The Mediasaurus

2011: The Year in Culture

2011-12-30T09:34:00.004-05:00

Overall, 2011 was a disappointing year in terms of the arts I follow, particularly coming off the high of 2010. But there were still many movies to see, albums to hear, songs to dance to, and television to watch. Once again I felt compelled to share my unsolicited opinions about my favorite cultural works of the year. Below, please find my lists:

Top Ten Films of 2011

Top Ten Television Programs of 2011

Best Albums of 2011

Top Ten Songs of 2011

The Top Ten Movies of 2011

2011-12-29T16:37:00.017-05:00

I saw a lot of films this year but ultimately I found 2011 to offer a relatively meager selection of good movies. I failed to warm to Terrence Malick's Tree of Life the way others have (I'm still not sure what that movie is about) and actually didn't find my favorite film of the year until I saw it a week ago. But if I struggled to find movies I loved, there were plenty I liked and a few I was fond of even if they were imperfect (Kenneth Lonergan's Margaret is a good example). Below are my favorite films of 2011:

10) Melancholia

Lars Von Trier's latest is a story about the end of the world and, more disturbingly, what it feels like to think the world is ending. As with all of Von Trier's films, the themes are not particularly life-affirming, but the technical mastery is top-notch and this time around the aesthetics are beautiful. In chronicling one woman's (a marvelous Kirsten Dunst) depression, Von Trier's has found a natural vessel for his characteristic misanthropy. And yet, the film leaves a mark more triumphant than pessimistic -- you leave the theater much happier than any of the film's characters.

9) Contagion

Director Steven Soderbergh looks at the spread of a viral pandemic with an appropriately clinical eye, giving equal attention to the ensuing hysteria and the work of managing it and finding a cure. The scenario is terrifying -- you'll never look at the spread of germs the same way -- which only makes the resolution all the more exhilarating. With an excellent ensemble led by Kate Winslet, as a CDC agent managing the response, and Jennifer Ehle, as the researcher who finds the cure, Contagion interweaves a variety of stories about the impact of the virus, and while some are markedly more effective than others, the film as whole is at once harrowing and thrilling.

8) Margin Call

JC Chandor's debut film is surprisingly compelling for how much of the movie is just talk. Set in the New York offices of an investment firm on the eve of the financial crisis, Margin Call tells the story of the crisis from the eyes of the bankers and analysts who were responsible for it. But the film is more Mamet than Wall Street -- Chandor is less interested in the details of what happened than in the underlying motivations and emotions that make these men (and one woman) tick. With a stellar cast led by Kevin Spacey and Zachary Quinto, Margin Call is a small movie that makes a big impression.

7) Take Shelter

About 98% of Take Shelter is fantastic. And then that last 2% is...frustrating, but I'll get to that later. In Jeff Nichols' haunting film, Michael Shannon plays Curtis, a man who starts having apocalyptic visions and begins mortgaging his financial well-being to prepare for their potential fruition. As his neighbors and eventually his wife (Jessica Chastain) start worrying for his mental health, Curtis continues his mission unabated, walking ever so dangerously on the edge of sanity and financial ruin. Take Shelter is fascinating as blue collar allegory of our modern day depression -- the paycheck to paycheck living that leaves everyone vulnerable. And it's also a searing portrait of obsession, as Shannon gives an indelible performance as a man committed to protecting his family in the face of unbelievable visions. I didn't love the ending because I found it unnecessary, but it's in keeping with movie's ongoing suggestion that modern living is far more precarious than we realize.

6) Bridesmaids

The best comedy of the year, Paul Feig's Bridesmaids is an uproariously funny story of Annie (Kristen Wiig) and her ongoing failures at being a good maid of honor to her best friend (Maya Rudolph). More impressively, the film is also emotionally honest, capturing not just the hilarity but the real life anxiety, insecurity, and competitiveness that all thirty-somethings feel as they watch their friends move to different stages of life. But ultimately it's the funny moments that make this film great -- the dressing room scene alone would have earned Bridesmaids a spot on my list.

5) Martha Marcy May Marlene

The most impressive debut of the year, Sean Durkin's psychological thriller about a young woman named Martha (Elizabeth Olsen, in a breakthrough performance) who escapes a cult is an ingenious exercise in structure and form -- Durkin keeps his audience in a state of anxiety similar to Martha's, as both what she experiences and what we see remain slightly off-kilter. In flashbacks to Martha's time under the spell of her cult leader (John Hawkes), we see the root of her unease and the seductive nature of his charm. And by the end of the movie, we realize Durkin has cast a spell of his own.

4) The Interrupters

The best documentary of the year, Steve James' The Interrupters follows members of Chicago's CeaseFire, a group of ex-cons and former gang members who try to interrupt urban violence before it claims lives and escalates into street warfare. James, as he did in Hoop Dreams, shows admirable restraint with his camera and is rewarded for his patience -- the footage he gets is both gripping and eye-opening. What he captures is the systemic nature of the causes of urban violence -- the culture and situations that lead to unnecessary deaths and urban decay. But The Interrupters is important not only for its lens on our society's problems, but also for its focus on the many reformers who have escaped past mistakes to lead lives of incredible integrity and courage. They may be fighting an unwinnable war, but the violence interrupters offer inspiration in every battle they fight.

3) Hugo

Martin Scorsese's tribute to the cinema of yesteryear is disguised as a children's tale about an orphan living in a Paris train station, but don't let that fool you -- Hugo is about much more than the adventures of a child. Rather, Scorsese uses Hugo's story as an entryway to tell the fascinating tale of film pioneer Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), who in old age is forced to work at the same Paris train station that houses the story's titular character. It's only appropriate that Scorsese uses this story, about a cinematic innovator, to pursue his own experiments in innovation -- Hugo is notable not only for its lovely story, but also its subtle and effective use of 3D, which is put to better use here than it has been since Avatar.

2) Certified Copy

At the start of acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami's latest film, we watch an art historian (William Shimmel) take a seemingly innocent trip with a Frenchwoman (Juliette Binoche) who appears to be a fan of his work. But over the next two hours, the relationship starts to evolve and change in ways that are bewildering and fascinating, and it becomes clear that Certified Copy is a relationship drama where the central question is about the relationship -- is it old or is it new, is it significant or is it all just a game? Certified Copy suggests that whether real or fake, a genuine article or an artificial copy, the emotions and memories can be resonant and meaningful in any case.

1) A Separation

I didn't anticipate that my two favorite films of the year would be foreign ones (let alone both by Iranian directors!), but when I saw A Separation last week, I knew it was my favorite film of the year. Asghar Farhadi's domestic drama initially appears to be about an Iranian couple's impending divorce, but it soon turns into a much bigger tale about the impact of that separation -- on the care of the elderly, on the well-being of the children, on the couple's status under the law and in their community. By constantly shifting the perspective and withholding just enough information to make the audience feel secure in their judgment, Farhadi undermines expectations and lets sympathies shift so that by the end everyone and everything we've seen is clouded in ambiguity -- just like life itself. A Separation is a remarkable feat of storytelling and the best film of the year.

Top Ten Television Shows of 2011

2011-12-29T11:39:00.023-05:00

As bountiful as the year was in terms of good television, there were fewer great new shows in 2011 than in past years -- only two series that premiered this year made my top ten (though I did not get a chance to see Showtime's Homeland, which debuted this fall to acclaim). Still, the good programs that returned were in fine form, both in drama and in comedy. Below are my favorite TV shows of the year (note there will be spoilers in some of my write-ups):

Honorable Mention:

Bob's Burgers (Fox); Happy Endings (ABC); Men of a Certain Age (TNT)

These three TV programs fell just shy of making my top ten, but I wanted to give them some attention since they're all worth watching. Bob's Burgers, the best program on Fox's animated comedy block, is a strange and often hilarious show about an eccentric family that runs a burger shop. The voice actors are phenomenal -- particularly Kristen Schaal and Dan Muntz as Bob's daughters -- and the writing is very sharp, making it my favorite new comedy of the year.

ABC's Happy Endings, meanwhile, started off as a generic Friends retread but slowly evolved into something more distinct, taking full advantage of its talented ensemble of young comedic actors to tell stories that are often very silly and also very funny. Adam Pally, as a gay character who is pretty much the opposite of the stereotype, tends to steal the show, but the whole cast is very likable. It's the best Friends clone since How I Met Your Mother.

TNT's Men of a Certain Age was canceled after its second season, which is a pity because the show was unique for its understated examination of the everyday obstacles and occasional victories that are a part of growing older. Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, and Andre Braugher, as the men of the title, gave impressive performances that made viewers care about the small scale dramas of the characters. The show is canceled, but Men of a Certain Age is worth catching on DVD if you haven't seen it.

Now to the top ten:

10) Treme (HBO)

In its second season, David Simon's series about New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina started to tell the story of the city's rebuilding a year after the storm, showcasing not only the political machinations involved in the redevelopment but also the devastating increase in crime and the strain on government resources that usually follow a destructive event. But as with Simon's best work, the sociological and political messages are secondary to the growth of the characters, and this year Treme told touching stories about many of them, such as Ladonna's (Khandi Alexander) difficult recovery after a trauma, and Antoine's (Wendell Pierce) efforts to get his own band off the ground. In the backdrop, the culture of New Orleans was portrayed as vividly as ever, enveloping the narratives and serving as a reminder of why The Big Easy is worth fighting for.

9) Downton Abbey (PBS)

I'll admit, Downton Abbey doesn't really add much to the existing collection of period British dramas that address the old world class structure and the upstairs, downstairs dynamics of lords and their servants. But damn if the show isn't so much gossipy, melodramatic fun. Immaculately capturing the early 20th century period in which its set, Downton Abbey focuses on the trials and tribulations of a noble family struggling to find a suitable heir, as well as the abbey's loyal servants who face their own series of challenges. While the characters are often one dimensional, the excellent cast and the deliciously arch dialogue are more than enough to keep you riveted. You can catch up on the short first season on Netflix streaming before the second one begins next week on PBS.

8) Game of Thrones (HBO)

Like Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones is another genre show, but also like Downton Abbey it quickly transcends the genre with its universal themes of duty and honor, superb writing, stellar ensemble cast, and incredible production values. In adapting George R.R. Martin's fantasy novels, creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have ably melded the necessary exposition with fantastic action (and, as fits a show on HBO, sex), creating a crossover hit that appeals to both fantasy fans and good television fans alike. The last few episodes in particular barreled forward with such momentum, piling on the double-crosses, deaths, and premonitions, that by the end of season one it took restraint on my part not to pick up immediately one of Martin's books to see what happens next.

7) The Good Wife (CBS)

When The Good Wife first premiered, the initial hook was its ripped from the headlines story of the betrayed wife of a powerful politician. It's to the producers' credit that they never turned away from that interest in the happenings of the real world and have instead embraced it, but without resorting to unsubtle Law and Order-style rip-offs of current events. Rather, The Good Wife stays relevant by incorporating very modern conceptions of technology and office politics into its byzantine story lines, and by letting each case of the week advance the development of the show's fascinating cast of characters. For three seasons in a row The Good Wife has been the most sophisticated drama on broadcast television.

6) Community (NBC)

Over the course of its three seasons, Community has proven itself to be the most inventive sitcom on television. Creator Dan Harmon builds episodes like puzzles, often using different perspectives, narrative structures, and homages to create fully-formed stories that manage to be groundbreaking and still consistently hilarious. This season alone brought episodes featuring different timelines, multiple genre homages, and, in my favorite episode of the season, a clip show with flashbacks to events that viewers hadn't seen before. Harmon's experimentation does not always yield magnificent results, but with a stellar cast and his able writing staff, the results are more often brilliant than disappointing. Here's hoping Community's upcoming hiatus from the NBC schedule will be brief -- I'm eager to see what Harmon comes up with next.

5) Friday Night Lights (DirectTV/NBC)

In its last season, Friday Night Lights went out on a triumphant note both for the series and for the Dillon Lions. Showrunner Jason Katims took a sizable risk when he introduced a whole set of new characters and retired some old ones, but by the end of the show we cared as much about the Lions' Vince Howard as we had the Panthers' Jason Street. And that's because, ultimately, Friday Night Lights was never very much about a specific football team; rather, it was about the community of Dillon and all the hopes, dreams, and challenges that found their way onto the football field. At the center of it all was one of the best marriages ever depicted on television, between Coach Taylor and his supportive wife (the superb Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton), guiding posts of support not only for the players and students under their watch but also for each other. They, and this wonderful show, will be missed.

4) Justified (FX)

In its debut season, Justified was a very good show that still struggled to figure out how to incorporate Elmore Leonard's distinct voice -- the show is based on one of his crime stories -- into a serialized drama about a trigger-happy lawman named Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant). By the end of the second season, those struggles vanished, yielding way to a fully-realized, perfectly wrought story of one man's relationship with his hometown and its history. Set in the deep Appalachia of Kentucky, Justified spent its second season focused on Raylan's entanglements with the Bennett clan -- controllers of the Harlan County pot trade -- and specifically their manipulative matriarch Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale, who deservedly won an Emmy for her performance). But in addition to the fascinating new characters, this season also added more depth to Raylan and his slippery adversary Boyd (Walter Goggins), creating rich stories that mined the shared history of the characters to full effect. The third season, which begins in January, cannot come soon enough.

