Triple Trouble

For 2003's Year in Music issue, I began putting together my year-end CD-R MP3 playlist in late November and limited myself to 101 songs—about seven and a half hours' worth of music, enough for six audio CDs. This year, I started keeping track in March, and included as much as I wanted. As a result, the 2004 edition is three times as large as last year's, filling three MP3 CD-Rs and 15 audio CDs (17 if you include the bonus tracks). Each paragraph below represents a single disc's worth of material, which is how I assembled them.

As before, a few caveats apply. These are not "ranked" lists—they're playlists meant for listening. I limited myself to one song per primary credited artist, though there are exceptions—hip-hop's bread and butter is the guest spot, which means a lots of rappers appear more than once. Jay-Z is on here five times as a result of Black Album remix mania—in all but one case, the remixer got the artist credit, which I honored; Kanye West and Common's "Better Than Yours" (a mixtape freestyle over Kelis' "Milkshake") fudged its way in as a collaboration-not-artist-plus-guest.

All of which makes what follows a little unfair, strictly speaking. Lousy albums with one good song automatically gain parity with great CDs I had to struggle to choose only one track from. And I missed and/or overlooked plenty; feel free to send your lists care of the Weekly. But, hey—life is unfair. It's also a lot of fun—and to my ears, so is what follows.

