For this week’s intern pick, we decided to “party like it’s 1999” by choosing our favorite songs from that year! The 90s gave us some iconic music and bands, with Nirvana, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cranberries, and TLC being just a few. Check out the interns’ favorite songs from 1999 below!
Quin’s Pick – “Rhymes Like Dimes” by MF Doom
This week’s intern pick from me has to be “Rhymes Like Dimes” by MF Doom. Released in 1999, “Rhymes Like Dimes” hails from MF Doom’s debut record, Operation Doomsday. It is impossible to overstate the influence of this record. Inspiring countless hip-hop acts and others, the effects of this album still have ripples today. In a 2019 article published by Tidal, Doom’s debut album is hailed as a “blueprint for all independent rap.” The album introduces the audience to many of the classic elements that we’ve all come to love so much about Doom’s music. From the crackled cartoon samples, his borderline abstract lyrics, and of course, his famous anonymity behind the mask, Operation Doomsday is a debut that comes out of the gate swinging.
“Rhymes Like Dimes” starts with a smooth sample of a 1981 Quincy Jones track. After being hooked on the infectious beat, the listener is then subjected to lyrics they’re not sure if they should ponder or laugh at. With lines like, “A lot of ‘em sound like they in a talent show / So I give ‘em something to remember like the Alamo”, the listener has no choice but to laugh with Doom and his ridiculous bars. It is a song that genuinely changed my listening habits forever and still holds up after all these years. I think Doom best sums up this song with the line “Better rhymes make for better songs, it matters not / If you got a lot of what it takes just to get along.”
Listen to “Rhymes Like Dimes” below!
Ashley’s Pick – “Spit On A Stranger” by Pavement
My 1999 pick is “Spit On A Stranger” by Pavement. For many, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of ‘99 might be Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Biggie. But if we’re all being honest here, I don’t listen to much that came out of the 90s besides the hits. What I admire about it, though, is that it holds so much legendary alternative rock that completely shaped the genre for the 2000s. Wilco, Flaming Lips, RHCP, to name a few. For Pavement, 1999 meant the end, and this album “Terror Twilight” was the final push. The band left a killer decade behind them. Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg had no idea they’d be named the quintessential indie rock band of the 90s when they picked up guitars in the early 80s. Pavement’s career was experimental, messy, yet iconic beyond words (see the wacky new Pavement doc.)
“Spit On A Stranger” is, to me, perfect. It opens the album with a stutter, as if the song was recorded over an old cassette that had something else on it. Some whispers of reversed notes and a clean electric guitar float in sweetly. Then, that iconic melody, “However you feel / whatever it takes”. It’s the kind of line that could bring a party back, could lift sleepy heads to sing along. This track sets the stage for the rest of the parting album with endearingly weary energy. Lyrically the track is aggressive. “I could spit on a stranger / you’re a bitter stranger,” the chorus repeats. Musically, though, the song is a dream. The production feels live, like a peek into a band practice. Malkmus sings vulnerable falsetto over far-away drums while even-further background vocals echo. It’s unintentionally neat, never grows more than it needs to.
Listen to “Spit On A Stranger” now!
Darci’s Pick – “Eau D’Bedroom Dancing” by Le Tigre
My intern pick of the week is “Eau D’Bedroom Dancing” off Le Tigre’s 1999 self-titled album. The track reflects on the comfort that is provided through self-expression when it’s free from judgement. While the track is more subdued compared to the rest of the songs on the album, Hanna’s lyrics capture the whimsy and confusion that it means to be a young girl.
The sonic atmosphere that is created in “Eau D’Bedroom Dancing,” is one that evokes a sense of finding peace and joy amidst the chaos that is self-discovery. The track’s lo-fi production is an essential influence on bedroom pop as we know it today. The distorted synthesizer and jangly drum machine work hand in hand to capture the raw nature and emotion expressed in the song.
Le Tigre’s ability to convey emotional complexity through playful lyrics and gritty production in “Eau D’Bedroom Dancing” not only makes it a staple in my day to day musical rotation, but also my favorite track released in 1999.
Listen to “Eau D’Bedroom Dancing” below!
Quinn’s Pick – “Otherside” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
I am kicking off my “Intern Pick of the Week” with a track that has been a part of my life since before I can remember: “Otherside” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Being a lifelong fan, I hold this song in a special place. I vividly remember watching its music video on MTV as a kid, totally captivated by its surreal, dreamlike imagery. It was a staple in our house, quickly becoming one of my favorites off the album, Californication. The raw emotion and unique sound of “Otherside” really stuck with me, even at a young age, and it is a big reason why my love for the band runs so deep.
What is it about “Otherside” that still resonates so strongly with me all these years later? It is more than just nostalgia. The song’s melancholic yet hopeful vibe, Anthony Kiedis’s distinctive vocals, and Flea’s iconic bassline create something truly timeless. This album also marked the return of guitarist John Frusciante to the band. Whenever I hear that opening guitar riff from Frusciante, it takes me back while also reminding me why this band has such staying power. “Otherside” is not just a song from my childhood. It is a testament to the Chili Peppers’ ability to craft meaningful and enduring music. It is a track that has grown with me, offering new layers of appreciation with each listen.
Listen to “Otherside” below!
Brandon’s Pick – “Starálfur” by Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós, a post-rock band based out of Iceland, released their magnum opus project, “Ágætis byrjun,” June 12, 1999. The album features some of the band’s best work, such as “Svefn-g-englar,” “Olsen Olsen,” and “Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása.” My intern pick for this week, “Starálfur,” sang in Icelandic, tells the story of an elf staring at the band’s lead vocalist, Jónsi, as he goes to sleep. While the story itself is slightly unsettling, the story does not seem to be the primary aspect of the song, as Jónsi’s voice only serves as another instrumental layer to the beautiful composition that is “Starálfur.”
This song is one that, if you let it, engulfs your mind and carries you to a far-off place. An arrangement of orchestral strings, subtle piano playing, the feedback from a crackling radio broadcast, and the delicate playing of guitar carries the listener through an experience of bliss and inexplainable beauty. The sound of distant canon fire ushers in a build-up that explodes into an orchestral climax of sound. Emotions of hope, despair, beauty, and pain whirl around the composition like a tornado of loose yarn as the band reaches into the air, plucking each feeling, sewing it into a beautiful blanket of sound, color, and experience. The song conveys the feeling of hope and triumph yet underlined by a subtle feeling of disappointment.
As quickly as the song builds into its climax, it disappears, fading into a vast chasm of white noise and feedback.
Listen to “Starálfur” now!
Tweet us @Lightning100 to tell us your favorite songs from 1999!
