Our favourite songs. One per year.

Side A
(curated by Jon)

5. Ratatat – "Seventeen Years"

All together now: "I've been rapping for about seventeen years, okay? I don't write my stuff anymore, I just kick it from my head, you know what I'm saying? I can do that. No disrespect, but that's how I am."

I downloaded this song off a music blog solely because I liked the name of the band, never expecting the revelatory sonic experience that would ensue.

It was like the musical equivalent of my first viewing of Oldboy.

Alas, Ratatat has not evolved since, milking the same sound to diminishing returns.

Side B
(curated by DJ Ben)

5. Franz Ferdinand – "Take Me Out"

2004 had so much good music (probably the best year of the aughts), but this takes the cake. Back then, I thought it was "Jesus Walks," but now… "Take Me Out" has to be #1.

I think it's close to a perfect pop song in terms of structure. There's that chaotic intro and then the tempo drops into a focused 4/4 105 BPM asskicking that sounds less like a song and more like marching orders set to a tune.

The middle is so good that The Ting Tings copied it for "Shut Up and Let Me Go" (start at 2:09 in "Take Me Out" and compare to 0:10 in "Shut Up and Let Me Go").

Side A
1. Radiohead – "The National Anthem"
2. Finch – "What It Is to Burn (Demo)"
3. Spoon – "Stay Don't Go"
4. The Mars Volta – "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt"
5. Ratatat – "Seventeen Years"
6. 2005
7. 2006
8. 2007
9. 2008
10. 2009

Side B
1. Outkast – "B.O.B."
2. Gob – "I Hear You Calling"
3. Justin Timberlake – "Cry Me a River"
4. The White Stripes – "Seven Nation Army"
5. Franz Ferdinand – "Take Me Out"
6. 2005
7. 2006
8. 2007
9. 2008
10. 2009

#decademixtape