The Soundtrack of My Life: 2000
I have an uneasy relationship with blogging these days. Can’t say it was ever too simple – what to say, what’s too much, what’s just plain boring … but with my tendency to overthink coupled with a busy schedule and a lot of things I’m not always prepared to discuss here, it’s been difficult to decide what to write about, if anything. I seem to do better with concrete projects, or themes, so here goes with one.
Over the next few weeks I’m going to review the music of the last decade – I should say, I’m going to review MY music of MY last decade. It’s probably going to be at least a little embarrassing as I often find I come to things late, but hey. Thus we begin with …
Y2K. The Year 2000. At the time I was in the middle of graduate school. I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship which covered 30 credit hours per academic year, and so that’s what I did – burned through all but two classes from September ’99 to June ’00. Then I haunted around my parents house for about 6 weeks, convinced I’d be unemployed forever, before the job whirlwind caught me up and deposited me in Chicago. I got paid once a month, which was great because then at least I knew I’d be able to cover all my bills … but depending on the month, it wasn’t like there was a ton left over for buying new music or anything else for that matter. Sometimes even groceries were a challenge. In no particular order, here’s a few albums I recall being in heavy rotation.
Radiohead – OK Computer
There is nothing I can add to the rivers of words that have been written about this album other than to say that when I first heard it, it felt both revelatory and inevitable. And I wore the crap out of it that lonely fall and have continued to do so nearly every season since although I still feel, for myself, it’s best for chilly weather.
Wilco – Summerteeth
It’s still a delight, every time. It and YHF trade off for my favorite Wilco album. Dry your eyes, you poor devil.
Fiona Apple – When the Pawn …
Another wonderful moody cold weather piece. She loves words, and I love that about her. Plus I’d love to have that kind of big torchy voice.
Paul Simon – Rhythm of the Saints
I dated a drummer the year before and he loved this album. We broke up but the album stuck. Dude also loved Lyle Lovett – a keeper if I ever heard one, whatever Julia Roberts thought on the matter.
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
I’m not sure how I managed to miss this through the entirety of my undergraduate career, but it happened. I think I made up for that in sheer repetition of play in 2000.
By default, thanks to the downstairs neighbors: David Grey – White Ladder
I hated it and him because all I ever heard, endlessly for a couple months, was the bass line from Oh Babylon rumbling up from the apartment below. I hated those neighbors too. Later on, having moved and found blessed solace from said neighbors, I met up with the entire orchestration and found that really, I rather like this album.
