The 100 best songs of the first decade of the 2000s (90-81)

(Click here for the whole list.)


90. Shout Out Louds — "Tonight I Have to Leave It"

The part where he says "Give love, give love…" sounds kind of like Queen's "Under Pressure" except played by the Cure.




89. Kate Havnevik — "New Day"

The vocals are simple, but the electronics in this song are amazing.




88. The Notwist — "Pilot"




87. Owen Pallet (formerly known as Final Fantasy) — "Song Song Song"




86. Sophie Ellis-Bextor — "Me and My Imagination"




85. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists — "Counting Down the Hours"




84. Kylie Minogue — "Can't Get You out of My Head"




A more dramatic version by the Flaming Lips:




83. Iron & Wine — "On Your Wings"




82. Uh Huh Her — "Not a Love Song"




81. Locksley — "Don't Make Me Wait"

(Full disclosure, I know them from high school.)

Even more music I've been listening to: Shout Out Louds, Ms. John Soda, The Knife, Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Continuing with the more concise format from last Music Friday, here's some more new music I've been enjoying in the last few months.

As usual, each YouTube link goes to one of their songs (in extra-large format -- click on the screen if you want the regular format), and each MySpace link goes to their official profile with free streaming songs.

Shout Out Louds (photo) -- ripping off, and improving on, The Cure

[youtube - Tonight I Have to Leave It]

[youtube - Impossible]

[myspace]

Ms. John Soda -- as enigmatic as their name

[youtube - Solid Ground]

[youtube - Hiding/Fading]

[myspace]

The Knife -- reminiscent of Bjork but closer to old-school techno

[youtube - Silent Shout]

[youtube - Forest Families]

[myspace]

Sophie Ellis-Bextor -- decadently gorgeous disco/pop

[youtube - Me and My Imagination]

Yes, it's OK to like this -- it was written up by the über-indie Pitchfork Media as one of the 100 best tracks of 2007 (#87).

The British Sophie Ellis-Bextor (does her accent make it obvious enough?) seems to be pretty obscure in the US but popular in Europe -- her song Murder on the Dance Floor was a ubiquitous dance-club presence when I lived in London.

BONUS: She'd "rather go naked than wear fur."

(Photo of Shout Out Louds by this guy, via the band.)