The new entrepreneurial spirit that has encompassed the recording industry in the past 10 years has yielded many unexpected results. From file-sharing to file-sharing lawsuits, the focus on music as a marketable commodity as opposed to an artform has changed the face of popular culture itself. And while it may be argued that music has always been a business-and that the artists hailed as pioneers and geniuses today recorded and thrived in relative obscurity among their peers-there is no doubt that the emphasis on money over creativity has never been as prevalent or disturbing as it is now. In 2003, releases by the Aber-marketable Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake dominated the market, oversaturating the airwaves until we were practically dripping in sugary sweet pop. And while all three of those releases had comparatively more substance than the typical pop album, it was still less than filling. Even progressive, edgy hip-hoppers Outkast scored a gigantic commerial hit with their double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. For whatever reason, in 2003, everything became marketable as long as it could place on TRL.
But not everything can be played on MTV, much less be placed on TRL. Some artists scorn MTV, and some just aren't marketable enough. And some artists simply don't deal in singles-for them, music should and does still exist in album format.



These artists hovered just slightly below the popular culture radar. But just because MTV didn't notice them, it doesn't mean we missed it as well. Here are the albums that you probably missed (but shouldn't have) in 2003.


The Books, The Lemon of Pink
Pitchfork calls them "electro-organic," although most listeners would be satisfied with "awesome." The Lemon of Pink is more refined and focused than their previous album, Thought for Food, but not at the expense of the delicious, airy feel of their music. Choosing to loop and cut analogue instruments played by the human hand instead of relying purely on the digital world, the music is more heartbreakingly human than that of their contemporaries. And on top of all of that, singer Anne Doerner's voice will give you chills.


The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
It is a beautiful thing when a band evolves and changes without losing anything in their music. While the intant gratification of their first album is missing on the newest Shins record, it has been traded in for an intricate musical maturity that is surprising and seductive all at the same time. The music is effortless, with none of that forced posturing that seems to infect so many of their peers.


The Darkness, Permission to Land
Hair metal is not cool. It hasn't been cool since about 1987, and anyone professing an affection for it is immediatly shunned by the music world. So why, then, is The Darkness so utterly irresistible? The answer is because they took everything that made hair metal so great in the early 1980's and discarded the unnecessary pomp and makeup of the latter years of that decade. What's left over is a tongue-in-cheek image paired with great music that any rock fan would and should enjoy. And only these British wits could sport those open-chested jumpsuits so well.


Radiohead, Hail to the Thief
First the album leaked in February. Then the band promoted the hell out of it. Then it was released in June. A whole bunch of people bought it, VH-1 used a song in a commercial, and then Outkast released Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and the entire world forgot that Radiohead even existed. And while Hail to the Theif isn't the experimental masterpiece of the likes of Kid A or even the second coming of OK Computer (hinted at by singer Thom Yorke in late 2002), it is another landmark rock album nonetheless. Radiohead possess the special quality of being able to push the boundaries of popular music and still score major commercial hits internationally. And more important, they still manage to sound like Radiohead, no matter what they do.


Mu, Afro Finger and Gel
It takes a real music freak to delve into the world of experimental electronic music, since it's a genre that is often a hit-or-miss endeavor and not that popular to begin with. But sometime a little curiosity pays off, and if you're curious enough (not to mention fairly fearless), Afro Finger and Gel is worth a listen. Described by one reviewer as "[expletive] insane," vocalist Mustumi Kanamori screeches her vocals over her partner Maurice Fulton's jungle of bizarre sounds. Air-raid sirens are laid over broken layers of Chicago house, which trips on the tangled basslines. "[Expletive] insane," indeed.


The Unicorns, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone
It's fun. It's catchy. It's a little bit weird. The Unicorns manage to serve up unforgettable pop-rock hooks that appeal to even the shortest attention span, but allow you to reap long-term rewards as well. Despite their disregard for the typical song structure, these sprawling musical landscapes don't leave the listener bored or confused. Shockingly enjoyable from start to finish, and nothing less.


From the relatively sizable mainstream success of Radiohead and The Darkness, to the obscurity of Mu, 2003 had plenty to offer in terms of innovative and interesting-as well as catchy-music. You just have to know where to look.