Mister Trend's Random 10

First thing's first: “Waterloo, No. 2” has nothing to do with ABBA. It is 8 minutes of a battle-field-like drumbeat, tapping out a march, and horns repeating the same 5-second theme over and over again. It's really a remarkable piece, simultaneously sounding as though it were played at Waterloo, while also sounding extremely "modern". The other great thing about it, too, is Rhys Chatham's use of horns. Much of Chatham's work uses guitars for its soundscapes (Glen Branca was one of Chatham's disciples in New York in the 1970s), but Chatham was also more willing to move beyond just guitars in his pieces. I don't really know why, but his work (like Branca's) just hits me at an emotional level that few other composers and artists hit me at.

1. “Pay No Mind (Snoozer)” – Beck
2. “All I Need” – Method Man
3. “The Thoughts of Mary Jane” – Nick Drake
4. “Ain’t It a Cryin’ Shame?” – Blind Boy Fuller
5. “Toda da Mestre Lianôu” – Missão de Pesquisas Folclóricas: Paraíba e Maranhão
6. “Between the Wolf and the Dog” - Electrelane
7. “Waterloo, No. 2” – Rhys Chatham
8. “Sanctuary” – Miles Davis
9. “Birds” – Kate Nash10. “So Long, I Hate to See You Go” – CeDell Davis