The new year is a lovely time, as the shedding of the past year can often feel like a fresh breath and a chance to start anew. Many take up spirited resolutions or, if you're like me, promise to think of one and then just end up cutting out ice cream for a month. Regardless of that, with the new year here, it's time to press shuffle on the playlist and unearth a hidden gem, find some zen and finally admit that songs released over 10 years ago should be called "classics," even if they're from the 2000s.
#1 - Knee Socks- Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys refined its alternative sound performing in back alleys and greasy pubs throughout northern England. A decade ago, the stunning Sheffield four-piece released a masterpiece LP that captured the grit of English rock with its fifth studio album, "AM." Post-punk power chords clash against heavy-handed rhythm sections, with lead singer Alex Turner re-introducing the world to the provocative power of lounge-rock. On "Knee Socks," Turner finds his niche with light-hearted, almost Bowie-esque lyricism that reveals the basic human desire and longing that haunts him.
#2 - Someday- The Strokes
The Strokes were born and bred in New York and are, in my opinion, essentially The Velvet Underground of the 2000s. "Someday," the third and final single from the band's chart-shattering debut album, "Is This It," transports you to New York at the turn of the millennium and oozes that young-adult air of casual contentment and underlying anxiety. In-your-face front man for The Strokes, Julian Casablancas, pairs his grumbled roar with catchy chords and a too-cool-to-care chorus. Even if you don't know this song, by a minute in, you know you've heard it before.
#3 - Goodie Bag- Still Woozy
Indie-pop singer/songwriter Still Woozy released his first album, "If This Isn't Nice, I Don't Know What Is," in 2021, but it's his 2017 single, "Goodie Bag," that launched the psych-indie artist into stardom. The music hits the ears like waves on a beach before Woozy's raspy falsetto delivers his thoughts about the most universally relatable themes of all: love and loss.
#4 - Oh Honey- The Delegation
Whether it's for fashion tips, or hidden musical gems, when in doubt, look to the '70s. Velvet-voiced trio The Delegation was formed in the heyday of 1976 and launched onto the industry scene from the United Kingdom as R 'n' B/soul singers. The timeless trio harmonizes throughout a bouncing bass line on the sinfully smooth verses of "Oh Honey" which served as the group's first U.S. hit just three years after its formation.
#5 - BuyPoloDisorder's Daughter Wears a 3000® Shirt Embroidered - André 3000
André 3000's latest record, "Blue Sun," is his first-ever solo album and his first release in 15 years. While many listeners wondered if the legendary lyricist of Atlanta-born rap duo OutKast still had the ability to rhyme, the artist flipped the script and upended expectations by releasing an expansive 87-minute-long instrumental album near the end of 2023.
On the track, "BuyPoloDisorder's Daughter Wears a 3000® Shirt Embroidered," André 3000 pulls sounds from flutes, percussion instruments, shakers, synths and woodwinds, making each note appear and vanish on this soothing track. While the song titles are... a mouthful, it is difficult to deny the steady craft at hand as each song beautifully bleeds a mystical soundscape.
