150 Favorite/Best 2000's Albums: Introduction

I have not listened to every album from the 2000s. But it's arguably my personal favorite decade in music (if not the 90s). I listen to tons of music from this era and I love it. While I have a soft spot in my heart for music I discovered at the time as a teenager, I keep discovering more hidden gems of 2000s music the older I get. And I still have plenty more to listen to. Just know that it's April 20th, 2021, and at this moment, these are my picks for the best albums of the 2000s. 

Or are they just my favorites? It's hard not to come into this super biased. I'm trying to mix albums I always comfortably come back to with albums that impressively challenge me. 

I decided to make the list 150 albums long. I considered stopping the list at 100, but had a ton of albums I considered putting on that list. And 200 is really stretching. Like, there are probably plenty of 2000s albums I haven't heard yet that I can presume are better than whatever the heck my #197 album of the decade is. Making lists is hard. But it's also fun. Here, I try to balance between both. 

I realize this undertaking is both ambitious and stupid. And I assume only a few people will look at the list. And even less will care about it. And every one of them will be disappointed. But I'm doing this anyways. 

I decided I'd introduce the list by sharing album collages of my favorite albums from each year. Already regretting a couple choices, but not by that much. I believe there are 191 albums total here, so obviously not everything you see will make my top 150. But I'm gonna make you guess. 

I will post the actual list 50 albums at a time. I'll kick that off in the next couple days.

2000

Radiohead. D'Angelo. OutKast. Sigur Ròs. The Avalanches. Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Modest Mouse. Yo La Tengo. Boredoms. Eminem. Erykah Badu. The Clientele. Ghostface Killah. Luomo. Common. Clinic. Lambchop. Gas. Ryan Adams. The New Pornographers. PJ Harvey. Bright Eyes. múm. The Microphones. Queens Of The Stone Age. Quasimoto. Grandaddy. Elliott Smith.

2001

The Strokes. Jay-Z. Daft Punk. The Microphones. Cannibal Ox. The White Stripes. Basement Jaxx. Radiohead. Fennesz. Björk. Unwound. Destroyer. Stars Of The Lid. Fugazi. Matmos. Super Furry Animals. Low. Herbert. The Shins. Ted Leo And The Pharmacists. 

2002

Wilco. Broken Social Scene. The Streets. The Books. The Flaming Lips. Interpol. Spoon. Black Dice. Blackalicious. Beck. Queens Of The Stone Age. Iron & Wine. El-P. Boards Of Canada. The Mountain Goats. Talib Kweli. Bright Eyes. Kevin Drumm. Mclusky. RJD2. Scarface. Keith Fullerton Whitman. Deerhoof. Neko Case.

2003

Dizzee Rascal. The Postal Service. The White Stripes. Sufjan Stevens. Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Songs: Ohia. Cat Power. Lightning Bolt. Jay-Z. The Unicorns. Death Cab For Cutie. The Strokes. Manitoba. Sun Kil Moon. Radiohead. The Books. M83. The Microphones. Four Tet. The Rapture. Prefuse 73. Animal Collective. MU. Josh Ritter. 

2004

Arcade Fire. Madvilain. Kanye West. Animal Collective. Xiu Xiu. Devendra Banhart. The Streets. Joanna Newsom. Iron & Wine. Sufjan Stevens. The Fiery Furnaces. Björk. The Walkmen. TV On The Radio. Modest Mouse. Wilco. 

2005

Sufjan Stevens. Kanye West. M.I.A. Animal Collective. Bright Eyes. The Mountain Goats. Wolf Parade. Antony And The Johnsons. The New Pornographers. LCD Soundsystem. Boris. Okkervil River. The National. My Morning Jacket. Sleater-Kinney. Sunn O))). The Decemberists. Andrew Bird. Deerhoof. Vashti Bunyan.

2006

Joanna Newsom. TV On The Radio. J Dilla. Clipse. Ghostface Killah. The Knife. Grizzly Bear. Liars. The Hold Steady. Scott Walker. Tim Hecker. Destroyer. Hot Chip. Camera Obscura. The Thermals.

