1. INT'L PLAYER'S ANTHEM - UGK (FEATURING OUTKAST)
Just an incredible track that will never get old, everything about it smacks of success, from the horns to andre 3000's intro to the vocal samples and of course to bun b and pimp c (RIP).
2. WHAT ELSE IS THERE (THIN WHITE DUKE REMIX) - ROYSKOPP
Unbelievably cheesy (like all jacques le cont obviously) but somehow works in this context, adding an uplifting slant to the vocals (the woman from the knife who's name i can't remember). Also: just reminds me of good times, simpler times: college, positive lazer...
3. SURF WAX AMERICA - WEEZER
'YOU TAKE YOUR CAR TO WORRRRK, I'LL TAKE MY BOAAAARD!' Right on, rivers. i wish i could skate :(
4. MR NOVEMBER - THE NATIONAL
Last track on Alligator, one of those albums that you listen to and think this is alright and then you keep listening over and over and then realise all of a sudden that it's one of the best albums you've ever heard and then this track ends it and you punch your fist like 'yessss!'
5. TRUE BELIEVERS - THE BOUNCING SOULS
Pop-punk is great cos it makes all the big problems go away and then all you have are the little problems, which you can solve, and then when they're sorted you can concentrate on chugging beer and trampolining into swimming pools and air guitarring back to back with your best friends to number 10.
6. I'LL BELIEVE IN ANYTHING IF YOU BELIEVE IN ANYTHING
This song is like if... you know that bit in 'wake up' by the arcade fire where they all go 'woah-oh-oh-woah' and thats basically the chorus? if they'd somehow found the words to fit that moment, that elevated to one of the most glorious things ever, it would be this song.
7. MY PRESIDENT (FEATURING NAS) - YOUNG JEEZY
Obviously i love UGK, so, ignoring all the obvious triumphant sentiments of this track, the bit in the 2nd verse where jeezy is posthumously trying to make his peace with pimp c (with whom he always had tension despite his friendship with bun) is like lump-in-the-throat moment. Also, the bit where jeezy shows his age by confessing he doesn't understand why 'for some strange reason my son's addicted to polos (ie preppy, stuffy polo shirts that used to be despised by the hiphop community)' is kind of endearing.
8. FREAK SCENE - DINOSAUR JR.
An obvious track but, not to sound too wanky, the guitar solos are just fucking transcendental.
9. BEAUTIFUL LIFE - GUI BORATTO
Another obvious track that is well overplayed but I dunno... it makes me think of more recent good things than the royskopp track.
10. JOSIE - BLINK 182
Aka me and george and zak and dave and even john and jamie and helen and anyone who wants to join in with their arms round each other lights out pissed after two cans throwing devil horns air guitaring jumping off the backs of sofas. yes please.
11. TRIUMPH - WU TANG CLAN
'So none of our output since those first five wu-affiliated releases have been that great have they? Oh i know, lets just do a track where we each take it in turns reminding everyone how fucking incredible we are individually, but on a track together, like in the old days of protect ya neck etc.' Apparently after (the rebel) inspektah deck laid down his opening verse, everyone else was too scared to go next cos of how amazing it was. i'm glad they did. it's triumphant because it's just pure, other-worldly class - as the RZA once said, in the aftermath of a certain Nas debut for Def Jam:
'how can hiphop be dead... when wu-tang is forever?'
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