El Paso - The Gourds

El Paso - The Gourds

3:10

Bolsa de Agua, 2000

Written by Kevin Russell

I've been a fan of the Gourds for several years now; I love their hick America fusion sound that doesn't cater to any kind of commercial sensibility.  This song is sadly not the Marty Robbins cover we all crave and deserve.  Instead, the narrator seems to be riding — maybe driving, maybe slumping on a bus — toward El Paso for reasons the rambling, stream-of-consciousness lyrics never quite reveal ("Chicken blood on my pants / My hands are shaky and pillow is damp.")  Kevin Russell leans into a slurred, nasal drawl, and the band wraps him in dusty, twang-heavy guitars and a loose, shuffling groove. The whole thing plays like a hillbilly Texas Tornados, or a drunker, loose Steve Earle.

Beautiful Texas Sunshine - Doug Sahm

Beautiful Texas Sunshine - Doug Sahm

3:22

The Return Of Wayne Douglas, 2000

Written by Doug Sahm

This song comes from Sahm’s final album, released posthumously. Built on a laid-back country groove, rich with steel guitar and a relaxed rhythm, it sounds at first like pure contentment. The narrator seems settled, reveling in the comforts of home: "If you will feed the dogs / And honey bring me another beer / Come over here and sit by me / And tell me baby how you feel." It paints a picture of domestic peace, basking in the warmth of a bright Texas day.  But then comes a jarring tonal shift. Out of nowhere, Mexico calls, and the restlessness that defined Sahm's musical life takes over. His partner's tears don't sway him; he states he should have left long ago. He's "a moving man," bound to drift wherever the winds pull him. The parting words "I’ll be back by and by" carry a bittersweet resonance, a quiet but devastating goodbye.

Wunderbaren Jahren - Sportfreunde Stiller

Wunderbaren Jahren - Sportfreunde Stiller

3:21

So wie einst Real Madrid, 2000

Written by Peter Brugger

I couldn't find much about this German band, but this is some good old, fun-sounding, fast-paced indie rock with guitar, crashing high percussion, what seems to be an organ, and pub-singalong vocals.  It's a song about wonderful past years with friends, the halcyon times, with opportunities that shone bright but may not have been taken.

Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches

Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches

3:00

The Moldy Peaches, 2000

Written by Kimya Dawson & Adam Green 

A lo-fi indie (defined loosely; it's got 98 million listens on Spotify and was featured heavily in Juno) cutesy love song, with half-sung, spoken traded verses over sparse instrumentation.  Is it twee?  Oh, it defines twee.  "Here is the church and here is the steeple / We sure are cute for two ugly people."  Or, to Kimya: "Don Quixote was a steel driving man / My name is Adam, I'm your biggest fan."  Juvenile?  Yes (especially the final, somewhat less cute, verse).  But it's sweet in an oddball sort of way.

You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl) - White Stripes

You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl) - White Stripes

1:49

De Stijl, 2000

Written by Jack White and Meg White

There's raw, DIY sound on this song; it was recorded at White's home on 8-track tape.  The Stripes' more typical blues-rock squawk is not heard here.  This is ninety seconds of melodic indie wrapped around a backhanded compliment.  "Yeah you're pretty good looking for a girl / Your eyes are wide open / And your thoughts have been stolen by the boys."  No wonder Meg divorced him!

Life'll Kill Ya - Warren Zevon

Life'll Kill Ya - Warren Zevon

2:47

Life'll Kill Ya, 2000

Written by Warren Zevon

Et in arcadia ego, as only the inimitable Excitable Boy could write it.  Not exactly carpe diem, because in this song, life isn't always that great even when you do have it.  "It's the kingdom of the spiders / It's the empire of the ants / You need a permit to walk around downtown / You need a license to dance."  It may not be shockingly ironic, considering how often Zevon went to the mortality well (like thinking Biggie Small's lyrics are somehow prescient), but it is sad.  "Some get the awful, awful diseases," he sings; two years later he gets the news that he has one.  Enjoy every sandwich.

Fox - Millencolin

Fox - Millencolin
2:02
Pennybridge Pioneers, 2000
Written by Nikola Šarčević and Mathias Färm

On this song, the Swedish band, which I always associate with ska-leaning punk, turns in a more straightforward pop-punk song.  The titular fox is referred to as if a woman, but is pretty clearly a motorcycle, with lots of Van Halen-worthy innuendo thrown in: "She's my life, she's so bad / She's the best ride I ever had."  It's a fun listen, but not clever.