2007

Radiohead. LCD Soundsystm. M.I.A. Panda Bear. Burial. Bon Iver. Animal Collective. Jens Lekman. The National. Of Montreal. Feist. Spoon. Deerhunter. Battles. Arcade Fire. Jay-Z. Iron & Wine. The Field. Justice. Kanye West. 

2008

Fleet Foxes. Vampire Weekend. TV On The Radio. Deerhunter. No Age. Portishead. Erykah Badu. Beach House. Cut Copy. Hercules And Love Affair. Have A Nice Life. M83.

2009

Animal Collective. Dirty Projectors. The Flaming Lips. Raekwon. Grizzly Bear. Girls. Fever Ray. Bat For Lashes. Bill Callahan. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. The xx. The Very Best. 

Yes, I Rather Enjoy All My Studio Recordings As A Collective Unit

So I've had a multiple experiences with sharing my music on the internet, and even a few experiences recording my songs in studios. I've never really felt fulfilled about any of my projects. But I must say...I recently added all my studio recordings onto Spotify...And I like them all together in the same place. Like, these are presented as 2 EPs and 1 single. But it also can be looked at as 9 songs from 4 different studio sessions. I made a Spotify playlist with all my content on it--9 songs, 35 minutes--and I genuinely really like how all these songs sound together. In fact, it's kinda given me a better hindsight where I can critique my own music with a clearer perspective; both as a self-critic and a music critic in general. 

This whole blog post is super meta, but I'm going through with it anyways. I've divided my work into 3 different tiers. So here I am reviewing my own music. Let's go!

TIER 3: MY LEAST FAVORITE SONG

"No"

Appears on The Pressure Of Days

Recorded Feb 2021

So I hate listening to my singing voice. I hate it. And this is easily, by far my least favorite listening experience for me when it comes to vocal performance. I like how the guitar sounds slightly reverbed and naked. I like the little bass solo. I like the consistently depressive mood the lyrics set. But what in God's name am I trying to do with my voice?

To answer that, I'm trying to sound like Elvis Costello. And I fail miserably. The song has some upbeat moments and clever rhyme schemes, much a like an Elvis Costello song. But the lyrics are too depressive and the half-hearted vocal energy just doesn't fit the song at all.

TIER 2: THE REALLY GOOD SONGS

"Plight"

Appears on Songs From A Basement

Recorded March 2018

This short and simple track is the opener on my Songs From A Basement EP. Honestly, I think it drives people away from listening to the whole EP. It's not exciting. It's not the most musically engaging thing in the world. But I think it's a well-written song.

Drawing vocal inspiration from the likes of Mark Kozelek and Will Oldham, this is a conversation between a narrator and a friend who both suffer from depression. The narrator can't necessarily "help" his friend, but can only offer that he and his friend at least struggle together. I came up with the guitar riff in an attempt to sound like 90s Radiohead or Oasis. 

"Reach / Close"

Appears on Songs From A Basement

Recorded March 2018

I've had 1 friend claim this is their favorite song of mine. This could be one of my favorites. I just wish I could rewrite some of the lyrics. And re-record this one part of the 2nd verse where my producer made a blatant vocal editing mistake. He won't be reading this, by the way. 

So yeah, the general message here is recognizing you've always felt distant from the world. I like the vocal hook on the chorus. I like the riff that cycles through the latter end of the song (wish it was electric, but that's another story). This was a rushed session where I recorded 2 songs in 2 hours. I think it's worth noting that during this session, I was in the middle of suffering a severe/chronic hemiplegic migraine that lasted about 3 weeks and ended with a trip to the hospital. My senses were numb and I couldn't really "feel" anything. I tired to at least give this song some feeling.

"19"

Appears on The Pressure Of Days

Recorded Feb 2021

Technically, from a production standpoint, I think this song turned out the best from my Pressure Of Days sessions. The electric and acoustic guitars are mixed real well together. The jerky guitar that plays throughout the background of the whole song turned out nice. My voice hits the highest note I've ever sang--a high B--and I hit it 10 times. The whole vocal approach here kinda comes off frantic and neurotic, but it's supposed to be that way. 