3) Breaking Bad (AMC)

Vince Gilligan described his idea for Breaking Bad as the story of Mr.Chips turning into Scarface, and in its fourth season the transformation was complete -- Walt (the always amazing Bryan Cranston) ended the season in control of his fate, masterminding his way to freedom from Gus (Giancarlo Esposito, in the performance of the year) and a reconciliation with Jesse (Aaron Paul). Along the way, we were witness to some breathtaking scenes -- Breaking Bad continues to be the most visually arresting program on television -- that ratcheted the suspense to such incredible heights that you'd be forgiven for looking away. But that's what makes Breaking Bad such compelling television -- no show has a better understanding of pacing, patience, and how to deliver a payoff. If I didn't like this season as much as season three, it's only because the last minute twist left me slightly cold for seeming a little too clever. But that just speaks to what I've come to expect from this show -- and what better deserves our high expectations than the best drama on television?

2) Parks and Recreation (NBC)

The funniest comedy on television is also the sweetest, and that may be why Parks and Recreation is such an incredible show. Showrunner Michael Schur and his writers have created a world where even the silliest elements of the show are grounded by the heart of the characters and the skill of the performances. This season introduced a new crisis in Pawnee, as the Parks and Recreation division decided to put on a harvest festival to help address a budget shortfall. The episodes that revolved around the festival made up the most consistently funny stretch of TV all year, and also brought in new characters played by Adam Scott and Rob Lowe who fit perfectly into Pawnee's already expansive universe. Parks and Recreation is a comedy, but it delivers something more impressive than laughter: pure joy.

1) Louie (FX)

Louis CK's show defies categorization because it's unlike anything else on TV. I loved the show's first season, but nothing could prepare me for how bold and inventive the second season turned out to be. This season, CK delved even deeper into his profession, showcasing what it means to be a working comedian, often with the thanks of excellent guest stars like Joan Rivers, Dane Cook, and Doug Stanhope. But it's telling that CK is more interested in the lives of comedians than the comedy itself, since his show is ultimately about life -- what we're responsible for, how we should live, and what we shouldn't take for granted. He tackles these subjects through prisms as different as the Afghanistan War and evangelical Christianity, but underneath it all is his deep, abiding interest in how we behave and what we value. He's made the most humanist program on television and the best television show of 2011.

Best Albums of 2011

2011-12-28T19:20:00.011-05:00

To be honest, I thought the year in music was a disappointing one -- I think any of my top 5 albums from last year would have been at the top of my list this year. Moreover, there were few stellar debuts from new artists, leaving my list filled with returning acts. Given the limited offerings this year, I'm hoping 2012 brings better things. Still, there were highlights in 2011 -- below are my favorite albums of the year (including embeds of the full albums so you can listen to them yourselves):

25) The Decemberists - The King is Dead
The Decemberists have a well-worn shtick and never veer to far from it, but they’ve benefited from leaving behind the prog-rock excesses of their previous albums and returning to their more simple roots. The result is a very entertaining album, no matter how familiar it feels.
Best tracks: “Don’t Carry It All”, “Calamity Song”
The Decemberists - The King is Dead by Suds on Grooveshark

24) Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
The second album from San Francisco’s Girls is a more confident, diverse effort than their debut, as songwriter Christopher Owens covers terrain as disparate as sunny beach pop to psychedelic rock. The genre experimentation isn’t always successful, but the ambition is part of the album’s appeal – at this rate of growth, their next album could be extraordinary.
Best tracks: “Honey Bunny”, “Forgiveness”

Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Suds on Grooveshark

23) Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
The Swedes have always had a knack for writing catchy pop music and Lykke Li fits firmly in her country’s tradition. While none of the songs on her latest album equal some of the pop highs she’s hit on previous ones, it’s her most cohesive, consistent outing to date.
Best tracks: “Get Some”, “Sadness Is a Blessing”
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes by Suds on Grooveshark

22) Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What
I’ve always been a fan of Paul Simon’s beautiful solo work and his first album in five years finds him in prime form. At 69, his songs on his latest album are appropriately contemplative, with titles like “Afterlife” and “Rewrite”. But the delicate melodies and clever turns of phrase remain, no matter the subject matter.
Best tracks: “Rewrite”, “Getting Ready for Christmas Day”
Paul Simon - So Beautiful Or So What by Suds on Grooveshark

21) Real Estate - Days
New Jersey’s Real Estate sound like they should be from another place, somewhere more suited to their jangly guitar pop and sunny melodies. As with their first album, Real Estate’s music can sometimes be too gentle, but the laid back charm is ultimately too tough to resist
Best tracks: “It’s Real”, “Wonder Years”
Real Estate - Days by Suds on Grooveshark

20) Raphael Saddiq - Stone Rollin'
With retro acts, it can be tough to tell where inspiration ends and imitation begins. I’ll admit to having that problem with some of Rafael Saddiq’s music, but there’s no denying his talent for honoring the soul and R&B styles of the 60s. In his best songs, he expands on the traditions he so capably mimics.
Best tracks: “Good Man”, “Movin Down the Line”
Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin' by Suds on Grooveshark

19) Wild Flag - Wild Flag
Sleater-Kinney was always a bit too “difficult” for my taste, so I was genuinely surprised when Wild Flag, featuring two of Sleater-Kinney’s band members, put out such an accessible record. Filled with short, energetic songs and strong guitar hooks, Wild Flag was one of the best debuts of the year.
Best tracks: “Romance”, “Boom”
Wild Flag - Wild Flag by Suds on Grooveshark

18) The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
I first heard this Welsh band two years ago, when their very impressive debut EP was released. Half of their first full-length album is comprised of songs from that EP, and those songs remain the strongest on the record – big pop songs with wall of sound melodies and undeniably catchy hooks. The new material sadly doesn’t add much, but it’s worth listening to this album for those EP songs alone.
Best tracks: “Whirring”, “Austere”
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar by Suds on Grooveshark

17) Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
21 year old Laura Marling has made my albums list with each of her three albums, and her latest continues to demonstrate what a powerful musician she is, straddling the lines between folk and rock with ease. She’s firmly established herself as this generation’s heir to Joni Mitchell.
Best tracks: “The Muse”, “Sophia”
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know by Suds on Grooveshark

16) Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
There’s grandeur to all the songs Florence Welch sings – her skill knows no other mode than big and bracing. In fact, everything about her second album is big, from the long track list to the majestic wall of sound she delivers on nearly all the tracks. It is a big production in the best way.
Best tracks: “Shake It Out”, “No Light, No Light”
Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials by Suds on Grooveshark

15) The Antlers - Burst Apart
Brooklyn trio The Antlers followed up their superb first album about death with a sophomore effort about doomed love – happy-go-lucky these guys are not. But they always do justice to their weighty themes, crafting songs of beauty that emerge from the noise and tragedy that surround them.
Best tracks: “I Don’t Want Love”, “Hounds”
The Antlers - Burst Apart by Suds on Grooveshark

14) PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
On her tenth album, England’s PJ Harvey tackles songs of war, utilizing an eclectic array of genres and sounds to make her protest. The message and the music are arresting, a reminder that some of the best art is inspired by conflict.
Best tracks: “Let England Shake”, “Written on the Forehead”
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake by Suds on Grooveshark

13) Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
Trevor Powers, the man behind Youth Lagoon, recorded this album all alone in his bedroom and the resulting tracks feel appropriately intimate and enchanting. The Year of Hibernation is a pop album that feels littered with contradictions – hazy yet bright, welcoming yet distant. The constant throughout is Powers’ talent.
Best tracks: “Cannons”, “Afternoon”
Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation by Suds on Grooveshark

12) St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
On her third album, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) strips away the delicate gloss that was there on her previous efforts and lets her manic, guitar-driven rock impulses come forward. The result is an album filled with powerful moments and wild flourishes, and her best outing yet.
Best tracks: “Cruel”, “Surgeon”
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy by Suds on Grooveshark

11) tUnE-yArDs – Whokill
tUnE-yArDs (aka Merrill Garbus) is a one-woman force of nature, for there are more unique sounds in a single Tune-Yards song than in most albums. Her sophomore album is a treasure of “how is she doing that” moments, from her vocal manipulations to her endless drum loops. She may be the only musician today who is making music no one could come close to imitating.
Best tracks: “Gangsta”, “Bizness”
Tune-yards - whokill by Suds on Grooveshark

10) Drake – Take Care
Given that he doesn’t sing and even his rapping can be overly plaintive, I didn’t expect to like Drake very much. But his second album is just too interesting to dismiss; whether he’s rapping about the aunt who took care of him, the shame he feels at hitting on a married woman, or the superficiality of his stardom, Drake is one of the few hip-hop artists who puts all his inner turmoil in his music. It’s tough not to be mesmerized as the drama unfolds.
Best tracks: “Look What You’ve Done”, “Make Me Proud”
Drake - Take Care by Suds on Grooveshark

9) The Black Keys – El Camino
The duo from Akron just keeps getting better, as they add just enough polish to their elemental garage rock to make their sound at once radio-ready but still fundamentally rough around the edges. If their latest album is not quite as good as Brothers, their previous album, it speaks more to how good that album was than to any deficiency on the part of El Camino, which features some of the band’s best songs.
Best tracks: “Lonely Boy”, “Gold on the Ceiling”
The Black Keys - El Camino by Suds on Grooveshark

8) The Weeknd - House of Balloons
The best hip-hop album and the best debut of the year, House of Balloons was the first and best of three albums put out by The Weeknd in 2011. His laconic singing/rapping style, often disturbing lyrics, and masterful understanding of mood and atmosphere make for a seductive musical experience, one made all the more amazing for how effortless it seems.
Best tracks: “High for This”, “Loft Music”
The Weeknd - House of Ballons by Suds on Grooveshark

7) Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
Death Cab returned this year with an album that was less mopey and emo than their usual fare and consequently I found it to be a tremendous outing, chock full of gorgeous instrumentation, great pop hooks, and Ben Gibbard’s typically meaningful lyrics. I hope the end of his marriage to Zooey Deschanel doesn’t send Gibberd into a bout of melancholy because I find Death Cab so much more satisfying when they’re eager to share their happiness rather than their despair.
Best tracks: “St. Peter’s Cathedral”, “Monday Morning”
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys by Suds on Grooveshark

6) Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
The best and, accordingly, most accessible hardcore album I’ve ever listened to, David Comes to Life is punk rock epic told in 18 tracks about a couple falling love and then…well, I’m not sure what happens then. Lead singer Damian Abraham yells the lyrics with such aggression – most of the time I have no idea what he’s saying – that the narrative is really beside the point. What sticks are the cascading, pulsing melodies and the increasing intensity of the music as the album progresses – Abraham puts his whole heart and soul into each word he screams and his effort and ambition make a lasting impression.
Best tracks: “Queen of Hearts”, “The Other Shoe”
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life by Suds on Grooveshark

5) Wye Oak - Civilian
The third album from Baltimore’s Wye Oak is filled with such lush instrumentation and gorgeous vocals it’s hard to believe there are only two people involved in the project. With its big, bold guitar hooks and lovely harmonies, Civilian is easily Wye Oak’s best album yet.
Best tracks: “Civilian”, “Holy Holy”
Wye Oak - Civilian by Suds on Grooveshark

4) Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital
Now that Wolf Parade has officially broken up, fans of that band – I was a big one – must rely on the solo projects of its former members to get our fix of propulsive, innovative indie rock. Fortunately, Dan Boeckner’s Handsome Furs is one of the best acts around today, routinely producing high energy, heart pounding rock songs both in the studio and in concert (they were my favorite live show of the year). Their third album is a thrill ride from beginning to end, and while the band may not be as creative as some of the others on this list, they remain one of the most consistent.
Best tracks: “Repatriated”, “Cheap Music”
Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital by Suds on Grooveshark

3) Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Seattle’s Fleet Foxes followed up their stellar debut with a gorgeous sophomore effort, fully featuring the band’s lush vocals and beautiful harmonies. This time around they’ve added some additional instrumentation, like zithers and Tibetan singing bowls, to enhance their robust, woodsy sound.
Best tracks: “Battery Kinzie”, “Montezuma”
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues by Suds on Grooveshark

2) Wilco - The Whole Love
I haven’t really enjoyed a Wilco album for the last decade, but The Whole Love reminded me of how much fun it can be to listen to a Wilco album when the experimental instrumentation and layers of noise the band is known for are used in the service of a strong melody. It may be unfair to call it a comeback, but for my money The Whole Love is the best work the band has done since their masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Best tracks: “Art of Almost”, “I Might”
Wilco - The Whole Love by Suds on Grooveshark

1) Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Justin Vernon’s magnificent debut album featured such spare, fragile melodies that I don’t think anyone expected his follow-up to be the synthesizer-filled, instrument-heavy album he produced. But it speaks to the size of his talent that Bon Iver is as impressive an accomplishment as Vernon’s debut, with the more expansive melodies showcasing his delicate vocals in ways that are even more expressive and moving than before. Bon Iver continues to move and impress me – it’s my favorite album of 2011.
Best tracks: “Holocene”, “Calgary”
Bon Iver - Bon Iver by Suds on Grooveshark

The Top Ten Songs of 2011

2011-12-28T11:34:00.007-05:00

As usual, most of the best songs of the year came from artists on my best albums list, and I tend to exclude those songs on this list so I can highlight a few other discoveries. Moreover, a couple of the songs on this list are early highlights from albums that will be coming out in 2012, suggesting next year could be a bountiful one for good music.

Now on to my top ten:

10) Tennis - "Marathon"
The Civil Wars got all the attention, but for my money the duo behind Tennis were the better of this year's new pop music pairs. “Marathon” was the most enjoyable track on their cheery debut album.

9) TEEN - "Better"
Teeny Lieberson, the front-woman of the all girl band TEEN, knows her way around a good melody from her days as the keyboardist in Here We Go Magic. This song is pure pop perfection.

