The “Miscellaneous” Mixes: The Best of 2002

Another day, another collection of Cousin Matt’s year-end CDs. At least 2002 was a year I did, in fact, make mixes of my own. What’s more, I wrote about them here, and even included a write-up of my favorite records of 2002 here. So, you know, there’s that.

In reviewing Cousin Matt’s mix below (which, by the way, would be his final single-disc year-end mix), it’s astounding that two bands in particular aren’t featured: Wilco and …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. It’s not astounding in the sense that he’s a huge fan of both bands; rather, those were two of the bands whose 2002 releases – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Source Tags and Codes, respectively – garnered perfect scores of 10.0 from Pitchfork. In fact, in reviewing Cousin Matt’s Top 20 below, I realize that only 6 of the songs come from records that made my Top 20 Albums of 2002 list (Sigur Ros, Enon, Secret Machines, The Flaming Lips, Spoon and Interpol). Crazy, really, in that he and I have always had similar taste, yet when we disagree we really disagree.

As is always the case with Cousin Matt’s year-end mixes, this is a “countdown” as opposed to a compilation. (Again, Track 1 is his 20^th favorite song of the year.) The other thing I’m now noticing about his selections below is that four of my top five records of the year are nowhere to be found on this list. What gives, sir?

The Best of 2002 front cover.

The Best of 2002 back cover.

The Best of 2002:

1. Sigur Ros – “Untitled #1”
2. Soundtrack of Our Lives – “The Flood”
3. Pretty Girls Make Graves – “By the Throat”
4. Rye Coalition – “Switchblade Sister: One Tough Nun”
5. Enon – “Sold”
6. My Morning Jacket – “Sweetheart”
7. Secret Machines – “Breathe”
8. Hot Hot Heat – “Aveda”
9. Elk City – “Indiana”
10. Damien Jurado and Gathered in Song – “Dancing”
11. Ben Kweller – “Harriet’s Got a Gun”
12. Liars – “Loose Nuts on the Velodrome”
13. The Flaming Lips – “Fight Test”
14. Sleater-Kinney – “Light Rail Coyote”
15. The Ghost – “Red Slippers, Red Wheels”
16. Guided By Voices – “Christian Animation Torch Carriers”
17. Arlo – “Temperature”
18. Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows”
19. Spoon – “The Way We Get By”
20. Interpol – “The New”

So, that’ll do it for 2002. Next we’ll have his 2003 mixes, which features Cousin Matt’s first foray into two CDs worth of music. Again, my Best of 2009 CDs will be along soon enough, including artwork, links and all kinds of fun shit.

Until next time, have at it, you vultures!

BD