I originally wrote this while taking a sabbatical from modern pop music on my mission in 2010. I came back from my mission and realized the whole thing was a ripoff of Built To Spill's "Carry The Zero." I made some minor changes and recorded it in 2021. 

"A Year"

Appears on The Pressure Of Days

Recorded Feb 2021

I've heard multiple people compliment me on this song, and it kinda boggles me. It's mostly just my voice with an acoustic guitar. I mumble more than I sing. I only play a couple chords. And it's freaking 6 minutes long. I did not think people would like this. 

In my defense...When I play it back it doesn't feel like a 6-minute song. It flows real naturally. And the vocal approach and lyrics are interesting and sad enough to keep me invested. 

TIER 1: MY PERSONAL FAVORITE SONGS

"Memory Suite"

Appears on Songs From A Basement

Recorded Summer 2016

So this is an odd pick. Most people don't really like this song. I've heard little feedback on it. But hear me out on this. For just vocals and acoustic guitar, I think this is a super interesting song. 

The suite is divided into 3 parts. I wrote the 1st part in 2009. I wrote the 3rd part in 2010. I wrote the 2nd part in 2013. Somewhere down the line I was like, "What if we just cram all these melodies into the same song?" I think it turned out well. My producer even claimed this was my "A-side" of the 2 songs I recorded with him. 

I think the beginning the of this song is great. I wanted it to sound like Animal Collective's Sung Tongs or Fleet Foxes (who only had 1 album at the time). With dual vocal harmonies and a complex guitar solo, I at least give it artistic justice. I think people get turned off by the weird middle portion of this song, but I personally enjoy the aesthetic of it all. I wanted it sound like acoustic My Bloody Valentine, drenched in reverb. My producer said the guitar style reminded him of blues, which is cool. The final part of the song is just a nice little ditty, with lyrics that are supposed to be nonsensical. Like, they really, really aren't supposed to mean anything. And I just love hearing my voice sound so youthful!

"Shoulda Tried To Hold Your Hand"

Appears on Songs From A Basement

Recorded Summer 2016

I wrote this song in 2010. Like "19," I didn't realize until after my mission that the lead guitar part was "stolen" from a real song. That riff sounds a lot like "Leave Me Like You Found Me" by Wilco. But I dare say I improved upon it. As Jay-Z once rapped: "You were using it wrong / You made it a hot line / I made it a hot song."

So this is my most popular track off Songs From A Basement, and for good reason. This is catchy from front-to-back. It was my most instrumentally layered song at the time, complete with electric guitars and tambourine. It's often been compared to The Beach Boys, which is both a seminal compliment and an obvious influence. I wanted this to sound like The Beach Boys making bedroom pop. It's just a sweet pop/rock song about missed romantic opportunities. 

I got the song title from a 2009 Pitchfork blurb about Neon Indian's "Should Have Taken Acid With You." And when I sing "you gotta keep the summer alive," that's a reference to the freaking terrible Beach Boys album Keepin' The Summer Alive.

"Hey! Let's Go Stargazing!"

Appears on Hey! Let's Go Stargazing!

Recorded Oct 2020

This was my most instantly popular song on Bandcamp. Clocking in at just 2:17, it has more full plays than any other song I've shared. It's short, sweet, simple, and to-the-point. 

Often referred to as "The Stargazing Song," there are just a lot of easily likable qualities here. This is my most trite song, but it comes with doses of sincerity and sentimental value. Has a nice melody. The driving acoustic guitar is influenced by Nick Drake, who would never write a song like this, but whatever. 

I think I'm all-in on making this a single. I want to make a music video for this song. While it may not be the most defining example of my songwriting, and it's not my boldest track, it's the easiest one people can get on board with. 

