Best of 2008!

Here it is, my best of 08 list! There are some movies and albums that may have made it on to my list if I saw/ heard them, but I didn't. So after my lists I included a "Wish I would have..." list.


Top Albums

1. "For Emma, Forever Ago" Bon Iver - A break up album for the ages. Not a minute on this record doesn't deserve to be on it. The songwriting is so intimate, the heartbreak is so palpable, and the instrumentation achieves such rich musical textures with a very acoustic sound. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better place to be than wintry Wisconsin.
2. "Robyn" Robyn - Everything pop music should be. Before this album I always considered pop music with violins to be a recipe for sappy disaster, but the strings in "Be Mine!" and "Handle Me" cut to the heart like a razor. This album is catchy, funny, danceable, sometimes delicate, and always impeccably performed. The vocals on "Eclipse" are especially top-notch.
3. "Departure" Jesse McCartney - My guilty pleasure pick. This guy got good in a hurry. He has a bright future ahead of him as an R&B artist. He puts the vets (Usher) to shame. I love the peppy songs, I love the serious songs, I can't wait to see what he does next.
4. "Saturdays = Youth" M83 - The French electronic shoegazer outfit has done it again with its most complete album to date. You will be hard-pressed to find more tender music these days, especially amongst such distortion. The gorgeous "Graveyard Girl" mixes dark lyrics like "she worships Satan like a father" with music that brightens up the like the sun ringing in a brand-new day.
5. "Dynamo" Faded Paper Figures - Imagine The Boy Least Likely To and Stars birthed a musical lovechild. The result: Faded Paper Figures who put together a light, fun debut album. Standouts "Logos," "I Fell Off My Name," and "North by North" really rock in a laid-back sort of way.


Wish I would have...
"Dear Science" TV on the Radio
"Elephant Shell" Tokyo Police Club


Top Singles


1. "Whatever You Like" Weird Al Yankovic- #1 if only for its timing. With T.I.'s song of the same title at the top of the charts and the U.S. economy in the toilet "Weird Al" delivers a hilarious parody about thrifty living. This song and "White and Nerdy" are the only two songs of his to make me laugh out loud since 1999. Maybe he should look into the rap thing. I also think Weird Al achieved a level of musicality superior to T.I.'s original.
2. "Crush" David Archuleta - I didn't regard either David as champion material on this past season of American Idol, but Archuleta's first single is terrific. From the heavy opening piano riff to the chorus that you can't help but sing along with (or at least attempt to) this song is a winner. I can confidently say that my crush on this song 'aint goin' away.
3. "Sirens in the Deep Sea" Longwave - Maybe it's because I've only recently discovered it, but maybe it's because the chorus is just rousing enough to give me a reason to believe in the indie rock scene when I am finding so little to listen to.
4. "I'm Not going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You" Black Kids - One! Two! Three! Four! It sounds like the chant of high school cheerleaders, but don't be fooled, this song can bring the inner-child out of any listener.
5. "Disturbia" Rihanna - What can I say about this song other than for however many times I've heard it I still refuse to turn it off. It makes me want to move like no other.


Top Films


1. Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle takes the audience on a journey through the slums of India to tell a story of life's beauty triumphing over the most dreadful of circumstances. Laced with a delicious score, Slumdog made me a believer and it will make you one too.
2. Let the Right One In - Director and Editor Tomas Alfredson meticulously crafts one of the most pleasurable "dark movies" in recent memory. The joy of Oskar, a twelve year-old boy, and Eli, a twelve year-old vampire, discovering much-needed friendships with each other resonates vividly over the bleak Nordic backdrop. The movie pays more attention to human interaction than special effects, but when they are used, the effects are very effective. Also, the score is gorgeous, and the use of sound is as good as any movie I've seen.
3. The Dark Knight - Reminding us that there is more to superhero movies than action. Using deeply interesting characters and effective observation of the modern American Zeitgeist, Nolan and co. created a film that I simply did not want to end.
4. Gran Torino - Though most of the films on my list tug at the heart, Gran Torino gave mine the heftiest wrench. Clint Eastwood carries the movie both as director and star. His young costars seem unnatural in their roles (the one who plays Thao kind of sucks). Maybe Eastwood just seems brilliant in comparison, but he succeeds in getting both laughs and tears (the latter not from me, though- promise!).
5. The Visitor - Perhaps the most compelling piece of propaganda I've experienced. I would love to see Richard Jenkins win the Oscar for his role as Walter (thank God he was nominated!). The humanity that Jenkins pours into the protagonist only adds to the heartache evoked by a story of relationships being damaged by the cruel hand of Uncle Sam.

