1999. Those are huge, huge soundtracks to the events, decisions and changes in my wife's life during that time, and they remain incredibly powerful for her to this day. The Chicks were incredible at capturing the push and pull of things like romance, ambition and loyalty on a person.
I paid very, very close attention to a whole bunch of women during the greater Y2K era, and every freaking one of them was fascinating in her own way.
Incidentally, on that same trip to Front Royal, I went in a K-mart that still had a cafeteria like the one we had at the K-mart on Lone Oak Road. I ate supper there. Then I also bought a black jeans jacket that was a really bold departure for me in terms of wardrobe. I wore it like crazy until it was inherited by our daughter (though I did not actually die), and now she wears it like crazy at WKU.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, the Chicks ... hugely influential in all sorts of clear and meandering ways.
All of these songs are great! Even the ones that are not very good are great!
ReplyDeleteI'll always be thankful to Beth Orton for introducing me to Terry Callier.
ReplyDeleteMagnolia was not my jam until the frogs.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is good to know about Tracey Thorn and Beth Orton! I'm glad, too.
ReplyDelete