"Existing In America"

Appears on The Pressure Of Days

Recorded Feb 2021

I guess if we were to round up production, performance, and songwriting, this might be the most unique song I've ever written. It has 2 verses and 3 choruses with a bridge in the middle, so nothing revolutionary there. But honestly--straight up--I don't know any other songs that sound like this. At all.

I vocally go back-and-forth between whispering into the mic and yelling at it. This might turn some people off, but I don't know, I think it's unique. I stand by my choice to go no-drums on this track. I remember making references to Neil Young when talking with my producer about this track. But come to think of it, what Neil Young song sounds like this? I find the lyrics kinda strange (as if it really has anything to do with America). I love the guitar riff that plays at the end of the song. It's just interesting to find all these properties within the same track. Perhaps I was onto something when I wrote this.

So yeah, that's my review of my 9 studio-recorded, self-written songs. Shout out to my producers Patrick, John, Matt, and Dan for making this happen. I want to record some more music in the near future, but not just yet. I want to have a different feel and approach than my last project (The Pressure Of Days). I have tons of closet recordings on my Bandcamp page I should revisit.

If you made it this far, THANK YOU FOR READING. If you get the chance, I encourage you to listen to all my songs on Spotify as 1 collective unit. You get a better sense of my different songwriting and performance approaches. Here's a 35-minute playlist with all 9 of my songs. Feel free to listen to this casually or shuffle through it or whatever. 

Doing Things

I'm gonna try not to make this sound ultimately depressing...

Doing things is difficult for me.

Now, you read the sentence above, and may react a few ways. 

- Scott is lying.

- Scott is lazy.

- Scott is depressed.

Surely I have nothing to gain by lying to you. And I don't think people are inherently lazy. I am however clinically depressed and anxious. And I think that says a lot about my past, present and lack of future.

I'm intimidated by people who do things. This is most people. For me, every action is like a big event. I haven't felt necessarily "fulfilled" about anything in years, but I feel pretty darn proud of myself for accomplishing simple tasks. Making a stovetop dinner. Going for a walk. Buying groceries. Clocking into work. Even my favorite hobbies take a lot of convincing to get me going. These include writing, running, and playing guitar. 

Since I graduated college 4 years ago, I have not done a lot of things. Every day, I don't know what to do. Not only do I not know what to do, I don't know how to do most things. I feel like there's a literal block in the way between me and successfully accomplishing things. 

For example, I've had multiple friends visit Disneyworld recently. How do you plan a trip to Florida? How do you buy tickets to Disneyworld? How do you afford a trip to Disneyworld? How do you get a job that can help you pay for a trip to Disneyworld? How do you enjoy yourself at a theme park? 

A lot of my friends have recently bought houses. How do you pay for a house? What do you do in a house? Buying houses and going to Disneyworld sounds like a lot of things. 

Which brings me to my next gripe. Knowing things. I often feel overwhelmed at how much other people know. And I'm irritated by how much people think they know. When I get into conversations with people lately, most of it just goes over my head. Either that, or I roll my eyes at their self-confidence. It's the same with other people doing things. I see people do things and I don't know how to react. People are usually doing things I don't do. And they do it a lot.

I don't do anything. I want to do more things. But what do I do? And how do I go about doing them? 

I wish I could get myself to do more things. Graduating college and serving a full-time mission are like my main accomplishments where I can be all like, "Ooh! See? I did those things! And those are hard things! Surely I'm not that lazy of a person!" I can even go back to my high school days where I was getting offered scholarships, winning awards and keeping up a solid GPA. But even in my past, doing things was tough for me. I was motivated by social pressures. Finishing school like a good, educated citizen. Checking the "returned missionary" box on my religious resume. 

Sure I get stressed when I recognize people working hard, or even having fun. I feel like I can't do either of these things. It makes me wonder what's wrong with me; why I can't just be myself and go forward. But truth is, I've always felt like this. I just feel it heavier in some eras of my life than others. It goes up-and-down. 