Teen BETTER from FAR EYE on Vimeo.

8) M83 - "Midnight City"
Featuring one of the more recognizable beats of the year, M83’s “Midnight City” was the best techno and most danceable track of 2011.

7) Azealia Banks - "212"
20 year old Azealia Banks’ viral hit is equally raunchy and infectious, and both the filthy lyrics and the earworm beat are mesmerizing.

6) Dum Dum Girls - "Coming Down"
Writing about coming down from a medicated haze, the Dum Dum Girls utilize their garage band sound to capture the washed out, foggy feeling of being in an altered reality and produce a song of touching beauty.

5) Lisa Hannigan - "A Sail"
Singer songwriter Lisa Hannigan has made my songs list before, and while her second album was on the whole too inconsistent for my taste, this track epitomizes her talent for writing utterly infectious melodies with lovely lyrics.

4) Bhi Bhiman - "Guttersnipe"
Singer songwriter Bhi Bhiman is a friend, but his talent is what earned him a spot on this list. The first single from his upcoming self-titled album, “Guttersnipe” puts Bhiman’s powerful vocals and genre-melding (he fits comfortably within the traditions of country, folk, blues and soul) songwriting on full display.

Bhi Bhiman "Guttersnipe" from Bhi Bhiman on Vimeo.

3) Destroyer - "Poor in Love"
I’ve always had a hard time warming to Dan Bejar’s band Destroyer – I prefer his poppier, more accessible collaborations with the The New Pornographers – but I can’t deny the beauty of his lyrics and the unique nature of his melodies. This is my favorite song on his acclaimed album Kaputt.

2) Charles Bradley - "Heartaches and Pain"
I have an admitted soft spot for soul tunes – see my top song pick of last year – so it’s no surprise I was immediately entranced by Charles Bradley’s beautiful and heartbreaking tale of his brother’s death.

1) Alabama Shakes - "Hold On"
Hailing from the small town of Athens, Alabama and led by a dynamo of a lead singer named Brittany Howard, the Alabama Shakes merge southern rock with classic soul to produce a sound that feels at once familiar and utterly original. This song, from their first EP, heralds a big talent and some very bright things to come.

2010: The Year in Culture

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Overall, 2010 was a rather successful artistic year in terms of the movies, music and television that was released. Lots of strong albums and enjoyable films, and a genuine bounty of good programs on the small screen. As I have for the last decade, I once again felt compelled to share my unsolicited opinions about my favorite cultural works of the year. Below, please find my lists:

Top Ten Films of 2010

Best Television of 2010

Best Albums of 2010

Top Ten Songs of 2010

Top Ten Movies of 2010

2010-12-18T17:11:00.054-05:00

I thought 2010 proved to be a very strong year for American films, as I was surprised to find that the only foreign film I had on my list this year was a documentary from England and that I didn't have a single foreign language film listed. Admittedly, I missed Olivier Assayas' acclaimed six-hour opus Carlos, not to mention a few other notable pictures, but the general point stands: 2010 was a very good year for American moviemaking.

Below, my top ten films of the year:

10) Inception

Truth be told, I think Christopher Nolan added a few too many layers of complexity to this summer blockbuster, both in terms of the number of dream levels he created (was that gun fight in the snow really necessary?) and the number of rules he used to define his universe (I'm still not clear on what happens in limbo). But you've got to give him credit for creating an utterly original piece of art that attracted a mass audience and had them talking all summer. The bravura climax, particularly the gravity-less scene in the elevator, was the most exciting moment in any big-budget film that came out this year.

9) True Grit

True Grit doesn't quite live up to some of the Coen Brothers' fantastic recent work, but it's a delightful film in its own right. Remaking the 1969 film based on Charles Portis' novel, the Coens apply their unique, deadpan sensibility to the tale of a young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) trying to avenge her father's death by teaming up with a drunken US Marshal (Jeff Bridges) and an uptight Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) to catch the killer. Steinfeld is a real discovery -- she delivers the Coens' typically clever dialogue with incredible self-assurance and ably holds her own against Bridges, who hams it up but never overdoes it as the ornery "Rooster" Cogburn. The story falters a bit in the last act, but until then True Grit is the kind of old-fashioned, nimble Western that Hollywood rarely makes any more.

8) The Ghost Writer

Roman Polanski's political thriller about an imperiled former British Prime Minister has a fairly dim political view -- without giving too much away, let's just say it finds a convenient way to explain for the strength of the Anglo-American political relationship -- but that doesn't stop it from being a cracker-jack conspiracy movie. With an excellent cast led by Ewan MacGregor as the newly hired ghost writer who soon discovers a few secrets about his subject (Pierce Brosnan, perfectly cast in the role), The Ghost Writer is a straightforward movie with simple pleasures expertly delivered.

7) Greenberg

Noah Baumbach understands insufferable characters better than anyone -- and he also understands that no one ever changes overnight, but the smallest bits of personal progress can be worth examining. In Baumbach's Greenberg, Ben Stiller plays the titular, middle-aged layabout as a total jerk, but a weirdly sympathetic one nonetheless who falls into an improbable romance with his brother's assistant played by the lovely Greta Gerwig. In a different movie, they'd be two lost souls who easily fall into one another, but Greenberg is all about those people who stridently resist doing anything easily. It's a far more interesting film that way.

6) Toy Story 3

The third chapter in the saga of Woody, Buzz and the rest of Andy's toys has a much more melancholic feel to it than the earlier films did, as 15 years have now passed since we first met these toys and their owner is now headed to college. His departure opens up surprisingly deep questions about the role material objects play in our development and the importance of remembering our childhood. Pixar's films have always been expert at finding emotional resonance in seemingly straightforward tales, but even by their high standards Toy Story 3 is a deeply thoughtful, existential adventure.

5) The Social Network

David Fincher's telling of the creation of Facebook is superbly directed, well written, and expertly acted, an impressive piece of film-making that has some (but not much) added resonance as a document of our technology-obsessed, disconnected culture. But I fail to see The Social Network as the masterpiece it's been called, in part because Aaron Sorkin's script is too glib and the ultimate portrait of Mark Zuckerberg too reductive to be worthy of the pantheon. Nonetheless, Sorkin and Fincher deserve awards for the story's ingenious structure and for finding fascinating characters in the Winkelvoss twins (brilliantly portrayed by Armie Hammer) and even in Zuckerberg, who as perfectly played by Jesse Eisenberg is neither hero nor villain but someone who desperately wants to belong, even if he probably wouldn't want to join the clubs that would have him as a member.

4) Exit Through the Gift Shop

Much of the discussion of Banksy's documentary has been about its authenticity, as its story of amateur videographer-turned-acclaimed artist Thierry Guetta seems too unbelievable, too ludicrous to be real. Surely Banksy, the famed British street artist with a penchant for practical jokes, is putting us on, sending a message about the commercialization and faddishness of the high art world. I'm with the folks who think it's all a joke, though a splendidly told one unlike any told before. Personally, I think that makes the film all the better, but even if we discount the basic narrative we're still left with a fascinating document about the rise of street graffiti as art and the figures who helped to transform and elevate the medium.

3) The Kids Are All Right

A domestic comedy about an untraditional family, Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right is an honest portrayal of the messiness that accompanies couplehood and parenthood regardless of sexuality. As the lesbian couple whose relationship is thrown into crisis following the arrival of the sperm donor (Mark Ruffalo) who fathered their children, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are perfect at playing two women struggling to maintain their ideals while giving in to their more destructive impulses. Cholodenko's eye is balanced and equally sympathetic -- she loves and understands these characters, warts and all.

2) Inside Job

Charles Ferguson's insightful documentary about the financial crisis builds its case like any good social scientist would (Ferguson has a PhD in polisci) -- by accumulating the staggering evidence and clearly outlining the damning findings. In this case, Ferguson shows how we ended up in our economic mess because unregulated institutions were encouraged to take on greater amounts of risk, fully aware of the potentially dire consequences. Ferguson doesn't limit his ire to the banks and governments either -- he goes after the whole practice of academic economics, where the continual merger of the private and public sectors has created a rats' nest of conflicts of interest. Inside Job is the most important movie of the year and the one most likely to get your blood-boiling, particularly because this time the bad guys are free to continue their reign of terror.

1) Winter's Bone

Debra Granik's country noir about a young woman surviving in the Ozarks who must find her father so her family doesn't get evicted is the most evocative and original film of 2010. As the main character Rhee Dolly, Jennifer Lawrence gives the best female performance of the year, keenly showcasing Rhee's strength while giving hints to her vulnerability. Granik is unsentimental in her depiction of the backwoods lives of her characters, but she never lets her story fall into melodrama, choosing instead to depict Rhee's challenges with a naturalistic eye. Winter's Bone is a tour-de-force of storytelling and direction, an impressive sophomore outing from a mature filmmaker with a very unique voice.

Best Television Shows of 2010

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There was an abundance of good programs on the tube this year, particularly on cable which has now set the standard for most original and engaging programming on TV, in both comedy and drama. Of particularly note is the success of the channel FX, which launched three superb shows this year (though not all were lucky enough to get renewed).

There were so many good programs, in fact, that I couldn't quite keep my list to 10 and instead decided to expand it to 15. Seven of those are shows that premiered either at the end of 2009 or in 2010, which gives you a sense of how strong the new crop of shows were this year.

Now without further ado, my 15 favorite TV programs of 2010:

15) Cougar Town (ABC)

Cougar Town abandoned its initial premise somewhere midway through season 1, when Courtney Cox's character Jules became less concerned with dating younger guys and more with being the ringleader of one of the funniest cast of characters on TV, the neighborhood cul-de-sac crew -- comprised of her son, her ex-husband, her age-appropriate boyfriend, her next door neighbors, and her younger colleague -- who are always finding new and unusual ways to appreciate, ridicule, and embarrass one another. The show shares many of the same stylistic traits as creator Bill Lawrence's previous show, Scrubs, with lots of insular jokes and absurd sight gags. But the whole enterprise is done with a great deal of heart and if you dig the show's particular vibe (and can forgive the title), it can be very funny, even more so than its more popular channel-mate Modern Family.

14) Archer (FX)
Raunchy, vulgar, and hilarious, FX's adult animated comedy Archer is about a narcissistic spy with callous disregard for everyone he works with, including his overbearing mother (brilliantly voiced by Arrested Development's Jessica Walter) and spy ex-girlfriend (Aisha Tyler). Featuring a fantastic cast of animated voices like Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, and, as the title character, a delightfully belligerent H. Jon Benjamin, Archer is the edgiest comedy on TV, using the animated format to break taboos in much more intelligent ways than any of Seth MacFarlane's Fox cartoons.

13) 30 Rock (NBC)
After a middling 4th season that saw the show overdoing it with guest stars and poorly constructed plotlines, 30 Rock rebounded in a big way this fall, finding new and inventive stories for its over-the-top characters, from Tracy's inability to recite a simple line for a commercial to Jenna's romantic relationship with a transvestite celeb impersonator to Jack's desire to go a single day without making a bad decision (a streak called "Reaganing"). Tina Fey's satire works best when the rapid-fire jokes are in the service of the story and the characters, and after a down period it appears the show is back in fine form.

12) The Good Wife (CBS)
When it first premiered, I initially dismissed The Good Wife as being too much of a legal procedural despite its serialized elements. But in its second season, the show has found what is probably the perfect balance for a broadcast program, coming up with compelling case of the week stories while developing regular characters with deep back-stories and constantly changing motivations. Moreover, the show wisely uses its Chicago-politics backdrop to continually examine our technology-driven lives, peppering its storytelling with social media, cable news, and viral videos cast as both invaders of privacy and essential tools for discovering and manipulating the truth. Not to damn it with faint praise, but The Good Wife is the best drama on broadcast television.

11) Men of a Certain Age (TNT)
Ray Romano says he created this show (with former Everybody Loves Raymond writer Mike Royce) because his wife wanted him out of the house, but he clearly needed to express some of the more serious, contemplative ideas he couldn't share on his old sitcom. Focused on a trio of high school buddies in their late 40s, Men of a Certain age is essentially a show about dealing with life's small challenges and the aspirations we either hold on to or give up as we grow older. It has an appropriately laid-back tone and its stories are never very large in scope, but the characters are more relatable and the show more effective as a result. It's a small scale drama with strong performances and good writing that hopefully will start drawing the bigger audience it deserves.

10) Justified (FX)
Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, Justified features a magnetic Timothy Olyphant playing a modern variation of his Seth Bullock character on Deadwood, a US Marshal named Raylan Givens who is forced to return to his native Kentucky after being a little too quick on the draw in his prior assignments. Givens is a terrific character, but what makes Justified work so well are the people he's surrounded by, such as his straight-talking boss, his wary ex-wife, and, most notably, a slippery born-again adversary played with impressive gusto by Walter Goggins.

9) Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Boardwalk Empire has such an impressive pedigree -- created by former Sopranos writer Terrence Winter, produced and directed by Martin Scorsese, with a star-studded cast led by Steve Buscemi -- that I couldn't help being slightly let-down initially as the first few episodes suggested a show with a great deal of surface detail but not much depth. I think that criticism still holds a bit -- the show can sometimes rely too heavily on plot and production at the expense of character development -- but by the end of the season, Winter and company had told a multi-layered story about Prohibition-era Atlantic City with so many compelling elements that it could easily be forgiven for falling a little short of expectations. Impressively tying together early mafia stories stretching from New York to Chicago to New Jersey, Boardwalk Empire was nearly as ambitious and captivating as its main characters.