DISC ONE

1. The Hold Steady: "Positive Jam" (Frenchkiss). - iTunes
2. Rilo Kiley: "Portions for Foxes" (Brute/Beaute). - iTunes
3. The Walkmen: "The Rat" (Record Collection). - iTunes
4. Portobella: "Covered in Punk" (Island, U.K.).
5. United State of Electronica: "IT IS ON!" (Mannheim).
6. J.O.Y.: "Sunplus" (DFA).
7. Britney Spears: "Toxic" (Jive). - iTunes
8. Ricardo e Esquisito: "Mulher Coca Cola"/MC Mascote: "Bate La Palme De Mao"/Paty: "Cavalo De Pau" (Essay, Austria).
9. Usher ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris: "Yeah!" (LaFace). - iTunes
10. Brandy ft. Kanye West: "Talk About Our Love" (Atlantic). - iTunes
11. Alicia Keys: "You Don't Know My Name/Will You Ever Know It (Reggae Mix)" (VP).
12. Devin the Dude: "Briarpatch" (Rap-a-Lot).
13. M.I.A.: "Galang" (XL). - iTunes
14. Kanye West: "We Don't Care" (Roc-a-Fella). - iTunes
15. Mya ft. Chingy: "Fallin' (Zone 4 Remix)" (Interscope).
16. Gretchen Wilson: "Redneck Woman" (Epic). - iTunes
17. Big & Rich: "Kick My Ass" (Warner Bros. Nashville). - iTunes
18. Nada Surf: "Au Fond Du Reve Dore" (Hear Music).
19. The Magnetic Fields: "It's Only Time" (Nonesuch). - iTunes
20. Team America: "America, F**k Yeah" (Atlantic). - iTunes
21. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: "Indictment" (Ropeadope).
22. Youssou N'Dour: "Touba—Daru Salaam" (Nonesuch). - iTunes
23. Burnt Sugar: "Funky Rich Medina" (Trugroid).
24. Justus Kohncke: "Weiche Zaune (The Modernist Remix)" (Kompakt).
25. Junior Boys: "More Than Real" (Domino).
26. Maximus Dan: "Soca Train" (Honest Jon's).
27. Cecile: "Hot Like We" (Greensleeves).
28. Vybz Kartel: "Buddy Nuh Done" (Greensleeves).
29. Lady Sovereign: "Ch Ching (Cheque 1, 2)" (Casual, U.K.).
30. cry.on.my.console: "Superlangalang!" (MP3).
31. The Helio Sequence: "Repeater" (Sub Pop). - iTunes
32. Camera Obscura: "Let Me Go Home" (Merge). - iTunes
33. The Streets: "Could Well Be In" (Vice). - iTunes
34. The Mountain Goats: "Your Belgian Things" (4AD).
35. Fiona Apple: "Extraordinary Machine" (MP3).
36. Keren Ann: "Sailor & Widow" (Blue Note). - iTunes
37. Twista: "Overnight Celebrity" (Atlantic). - iTunes
38. Beastie Boys/DJ Green Lantern: "Triple Trouble (Green Mix)" (djgreenlantern.com).
39. Ghostface ft. Jacki-O: "Tooken Back" (Def Jam). - iTunes
40. Alchemist ft. Illa Ghee, Nina Sky & Prodigy: "Hold You Down" (Koch).
41. Madvillain: "Rhinestone Cowboy" (Stones Throw).
42. Sleepy Brown ft. OutKast: "I Can't Wait" (Interscope). - iTunes
43. Air: "Run" (Astralwerks). - iTunes
44. Stereolab: "Margerine Melodie" (Elektra). - iTunes
45. Ricardo Villalobos: "Hello Halo" (Perlon).
46. Jay-Z vs. Radiohead: "99 Anthems" (MP3).
47. PJ Harvey: "Who the Fuck?" (Island). - iTunes
48. The Thermals: "Keep Time" (Sub Pop). - iTunes
49. Go Home Productions: "Rock With Addiction (Awww)" (MP3).
50. The Roots: "Web" (Geffen). - iTunes
51. J-Kwon: "Tipsy" (So So Def). - iTunes
52. Crime Mob: "Stilettos (Pumps)" (Warner Bros.). - iTunes
53. MarkOne: "Interference" (Rephlex).
54. Davinche ft. Essentials: "Get Over It" (Paperchase).
55. DJ Gama ft. Jookie Mundo: "Wonky (Vocal Mix)" (Slimting).
56. Wiley: "Pies" (XL). - iTunes
57. James T. Cotton: "Press Your Body" (Ghostly International). - iTunes
58. Cesar Mariano & Cia: "Futebol de Bar (Heavy Usker Mix)" (Ether).
59. Todd Edwards and Filthy Rich ft. Damon Trueitt: "Stormy Day (Dubstrumental)" (i!).
60. LCD Soundsystem: "Yeah! (Stupid Version)" (DFA).
61. Shakedown: "Love Game (313 Dub)" (Panorama).
62. Pixeltan: "Get Up/Say What (DFA Remix)" (DFA).
63. DKD: "Future Rage" (Bitasweet).
64. Beenie Man ft. Ms. Thing: "Dude (Remix)" (VP).
65. Richie Feelings: "Dancin Class" (Greensleeves).
66. Elephant Man ft. Twista, Youngbloodz & Kiprich: "Jook Gal (Wine Wine) (Head Gawn Version)" (VP).
67. Bounty Killer: "Hey Yallow" (Greensleeves).
68. Kid606: "Slammin' Ragga Bootleg Track" (Tigerbeat6).
69. Dungen: "Det Du Tänker Idag Är Du I Morgon" (Subliminal Sounds).
70. Matthew Shipp: "Ion" (Thirsty Ear). - iTunes
71. Nellie McKay: "David" (Sony). - iTunes
72. Phoenix: "Holdin' on Together" (Astralwerks). - iTunes
73. Van Hunt: "Dust" (Virgin). - iTunes
74. The Fiery Furnaces: "Chris Michaels" (Rough Trade). - iTunes
75. Belle & Sebastian: "I'm a Cuckoo ( . . . by the Avalanches)" (Rough Trade).
76. The Meat Purveyors: "How Can I Be So Thirsty Today" (Bloodshot). - iTunes
77. Carolyn Mark and the New Best Friends: "Bigger Bed" (Mint).
78. Jon Langford: "Hard Times" (Bloodshot). - iTunes
79. Old 97's: "Friends Forever" (New West). - iTunes
80. Mary Lou Lord: "Cold Kilburn Rain" (Rubric). - iTunes
81. Luna: "Malibu Love Nest" (Jetset). - iTunes
82. Tom Waits: "Hoist That Rag" (Anti-). - iTunes
83. DJ Lt. Dan: "Dirt off Your Shoulder/Come Clean" (MP3).
84. Brother Ali: "Bad Ma Fucka" (Rhymesayers).
85. Lloyd Banks: "On Fire" (G Unit/Interscope). - iTunes
86. Jadakiss ft. Styles P, Common, Nas & Anthony Hamilton: "Why (Remix)" (Ruff Ryders).
87. Memphis Bleek: "Just Blaze, Free & Bleek" (Def Jam). - iTunes
88. Christina Milian ft. Fabolous: "Dip It Low (Remix)" (Island). - iTunes
89. Nicole Wray: "If I Was Your Girlfriend" (Def Jam). - iTunes
90. Ciara ft. Petey Pablo: "Goodies" (LaFace). - iTunes
91. Kanye West & Common: "Better Than Yours" (mixtape).
92. N*E*R*D ft. Common, Mos Def, De La Soul & Q-Tip: "She Wants to Move (Native Tongues Remix)" (Virgin). .
93. Brian Wilson: "Our Prayer/Gee" (Nonesuch). - iTunes
94. Danger Mouse: "December 4th" (MP3).
95. Prince: "What Do U Want Me 2 Do" (NPG/Columbia). - iTunes
96. The Eaton Canyon Royal Ensemble: "When Doves Cry" (Vitamin).
97. Arto Lindsay: "Kamo (Dark Stripe)" (Righteous Babe).
98. Mylab: "Pop Client" (Terminus). - iTunes
99. The Trio: "Dao Forms" (Splasc[H]).
100. The Bad Plus: "Layin' a Strip for the Higher-Self State Line" (Columbia). - iTunes
101. Heiruspecs: "32 Months" (Razor & Tie). - iTunes
102. Daedelus: "Something Bells" (Plug Research). - iTunes
103. Lullatone: "Bushman's Samba" (Audio Dregs).
104. Rainstick Orchestra: "Waltz for a Little Bird" (Ninja Tune). - iTunes
105. Squarepusher: "Iambic 9 Poetry" (Warp).
106. Liquid Liquid: "Bellhead" (DFA).
107. Matthew Dear: "And in the Night" (Ghostly International). - iTunes
108. Thomas Brinkmann: "3 St. 2 Shinjuku" (Max.Ernst).