Occasionally I'll do tricky things out of my own will. I've recorded some self-written music. I've ran a few half marathons. But while hard work is a supposed cure for laziness, it has sometimes killed me in the past. I was anxious out of my mind on my mission and never felt like myself. When I was a TV news producer last year, I never felt like I was doing my job the right way. It's difficult to convince myself to do anything since I'm not convinced it will be worth the effort. In particular, failures with occupations and relationships have driven me to this self-doubt. What would it take to motivate me to do more things? What would it take to make me feel fulfilled? 

Anyways, doing things is hard. Whether it's buying a house a playing guitar, every little thing comes with the weight of my potential to screw it up. Life is full of impossibilities. 

For the record, I'd like to do more things. And I think trying out more things is a good way to learn more things. Now if I could just get out of bed...

Casual Rebirth

This past week has been the best week I've had in the last 14-15 months.

Strictly from a mental standpoint. I'm still going to work, I'm still wasting my free time alone on my phone, and I still have lingering symptoms from my recent bout with coronavirus. But I feel good. I feel content. And pretty consistently. 

My head feels more clear. My stomach doesn't feel so tied up in knots. I knew things were bad, but I didn't realize how bad they were. I felt like it was the end of the world every day. I was feeling suicidal at the workplace. But this week has been good to me. I hope it's not just a phase.

I coined the term "casual rebirth" during my 2016 spring semester at USU. Things just started feeling right. My life was the same, but internally I was feeling new things. I'd say I'm going through that right now.

Did I mention my head feels more clear and my stomach doesn't hurt so much? Because I'm gonna mention it again. These physiological symptoms of stress are so real and they even change my attitude. 

I've been messaging people this week and reaching out to people. I never do that.

I start some new pills tomorrow, so I'm concerned. The pills I'm on now haven't done much for me over the last 4 months; not until this week. I'm just concerned the new pills will blow my high. Here's hoping they make things even better.

Maybe I just needed 2 weeks alone with tons of sleep. I needed that coronavirus quarantine experience. I have my own private room now. I came back to work this week with a new desk too. Things just feel different. I feel more of a sense of self-confidence. I'm feeling less pain. 

To Know Your Mission

There's a Jens Lekman song where he talks about bumping into Mormon missionaries as a teenager in Sweden. As opposed to learning about the church, he insists on conversing about how it must feel to know your mission in life. Because surely these Mormon missionaries would know that feeling. 

I used to be one of those LDS missionaries. I was in the Canadian province of British Columbia from April 2010 - April 2012. The experience is all a blur to me now. I can hardly remember any of it. Those 2 years are like a roadblock in my memory. 

I've struggled to find purpose in life since I graduated college in December 2016. My college experience was ridiculously tied to the storyline of Kanye West's The College Dropout. I was just going there and I didn't have a plan for afterwards. Flash forward 4 years and I'm still in my college town, working a job I abhor. And relationship-wise, I am very single. Still no plan for the future.

I'd say the period of my life where I felt the most confidence and felt the most stress-free was the spring and summer of 2009. I was 18 years old. And still, after all these years, I pine to feel what I felt back then. I had some good semesters in college, but was always ignoring my high anxiety. In 2019, I was on pills that helped me breathe better, but still struggled with my post-college depression. 

I decided to write about this stuff tonight because I feel like my post-college depression is reaching a climax of sorts. I don't find purpose in my religion, my work, my relationships, or my education. So where do I go from here? 

I have a goal in 2021 to record an EP and an album, which would take a butt-load of money and time, so we'll see if any of that actually happens. Other than that? I've got nothing. I figure if I focus on working on something I actually love--like music--other things will fall into place.

I've got to be honest, I was anxious out of my mind on my mission. While a lot of people say Mormons are brainwashed from childhood, I was stumbling across a different issue. It seemed like all the members I met and missionaries I worked with had their own individual testimonies and opinions. And through it all, I had to have my own. I never really did. And I still don't. 

Being on a mission is probably really gratifying if you actually believe everything about the church. But I always felt like a 3rd person to the party. Going along with things from an observer's perspective. Outside of religious beliefs, I also live my life as a 3rd-person observer. Watching the world happen around me, without me.  