The Jealous Sound are back! (kind of)

Yesterday greeted me with my second terribly pleasant musical surprise of 2008. The first of course being the early digital release of Bloc Party's "Intimacy" (which I will comment on as soon as I am able to listen to the official, physical LP. What I will be discussing today is the possibly posthumous release of The Jealous Sound's "Got Friends EP."

I first encountered the emo-pop quartet when they opened for The Foo Fighters in 2003. Later, that year I bought their debut LP "Kill Them with Kindness" which remains one of my all time favorite albums. I was anxiously looking forward to the album that they said they were recording in 2004 on their website, but sadly it never came. Due to their lack of material and the fact that their site had not been updated since 2005 I resigned to the idea that The Jealous Sound was no more.

But earlier this year, a post on their myspace announced a new JS release. I was ecstatic. I counted down the days until it's iTunes release, purchased it at the strike of midnight, and listened to it right away. I was a little disappointed. Firstly because it is just a 5 song EP and w of the songs are remixes. Also because two of the non-remixed songs aren't that great. They're not that bad, I just expected that if the Jealous Sound took 5 years to release 3 new songs, they would be three really good songs. "Got Friends," I am happy to say met that mark. It's catchy, deep, emotional, engaging, and did I say catchy? Everything I love about the Jealous sound is in this song. Both remixes sound pretty cool too. And I must admit that all three songs consistently get the JS emo-pop groove (even with the disjointed verse to chorus transition in "Turning Around"). I just wish all the songs could be as infectious as the title track.

It seems that these three songs are all that the JS were able to record for the second record before calling it quits. I am very upset that I will never get to see them live again, and the one time I did, I didn't fully appreciate what I was experiencing. I hope that someday I will have the chance to see them again. It's all I think about right now. The closest thing I can compare it too is being heartbroken by a girl on whom I've been crushing madly. I know that one day I'll be able to get over her. I know it, but I just don't feel it. But all things considered, I am very glad that I can listen to "Got Friends." If you haven't heard The Jealous Sound I can't urge you enough to check them out. You don't know what you're missing.

Bloc Party, Does it Offend You Yeah?, and Friendly Fires at the Mayan 7/29/08

I saw Bloc Party for the 3rd time last night.  It was fun, but perhaps not worth the $40 I paid for the tickets.  Tickets are too expensive to be seeing the same band 3 times, after the same album.  With that aside, it was a good show.

Friendly Fires started off the night with boundless energy and surprisingly catchy synth-laden dance rock.  The highlights of their set were "Jump in the Pool" and whatever song they played before it (it gave me goosebumps).  I asked them what it was on their myspace and they told me it was called "White Diamonds," but the studio recording doesn't sound nearly as good as the live song did.  They put on a good show though.

Next up, the "it" band of the summer: Does, It Offend You, Yeah?.  I don't really like them much so wasn't expecting much, but I was still let down.  The songs were boring and none of the members had much stage presence.  Even "We Are Rockstars" didn't sound very good.

Bloc Party proceeded to take the stage and thoroughly tear it up.  When I saw singer Kele Okereke in his Barack Obama t-shirt I wondered if he would wear it in Chicago for Lollapalooza.  He did.  After performing the new single "Mercury" (sounded pretty cool considering I don't like it that much) Kele welcomed this one guy on stage.  The dude proposed to a girl and she said yes.  Everyone clapped.  I knew that "This Modern Love" was coming next, and it did, sounding great.  My favorite moment of the night was during the encore.  The stand-in bass player went over to the synth-board and I expected them to play "Flux."  He started playing a song that sounded like Flux, but was different.  I thought, "Oh no.  The new guy is messing up the song!"  But instead they played a short cover of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" that went into Flux.  When "Flux" kicked in my jaw dropped.  It was such a dynamic moment of a great show.

I can't wait for Bloc Party's new album and I hope it's better than "Mercury."

Jesse McCartney "Departure"

A friend of mine asked me if I had heard the new Jesse McCartney CD.  I thought he was trying to be funny, but he told me to put my presuppositions aside and give it a chance.  I did.  It was so worth it.