8) Treme (HBO)
Viewers who came to David Simon's new HBO series about post-Katrina New Orleans expecting a Big Easy version of The Wire were likely sorely disappointed with Treme, which was less The Wire 2.0 and more a distinct work of art with a different set of intentions. The first half of the season was less concerned with complicated stories and more interested in recreating the atmosphere of New Orleans, featuring everything from the city's talented, work-a-day jazz musicians to its colorful Mardi Gras Indians. Treme's unusual pace -- it feels more like a documentary than a scripted program -- and difficult characters took some getting used to, but towards the tail-end of the series it became apparent that Simon was once again creating a multi-layered, thematic piece of work, demonstrating yet again his singular ability to capture a city's unique virtues and its frustrating challenges.

7) Community (NBC)
Community has made a name for itself with its expert pop-culture parodies, such as its fantastic action-movie homage set in a school-wide paintball tournament or its touching Christmas episode filmed in Rankin/Bass-style stop-motion. But all the parodies would fall flat if creator Dan Harmon and his writers had not so expertly crafted a setting and characters that come off as authentic. Set in a Los Angeles community college, Community uses its familiar setting to play with its character archetypes -- the self-centered jerk with a sensitive side (a charming Joel McHale) the nerdy, pop-culture obsessed social outcast (standout Danny Pudi), the insecure overachiever (winsome Alison Brie) -- and push them into situations that are sometimes ridiculous but usually revealing. It's telling that the best episode of Community this year wasn't one of the parodies, but rather the one episode that locked the characters in a room and forced them to interact only with each other. Hilarious as always, it demonstrated yet again that behind the jokes Community has a surprising amount of depth.

6) Party Down (Starz)
The second and sadly final season of Party Down continued the first season's model of having each episode take place at a different party being catered by the Party Down crew, a group of aspiring actors and writers forced to rely on catering as a day job as they try to make it in Hollywood. The loss of Jane Lynch to Glee -- she was a regular on the first season -- was felt at first as Megan Mullaly's new stage-mom character didn't quite fit in at the beginning, but it didn't take long for the show to revert to being one of the funniest things on television, with the party catered at Steve Guttenberg's house a particular highlight. Like most good things on television, Party Down was canceled this year due to poor ratings, but Netflix has all of season 2 available on instant streaming. It's well worth your time.

5) Terriers (FX)
Canceled after one season, this FX show about two down on their luck, goodhearted detectives never got the audience it deserved, but I hope people catch it on DVD because it is rare to find a show debut with such a strong handle on the story it's telling. As the two damaged detectives trying to help their clients while often sabotaging their personal lives, Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James gave two of the best performances of the year in the service of scripts that demonstrated incredible range, oscillating between dark humor and heartbreaking emotion. Don't let its cancellation prevent you from checking out Terriers -- even in one season, the show managed to tell the kind of complete, satisfying story it takes most shows years to pull off.

4) Parks and Recreation (NBC)
The geniuses at NBC decided to put their best comedy on the shelf for the fall season, so it's been awhile since Parks and Recreation has been on the air. The show's return cannot come soon enough (it comes back in January!) because by the time it ended its second season it had become the best comedy on broadcast television, a wonderful demonstration of how the funniest shows are not only hilarious but imbued with heart (much like its sister-sitcom, The Office, used to be). Set in a parks department in small-town Indiana, Parks and Recreation features the best comedic ensemble on television, led by Amy Poehler as the ambitious but caring deputy Leslie Knope. Nick Offerman as her boss Ron Swanson and Chris Pratt as lovable lunkhead who works in the building are two standout performers, though the whole cast is fantastic. Here's hoping NBC gives the show the promotion and support it deserves.

3) Mad Men (AMC)
Mad Men began its fourth season with the ominous question "Who is Don Draper?" In past seasons the answer would have been complicated but ultimately flattering, but this season seemed intent on un-romanticizing Don (the always brilliant Jon Hamm, in his best season yet), as he became an alcoholic mess who struggled to deal with his post-divorce life and the effect it was having on his start-up ad agency and his troubled young daughter. Meanwhile, the dramatic 60s roared on, as Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) became further swept up in the counterculture and even seemingly stodgy Lane (Jared Harris) displayed a rebellious side. Don, however, proved himself a traditionalist, ending the season by clinging strongly to a romantic ideal that may never truly exist for him. It was an unusual season, with some incredible high points, such as the Peggy-Don pas de deux in "The Suitcase", and though it didn't quite live up to some of the previous seasons for me, it demonstrated yet again that few shows are as courageous or as eminently watchable as Mad Men.

2) Louie (FX)
The best new show on television this year, Louis CK's very funny comedy was a deeply personal examination of the themes that make his stand-up act so memorable -- mortality, privilege, entitlement, responsibility. The deal CK made with FX, which gave him total creative control in exchange for a modest budget and the promise of a season's worth of episodes, is now the envy of every working comic today, but it only works because CK's vision is clear and his execution pitch-perfect. Louie is essentially a series of vignettes, strung together by interspersed bits of CK's stand-up act, each varying in tone and theme but unified by his interest in finding the humor in the strangest or most common of situations. The show veers from dark to hilarious to sweet to strange, but it's always interesting and always original. Louis CK's comedy is grounded in self-loathing, so there's probably no point in praising it too much -- hopefully he'll just find a way to turn all the critical acclaim he's getting into new material.

1) Breaking Bad (AMC)
I was late to Breaking Bad, catching up on its three seasons only this summer after the latest had completed. Watching all the episodes continuously without any seasonal breaks helps you appreciate what an incredible accomplishment creator Vince Gilligan and his writers have managed to pull off with their series about Walter White (the inimitable Bryan Cranston), a cancer-stricken high school chemistry teacher who starts cooking crystal meth as a way to take care of his family and take control of his life. In its third season, the show made White's transformation into ruthless criminal complete, as he went into business with a drug lord and put his DEA agent brother-in-law's (Dean Norris) life in danger. But the most compelling storyline belonged to Jesse (Aaron Paul), Walt's original partner-in-crime, newly sober and clear-eyed about his role in the game. Paul gave the performance of the year as he breathtakingly showed how Jesse was the ultimate victim of all of Walt's selfish actions, an innocent spirit drafted into a world he never had the stomach for. The show ended with a nerve-wracking cliffhanger, the apotheosis of all of Walt and Jesse's wrong decisions and the culmination of the best season of television this year.

Honorable Mention: ABC's Lost ended this year with a season I ultimately found disappointing, primarily because the creators chose to go out on a treacly note rather than offering any real resolution to the numerous plotlines, characters, and mythology the show had laid out from the beginning. Still, Lost was an impressive achievement that, despite the best efforts of TV producers everywhere, has yet to be reproduced and I will miss its presence on the tube.

HBO's In Treatment is a similarly challenging program, but for entirely different reasons. This is the first year I really watched a session in full and found myself entirely enraptured by the storyline focused on Irfan Khan's Sunil, an Indian immigrant forced to live with a son he doesn't understand anymore and a daughter-in-law he both covets and resents. Khan and Gabriel Byrne's therapy sessions were an actor's showcase, a riveting demonstration of how captivating something as simple as a conversation between two people can be.

Finally, HBO's Bored to Death didn't do anything new in its second season, but it always makes me laugh and smile for its bold embrace of its characters' self-awareness and grandiosity and its distinctly New York sensibility.

Best Albums of 2010

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In the years I've been writing lists of my favorite albums, I can't remember a year as musically satisfying as this past one has been. Most notably, hip hop was resurgent in 2010, with fantastic albums from stalwarts like Kanye and Big Boi and a couple great new artists as well. Lots of returning acts, combined with a few electrifying debuts, have produced a bountiful year for music -- I had no trouble coming up with a list of albums I wanted to share.

Fortunately, the website Grooveshark has actually made it easy for me to share those albums with my readers -- you'll find that I've embedded the entirety of every album listed on this page. I'm not exactly sure how Grooveshark works -- I get the impression it's in some kind of legal limbo -- but I recommend signing up. It's the best free online music service I've discovered so far. Now on to my favorite albums of the year:

25) Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

If the path to hip hop success lies in trumpeting excess and never betraying weakness, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) sure is taking a strange route to becoming a rap star. His sophomore album is all about the dangers of fame, with fascinating examinations of addiction and self-doubt. Kid Cudi sounds like a man struggling with personal demons, but it's to our benefit that he chooses to excise them in musical form.

Best tracks: "These Worries", "Erase Me"

24) Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

Josh Ritter's last album was one of my favorite albums of 2007, with his particular brand of rocking folk music a refreshing reminder that folk needn't be mired in earnestness or self-seriousness. His follow-up to that album isn't quite as consistent or as enlightening as his earlier work, but it does further confirm that Ritter is one of the best folk musicians working today.

Best tracks: "Change of Time", "Folk Bloodbath"

23) Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Sufjan Stevens appears to have abandoned his 50 state project -- at one point he had promised to follow-up his excellent Michigan and Illinois albums with new ones for each state in the union. His third disc shows him experimenting with more technology -- electronic beats abound and on one song he even uses auto-tune -- but the beautiful melodies and lush orchestration he's known for are still omnipresent.

Best tracks: "I Walked", "Vesuvius"

22) Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer

From his days with the Goodie Mob to his work as the lead singer in Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo has always been associated with music that is insanely catchy and compelling. This year he struck gold with his fantastic single, "Fuck You", which has been dominating the radio waves since it was released at the end of the summer. Hopefully that song attracts people to the rest of the album, which is chock full of retro, Motown-like tunes. The overall affect can sometimes feel too much like impersonation than inspiration, but there's no denying Cee-Lo's talent as a singer and musician.

Best tracks: "Fuck You", "Wildflower"

21) Rihanna - Loud

After last year's personal and introspective Rated R, Rihanna returned to her more fun-loving ways with Loud, demonstrating once again that few hip hop performers can make a hook more seductive than she can. It's a solid outing from a reliable party hitmaker.

Best tracks: "Love the Way You Lie", "What's My Name"

20) She & Him - Volume Two; Jenny & Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now

It's probably unfair to count these two acts as one, but the similarities are too strong not to mention. Both feature charismatic leading ladies with sweet signing voices (Zooey Deschanel in S&H, Jenny Lewis in J&J) who are provided with strong musical support from their male bandmates. And they both produced albums filled with very pleasant, often gorgeous melodies. Both acts can be too twee, but most of the time they stay on the right side of the line between adorable and precious.

Best tracks: S&H - "Don't Look Back", "In the Sun"; J&J - "Switchblade", "Scissor Runner"

19) Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

20 year old Laura Marling has a knack for writing well beyond her years -- this excellent sophomore album sounds like the work of a mature artist, not a recent teenager. Her music feels intensely intimate, with Marling often whispering her beautiful, literary lyrics over spare, delicate melodies.

Best tracks: "Goodbye England", "Hope In The Air"

18) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

No one can deny the technical virtuosity of Bradford Cox and his bandmates in Deerhunter -- they're broad genre experiments result in lush soundscapes and very unique sounds. The technical brilliance can sometimes leave me cold -- I find myself more impressed with Deerhunter than enamored with them -- but everything Cox does is worth listening to, particularly when it results in such an eclectic product as Halcyon Digest.

Best tracks: "Helicopter", "Coronado"

17) Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Brooklyn-based Yeasayer has been embraced by the hipster-set, which is kind of funny given their latest album strikes me as decidedly un-hip, teeming as it is with woolly synth-pop that could be straight from the 80s. Hip or not, Odd Blood remains a great deal of fun, packed with rollicking, dense melodies.

Best tracks: "Ambling Alp", "O.N.E."

16) The Black Keys - Brothers

One of the best rock records of the year, The Black Keys' sixth album is further proof that the duo from Akron knows how to take raw blues rock sounds and turn them into something vibrant and relevant. Their songwriting has continued to get stronger, with Brothers showcasing both their expanded range and sophisticated production values.

Best tracks: "Everlasting Light", "Tighten Up"

15) Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Come and Get It

The New York Times recently featured a lengthy article on the new wave of neo-soul music, highlighting in particular how the rise of the genre has been spearheaded by a few nerdy white dudes. The best of that bunch is Boston's Eli "Paperboy" Reed, an artist who is clearly well-versed in soul's origins but able to add his own distinctive flavor to the sound. His debut album is a welcome throwback to an earlier soul era of wall-of-sound hooks and impassioned vocals.

Best tracks: "Come and Get It", "Explosion"

14) The New Pornographers - Together

The New Pornographers have been making beautiful power pop music for a decade now, so it's pretty amazing that they can still produce an album as consistent and effervescent as Together even after many of its members have achieved some acclaim outside the group. But when group leaders AC Newman, Dan Bejar, and Neko Case come together, they always find a way to meld their very idiosyncratic talents into something truly exceptional and Together is a perfect example of that.

Best tracks: "A Bite Out of My Bed", "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk"

13) Frightened Rabbit - Winter of Mixed Drinks

Scottish band Frightened Rabbit followed up their impressive sophomore album with this equally strong third outing, keeping the basic recipe of powerful melodies and impassioned vocals in tact. This time out the songs are a bit more polished and less raw, but the overall effect remains mesmerizing.

Best Tracks: "Nothing Like You", "Swim Until You Can't See Land"

12) Wolf Parade - Expo 86

To my mind, Montreal's Wolf Parade remain the most underrated act in indie rock. That is probably partly due to the lack of enthusiasm its two frontmen have in the project (evidenced by the fact they recently announced they would be taking a break). It's too bad, since Expo 86 once again demonstrates that coupling the propulsive rock of Dan Boeckner with the wild experimentation of Spencer Krug produces an exhilarating musical experience.