I'm open to the idea of leaving the church in 2021. I'm also open to the idea of some hot chick in the faith showing me the error of my ways and drawing me more into it. I feel like either one or the other will happen.

Honestly, living like a Mormon is engrained in my lifestyle and I don't really see myself changing that. But at some point I've got to know what I believe in. Both spiritually and in life in general. I feel so behind on everything. I've always struggled at the workplace with every job I've ever had. I'm 30 years old and I've actually never kissed anyone before. I barely make any money. My life's a fink.

Going full circle to my glory days of age 18, I felt like more of an adult then than I do now. Somewhere down the line I got up with the complexities of adulthood and lost faith in myself. The vast variety of other people's beliefs and lifestyles hits me like a ton of bricks on a daily basis. I can't breathe like I did when I was 18 and I can't enjoy things the way I used to. And like Jens Lekman, I wonder how it must feel to know your mission in life. Sounds convenient. Sounds pleasant. 

Now I struggle to find hope and purpose in life. I don't want anybody out there telling me Jesus is the way, or I should try working different jobs, or maybe I should date around more, or maybe I should go back to school. It's not like I haven't considered these things. Just know that I have problems, and I'm recognizing them, and trying to face them head-on. This is a moment of clarity for me amid the usual constant remorse. The flailing frustration I've felt for the last year or so is slowly turning into an earnest yearning. 

In the meanwhile, I'm not gonna pretend like I know what's true. I'm not gonna pretend like I know who I am. But I believe I can become something great and truly alive. I think I can be me. 

The Pressure Of Days

I always have songs cooped up inside my head. These past couple months, I met with a guitar instructor who made me share some of them with her. Now I'm going to share these songs with the world. 

Yep, I'm going to record some new music starting in January. In an actual studio. I'd like to make this project an EP. Call it "The Pressure Of Days." Here's the tracklist.

Hey! Let's Go Stargazing!

No

Existing In America

19

A Year

Musically, not too much going on outside of your standard guitars here. No drums. Lyrically, self-dread is the most common theme. 2020 has been a bad year for a lot of folks. I've been having a bad time since November 2019, to be exact. While I was writing these songs, my viewpoint on life was not any brighter. I hope not to spend too much money making this EP, because I secretly have a goal to make "a big fat album with good songs on it" some time in 2021. I hope that project has a wider variety of emotions. But for now, we're getting an EP titled after a really depressing Elliott Smith quote.

Hey! Let's Go Stargazing!

Some of you have already heard this song. I recorded it for free in some guy's basement in late October. It quickly became the most fully-played song on my Bandcamp account. No pessimism here, other than I must say, the main character has some issues with insecurity. He just wants to go stargazing with this girl. No friends allowed. 

No

This song has just as much in common with punk rock as it does with 60's R&B. Despite its upbeat tempo and clever rhyme schemes, the actual words themselves are overtly self-depreciative. It has a bass guitar solo. And I say a very bad word.

Existing In America

Titled after a blog post I wrote in August, this song is about merely existing as opposed to truly living. But at least you're existing in America. The numbness comes with colors. Prescription pills, pornography, underemployment, religion, the works. Has a cool guitar riff at the end. I'm still working on the bass fills.

19

I actually came up with this song over 10 years ago. When I was 19. It's a shameless Built To Spill rip-off. But it's my shameless Built To Spill rip-off. I imagine this taking a butt-load of time to record. Perhaps too layered for its own good with slightly different takes on the same chords being played. The only song here with a keyboard part.

A Year

My music instructor referred to this song as a "rambler." It's true. I start off singing and it kinda just turns into talking. Talking about having a bad year and being intimidated by girls I barely even know. This song is long, bleak and bare. But it ends with a soft flute solo. 

So yeah, these are the songs I'll be releasing. I hope people can relate to them. But not too much, because that probably implies you're going through a rough patch in life yourself. Hopefully my music reaches people out there. 