"Departure" is probably my greatest guilty pleasure.  It's so good that it makes me feel ashamed to feel guilty about it.  Compared to "Beautiful Soul" (the only one of Jesse's previous songs that I've heard, "Departure" seems like an attempt at a more grown-up record (a departure from his more child-friendly music).  I still find it very easy to imagine most of this on Radio Disney, though.  "How Do You Sleep?" would sound perfectly at home on a High School Musical soundtrack, except that it's way catchier than anything I've heard in those movies and it has the d-word in it.

"Makeup" is the one dull spot in the record.  Despite it's cool urban feel it doesn't compare to the rest of the album.  I had a similar opinions of "Rock You" and "Freaky" after my first listens, but they kind of grew on me.  They're actually fun songs.  The rest of the album is so stellar, though, that being "fun" doesn't seem like enough.

Jesse's voice sounds very sharp on "Departure" and he succeeds in capturing the emotions of each song in his vocals (listen to "Runnin'" for example).  All the vocal success kind of overshadows the fact that Jesse is an extremely capable songwriter.  He cowrote "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis and actually recorded an even better version of the song himself.  "Departure" is a really special album, that deserves a listen for everyone.  I don't expect everyone to like it as much as I do, but some of you that don't expect to, will.

I finally finished rereading the His Dark Materials series (my favorite books during my junior high years). I wanted to reread them ever since the film adaptation of the first book of the series, "The Golden Compass," came out in last Winter. I went to see it on open night (by myself) because I was so excited to see the story that captivated my 12 year-old mind brought to life on the big screen (and no one else would go with me). I thought the film was average. I loved the casting (except Ian McKellen as Iorek was a little weird). I loved the way the daemons were brought to life. I didn't fall in love with the battle scenes though. Chris Weitz was chosen to write and direct the film. He directed one of my all-time favorites, About a Boy, but has never done anything close to a fantasy epic. I think that really showed during the movie. But I think another reason that the movie wasn't spectacular is because The Golden Compass is the weakest of the three books.

The Golden Compass took me about 4 months to finish (probably because I just watched the movie so nothing in it was new too me), but I finished the Subtle Knife (book number 2) in about a week. The Subtle Knife is the least epic of all the books, but easily my favorite. It introduces Will, a hero to accompany the heroine Lyra and it's the interaction between those two that make the book great. I think that is why Weitz was chosen for the series. He may not be great at big battles, but he will really shine in bringing the magic between Will and Lyra to life.

The Amber Spyglass is the most epic book, but slow at times. It did not captivate me the way The Subtle Knife did. Spyglass (as well as the entire series) did not have as many battles as I remembered. And when there were battles, they were in the background instead of center stage. The conclusion of the series gave me goosebumps even though I knew it was coming. Philip Pullman is a little awkward with words, but the he saves his best work for the finale. Pullman is an atheist and makes the Church the enemy in his books, but he really conveys some Christian themes in the series: free will, self-sacrifice, helping people in need, and love. I love the way that the series ends and how powerful it makes love to be. Especially how it values selflessness.

I think the books are very worth reading. I didn't even remember all the anti-Church stuff from the first time I read it so I don't think parents should boycott the books. The message of free thinking is probably pretty good for the kids. Also, I REALLY hope the Subtle Knife movie will be made (well). I heard that it might not because it didn't do well in the American box office, but Chris Weitz could really make that movie special with the great cast on board.

Weezer (Red Album)

After my first listen of Weezer's third self-titled album I was ready to pan it.  I was so optimistic that Weezer would rebound from Make Believe (easily their worst album).  I was especially optimistic when I discovered that the new LP would be titled "Weezer" because both of the other "Weezer" albums are so good.  At first, I found the album frustrating.  They were trying some new things that didn't work and the things on the album that sounded familiar weren't as good as the times they had been done in the past.  But after my second listen I began to notice the Weezer I have come to love set in.  I found myself singing  and humming the songs that I once loathed, but now found stuck in my head.  So I gave myself a couple weeks to let the album settle in before I made my judgement.

The opening track, "Troublemaker," sounds a great deal like Pinkerton's "The Good Life," but it lacks the signature home-run Weezer chorus.  I found this very frustrating at first and I thought the song didn't go anywhere, but after giving it some time, I found it to me catchy in it's way.  The same thing happened with "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived."  After looking past the song's multiple movements (so un-Weezer) and accepting it for what it was instead wishing it was something else, I enjoyed it.  Not as much as classic Weezer, but a little bit.

