Foals — “Cassius”
I remember specifically being told that Foals were “math-rock,” which I didn’t know anything about at the time. Hell, I didn’t even know if that was remotely true. All I knew was that “Cassius,” off their bouncing, angular debut Antidotes, had me hooked. Titillating and prickly guitar work paved the way for one of the funnest uses of a saxophone (save The Rapture and Destroyer) in recent memory. Foals found success stateside with Total Life Forever and Holy Fire, making them one of the few bands to pull themselves out of the mess of British bands emerging at the time to continue to challenge themselves and their fans with new, stimulating material.
The Films — “Belt Loops”
New York-via-South Carolina upstarts, and arguably one of the most talented and catchy bands releasing material at the time, The Films’ 2007 drunken hell-of-a-weekend masterpiece Don’t Dance Rattlesnake put them on the tip of tongues across the pond — especially in Germany, where they found decent success. However, not much of a bang was created stateside, and after its follow-up, Oh, Scorpio, the band fell silent. Singer Michael Trent went on to find his niche with the wonderful Shovels & Rope.
Kaiser Chiefs — “I Predict a Riot”
At first glance, I thought the name Kaiser Chiefs was silly at best. Flicking through whatever issue of NME I had by my bed at that time, I had made some half-hearted vow that I’d never get into bands with silly names. Then, one night at Mike’s College Bar, “I Predict a Riot” came on, and it stopped me dead. When I asked the bartender who it was I was dumbfounded and learned that only assholes judge books by covers, and I was most certainly guilty. Though they haven’t broken through in America — aside from the song “Ruby,” which tortured countless numbers of Guitar Hero addicts — Kaiser Chiefs remain immortal in 2000s British rock history.
Mystery Jets — “Two Doors Down”
Mystery Jets’ 2008 release Twenty One was a summer record, and “Two Doors Down” was a definitive summer song. Its greatest strength, perhaps, is that it feels almost global in a way that young, impressionable kids in London, New York, Oklahoma City, Lincoln, or Auckland can bounce along to this absolutely infectious song. Listening to it now has actually prompted me to throw it back into my current rotation. It’s just that much fun.
The Stills — “Lola Stars and Stripes”
Sleek, yet a little ruffled and somehow still refined and deadly with the right tune, The Stills’ 2003 record Logic Will Break Your Heart was a big “People make music like this?” record for me. Something about this band felt so effortlessly cool that the coolness just rubbed off on everyone who got the CD from Hastings in Stillwater or from the depths of the dungeon that is Best Buy. “Lola Stars and Stripes” was loud, gorgeous and accompanied by a fun and endearing video. Sadly, after quite a few great records, The Stills hung it up in 2011.