"The Pressure Of Days." Coming some time in 2021. 

Top 20 Albums Of The Trump Era

You know, Donald Trump is still President as I'm writing this. But not for much longer.

A while ago I wanted to write a blog post on the music of the George W. Bush era, both the popular and the critic's choices. But then I realized that was a hefty task to take on. I have a nostalgic bias towards 2000's music and 8 years is a long time to cover. Trump, on the other hand...I've been listening to new releases on Spotify pretty much on a weekly basis. And it's only 4 years. 

I don't have a lot to say about the state of popular music over the last 4 years, other than I feel like I should mention Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road." This country/trap crossover broke the record for most weeks at #1 in the US. And the original version (without Billy Ray Cyrus) is under 2 minutes long. The musical landscape has simply turned into a big fat meme. It's much easier to enjoy if you're in on the joke and don't take modern pop hits too seriously. 

On that note, here's some background music to enjoy while I go over the most hipster stuff from the past 4 years. Did I mention it's only 4 years? Giddy up!

For my blurb for each album, I wrote an news headline regarding Donald Trump from its release date. Because I don't think the music gives off those "holy nuts Donald Trump is my president" vibes by itself. 

20 

Yves Tumor 

Safe In The Hands Of Love 

9/5/2018

Bombshell anonymous NYT op-ed claims Trump staffers "resisting" the president. 

19 

Perfume Genius 

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately 

5/15/2020

Trump downplays need for coronavirus vaccine: "It'll go away at some point."

18 

Pusha T 

DAYTONA 

5/25/2018

Trump signs executive orders making it easier to fire feds, overhaul official time.

17 

Noname 

Room 25 

9/14/2018

Trump says Democrats inflated Puerto Rico hurricane death toll to make him look bad.

16 

U.S. Girls 

In A Poem Unlimited 

2/16/2018

President Trump will receive a briefing on the Florida school shooting in the Oval Office. 

15 

Angel Olsen 

All Mirrors 

10/4/2019

Trump impeachment inquiry: House leaders subpoena White House. 

14 

SZA 

Ctrl 

6/9/2017

Comey confirms Trump pressed him to end Flynn inquiry.

13 

ROSALÍA 

El Mal Querer 

11/2/2018

Trump administration to reinstate all Iran sanctions. 

12 

Low 

Double Negative 

9/14/2018

Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort pleads guilty to conspiracy charges and agrees to co-operative with Government Investigations. 

11 

Lana Del Rey 

Norman Fucking Rockwell! 

8/30/2019

Trump "not worried" about lack of permanent FEMA head amid hurricane season. 

10 

Purple Mountains 

Purple Mountains 

7/12/2019

Trump pushes trade deal in formerly blue Wisconsin. 

9 

Jessie Ware 

What's Your Pleasure? 

6/26/2020

As pandemic situation worsens, Pence paints a deceptively rosy picture.

8 

Daughters 

You Won't Get What You Want 

10/26/2018

Trump blasts CNN in 3 a.m. tweet for "blaming me" for bombs.

 

7 

Perfume Genius 

No Shape 

5/5/2017

Trump signs spending bill to avert government shutdown. 

6 

Earl Sweatshirt 

Some Rap Songs 

11/30/2018

Trump signs pact with Canada and Mexico to replace NAFTA. 

5 

Kendrick Lamar 

DAMN. 

4/14/2017

"Racism is evil." Trump condemns White Supremacists 2 days after Charlottseville violence. 

4 

Fiona Apple 

Fetch The Bolt Cutters 

4/17/2020

Trump tweets that states like Michigan and Minnesota should be liberated.

3 

SOPHIE 

OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES 

6/15/2018

Trump to slap 25% tariff on $50 billion of Chinese goods; China retaliates. 

2 

Weyes Blood 

Titanic Rising 

4/5/2019

"Our country is full." Trump says migrants straining system as he visits border wall. 

1 

Mount Eerie 

A Crow Looked At Me 

3/24/2017
Pages from Trump's tax returns raise a decade's worth of questions.