That sounds like a reality show I could watch.

9/11 was certainly a defining point in this decade - so much of our day to day life was changed by it, we travel differently, security checkpoints at public events and places, my work is a lot less open, etc.

The impact of technology can't be ignored either - electric guitars made the sounds of the 60s & 70s as synthesizers made the 80's, and sampling made the 90s.

Music-wise, I think "polyphonic" is the trend as bands started to expand well beyond the 4-piece. I'm thinking Arcade Fire, Spiritualized. Even the one-man outfits like Beck made virtual clones of themselves in the studio to create that multi-layered sound - or Koop, who created an album from samples and then assembled a band that could play those pirated recordings live in an audio collage made real.

Art, or painting seems to have been influenced by the graphic elements of Anime and graphic novels, with subjects appearing like cartoons in a belend of sinister meets kawaii.

Fashion this decade has taken a retro look as I see a pallet pulled from the 70s with it's oranges, yellows, and browns, though the bright lime green/chartreuse seems to be a dominant color of this decade. I'm happy to see the return of the fedora, made cool with a narrow brim and use of woven materials instead of felt (and glad the trucker hats predominant earlier in the decade seem to be on the decline). Earlier in the decade women showed off their bellies with hiphugger jeans, and it seems pajamas are no longer just for sleeping.

But all this stuff is on a continuum and I'll be curious to see where it goes.

Dang, I was thinking of buying a fedora. I'm 44. Am I too old?

:snap:

No. Buy one. And wear it!

No, just look at William S. Burroughs - fedora are ageless cool now

Is he back? I knew he was too medicated to stay dead.

The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings

Not that any list like this is indisputable, but this is a good place to start if you want to start getting a handle on the decade's music. The list covers a lot of ground; pop, r&b, classical, indie rock, jazz. It includes as mainstream as Kelly Clarkson, and as obscure as Burial.

If anything, it's been fun having my memory jogged. Stankonia!

Good list. I've been revisiting Stankonia ever since Pitchfork picked B.O.B. as the best song of the past decade.

Haha, haven't read the list, but I've been on a Stankonia kick as of late. Hmmm...

Another way to view the decade:


Larger image here