I fell in love with "Heart Songs" the first time I heard it.  This is the only song on the album that really makes me feel glad that Weezer is trying new things.  On paper, the concept of an entire song made up of shout-outs to other bands and artists seems really lame, but a level of sincerity that I haven't heard on a Weezer track since Pinkerton really makes it go.  It is a love song written to the lover that never says goodbye: music.  That theme is something that everyone can relate to, musician or not, and it really makes the song special.

"Pork and Beans" is the closest thing to classic Weezer on the album: silly lyrics with a super-big and mega-catchy chorus.  The second half of the album is pretty forgettable.  Rivers lets the other band members take a turn on the mic and with the songwriting and it doesn't really work.  Especially because Rivers steps in for Pat Wilson on the drums during those songs (I think) and Pat is a monster. 

I don't think the Red Album is nearly as good as Weezer's first four albums, but it's slightly better than Make Believe.  Though I would rather have Weezer just do the Green album again, I realize that the band has been making music for a while so they deserve to do something for themselves.  If the band wants to trade instruments and play the music that they want to play, it's completely their decision.  It's like what Rivers sings on "Troublemaker": "And when it's party time / like 1999 / I party by myself/ Because I'm such a special guy."  The Red Album works as a celebration of Weezer's success to me.  And that's okay with me.  You are special Rivers.  Party by yourself if you want.  You deserve it.

But if I may...  Rick Rubin is two for two in producing subpar Weezer albums.  Maybe they should try someone else.  Just saying.

Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz is an interesting movie experience.  I found it to be a slick and funny, but unwelcome comedic ode police action movies like Point Break and Bad Boys 2.  The film stars Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel, a workaholic who is transfered from the London Police force to a small village in the country called Samford.  Pegg may be the best leading man in the comedic film today.  Along with being very funny, his ability to play an interesting and likable character turned the predictable plot of Run Fat Boy Run into a very enjoyable experience.

Hot Fuzz was written by Pegg and Edgar Wright (the director of the film).  Wright, Pegg, and co-star Nick Frost constitute the same winning combination that made Shaun of the Dead a success.  Their contributions to Hot Fuzz produce a similar film (no complaints) right up to the ending sequence.  At the beginning of the film I was ready to crown it as one of my favorite comedies in my Facebook status, but that was not how the movie turned out.  What started as a very well-crafted, well-paced, comedy became a collage of gruesome sequences of violence.

I mentioned that the film was very much an homage to crime-fighting action flicks so I admit that my not being a fan of action movies may be my reason for not liking it so much.  But I also feel like the idea for the ending would sound very good on paper to my quirky sense of humor.  So many of the popular action movies in theaters now promote messages of nonviolence (Iron Man, Indiana Jones, and Prince Caspain).  Hot Fuzz seemed to glorify violence and I was not expecting that.  After finishing the movie I felt a slight urge to pick up a kitchen knife sitting the the counter, just to hold it.  Though I can't recommend the message that I got out of Hot Fuzz, I will say that (if you have no aversion to violence) it is a fun ride the whole way through.

EDIT

I think I may have been a little hard on the movie.  

I now understand the violent final sequence as a parody of action movies that include scenes of excessive violence and I realize that it worked very well.  I expected something else, but got violence.  I think that was intended because in so many action movies violence is used to solve dilemmas that can easily be solved other ways.  I still don't like seeing violence in movies so I was frustrated by Hot Fuzz, but it's simply a matter of preference.  Hot Fuzz is too good for me to be so critical.

"The Lookout"

I am continuing my trend of reviewing movies starring Isla Fisher with a review of “The Lookout.” “The Lookout” is a film about Chris, a former high school hockey star who became mentally handicapped in a car accident. Chris lives a modest life working as a bank’s janitor at night. The custodial work doesn’t pay enough to live on so Chris’s wealthy father pays his rent and deposits, basically, allowance in his bank account to pay for everyday expenses. One night, in a bar, Chris meets Gary, a suspicious character who convinces Chris that he deserves more than to live off of his father’s pity and that he can gain a better life through money. Chris does not realize it at first, but Gary intends to use Chris to rob a bank.

