700. Testify - Rage Against The Machine
(Epic 2000, Brendan O'Brien)
699. Break The Ice - Britney Spears
(Jive 2008, Danja)
Remarkably while was enjoying the biggest public backlash of her entire career, while her life was turning into a circus, she managed to have a miny creative break through. While Blackout couldn't deliver across twelve tracks, it managed to produce Britney's most interesting singles in almost a decade. After the camp anthem Gimmie More came this shimmering synth laden beast complete with a surprisingly cool Anime video. Break The Ice was designed for the clubs, it was perfect remix and mash up materiel, and while it hardly stormed the charts it found it's way into a surprisingly large number of DJ's record bags. Hear It Here
698. Delirium - Ladyhawke
(Modular 2008, Pascal Gabriel)
Ladyhawke possess a voice that seemed destine for some dreary US alternative droning yet luckily she didn't let a husky voice stop her from experimentation with babbling quirky synths, effects and bouncy indie riffs. As a result Ladyhawke forged some of the most creative and interesting arrangements of the late 2000s, while My Delirium seems like a sugary sweet pop track (and it is), there is so much more to the track, it has deft production and a slick yet caring arrangements, and remains one of the best singles from Indie's second wave. Hear It Here
697. Cousins - Vampire Weekend
(XL 2009, Rostam Batmanglij)
So having reviewed this track just one week ago, I've taken the bold decision to throw this track straight into the top 1,000. I had little hesistation, it's simply that strong, will it be a hit? By alrights it should be, but whatever the fate of Cousins it's sheer energy and vibrancy make it impossible to deny. Vampire Weekend's singles are rarely less than stellar and Cousins is no exception, it's just buzzing with life, excitement and colour making it one of the decades most exciting singles whether it's been around for two weeks or ten months. Hear It Here
696. How You Remind Me - Nickelback
(Roadrunner 2001, Rick Parashar)
Who would have thought that when this little track dominated the airwaves in 2001 that Nickelback would still be in regular rotation eight years later? It seems remarkable, but Nickelback should never have been underestimated, what they lack in creativity, they make up for with bucket loads of epicness. Taking the serious Pearl Jam model and combining it with the approachability of Bon Jovi, Nickelback forged a mainstream empire on the back of super sized singles like the gargantuan How You Remind Me. Hear It Here
695. Crystalised - The xx
(Young Turks 2009, The xx)
2009 saw the rise of The xx, the release of their debut album took many by surprise. Crystalised was the first single to garner real mainstream attention, and rightly so, built on the back of the dreamy but never dreary interplay between two lead vocalists, the way The xx merged, counterbalance and contrasted the male and female vocals is simply divine. Crystalised had a downbeat and understated mood, that only enhance it's emotional appeal, it possessed a bare arrangement, that never overwhelms yet is full of remarkably delicate touches that bring the track to life and helped The xx effortless stand out from the crowd. Hear It Here
694. La Breeze - Simian
(Witicha 2003, Simian)
TV ads have been responsible for promoting some of the worst and most cringe inducing hits of the last twenty years, however, once in a while those corporate executives manage to get it right. In 2003 Peogeot hit a home run uncovering a gem in the form of La Breeze, Simian were dead in the water but from their ashes rose Simian Mobile Disco and a domination of London's indie disco scene. It all started with La Breeze a simple quirky and infectious little hit. Hear It Here
693. I'll Be By Your Side - Sally Shapiro
(Diskokaine 2006, Johan Abebjorn)
You can't help but love the Scandinavians they really do not care about being cool, trends or western culture in general they just get on with doing whatever the hell they like. In 2006 Sally Shapiro released a gorgeously retrospective shimmering pop song, it was sweet humble and honest, qualities so often lacking in today's mainstream music, but best of all it was danceable and it gave way to a million dance mixes. While it's hard to pick a favourite remix (hence why I included the original in the list) it's hard to escape the Tensnake mix, and if your new to this track it's probably the best place to start. Hear It Here
692. Cause = Time - Broken Social Scene
(Arts & Crafts 2002, David Newfeld)
In 2001 indie blew up behind the Strokes debut Is This It but it seemed that traditional indie and "baroque pop" was left behind, it didn't fit the new mainstream template and sadly never got the commercial rub that came with the indie revival. This is tragic in many ways as Ontario's Broken Social Scene never got the attention that their award winning albums thoroughly deserved. Cause = Time felt ahead of it's time, a natural evolution of the US alternative scene of the 90s, this charming hazy little pop song would lay the foundation for the creative explosion of US art house indie in the latter half of the 2000s. Hear It Here
691. That Boy That Girl - Hadouken
(Surface Noise 2007, Bobby Harlow)
Indie had got so overblown by the year 2007 it was time for some much deserved backlash, and thankfully That Boy That Girl came to prominence right on cue. Hadouken tore to shred scenesters, posers and indie types in general. While Hadouken were just as scene as the bands and fans they sought to undermine it was never the less alot of funny looking around on a dancefloor and seeing a bunch of "Hoxton Heroes" and "Indie Cindies" dancing obliviously to this damning self satire. Hear It Here
More updates coming this evening.
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