LimeWire Music Blog

The end of the present decade is only days away, so our Frank Deserto has undertaken the massive task of presenting the highs and lows of each year. He continues this nine-part series with a look back on 2003. Hit us with your memories in the comment section.

2003 saw the world fall victim to even more violence and degradation.  War on Iraq was imminent, as a major protest was launched in February.  Just a month later, US and UK troops invaded the country, beginning a war that still continues to date.  Curiously enough, President Bush announced the end of major combat just a few months later, with a banner behind him that read “Mission Accomplished.”  This couldn’t be further from the truth, even with Saddam Hussein’s capture in December, just in time for Christmas.

In further strife, the Columbia space shuttle crashes in Texas, killing all seven astronauts on board. Terrorist attacks plague the Middle East, a giant earthquake kills over 20,000 in India, and blackouts rage across North America, all while SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) rages for a brief spell across the globe.

In short, the world seemed to be falling apart at the seams.  The 2000s have had a pretty rough run in major world events, balanced out by perserverence of the human spirit.  Naturally, music was among many ties that bonded people together, as 2003 saw the release of dozens of great tracks and records galore.  Without any further ado, here’s my own personalized take on the year 2003 in music.

News

1.  Madonna courted controversy at the 2003 MTV Video Music awards, sharing an on-stage kiss with both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
2. Meanwhile, legendary Who guitarist Pete Townshend was arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of possessing and creating sexually indecent images of children.
3. Phil Spector was arrested on suspicion of murdering actress Lana Clarkson after her body is discovered at the producer’s home in Alhambra, California.
4. Fire engulfed a Rhode Island nightclub during a Great White performance. A pyrotechnics accident caused the fire, which injured 160 audience members and killed 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley.
5. Simon & Garfunkel reunited for the first time in 20 years, kicking off their “Old Friends” US tour.
6. Meanwhile, the “legal” members of Pink Floyd reunited to perform at their manager’s funeral. Roger Waters is nowhere to be seen.
7. Michael Jackson dropped Number Ones, a highly anticipated singles record collecting the pop star’s #1 hits across the globe.  Shortly after, Jackson is arrested on charges of child molestation.
8. Bands split: Suede, Mansun, Dismemberment Plan, Bee Gees, Bis, Stone Temple Pilots.
9. The Rolling Stones, The Guess Who, and AC/DC held a benefit concert in Toronto to celebrate the city’s safety from SARS, a short-lived but deadly respiratory disease. The concert becomes the largest in Canadian history.
10. Deaths: Little Eva, Nina Simone, June Carter Cash, Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees), Johnny Cash, Sam Philips (Sun Records owner), Wesley Willis, Warren Zevon, Robert Palmer, Elliot Smith, and Mickey Finn (T.Rex).

Notable Albums:

1. Wire – Send
After ten years of inactivity, British art-rock legends Wire reactivated with a pair of aggressive EPs.  In 2003, they unveiled their first studio record since 2001, the equally abrasive and intense Send, containing 11 tracks of fast and furious post-punk. Send is one of the band’s finest, if but sorely overlooked moments.
Standout tracks: “In the Art of Stopping,” “Comet,” “You Can’t Leave Now”

2. Adult. – Anxiety Always
This American synth outfit released their first proper record in 2003, following a series of critically acclaimed singles. Using a variety of analog synths, drum machines, and various other electronic instruments, Adult. were not content in rehashing the nineties, but instead focused on expressing the angst and anger of the ’90s and ’00s in a vastly electronic medium.
Standout tracks: “Shake Your Head,” “Blank Eyed Nose Bleed”

3. Goldfrapp – Black Cherry
Goldfrapp’s second release saw the duo shifting away from the James Bond-esque sound that shaped their first record, and instead incorporating the growing electronic/electroclash fad. The result is a sweaty, dirty, and deep record perfect for maximum dance floor consumption.
Standout tracks: “Train,” “Strict Machine,”

4. Dernière Volonté – Les Blessures De L’Ombre
Essentially the moniker for French multi-instrumentalist Geoffroy D, this particular record is a fusion of military-infused folk, dark ambient, and synth-ridden pop.  It marks the beginning of Dernière Volonté’s interest in more structured composition, steering the project into more pop-inspired waters.
Standout tracks: “Le Poison,” “Un Dernier Crépuscule”

5. The Knife – Deep Cuts
Kicking off with one of the decade’s best singles, The Knife’s sophomore record is a vast improvement over their spotty debut, adding a massive dose of substance to their already alluring style and sound.  Though the U.K. version of the album wouldn’t find release until 2004, The Knife were already winning fans on both sides of the pond with their dark, yet catchy sound.
Standout tracks: “Girl’s Night Out,” “Heartbeats,” “Is It Medicine”

6. Patrick Wolf – Lycanthropy
Recorded over an eight-year span, British singer/songwriter Patrick Wolf made a splash with his critically acclaimed debut record.  Given its piecemeal origins, each track explored different instrumentation and sound, incorporating various folk dirges, intensely personal lyrics, and heavy electronic percussion. Despite this, the album is unified primarily by Wolf’s eccentric and youthful nature.
Standout tracks: “Bloodbeat,” “To the Lighthouse,” “Lycanthropy”

7. David Byrne – Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Though I accidentally neglected David Byrne’s fantastic 2001 release (Look Into the Eyeball), this particular record was just as incredible as its predecessor. Whereas Look Into the Eyeball collected a series of skewed pop songs, Lead us Not Into Temptation contained the soundtrack for David Mackenzie’s Young Adam, chock full of moody, ambient, and incidental pieces.  It may not appeal to everyone, but toss in a Charles Mingus cover and a two proper Byrne vocal tracks at the end, and it manages to transcend film score classification.
Standout tracks: “Speechless,” “Mnemonic Discordance,” “The Great Western Road”