Best Tracks: "Ghost Pressure", "What Did My Lover Say"

11) Beach House - Teenage Dream

I liked but didn't love Beach House's debut album, which featured the kind of pleasant shoe-gaze music it was tough to get passionate about. But with their sophomore album, the Baltimore-based band has upped their game, taking their ambient, hazy sounds in new, more compelling directions. Its background music that soon finds a way to the front of the mind.

Best tracks: "Zebra", "Norway"

10) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

James Murphy has suggested that This is Happening will be LCD Soundsystem's last album, which is a pity since the three albums they've put out have all been outstanding. On the latest, Murphy continues to add dazzling beats and off-kilter hooks to his introspective, melancholic lyrics. I hope Murphy is bluffing, because LCD Soundystem is too good to be gone for too long.

Best tracks: "All I Want", "I Can Change"

9) Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Few artists choose to enter the stage with a 70-minute, 18 track debut album, but Janelle Monae is nothing if not ambitious. Covering a broad range of genres while all the while maintaining her own distinctive voice, Monae's audacious songwriting and performing on The ArchAndroid suggest an artist who will be making waves for years to come.

Best tracks: "Tightrope", "Cold War"

8) Jonsi - Go

Jonsi Birgisson, the frontman of Iceland's renowned Sigur Ros, has a talent for creating densely-packed, vast soundscapes that are overflowing with vibrant arrangements and novel instrumentation. His debut solo album is some of his most accessible, beautiful work to date, the kind of music that immediately grabs your attention and then never lets go.

Best tracks: "Go Do", "Animal Arithmetic"

7) Vampire Weekend - Contra

One of the first albums that came out in 2010 turned out to be one of the best, as Vampire Weekend produced a sophomore effort filled with cheery, clever, and infectious pop music. It's telling that following their smashing debut album, the band didn't get distracted with addressing the haters -- Contra is the work of a band confident in their abilities and eager to demonstrate they're one of the most reliable pop acts on the scene today.

Best tracks: "White Sky", "Giving Up the Gun"

6) Robyn - Body Talk

Swedish pop star Robyn decided to spend 2010 releasing a handful of delightful EPs, each one showcasing her unique ability to create vital dance-pop songs that often sound too sophisticated for the genre. Robyn, like most Swedish pop stars, knows her way with a melody, but distinguishes her music with heartfelt vocals and insightful lyrics.

Best tracks: "Dancing On My Own", "Call Your Girlfriend"

5) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire, in addition to producing another excellent, anthemic rock record, put on the best live show I saw this year. It helps that their catalog is filled with the kind of rousing, majestic rock music that no able-bodied person can avoid moving to, but it's notable that for all the energy the band can generate, the themes of their music tend to veer toward the dark and melancholic. On The Suburbs, the band examines life in the exurban sprawl and manages to generate excitement from the alienation and longing they find there.

Best tracks: "We Used to Wait", "Modern Man"

4) Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty

It has been 4 years since the last Outkast album came out and that album, the underwhelming Idlewild, didn't leave much to savor. Fortunately, one half of the Outkast duo, Big Boi, returned in a big way in 2010, producing a raucous, magnetic solo album chock-a-block with radio-ready jams. Big Boi was never as wildly inventive as his former partner Andre 3000, but his underrated, straightforward hip hop was always more consistent and often more enjoyable. Left to his own devices, he takes his solo effort in a multitude of directions, producing the most fun hip hop album of the year.

Best tracks: "Shine Blockas", "Shutterbug"

3) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Sometimes, the only people who can create truly great art have to be insufferable, ego maniacal assholes. How else to explain the brilliance of Kanye West, a man clearly troubled with intense self-doubt, unabashed earnestness, and unqualified aspirations for grandeur? But all those mixed up emotions find their most productive release in the recording studio, where West has now produced five fascinating, exceptional albums. His latest is his best yet, a masterwork of music that teeters between raunchy and sophisticated, ridiculous and insightful. There are many labels that Kanye deserves, but the most important one continues to be music genius.

Best tracks: "Runaway", "Monster"

2) Sleigh Bells - Treats

The best debut of the year, Sleigh Bells makes a lot of noise for a band composed of only two people. But Derek Miller's sonic inventions and Alexis Krauss' sweet vocals pack a wallop every time you hear one of their songs -- it's like a musical bomb exploding, and the aftershock remains long after impact. Talk about making one hell of an entrance -- Sleigh Bells made music unlike anything else I heard this year.

Best tracks: "Tell 'Em", "Rill Rill"

1) The National - High Violet

I'll readily admit that Kanye's music was more adventurous, that Sleigh Bells' was more original, and Arcade Fire's was more epic than the morose, contemplative rock music produced by The National this year. But in going back to the well this time, the Brooklyn-via-Cincinnati band found a sound that was a little more haunting and a little more dramatic than in their superb previous albums. Propelled by lead singer Matt Beringer's smoky baritone, the songs on High Violet are essentially about maturing, tackling the new-found responsibilities and challenges that come with middle age. The band sounds worried, but they shouldn't be -- the evidence suggests they only get better with age.

Best tracks: "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "England"

Top Ten Songs of 2010

2010-12-18T17:10:00.042-05:00

As usual, most of the best songs of the year came from artists on my best albums list, and I tend to exclude those songs on this list so I can highlight a few other discoveries.

At the bottom of this post, though, I've included a playlist of all the songs noted here as well as a few of my other favorites -- hopefully it captures most of what I think are the best songs of the year. Now on to my top ten:

10) Stornoway - "Zorbing"

I don't know much about this Oxford-based band, but their debut single is a nice slice of folk-pop featuring an irresistible refrain.

9) The Mynabirds - "Let the Record Go"

The Mynabirds is the name for singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn's new act. She released an excellent debut record this year, with this song a good representation of the her upbeat, retro-pop sound.

8) Basia Bulat - "The Shore"

Canadian folk singer-songwriter Basia Bulat writes songs of exquisite beauty, helped by a lilting alto voice that makes everything sound just that much more delicate and intimate. "The Shore", featuring just Bulat on her autoharp, is the kind of spare melody that is all the more powerful because of its simplicity.

7) Surfer Blood - "Swim"

Floridians Surfer Blood sound like they should be from California -- "Swim" is a pure shot of sunny beach power pop, with a catchy chorus and anthemic vocals.

6) School of Seven Bells - "Windstorm"

New York's School of Seven Bells is comprised of three sisters and one male bandmate who write ethereal, hazy pop songs. This single off their latest album is their best work yet, combining air falsetto vocals with intricate instrumentation.

5) Broken Social Scene - "Texico Bitches"

Broken Social's Scene's newest album, Forgiveness Rock Record, just missed making my albums list so I wanted to highlight one of the better, more up-tempo songs on that disc. "Texico Bitches" is a pretty simple melody, but it has an infectious beat and makes good use of the band's many members.

4) The Morning Benders - "Excuses"

Another charming California-style pop number on this list, "Excuses" shift perfectly between doo-wop ballad and aggressive wall-of-sound instrumentation. A nice, sunny number to warm your heart in the depths of winter.

3) Metric - "Black Sheep"

Canadian indie rockers Metric left this track off last year's excellent Fantasies because they couldn't find a place to put it on the album. It's just as well, since the song fit very well in indie music ethos of the film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I have no idea what the lyrics mean but the song sounds great.

2) Caribou - "Odessa"

One of the most original tracks of the year, "Odessa" is a dancehall number with earworm beats, tender vocals, and awesome hooks. It's an enchanting song that borrows heavily from disco and techno but emerges as something entirely unique.

1) Aloe Blacc - "I Need a Dollar"

Given the continually poor state of the economy, I suppose it's not surprising that the song that resonated most with me this year was Aloe Blacc's neo-soul number "I Need a Dollar." Blacc recorded the song 4 years ago, but it's only been released this year on his debut album and received attention as the theme song to HBO's How To Make It In America. It's a fantastic number, enhanced by Blacc's soulful vocals and the urgency of the background beat.

I've compiled all the songs above along with a few of my favorites from my album list into one playlist here:

The End of the 00's: The Year and Decade in Culture

2009-12-26T14:33:00.002-05:00

Given that I started this decade as an aspiring journalist and ended it as a media professional, I've consumed a fair share of media over the past 10 years and rather enjoyed remembering much of it. If this was a political and economic decade from hell, there were at least a number of high points artistically, including in this final year. I've tried to recount them in my following lists on the decade and year in culture:

Decade

2009

The Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-26T13:00:00.003-05:00

This year was a pretty good one for music, with some promising debuts and solid albums from reliable favorites. The big surprise for me is that I don't have any hip-hop on this year's list -- I just didn't warm to some of the better hip-hop albums of the year from the likes of Kid Sister and Raekwon. Fortunately, there was plenty of other music to keep me entertained. Below are my 25 favorite albums of the year (note -- you shouldn't have to but you may be prompted to sign-up at Lala.com to listen to the songs. It's a painless, free process and will allow you one listen of every song here):

25) Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster
The fourth album from Thao Nguyen and her backing band is a record about a bad break-up, but it doesn't sound angry. Instead, most of the songs on this disc are bright, raucous fun.
Best tracks: "When We Swarm", "Body"

Know Better Learn Faster - Tha...

24) Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
Some of the best electronica to come out this year, Neon Indian's hazy electro-pop is a trippy, great time. I didn't quite warm to the washed out aesthetic that was in vogue this year, but Neon Indian's melodies manage to shine under the haze.
Best tracks: "Deadbeat Summer", "Psychic Chasms"

Psychic Chasms - Neon Indian

23) Metric - Fantasies
As always, this Toronto-based band produces a sound that is somewhere between punk and power pop. On their fourth album, the infectious melodies are more polished -- sometimes a bit too much so -- but Emily Haines' impassioned vocals continue to sting.
Best tracks: "Gimme Sympathy", "Help I'm Alive"

Fantasies - Metric

22) Rihanna - Rated R
Rihanna's post-Chris Brown album features none of the bouncy pop hits she is most known for. Instead, this bleak disc is comprised of songs that bristle with anger and hurt, and while she never explicitly discusses her abuse it is clear she is channeling her pain on songs like "Stupid in Love" and "Cold Case Love." The end product, while not entirely consistent, can be fascinating.
Best tracks: "Cold Case Love", "Russian Roulette"

Rated R - Rihanna

21) Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Chicagoan Andrew Bird is an entirely unique artist, as his music combines acoustic, plaintive sounds with grand arrangements to produce dazzling chamber pop. If his latest album didn't quite reach the heights of some of his earlier ones, it was still a work of wonder.
Best tracks: "Fitz and Dizzyspells", "Oh No"

Noble Beast - Andrew Bird

20) The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
I found the Avett Brothers' previous albums to be a bit digressive, but their major label debut is a focused work of beautiful southern folk-rock. The melodies are simple and elegiac, with the brothers' harmonies sounding very elegant.
Best tracks: "I and Love and You", "And it Spread"

I And Love And You - The Avett...

19) JJ - JJ n 2
There's something in the water over in Sweden -- that country has a singular ability to produce gorgeous pop music. JJ is the latest Swedish export to boast lush melodies and beautiful vocal arrangements and this 26 minute album is a delight from beginning to end.
Best tracks: "From Africa to Malaga", "My Love"

nº 2 - jj

18) Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night
Country has had its fair share of female crossover stars, but few men. Hopefully that will change with Paisley, who writes effortless songs that exude charm and likability. It's the only album to feature a full-fledged Obama anthem, "Welcome to the Future".
Best tracks: "Everybody's Here", "The Pants"

American Saturday Night - Brad...

17) Lily Allen - It's Not Me It's You
Lily Allen writes breezy songs that are as cheeky and annoyed as they are catchy. Her second album features some of the best hooks of the year, coupled with some very funny, pissy lyrics. It's a perfect mix of sweet and sour.
Best tracks: "The Fear", "Everyone's at It", "Fuck You

It's Not Me, It's You - Lily A...

16) St. Vincent - Actor
I was a big fan of Annie Clark's (Aka St. Vincent) first album, so it's no surprise I was charmed by her follow-up. Her melodies get even more gorgeous on Actor, filled as they are with orchestral strings, affected vocals, and quirky percussion. She's a very inventive musician.
Best tracks: "The Strangers", "Actor Out of Work"

Actor - St. Vincent

15) Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
One of the best debuts of the year, Cymbals Eat Guitars evoke bands from Beulah to My Bloody Valentine on this album without ever sounding derivative. It's an album about malaise that sounds anything but disengaged.
Best tracks: "And the Hazy Sea", "Share"

Why There Are Mountains - Cymb...

14) Ida Maria - Fortress Around My Heart
Yet another Scandinavian pop gem, this time from Norway. Ida Maria's debut album was released in Europe last year to wide acclaim but only got a proper release here this year. It's an energetic thrill-ride, full of vital, very catchy pop songs.
Best tracks: "Oh My God", "Louie", "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"

Fortress 'round My Heart - Ida...

13) The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
A very enjoyable slice of folk rock, this debut from Canadian band RAA couples vibrant melodies with lead singer Nils Edenloff's emotive vocals to produce songs that sound both raw and urgent.
Best tracks: "The Ballad of The RAA", The Deadroads"

Hometowns - The Rural Alberta ...

