Noughties Nostalgia: Five Songs From The Early 00s

Is it too early for 00s nostalgia? VH1 aired I Love The New Millennium, the latest installment in their "I Love" series, back in 2008. (I think "The Thong Song" got more airtime than 9/11. I wish I were joking.)

I carry around a glut of music from 2000-2003, maybe more than I do all the years of the 90s combined, and I'm technically a "child of the 90s." Why is it that many of a decade's greatest songs are released in its first three years? The 90s weren't "The 90s" until after Nevermind (late '91) came out, and the 80s can't be called "The 80s" without Thriller (1982). The difference with the 00s is that there was no definable "sound of the 00s." What changed was the way we listened, and the way music reached its fans. Still, the early years of the 00s, I was still getting music in conventional ways: radio and, occasionally, television. MP3 players were the size of maxi-pads and held something like four songs. I was still at the mercy of a dial-up connection and relied heavily on radio for new music. Here are five songs that got me through the, erm, dark ages:

Neko Case - "Guided By Wire"
If Blacklisted made Neko a critc's darling, and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood made her a star, Furnace Room Lullaby made her staple on every alt-country radio program and a favorite with the No Depression set. She easily transcended that, but I just wanted to know more about this women with the big, big voice.

Tegan and Sara - "I Hear Voices"
This song fits my late-twenties to a T. Enough said.

Nelly Furtado - "I'm Like a Bird"
This song was all over the place Y2K. I loved it. Didn't want to admit, but I did. I too easily dismiss pop music (I'm getting better at not doing this, by the way), but when it's done right, it's impossible to ignore.

Missy Elliott - "Work It"
One of the raunchiest songs ever to make it past the mainstream censor.

Gossip - "Arkansas Heat"
Before Beth Ditto was a fashion icon, Gossip was just an awesome rock band not getting the attention they warranted. I bought the EP of the same name after reading a glowing review of the band in Bust magazine. Though they moved from their native Arkansas, the whole "Lower Midwest roots" thing sealed the deal.