The mid-to-late 00s were a good time to be nerdy. Adam Brody made nerds look hot on The OC, Marvel was just beginning its takeover of the culture, and a band as endearingly brainy as The Decemberists could reach something like the masses. “Mariner’s Revenge Song” is exactly what it sounds like, a gripping tale of vengeance complete with foley effects. Meanwhile, Muse brought a sci-fi sensibility to stadium rock, Grizzly Bear’s prog-pop made fans of Jay Z and Beyonce, and Dirty Projectors turned a brawny Black Flag album into a somber meditation. Take that, jocks.