Only a few days ago, I read Josh’s write-up on the 10th birthday of Silent Alarm, and it made nostalgia wash over me, heavy and clear. This was in an era where I felt most musically connected, the mid(ish)-2000s. Freshly 20 years old, wearing paint-on jeans, pointy boots and fake leather, I was in the prime of what was affectionately called Britrock, a genre — if you want to call it that — that I latched on to heavily. In the coming days, Josh and I would comment back and forth on the comment section of a Facebook post riffing off bands from that era we’d follow to the ends of the planet: The Cribs, Maximo Park, The Rakes, The Futureheads, etc.
Then, when Josh posted Oxford Karma’s 25 Best Post-Punk Songs of the Mid-2000s, I was beside myself with joy. Here were all of these bands I worshipped, for better or worse, compiled in one list for me to grin about all day. However, as good as the list was, it sent my brain into an absolute frenzy. Band after band was popping in to my head to add to this list for the better part of an afternoon. Finally, I asked Josh if I could give him 10 more songs, in no particular order, that I felt deserved some time in the sun. He kindly obliged. So put on your skinny jeans, your tiny jacket, and your Bed Head coif; we’re going out tonight.
The Libertines — “Can’t Stand Me Now”
One of the definitive tracks of the entire likely lads catalog that signaled the beginning of the end for what can be argued as one of the more influential bands of their time. Their shows started riots; their softer side could make the most pissed-up group of mongoloids sob into their suds. The volatility of the relationship between Carl Barat and Pete Doherty brought the band to a screeching halt after the release of their eponymous sophomore effort. “Can’t Stand Me Now” is a beautiful love song for two blood brothers at each other’s throats. Doherty — in and out of drug problems — found mild success with his band Babyshambles, where Carl Barat continues to stay active to this day, having recently released Let It Reign under the moniker Carl Barat and the Jackals. Before that, he set Britain on fire with his band Dirty Pretty Things, whose first record, Waterloo to Anywhere, remains a standard in my collection to this day.
Mando Diao — “You Can’t Steal My Love”
The big heartstring-puller off their 2005 opus, Hurricane Bar, “You Can’t Steal My Love” has so much soul and hurt that it’s difficult to not let the song take a piece of you. Hailing from Sweden, where they are practically gods, Mando Diao sadly never broke through in America, which is a shame, as their catalog is rife with some of the most addicting songs played by any rock and roll band in a long time. They recently released Mando Diao Greatest Hits Volume 1.
Kasabian — “Club Foot”
Chances are you’ve actually heard “Club Foot” without realizing it. After all, being modern-day English-rock heroes, their tracks are littered over countless volumes of the FIFA video game franchise. “Club Foot” is the ultimate call to arms, a song refusing to relent from the outset. It will make your blood boil and your teeth grit in defiance, even if there’s nothing to defy. To this day, Kasabian remain kings of English rock and roll, headlining countless festivals and recently releasing their newest record, 45:33.
Razorlight — “Up All Night”
The title track of the record that propelled Razorlight into the stratosphere of NME stardom sees singer and personality Johnny Borrell going right over the edge in the spiritually cosmic sense and observing the wreck of himself, clawing at anyone and everyone for help. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, especially considering Borrell’s history with drugs prior to the record’s release. After releasing a decent follow-up in 2006’s Razorlight and the commercially successful Slipway Fires, the band has been fairly mum about plans to release further material, citing the need to find the right record label.
The Mint Chicks — “Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!”
Truly a mix of delightfully quirky, bizarre, and wildly free sound make The Mint Chicks stand out as truly unique. You’d be hard-pressed to find any band to compare to them, especially after “Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!” made them heroes in their native New Zealand and cult favorites in every nook and cranny of what is considered a record-head cluster. After moving to the United States and releasing the delightful Screens, the band sadly split. However, for every end there is a beginning, as guitarist Ruban Nielson went on to form one of the most exciting acts currently releasing music in Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
