2009
31 songs from 2009: does not fit
We couldn’t quite squeeze the list down this year so everyone gets a bonus, 32nd best-of track. Who got the honor? Read on ,… NEWCOMERS Anya Marina, Bad Lieutenant, Chris Isaak, CSS, Eugene McGuiness, Friendly Fires, Jay Reatard, La Roux, Longwave, Röyksopp, Silversun Pickups, The Duke Spirit, The Hussys, The Lonely Island, Trouble Andrew SECOND-TIMERS Datarock, Empire Of The Sun,…
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2008
31 songs from 2008: lucky
Travel, elections, recovery: it’s been a complicated and amazing year. There’s a real sizzle in the air and we feel it in this year’s best-of list. NEWCOMERS Caribou, Georgie James, Los Campesinos!, MGMT, Midnight Juggernauts, Mono In VCF, Santogold, Sons & Daughters, Stephanie McKay, The B-52’s, To My Boy SECOND-TIMERS Adele, Mates Of State, R.E.M., Ra Ra Riot, Tina Dico…
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2007
31 songs from 2007: shaken not stirred
This year we said goodbye to a dear friend. Peter often joined us for shows at local venues and shared our passion for music. He was a spectacular person who leaves a legacy of kindness and an irrepressible joie de vivre. This year is dedicated to his adventurous spirit. NEWCOMERS 1990s, Amy Winehouse, Art Brut, Baby Dayliner, Calvin Harris, Lily…
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2006
31 songs from 2006: third times the charm
They say repeat something three times it sticks. If that’s true then the 31 list is here to stay. 2006 has lots to offer in terms of music from new finds and old favorites alike. NEWCOMERS Boy Kill Boy, Every Move A Picture, Field Music, Saint Etienne, Say Hi To Your Mom, The Gossip, The Pipettes, The Presets SECOND-TIMERS Boy…
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2005
31 songs from 2005: second helping
It’s the second year of 31s and I’m feeling pretty good about it. We reviewed 130 albums to pick the best 31 from 2005 (and a few latecomers from 2004). We deadlocked on one album and bent the rules a bit, adding two songs from Death Cab for Cutie’s album Plans. NEWCOMERS Salim Nourallah, The Ordinary Boys, The Shore, The…
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2004
31 songs from 2004: it starts here
My wife and I listen to a lot of music. A lot. We’re basically professional teenagers, with years of experience going to record stores, watching music videos, talking to friends, and going to concerts. So why not take all that and do our own best-of list? So here’s our first list: thirty-one tracks, one for each day of any month,…
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2003
31 songs from 2003: last reconstruction
This final reconstruction precedes the official first 31 list. Many later favorites – like Goldfrapp, Decemberists, and the Sounds make their first (unofficial) appearance. NEWCOMERS Fischerspooner, Her Space Holiday, Kenna, Kings Of Leon, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, The Caesars, The Fitness, The Pleased, The Rapture, The Starlight Mints, The Stills SECOND-TIMERS Electric Six, Grandaddy, Simon Stinger, The Cardigans,…
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2002
31 songs from 2002: the emerging list
MP3s were just barely a thing in 2002. CDs were still the dominant music distribution medium at the time. But Napster frightened the industry to its core, so much so that it was forced to close in 2002. We hadn’t – yet – lit upon the idea of an annual best-of list. But we did share mix CDs with favorite…
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2001
31 songs from 2001: a music odyssey
Kubrick didn’t suggest our best-of list was on the Pan Am shuttle, but he didn’t not suggest it. So that works for me. Like all lists from 2000 thru 2003, this list was re-created based on the release date of the music. We likely listened to these albums at the time but it’s not 100% borne of the year itself.…
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2000
31 songs from 2000: the way back
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0b0sElly5qeuOflUNrZzE4?si=5422f30a278f4f33 The official 31 list was born in 2004 but, as it continued on year after year, there was a certain inelegance to the starting year. So we went into the past, reviewed albums released in 2000, and retroactively picked our top 31. This list may not be 100% accurate to what we listened to at the time. But, it’s…
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31 Songs 