I won’t spend much time discussing the acting or direction except to say that it’s all very good, save Fisher’s character (for the second movie in a row). Fisher plays a sweet ex-stripper who seduces Chris into befriending Gary. I couldn’t decide if she knew that she was luring him into a trap or if her infatuation was genuine. I don’t know if her two ambiguous performances (“The Lookout” and “Hot Rod”) are her own fault or just the result of screenplays unwilling to develop her characters. If it weren’t for “Wedding Crashers” I would be tempted to say that she can’t act. But perhaps she would appear more natural in a role using her own Australian accent not, I don’t know, someone from Kansas. She does what she needs to, though, and does not hamper “The Lookout’s” electricity.

The most intriguing thing about the Lookout was how it set a trap for me, the viewer. The film lured me into the same mindset that I expect Chris had about his own life after the accident. The accident was caused by Chris driving with the headlights off and it resulted in two of his friends dying and his girlfriend not talking to him after she survived the crash as well. Chris lives with the guilt of the accident along with his handicap and struggles to find a purpose to persevere through life.

Trying not to spoil much, towards the end of the movie, Chris’s lack of discretion causes another tragedy. I expected the movie to end with Chris wallowing in the guilt of not having sense to do the right thing for the second time, but that it not what I got. Chris realized that he had an opportunity to do some good, even if it wouldn't fix the situation, and he goes out to do it. Even with all the tragedy the film manages to end on an optimistic note. There is a palpable sense of hope that no matter how you screw up, or how life screws you up, there is always something to live for. It really reminded me of God’s forgiveness: that no matter what awful thing you do, you are still loved and can still make a difference in the world. No matter how poorly you think of yourself, something so much greater still sees you for what you really are: strong, capable, beautiful, lovely.

"Hot Rod" Review

Let me begin this blog by clearing something up: no I am not a real doctor, I just love the respect that the title commands.  I will be using this blog to review things including but not limited to cinema, television, music,  women (that's right ladies, so be extra nice to me or it might just cost you a husband), and dining.  Just kidding about the women.  But maybe not.

My very first review is of the film "Hot Rod," produced by Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels.  The film features several SNL cast members including star, Andy Samberg.  Now I'm not a regular SNL viewer, but I haven't seen anything near as funny as Hot Rod on the show in a long time.  This leads me to my dilemma in writing this review: for all the film's flaws, there are a plethora, it made me laugh more than any other film has in a while.

Samberg's protagonist, Rod Kimble, is a twenty-something aspiring stuntman who lives with his mother, step-father, and step-brother.  Rod is constantly at odds with his step-father, whose respect he tries to win by beating him in a fight.  One day Rod discovers that his step-father needs a heart transplant so he sets out to raise $50,000 performing stunts in order to pay for the heart. He does this not out of love, but so his step-father will be healthy enough to fight him again.

I didn't quite understand Rod.  Most of the time he seemed like a mix between Chris Kattan's character in "Night at the Roxburry" and Napoleon Dynamite.  But sometimes the Butabi-esque desire to appear cool would give way to a whimpering, helpless Rod.  It didn't seem believable that the character would so easily appear pathetic when in most scenes he makes obnoxious efforts to seem cooler than everyone else.  I also, for the life of me, could not figure out why Isla Fisher's character was so willing to be a member of Rod's crew.

But for as puzzling and inconsistent as each of the film's characters are, they are equally hilarious.  The film makes it very clear that it is not in least bit concerned with using effective story-telling techniques or even telling a good story.  All coherence goes out the window if it earns a laugh; and Hot Rod earns many.  I watched this movie on my laptop with headphones on an airplane and I was (more than once) in tears trying to stifle my laughs so as not to disturb the other passengers.  Perhaps the biggest laughs were at Chester Tam's dancing and Richardson who showcased the best moves I have seen since Jack Black in High Fidelity (sorry Jon Heder).  I am glad the movie was kept to under and hour and a half because the end seemed to drag and I grew tired of the story, but for the most part it was extremely enjoyable.

I am determined to start this blog off with a solid review, but with Hot Rod, I am faced with a dilemma.  It was a hilarious movie, but I want to be viewed as a legit credit so I feel like I should hold films accountable for cinematic quality and effectiveness in story telling.  I just can't but recommend Hot Rod though; it's random humor was right up my alley.  My one problem with the humor was that it threw in some unnecessary and unfunny profanity.  Hot Rod's family-friendly laughs eventually became typical crude humor, but that's to be expected for an SNL movie.  But above all, I want a movie to make me feel good.  Hot Rod made me feel good so I will recommend it, but it's a movie that I wanted to share with my friends and family so I don't recommend watching it on a plane.