The Aislers Set, "Chicago New York"
No, this isn't some Belle & Sebastian tribute band. Chicago's Aislers Set do play pop very much in that vein, uh, obviously. But there's more variation on this album than this song might suggest, as this is probably the most B&S song on the record. It's a solid set of tunes, so if you're looking for some new pop, it's worth a go.
Rilo Kiley, "A Better Son/Daughter"
Turn of the millennium indie bands represent!
J-Zone, "Gadget Ho"
The "are you inept?" at the beginning of this song always kills me. While I'm obviously super happy with J-Zone's re-invention as a badass funk drummer, I do miss him playing this persona just a bit.
Jawbreaker, "Do You Still Hate Me?"
I get to see Jawbreaker soon! I never actually had a chance to see them back in the day, I kept being not in the city when they rolled through the various places I lived. So while it's obviously not the same, I'm pumped, it's a chance to fill in a little gap in my musical history. I will refrain from yelling song titles at them to play, though, because I'm not 19 any more.
G. Love & Special Sauce, "Nancy"
The description of G. Love & Special Sauce that has always stuck with me is "slacker blues", which seems pretty apt to me. Their laidback approach is a fair bit of the charm here, but I've only got a couple albums from them under the assumption that it would wear thin if I went any further.