12) Florence and the Machine - Lungs
This British band's debut generated quite a bit of hype in England and it turns out the buzz was entirely deserved. Singer Florence Welch belts these irresistibly catchy melodies with an almost religious fervor. Consider me a convert.
Best tracks: "Dog Days Are Over", "You've Got the Love"

Lungs - Florence & the Machine

11) Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Spencer Krug's second best band (after Wolf Parade) put out another excellent album this year, one more accessible and rollicking than any of the band's earlier works. Track "You Go On Ahead" is probably my favorite song of the year.
Best tracks: "You Go On Ahead", "Idiot Heart"

Dragonslayer - Sunset Rubdown

10) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
Karen O and her New York band trade their garage rock roots for a more disco-oriented, new-wave sound and the results are addictive. Karen O's typically primal screeching may be more subdued, but the irrepressible ferocity is still in full force.
Best tracks: "Heads Will Roll", "Skeletons"

It's Blitz! - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

9) Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist
Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear released this very well-crafted album to deserved acclaim this year, as their intricate melodies featured an impressive combination of technically brilliant instrumentation, gorgeous choral harmonies, and a fair bit of genre eclecticism. If the album is slightly lower on my list than it is on others, it's because their experimentation can sometimes leave me cold -- but even in those cases I'm in awe of their talent.
Best tracks: "Two Weeks", "Southern Point"

8) Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
I have soft spot for Phil Spector-esque female pop, and no one is doing that kind of music better than Scottish band Camera Obscura. Like their fellow countrymen Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura make beautiful, lush melodies that expertly veer from delicate and heartbreaking to euphoric and cheerful. My Maudlin Career, their fourth album, is their best yet.
Best tracks: "French Navy", "James"

My Maudlin Career - Camera Obs...

7) Passion Pit - Manners
Passion Pit's debut EP, released last year, featured my favorite song of 2008 in "Sleepyhead". Needless to say, my expectations for their full length LP were sky high but the band had no trouble meeting them, as Manners boasted a number of wondrous dance tunes and dazzling beats.
Best tracks: "Sleepyhead", "Moth's Wings"

Manners - Passion Pit

6) The XX - XX
The best debut of a year that featured a number of good ones, The XX write romantic, melancholic music that feels startlingly intimate. The two lead vocalsts, one male and one female, sing as though they are a perfectly in-sync couple, quietly sharing their feelings with one another. Fortunately, we get to listen in.
Best tracks: "Crystalised", "VCR", "Heart Skipped a Beat"

xx - The xx

5) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Neko Case's voice has always sounded like a force of nature so it makes sense that one of the best albums of her long career would find her conjuring up images of tornadoes and vicious animals. If the voice is feral, the melodies themselves are beautifully orchestrated and well-grounded alt-country tracks.
Best tracks: "I'm an Animal", "People Got a Lotta Nerve", "This Tornado Loves You"

Middle Cyclone - Neko Case

4) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
No band does a better job of collecting such a swirling array of different noises, instruments, and voices and turning them into an utterly original pop confection than Animal Collective. The inventiveness on display in this album is astonishing, particularly on "Summertime Clothes" and "My Girls", two of the best tracks to come out this year.
Best tracks: "Summertime Clothes", "My Girls"

Merriweather Post Pavilion - A...

3) The Handsome Furs - Face Control
This album is not going to appear on any other critics' lists and I understand why: lead man Dan Boeckner (who, with Spencer Krug of Sunset Rubdown, also helms Wolf Parade) and his bandmate/wife Alexei Perry produce pretty conventional, straightforward rock-and-roll music. But Boeckner's music, while uninventive, is utterly thrilling -- this album is a rip-roaring experience from beginning to end. My friend Sam likes to argue that Boeckner and Krug are the Outkast of indie music -- Krug, like Andre 3000, gets all the critical plaudits since his constant experimentation can produce some incredible sounds. Boeckner, on the other hand, is just like Big Boi, less concerned with the experiments than with providing consistently engaging entertainment. Face Control is the embodiment of that virtue, a great rock album that keeps your heart pumping all the way through.
Best tracks: "Evangeline", "Radio Kaliningrad", "I'm Confused"

Face Control - Handsome Furs

2) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I've been a Phoenix fan since 2003, back when their fantastic single "If I Ever Feel Better" made its mark (see my songs of the decade list). This is the first time, though, when the band has put together an album chock full of exciting dance-rock singles, from opening track "Lizstomania" to the finale "Armistice". Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a breakthrough album from a band that always made such an achievement seem inevitable.
Best tracks: "1901", "Lizstomania", "Lasso

Phoenix

1) The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
When I first heard the The Dirty Projectors, I admired the artistry in their music but cooled to the pretension. I then saw them perform live and was blown away by the band's musicianship and their creativity, both of which are on display in this magnificent album. Lead man Dave Longstreth shares more vocal duties with his female bandmates and the band is better for it -- for once, all his musical experiments become both accessible and fascinating. I've heard this album described as everything from pop to prog rock to R&B, which gives a sense of all the ideas being played with on Bitte Orca. It may not be a record for everyone, but for me it was the best album of the year.
Best tracks: "Stillness is the Move", "Two Doves", "Cannibal Resource"

Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors

The Top Ten Songs of 2009

2009-12-26T12:59:00.004-05:00

As always, this year's songs list is comprised exclusively of songs that are not on any of the discs on my best albums list since, as one would expect, most of the best songs of the year came from those albums and I figure there's no point in repetition. Below are ten of my favorite songs of the year and a couple bonus tracks from bands I adore:

10) Miley Cyrus - "Party in the USA"
Say what you want about Miley Cyrus, but this song is dumb, good fun. It's got an insanely catchy melody (not surprisingly, the producer is a Swede) and earnest lyrics that sound quite convincing coming from Cyrus' slightly country voice.

9) Blue Roses - "I Am Leaving"
Laura Groves, aka Blue Roses, is a 21 year old British singer-songwriter with a great deal of promise. This is her best song to date, a beautiful tune that combines acoustic guitar with accordions and glockenspiels.

I Am Leaving - Blue Roses

8) Cam'ron - "I Hate My Job"
An anthem for our recessionary times, Cam'ron's rap vividly captures the frustrations of marginal employment and the difficulties of re-entering the job market. Who would have expected a rapper to give voice to the laid-off underdog?

7) Mika - "Good Gone Girl"
Mika's music tends to be too kitschy for my tastes and his constant aping of 80's styles from Elton John to Queen can be grating. But he is capable of producing the occasional irresistible melody, and this piano-driven song is an example of that talent.

6) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - "Home"
The 12 or so musicians who make up the Magnetic Zeroes (there is no Edward Sharpe) are the kind of hippy musical collective you want to make fun of. It's tough to do that, though, when they produce songs as delightful as this one.

5) The Big Pink - "Dominos"
The protagonist of this song sounds like a sleazebag -- he takes pride in sleeping with women and dumping them the next day. He puts on a good show, though, when he sings the refrain, "These girls fall like dominos", which is supported by a bombastic, killer hook.

4) Amadou and Miriam - "Sabali"
This musical duo from Mali have been making great music for over 30 years, with their latest album, Welcome to Mali, their best received yet. The opening single on that album, produced by Blur's Damon Albarn, is a gorgeous track that beautifully melds their distinctly African sounds with more western pop influences.

3) R. Kelly - "Echo"
At this point, we can assume that any new song from R. Kelly is going to be ridiculously crude, overtly sexual, and most likely very enjoyable. "Echo", Kelly's best song since "Ignition", is a hyper-sexualized, humorous song about his insatiable carnal appetite. Plus he yodels.

2) Lisa Hannigan - "I Don't Know"
I saw this talented Irish singer perform this song on The Colbert Report and was taken aback -- it's a beautiful melody coupled with sweet lyrics about new love. Hannigan is apparently best known for her vocal contributions on Damian Rice's albums, but this track suggests she's capable of making great music on her own.

1) N.A.S.A - "Gifted"
Somehow the hip-hop DJ duo N.A.S.A was able to produce a debut album with more than a dozen guest stars, ranging from David Byrne to Tom Waits to M.I.A. Sadly, most of the collaborations were less than the sum of their parts. The exception is "Gifted", a propulsive song featuring Kanye West, Lykke Li, and Santogold. West starts it off with some standard Kanye showboating before handing off the chorus to Li and Santogold, who take the track to another level.

For ease of use, I've compiled all these songs into a playlist (excepting the Blue Roses one, which I couldn't find on playlist.com) below and added two others I wanted to share from two of my favorite bands. The first is a great track from The National that was featured on the Dark Was the Night charitable compilation and the second is the first single from the upcoming Vampire Weekend album. Both are worth giving a listen.

The Best Television Shows of 2009

2009-12-26T11:55:00.002-05:00

Considering the writers' strike did major damage to last year's TV season, it was only natural that this year would see a resurgence in good programs. What I did not anticipate, however, was the bounty this season would offer -- from cable to broadcast, networks programmed their schedules with a number of eminently watchable, well-conceived series. I had so many great television experiences last season that I decided to split up my lists into best shows and episodes -- and I've purposefully tried to limit overlap between the two. Below are my favorite television shows and episodes of the 2009:

Series

10) Bored to Death (HBO)

Writer Jonathan Ames created this comedy about a writer's block-plagued novelist (Jason Schwartzman, playing Jonathan Ames) who decides to become a detective on the side. But the show is less about the cases than about Jonathan's relationships -- whether they be with his best friend (a hilariously neurotic Zach Galifanakis), his George Plimpton-esque editor (Ted Danson, doing some of the best acting of his career) or the string of women who invariably reject him after he falls for them. The show is still getting its sea legs -- early episodes were very hit or miss -- but by the season finale Ames had started to get a strong grasp on his vision. I'm excited for the show's return.

9) Better Off Ted (ABC)

No one is watching this show, which is a real pity, both because it's one of the best comedies on broadcast television and because its biting, extremely funny satire of corporate America should be welcome in these hard economic times. Following the exploits of an R&D executive (Jay Harrington, an able straight man) and his team of scientists and product testers at the soulless, often incompetent company Veridian Dynamics, Better Off Ted finds black comedy in the kinds of corporate initiatives and marketing-speak that anyone who works in business can appreciate. The show also produced one of the best episodes of the year, "Racial Insensitivity", about the company's effort to reduce costs by installing motion detectors at headquarters -- only to discover that the detectors could not see black people.

8) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
Focused on a gang of deeply immoral characters who run a bar in Philadelphia,
this FX series has been on the air for 5 seasons and a large part of the show's madcap charm is its loose, emphatic comedy. But a consequence of the show's casual style is that it can be very inconsistent -- a typical season generally has a .500 batting average. This latest season, however, may be the show's best yet -- not only was it a riot from beginning to end, it featured some delightfully skewed comedy, particularly in the episode above where the gang takes on a fraternity in a game of flip cup.

7) Friday Night Lights (DirectTV/NBC)

Few shows have the courage to hit restart – which is why most series set in high school keep their characters in school for much longer than logic would dictate. Friday Night Lights, to its credit, decided to end its last season with Coach Eric Taylor (the great Kyle Chandler) forced to coach a new high school in the same town, and the resulting challenges from the new setting have proven to be very entertaining. The show continues to set the bar for realistic, deeply affecting depictions of adolescence and small town community – one recent episode in particular, about the loss of a student’s father, is among the most powerful shows the program has ever done.

6) Modern Family (ABC)
I’ve actually cooled on this comedy a bit – its sentimentality is starting to wear – but when Modern Family keeps its focus on getting laughs instead of pulling heartstrings (which is most of the time), it can be extremely funny. Using a mockumentary format to follow three very different branches of an extended family, Modern Family succeeds by taking standard family sitcom tropes and updating them for the 21st century.

5) Big Love (HBO)

The last season of this HBO drama about a polygamous family upped the stakes by introducing a new potential wife for the Henrickson clan and by wreaking havoc on the fundamentalist compound where much of Bill Henrickson's extended family still resides. The show has grown quite a bit from its initial gimmick -- the Henricksons may be polygamists, but their problems and flaws turn out to be both compelling and deeply moving.

4) Party Down (Starz)

From creator Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and actor Paul Rudd, this Starz sitcom about a Los Angeles catering company comprised mostly of wannabe actors and writers is biting, cynical, and consistently hilarious. Each episode focuses on a different catering event, allowing the series regulars (led by Adam Scott, as a former actor determined to leave showbiz behind) to engage with a different set of guest stars every week. Starz doesn't have wide distribution, but the network has made the wise decision to make the first season of Party Down available on Netflix Instant Streaming -- it's a good way to quickly lose 5 hours of your life.

3) Lost (ABC)

This island drama became deeply weird in its 5th season, which was a boon to die hard fans who relish the series' many Sci-Fi mysteries. Most notable among those mysteries was the question of time travel and, specifically, whether the past can be changed. While such questions were being debated, Lost also offered new dimensions to old characters such as Josh Holloway's Sawyer, who demonstrated surprising leadership when he was forced to live with the Dharma Initiative. Many have noted that Lost is facing an uphill battle as it enters its final season since there is probably no way to tie up this story while pleasing everyone. At this point, I'm not sure it matters -- all I know is that I'll be watching.

2) The Office/Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Parks and Recreation

The Office

This pair of NBC comedies, both from creator Greg Daniels, complemented each other perfectly during 2009, with The Office reaching a creative high point in the first half of the year before suffering a bit of a decline in the fall, while Parks and Recreation got off to a slow start but became the best comedy on television by the end of the year. The strongest episodes of The Office dealt with a storyline that had Steve Carell’s Michael Scott start a rival paper company after becoming disenchanted with the management at Dunder Mifflin. The venture was a spectacular failure but provided ample moments of both hilarity and heart. Parks and Recreation, about a small-town parks department, hewed too close to The Office model at first, with Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope seeming like a cheap Michael Scott knock-off. Over time, however, the writers started to understand the character and the backdrop better and came up with wickedly funny episodes that capitalized on all the humor to be found in government bureaucracy. Of particular note: Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, the head of the department and Leslie’s boss, who steals every moment he’s on the screen, particularly in the episode featured above.