8. D.A.F. – Fünfzehn neue D.A.F-Lieder
Quintessential German electro/industrial/ebm masters D.A.F. (Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft) return after a 17-year hiatus with a double record that essentially picks up where they left off in both sound and composition.  Single “Der Sheriff” also attacks the George W. Bush administration with full force, a trending topic on both sides of the Atlantic.
Standout tracks: “Die Lüge,” “Der Sheriff”

9. Kylie Minogue – Body Language
Kylie’s second “comeback” record is chock full of the same ingredients that made Fever a splash, incorporating a slightly more dub-inspired sound.  Though not as successful as its predecessor, Body Language still sounds fresh, vital, and fun.
Standout tracks: “Slow,” “Secret (Take You Home),” “Red Blooded Woman”

10. Lisa Germano – Lullaby For Liquid Pig
Though nowhere near as striking or quirky as her early ’90s records with 4AD, Lisa Germano proves that her sour milk style still has some relevance in the new decade, with this incredibly short and jaded record.  After a five year hiatus, fans expected a more sonic return to form, but years later, Lullaby For Liquid Pig is still a timeless and poignant entry in Ms. Germano’s catalog.
Standout Tracks: “From a Shell,” “Candy”

Unstoppable Tracks:

1. Outkast – “Hey Ya”
Lead-off single from Outkast’s expansive (and bi-polar) double record is nearly impossible to avoid, even to date. It’s impossible to deny this track’s mass appeal, as the song’s quirky lyrics, infectious beats, and unforgettable chorus brought everyone under the sun together with a four minute pop gem. This song still rules.

2. The Wrens – “She Sends Kisses”
The Wrens were a classic case of record industry injustice. Two records and an EP, swept under the rug, all because the band refused to play the industry game with their label Grass Records, who kicked the band to the curb, signed and cultivated Creed, leaving this New Jersey band unable to release a record for seven years. However, when The Meadowlands dropped in 2003, the band finally earned the critical success they deserved. This particular track is one of the record’s centerpieces, and the live version is even more heartbreaking and beautiful.

3. David Bowie – “Bring Me the Disco King”
Just a year after the tour de force of Heathen, Bowie released Reality, a lesser, but similarly styled record that unfortunately kicked off a hiatus that still remains to date.  The album version of this track, built around the fractured piano playing of longtime collaborator Mike Garson, is a latter day masterpiece, finally seeing the light of day after being recorded for both 1993’s Black Tie White Noise and 1997’s Earthling. A hard-edged (and equally solid) remix of the track also exists, featuring contributions from Maynard James Keenan (Tool), Mila Jovovich, Lisa Germano, John Frusciante (Red Hot Chilli Peppers), and production by NIN’s Danny Lohner.

4. Nick Cave and the Badseeds – “Babe I’m On Fire”
2003’s Nocturama may be the worst record Nick Cave has ever released, but still featured a handful of classic Cave cuts. The otherwise quiet record concludes on a rather manic note, with a 14-minute long (part 2 here), repetitive freak-out that serves as departing member Blixa Bargeld’s swan song. Though arguably unnecessary and obnoxious to some, “Babe I’m On Fire” reawakened the carnal fury that was once a mainstay of Nick Cave’s earlier work, a point that would gain even more relevance later in the decade.

5. Pluramon – “Hello Shadow”
At first listen, this track sounds ten years out of fashion, but as the shoegaze and dream-pop movements began to find new relevance in the 2000s, Pluramon tapped into otherwise forgotten icon Julee Cruise for a gorgeous and ethereal vocal contribution.

6. Dave Gahan – “Stay”
After twenty years and ten studio records, Depeche Mode vocalist Dave Gahan finally gathered the courage and chops to write his own songs, recording them and releasing them with Siouxsie and the Banshees/Psychedelic Furs collaborator Knox Chandler. Though Gahan’s songwriting would get better over the years, this particular track is a standout from debut record Paper Monsters, full of rare beauty.

7. M83 – “Unrecorded”
Speaking of the shoegaze revival, French act M83 were among the earliest to readopt the sound.  Instead of merely cloning the reverb-drenched guitars and ethereal vocal style, M83 added a heavily electronic element to their sound.  Kicking off their sophomore record with a sweeping, cinematic rush, “Unrecorded” is both gorgeous and intense, in one four minute package.

8. Radiohead-  “Where I End and You Begin”
Radiohead’s sixth album was an incredibly spotty affair, with only a handful of the record’s fourteen tracks sticking out from the filler. However, this particular track, featuring buzzing electronics, a driving rhythm section, and a terrifying outro, is one of the band’s best.

9. R.E.M. – “Country Feedback (Live)”
After a successful latter-day career, R.E.M. released a best-of record celebrating the band’s more commercially successful period.  Though the single disc version contained a handful of fun new tracks, the bonus disc on the limited edition pressing closed with a recent live version of “Country Feedback,” a track originally plucked from 1991’s Out of Time.  This version is even more powerful than its album counterpart, cementing a place both on this list and as one of R.E.M.’s most essential moments.

10. Zwan – “Of a Broken Heart”
After the demise of the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan quickly unveiled Zwan, a supergroup consisting of ex-members of Slint, Tortoise, and A Perfect Circle. Though initial demos and gigs from the band seemed promising, Zwan released the mostly forgettable (and off-puttingly bright) Mary Star of the Sea, imploding soon after. Coincidentally, the only two tracks from the record that were any good date back to the band’s very first gig in 2000, proof that Zwan truly got out of hand rather quickly.

Previous Decade in Review Posts

• 2000
• 2001
• 2002