Though 2002 was the year following the most devastating terrorist attack on U.S. soil, very few of the memorable albums from that year directly address 9/11.
Of the albums I’ve featured so far, only Eminem’s The Eminem Show tackles the topic. Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was an eerily appropriate release, but it was recorded before the attacks.
My only exposure to Sigur Ros thus far has been in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The song ‘Starálfur’ scored the film’s climactic scene, in which the crew of the Belafonte encounters the mythical jaguar shark.
For a scene that cathartic and sad, yet hopeful, the ethereal warbling of an Icelandic art rock band worked perfectly. Outside of that context, I’m not so sure.
The Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots shows up on most critics’ lists of the best albums of 2002. I can’t remember if I bought it at the time and didn’t get into it, or if I just intended to buy it and never did. At any rate, it’s still unknown to me.
Yoshimi is a loose concept album about the titular battle, though only a few songs directly tie into that story. The overall theme is making the most of life in the face of our own mortality. Fun stuff!
I’ve written before that Toad the Wet Sprocket is my favorite of the alternative bands that truly belong to the 90s. The band’s debut album, Bread & Circus, was released in 1989 and the four records that make up the heart of their discography were released between 1990 and 1997.
Coil was the last of these and many fans consider it the best. I have difficulty finding much space between this record, 1991’s Fear and 1994’s Dulcinea in terms of quality. That’s a trilogy I’d stack up against anybody’s work from the era.
Just two weeks ago, the Random iTunes Fairy served up a track from Beyoncé’s 2006 sophomore album, B’Day. Against substantial odds, the album is represented again today.
Apparently random selection stands no chance against the desire to see Beyoncé dancing in her freakum dress.
Meet Me In Montauk 