1) Mad Men (AMC)

Even though it started off feeling like it was telling a story we've heard before -- Don Draper has a wandering eye, Betty is alienated, Peggy is lost -- the last season of Mad Men turned out to be a pretty momentous one for the characters at the Sterling Cooper ad agency. Don made clean breaks in both his personal and professional lives, as he finally spilled the beans to Betty while also navigating a thrilling escape from his new bosses at the ad agency (both instances providing opportunities for Jon Hamm to prove he's the best actor on television). The season ended on a surprisingly optimistic note -- leaving us desperately hoping that things will still be okay when this brilliant drama returns.

Episodes

10) The League - "The Bounce Test" (FX)
FX's new comedy, about a middle-aged group of high school buddies who compete in a very competitive fantasy football league, features a number of up-and-coming comics and scripts that get better with every episode. The best episode of the short season was centered around Ruxin, a selfish character played wonderfully by Nick Kroll, and his desperate attempts to get his wife to sleep with him.

9) Community - "Spanish 101" (NBC)

One of the best new shows of the fall, Community has yet to reach the heights of its Thursday night counterparts on NBC, but it has a great cast (led by The Soup's Joel McHale) and funny scripts about life at a community college. This episode culminates in one of the best set pieces the show has done to date -- a hilarious Spanish presentation given by McHale and fellow castmember Chevy Chase.

8) House - "Wilson" (Fox)

House is a very frustrating show – the producers seem intent on focusing their attention on lame subplots and secondary characters when the most compelling parts of the program are the main character (superbly played by Hugh Laurie) and his best friend Wilson (an understated and very effective Robert Sean Leonard). In this episode, we saw the world of House through Wilson’s eyes, and the change of focus made the show seem fresh and interesting again.

7) The Big Bang Theory - "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" (CBS)

The only sitcom with a laugh track on any of my lists, The Big Bang Theory has become a reliable source of laughs whenever it puts socially awkward, demanding scientist Sheldon Cooper at the center of its stories. That's primarily because actor Jim Parsons is one of the best comedic actors on television, as he demonstrates in this episode as he attempts to best a childhood nemesis.

6) Top Chef - "Vivre Las Vegas" (Bravo)

This season of Top Chef featured the best chefs of any season to date – I would have happily eaten in any of the finalists' restaurants. If the season lacked drama because of the lack of parity (4 contestants were head and shoulders above the others), it at least featured some pretty interesting challenges, like in this episode where the chefs had to demonstrate their French cooking skills by serving a meal for chefs Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller, and the don of French cooking, Joel Robuchon.

5) Curb Your Enthusiasm - "The Table Read" (HBO)
The Seinfeld reunion revitalized Larry David’s comedy since it provided a very funny conceit – Larry agrees to write a Seinfeld reunion in the hopes of winning back his ex-wife by giving her a role in it – that helped give focus to the whole season. Also, it was a blast watching the various Seinfeld parties fall back into their natural rhythms with one another.

4) Eastbound and Down - "Chapter 5" (HBO)

There were only six episodes of this very funny HBO series about a washed-up baseball player (Danny McBride) who is forced to return to his hometown and become a substitute teacher to pay the bills. A large part of what made the show so enjoyable is that the main character, Kenny Powers, seemed to have no redeeming qualities. This episode almost made him sympathetic as Kenny began to come to terms with his fading glories, only to reverse course due to a spectacularly gruesome twist that was as funny as it was disturbing.

3) Chuck - "Chuck vs. The Best Friend" (NBC)

Chuck, about an electronics store employee who becomes an accidental secret agent when a super computer is implanted in his head, is dumb fun in the best possible way. This episode was the strongest of its very strong second season, as Chuck had to once again balance his secret spy world with the needs of his family and, in this case, his best friend.

2) 30 Rock - "Dealbreakers" (NBC)
30 Rock had a very erratic 2009, as many episodes felt like they were trying too hard to get laughs. That was not the case with this very funny episode of the new season, where Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon gets her own talk show and begins to crumble under the pressure of being a performer. Fey gives a fantastic performance, particularly in the scene where she tries to talk “performer Liz” down from a cliff.

1) Flight of the Conchords - "Unnatural Love" (HBO)

Flight of the Conchords second season wasn’t as delightful as its first, but that was because the duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie set such a high standard with both their comedy and music the first time around. The best episode of the second season, about an ill-fated courtship between Jemaine and an Australian, was my favorite television episode from last year. Directed by filmmaker Michel Gondry, it also featured some very good songs, like “Carol Brown” (above).

The Top Ten Movies of 2009

2009-12-26T11:24:00.005-05:00

It was a fairly mediocre year in movies, particularly at the multi-plex -- we lacked any really thought-provoking mass entertainments like last year's The Dark Knight or Wall-E. Still, there were a number of small movies that attempted to pick up the slack. Below are my top ten films of the year:

10) Up in the Air
I'm frankly a little surprised at how much swooning the critics are doing over this very enjoyable but fairly lightweight film. I suppose its recession-era themes -- George Clooney plays an HR consultant who travels the country firing people for a living -- adds some resonance, but in general Up in the Air is a conventional crowd pleaser. Still, it should be appreciated for its clever script, fluid direction, and stellar cast, led by Clooney giving a nuanced performance as a man who claims to be most at home when he doesn't have one.

9) The Informant!
Steven Soderbergh took the bizarre tale of Mark Whitacre, an Archer Daniels Midland executive who helped uncover price-fixing in the company but turned out to have his own secrets, into a sly, off-kilter comedy. Told from Whitacre's skewed point of view, The Informant! is both mordantly funny and very sad, as we start to discover that the biggest victim of Whitacre's deceptions is himself. The film is an acting showcase for Matt Damon, who proves to be a very able comedic performer.

8) Precious
I agree with the detractors that Precious can be ham-handed at times -- director Lee Daniels does spend a bit too much time rubbing our faces in the miserable life of his main character. But the constant moments of melodrama make Precious' eventual escape from the misery all that more cathartic, and Gabourey Sidibe (as the title character) and Mo'Nique (as her mother) give performances of such ferocity that it's impossible not to be moved by this story.

7) Fantastic Mr. FoxTurns out that Wes Anderson is an ideal director for animated films, as his delicate stagings and precious characters find their most natural home in a setting that is altogether unreal. In Fantastic Mr. Fox, he finds a kindred spirit in Roald Dahl, whose children's books feature the kinds of precocious protagonists and humorously adult themes that Anderson imbued in his previous films. The pairing results in the best children's film of the year, an impressive feat given the number of standout children's films in 2009.

6) District 9A strikingly original science fiction film from debut director Neill Blomkamp, District 9 fits well within the tradition of Sci-Fi that blends wild imagination with political allegory. Set in a Johannesburg where aliens have landed on earth but live as second class citizens, District 9 is bracingly unconventional thriller, at least until the last third of the movie when it becomes a more standard action film. Like Avatar, it's a case of an outsider who goes native, except this time the conversion is hardly welcome. Blomkamp is a real talent -- how he produced such impressive effects on a supposedly modest budget is beyond me. Here's hoping Hollywood gives him a chance to work his magic on an even bigger scale.

5) Inglourious BasterdsQuentin Tarantino's revenge fantasy has proven to be very polarizing, though I think people who either love or hate the film are taking it too seriously. As a whole, I don't think the movie is exploitative trash or a daring masterpiece -- it's too uneven to be either. It works best in scenes that feature Tarantino's typically exquisite dialogue and sense of pacing, such as the anxiety-inducing tavern scene or the opening moments on the French countryside. As SS officer Hans Landa, Christoph Waltz gives one of the best performances of the year, turning his menacing and opportunistic Nazi into a completely magnetic figure.

4) In the LoopThe most fun I had in a theater all year. Armando Iannucci's wickedly funny satire of the run-up to the Iraq War took shots at everyone -- the feckless British diplomats who were too scared to stand up to the bull-dozing Americans, the careerist generals and state department officials who went along with a war they never really believed in, and the PR handlers and communications officials who played the press like a fiddle. The most expert player is Peter Capaldi's staggeringly profane, uproarious Malcolm Tucker, a man with so much verbal dexterity his words seem more explosive than any number of IEDs.

3) A Serious ManThe Coen brothers look back on their childhood and find plenty of humor in their Jewish traditions and more than a little angst. As a man struggling to understand the big questions about God and existence, Michael Stuhlbarg is the walking embodiment of tsuris -- he's so wound up and so desperate for answers we know his search can't end well. If you expect the Coens to offer up one of their patently glib punchlines, you'll be surprised -- A Serious Man, like No Country for Old Men before it, suggests the maturing Coens are actually interested in the deep questions, even if they think searching for the answers may be a waste of time.

2) Summer HoursA beautiful film about globalization and our profound generational differences, told through the story of a family that must distribute their inheritance after the death of a beloved matriarch. Director Olivier Assayas' very French film recognizes that the global changes around us are having a major impact on our day to day lives and quietly suggests that some seemingly outdated values may be worth remembering.

1) The Hurt Locker The Iraq War has proven a difficult subject for filmmakers -- from In the Valley of Elah to Redacted, political messages tend to get in the way of good storytelling. Katheryn Bigelow's exceptionally well-made film eschews politics and is better for it, for she knows we don't need moral hectoring to realize the extremely dangerous position we placed our troops. Focused on an elite squad of bomb detonation experts, The Hurt Locker is both a riveting action film and a powerful demonstration of the drug-like effects war has on the men who fight it. The Hurt Locker is an immersive war movie -- you feel like you're right on the front lines, sharing in the stress, anxiety, and relief that abound there -- and an unforgettable experience.

Runners Up: Where the Wild Things Are, Drag Me to Hell, Adventureland, Up

The Top Ten Albums of the Decade

2009-12-26T10:34:00.002-05:00

It's easy to look at the numbers -- like the astonishing decline in physical CD sales, or the fact that the highest selling album of the decade was produced by N'Sync (!), or that the number one rock act of the decade was Nickelback (!!) -- and think that the music business went to hell in a handbasket in the 00's. I, however, have nothing but good words for the decade in music -- this was the first decade I really started following new music (thanks Napster!) and it offered an awesome introduction for a neophyte music collector. Below are my favorite albums of the aughts (note -- you shouldn't have to but you may be prompted to sign-up at Lala.com to listen to the songs. It's a painless, free process and will allow you one listen of every song here):

10) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005)
The second album in Sufjan Stevens' 50 state project -- he aims to produce a CD for each state in the US -- could be the last in the series and the project would still be considered a success. It's ironic how well Stevens captures the ethos of a rough-and-tumble state like Illinois through mellifluous, delicate melodies and quirky lyrics. Ranging from the majesty of "Chicago" to the heartbreaking "Casimir Pulaski Day," Illinois is a magnificent achievement from an artist whose ambitions are bound to lead him to even greater ones.

Illinois - Sufjan Stevens

9) Kanye West - College Dropout (2004)
He seems so ubiquitous these days that it's easy to forget that Kanye West was once an unknown record producer yearning for attention and recognition. That all changed with this debut album which, despite some wonderful follow-ups, remains his best album to date. The flowing rhymes and infectious beats we know him for were all on this album, along with a little of the braggadocio that hadn't quite yet blown up into his current megalomania.

The College Dropout - Kanye We...

8) The National - Alligator (2005)
Does part of my affection for The National stem from the fact that most of the band comes from Cincinnati? Sure. But that doesn't make the third full-length album from the group any less impressive. Between lead singer Matt Berninger's smoky vocals and the powerful melodies of such songs like "Secret Meeting" and "Mr. November", Alligator showed that The National were the best entertainers to come out of the 'nati since George Clooney .

Alligator - The National

7) Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
I don't consider myself a huge Wilco fan, but there's no denying the incredible craftsmanship and beautiful sounds on this album. For an album that takes on such somber subjects as death, drinking, and loss, the album's melodies are all surprisingly catchy. I tend to think Wilco's best days are behind them, but YHF shows that the band at its best was better than practically anyone else.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco

6) Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (2002)
In terms of pure consistency across a large number of albums, I think Spoon are probably the musical artists of the decade. It's tough to choose a favorite from their catalog, but this 35 minute gem features all the signature hooks and beats that typify a great Spoon album. Songs like "Paper Tiger" and "The Way We Get By" demonstrate that great melodies don't necessarily need bombast or majestic instrumentation -- for Spoon, simplicity is stunning.

Kill the Moonlight - Spoon

5) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)
Dance rock tends to be pretty superficial, which is part of what made this album so remarkable. Songwriter and DJ James Murphy turned his attentions to the challenges of aging and loss on Sound of Silver and produced mesmerizing results. The album features two of the best songs of the decade, "Someone Great" and "All My Friends."

Sound Of Silver - LCD Soundsys...

4) Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Before heading off into less fruitful directions with Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief, Radiohead's penchant for experimentation found its' most clear success story with this exceptional album. Thom Yorke's warped vocals are perfectly complimented by the different tones and textures Radiohead play around with on Kid A, leaving the listener with a music experience that is completely sui generis.

Kid A - Radiohead

3) The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
In many ways, the reception of this album represented all that is wrong with indie rock culture: it was greeted with massive hype that soon turned into harsh backlash, aimed at artists who probably didn't have the stature to warrant the debate. I haven't given up on The Strokes as important musicians just yet, but even if they disappear from the landscape Is This It will still be an important landmark in the decade's music if only because it heralded the mix of garage and post-punk sound that now defines much of the indie scene. The Strokes' debut was the best of the genre, with hazy melodies and a disaffected lyrics that seemed to perfectly embody the downtown New York scene they came from.

Is This It - The Strokes

2) Outkast - Stankonia (2000)
It was always the curse and blessing of Outkast that Andre 3000 and Big Boi, the two musicians who make up the band, are individually two of the most talented songwriters and performers to enter the music industry. A curse because it caused their growing separation this decade, which by now seems essentially complete. But the blessing was their initial willingness to collaborate, which produced such magnificent discs as Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and this masterpiece. On songs like "B.O.B" and "Ms. Jackson" we see how the whole far exceeds the sum of its parts.

Stankonia - OutKast

1) Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
What made this album so astonishing when it first appeared wasn't merely the "communal euphoria", as Pitchfork deemed it, that this Canadian band could generate -- it was the utterly primal nature of the sounds. Songs like "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Wake Up" are so unbridled and wild that it was almost like someone was orchestrating a coup in your ears. Bursting with ambition and energy, Funeral represented the music of the decade at its best -- inspired, technically brilliant, and utterly original.

Funeral - Arcade Fire

The Top Ten Songs of the Decade

2009-12-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

I'll keep the commentary to a minimum on these, since many come from artists on my albums list and there's not a whole lot to say except that each one of these songs is a fantastic jam that you've undoubtedly heard before. Still, I think they were the best or most important songs of the decade. Below, my top ten:

10) The New Pornographers - "The Laws Have Changed"
The best of the many power pop anthems from The New Pornographers, from their 2003 album Electric Version.

9) Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Clarkson remains the best of the American Idol winners, and this song featured a powerful melody coupled with tremendously catchy lyrics. What puts it over the top, though, is Clarkson's cathartic yell on the chorus. Who doesn't want to start yelling with her?

8) Phoenix - "If I Ever Feel Better"
Before they reached mainstream popularity this year, Phoenix was best known for this wonderful dance pop song that was an early sign of their eventual success.

7) M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
The perfect distillation of M.I.A's rebel aesthetic, with gunshots adding to the hypnotic beat. It's no wonder it was used in nearly every movie that came out last year.

6) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
Karen O's impassioned belting and the intensity of the refrain are what make this song unforgettable.

5) The Knife - "Heartbeats"
The Swedes have always been good with pop melodies, and The Knife combines their country's knack for tunes with addictive electronic beats that prove irresistible.

4) R. Kelly - "Ignition (remix)"
R. Kelly is puerile, crude, and probably a criminal. But he's also some strange kind of idiot savant and this song remains his masterpiece.

3) LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
The song starts with a very spare melody and then crescendos into a rush of emotion. Amazing how such an exuberant song can actually be about twin challenges of aging and loss.

2) Arcade Fire - "Rebellion (Lies)"
"Tunnels #1" is the song that is showing up on all the end of decade lists, but for my money this is the track that captures the band at its best -- radical, thrilling, and full of vitality.

1) Outkast - "Bombs Over Baghdad (B.O.B)"
I remember playing this song on an infinite loop during late nights in college when the coffee had started to wear off. It's encapsulated, full-throttled energy, from beginning to end.

The Top Ten Television Shows of the Decade

2009-12-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

The strongest argument in favor of the 00's as a landmark of artistic achievement is in the medium of television. The decade may have brought about the irreversible decline in broadcast viewership, but it turns out the splintering of the national television audience meant more than choice -- it meant increasing artistic freedom and risk-talking in a format that had too often felt comfortable and stale. The best tv series' that emerged from the decade, many which thrived on cable, strived to create experiences that had never been seen before on TV. As Emily Nussbaum notes in her excellent essay in New York Magazine, the aughts were "the first decade when television became recognizable as art, great art: collectible and life-changing and transformative and lasting." Below are my favorite tv series' of the decade:

10) (tie) Gilmore Girls/The West Wing
Gilmore Girls

The West Wing

It may seem odd to couple these seemingly different shows together, but they shared a number of traits: rapid-fire, hyper-literate dialogue, angelic characters, idealized backdrops, and incredibly smart and controlling writer/creators (Amy Sherman Palladino for Gilmore Girls and Aaron Sorkin for The West Wing). Where they differed was in the scale of their settings. Gilmore Girls told the story of a mother and daughter, so close in age they were more like best friends, living in an idyllic Connecticut town surrounded by their quirky neighbors and WASP family. For most of its run, Gilmore Girls mined the complicated relationships of the Gilmore clan for both laughs and tears, with stellar performances from its lead actresses and a marvelous ensemble cast. The show fell apart in its last few seasons when Palladino decided to leave, but until then it was wonderful television aimed at all ages.

The West Wing, too, suffered when its creator left after season 2, but it actually recovered in its last season, with the riveting election race between Jimmy Smits' Matt Santos and Alan Alda's Arnold Vinick. The high points of the show were that last season and the first, when Aaron Sorkin introduced President Bartlett and his eloquent, high-minded staff to the television airwaves. The seasons in between were filled with scandals that were either too lame to be interesting (the MS storyline) or too sensational to be believable (assassination attempts and child abductions), but with its introduction and its ending, The West Wing managed to make the dirty world of politics seem not only honorable but sexy.

9) Top Chef/Project Runway
Top Chef

Project Runway

In a decade that brought the rise and dominance of reality TV, Magical Elves Production, the company behind both these shows, deserves credit for taking a genre that lends itself to sensationalism and using it to foster real competitions with creative challenges and fair evaluations. In highlighting the worlds of food and fashion, these programs offered fascinating glimpses into the inner workings of industries we all engage with on a daily basis. They also offered real people tackling difficult competition and intense work environments, resulting in very compelling television.

8) The Office (US and UK versions)
The Office (US)

The Office (UK)

The mockumentary format gained its current prominence on TV due to the brilliant, hilarious, and intensely uncomfortable British sitcom The Office. When the show first premiered in 2001, it was practically impossible to get through a full episode given the unrelenting, cringe-inducing behavior of office manager David Brent (Ricky Gervais). But Gervais and fellow creator Stephen Merchant understood that such humor is most palatable in a setting that is universal, and in choosing the monotonous modern-day workplace as the backdrop for their comedy they also surrounded Brent with characters and plot points that were both hilarious and relatable. The American version, with Steve Carell leading the office as the equally bumbling Michael Scott, added some good old fashioned American sentiment to the proceedings and, while never quite surpassing the comedy of the original, created storylines and characters with more heart and depth.

7) Lost

Broadcast networks may have been a bit reluctant to embrace the sprawling, serialized storytelling that was thriving on cable in the first part of the decade, but ABC dove in head-first with Lost, a supernatural drama about crashed passengers stranded on an island. The show is more audacious than just about anything else on broadcast TV -- and, amazingly, it draws a mass audience (or at least it used to). But what makes the show so watchable beyond the supernatural mysteries and time-shifting narrative techniques is the well-earned character development. The island and its mysteries draw you in, but the characters keep you there.

6) Mad Men

It may be a bit premature to put a show that is just ending its third season amongst the classics of the decade, but the last two seasons of Mad Men have suggested that creator Matthew Weiner has a vision for the series that is every bit as ambitious and well-realized as any of the other shows on this list. With an impeccable cast led by the captivating John Hamm, plots that engage with the cultural milestones of the 50s and 60s while moving characters in believable and exciting directions, and an attention to detail that makes everything from the set design to the costumes a feast for the eyes, Mad Men heads into the new decade as the best show on television.

5) Deadwood

David Milch's fascinating Western was not your typical tale of the Old West. Deadwood was concerned with much more than just Cowboys and Indians, focusing instead on the town of Deadwood's transition from campground to township, demonstrating all the difficult alliances, negotiations, and compromises needed to build a civilization. Anchored by Ian McShane's brilliant performance as saloon owner Al Swearengen, Deadwood showcased a town on the verge of modernity and did so in way that was more sophisticated and profane than had been tried before. The series never really came to a satisfying conclusion, but the three seasons that aired on HBO were enthralling television.

4) The Sopranos

If any singular person deserves credit for the idea that television is an artistic medium, it's David Chase and his landmark series about a mafia family struggling to come to terms with such existential issues as morality, mortality, and the diminishing relevance of the mob. At the center of the story was a magnetic monster (beautifully played by James Gandolfini), a character viewers were attracted to even though he embodied evil. It was that paradox, that we were enchanted by a world that we were supposed to find reprehensible, that Chase used to constantly undermine viewer expectations. The series suffered when it veered in less focused directions (e.g., Vito's lark in New Hampshire), but when it zeroed in on the anxieties of Tony or Carmella (the excellent Edie Falco), it was the pinnacle of the medium.

3) Freaks and Geeks

This short-lived dramedy on NBC heralded the rise of Judd Apatow, for before he made The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up he created this beautifully observed, very funny television show. Focused on the outcasts of a midwestern high school, Freaks and Geeks was the first tv series to capture fully all the minor tragedies and occasional triumphs of adolescence. Since its debut and subsequent cancellation after one season, the players from the show -- Apatow, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Linda Cardellini -- have all gone on to bigger things, but none have been better than this gem.

2) Arrested Development

The best sitcom of the decade, Arrested Development was, as Ron Howard narrated at the beginning of every episode, "the story of a wealthy family who lost everything." With that pitch, we were introduced to the Bluth family, an incredibly stupid, selfish, and oblivious clan that served as the vehicle through which creator Mitch Hurwitz and his fellow writers delivered the most hilarious satire to air on television. Touching on subjects ranging from incest to the Iraq War, Arrested Development stocked every episode with millions of inside jokes, cultural references, and subtle visual cues, rewarding its viewers' intelligence along the way. With a magnificent ensemble cast led by the wonderfully deadpan Jason Bateman, Arrested Development was the zenith of comedy in the aughts.

1) The Wire

I've said it before, I'll say it again: The Wire is the best television series in the history of the medium. Period. Frankly, if I haven't convinced you to watch the show by this point it says more about your obstinacy than my powers of persuasion. What else is there to say? In five marvelous seasons, creator David Simon and his co-writers produced television on par with the greatest literature, with every season unfolding as a new chapter in the story of modern day Baltimore. Whether the focus was on the drug dealers who had ravaged the city, the crooked politicians who let it happen on their watch, the cops and teachers working admirably to improve an impossible situation, or the generation of children most vulnerable to powers outside their control, The Wire told the tale of city in decline with gripping honesty and emotion. We'll be lucky if the upcoming decade brings a television series with even half the ambition and flawless execution of this masterpiece.

Honorable Mention: Friday Night Lights, Veronica Mars, Chapelle's Show, The Daily Show With John Stewart, The Colbert Report, South Park

The Top Ten Films of the Decade

2009-12-26T09:14:00.001-05:00

I've seen a great deal of movies this decade and I've been making top ten lists of films -- whether for my high school and college newspapers, or in emails to friends, or on this blog -- for so long that I figured this would be pretty easy. I'd just pick the top of my previous top ten lists and call it a day. But it's always dangerous to look back on your previous opinions -- you find that some works of art weren't necessarily the lasting achievements you thought they were at the time (cf. In the Bedroom, Sideways) and other works you dismissed have a surprisingly lasting resonance. So, starting from scratch, below are my ten favorite films from the decade:

10) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2003)
I know it's a total cheat to count three films as one but this is at least more reasonable than my initial plan to count the entire Pixar ouvre as one movie and give it this spot. Truthfully, I'm not sure any individual film in the LOTR trilogy is all that great on its own, but after seeing Avatar I have a new appreciation for what Peter Jackson managed to do with this epic. It takes a special talent to put together a wondrous, special-effects driven fantasy and still keep the characters, plot, and dialogue first rate (Avatar and the Star Wars prequels demonstrate how easy it is to ignore the script when you're too focused on getting the CGI right). Admittedly, director Peter Jackson had a good source to work from, but he deserves credit for producing a trio of films that together capture exactly what's so magical about Hollywood movies.

9) I Heart Huckabees (2004)
I will readily admit that I Heart Huckabees is not a completely successful film -- director David O. Russell tosses so many balls in the air that invariably a few are going to drop. But it is still one of the most inventive movies to come out in the aughts and deserves to be on this list based on the ambition of its ideas. With Huckabees, Russell created a whole new genre -- the existential comedy of manners. Part slapstick farce, part philosophical meditation, Huckabees attempts to incorporate abstract philosophies from nihilism to transcendentalism into the minor events of a few very self-absorbed characters. With a superb cast -- Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman as "Existential Detectives"' who help solve personal crises, Isabelle Hupert as their nihilist rival, and Jason Schwartzman, Naomi Watts, Jude Law, and an inspired Mark Wahlberg as their clients -- Russell made what should have been an indulgent exercise in navel-gazing into an admittedly flawed but utterly enthralling piece of art.

8) Before Sunset (2004)
Richard Linklater revisited the charming, impulsive couple (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) he introduced to us in the 1995 film Before Sunrise in this follow-up and produced a sequel that surpassed its predecessor. That is in part because the characters in Before Sunset have grown up and cannot help looking like more cautious and complicated versions of their former selves. But what makes the film so thrilling is that we get to see their evolutions through each others’ eyes -- and watch as they realize they are with someone who is both distinctly similar and profoundly different from what they expected. The enigmatic ending leaves us hoping that, ten years later, we may be fortunate enough to see these two again.

7) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2008)
Romanian cinema flourished in the latter part of this decade -- Cristi Puiu's dark comedy The Death of Mr. Lazarescu could easily have made this list -- as filmmakers from that country began to tell honest and emotional stories about life under Communist rule. The most heartrending of those tales was the one told in Christian Mungiu's film 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, about two women struggling to arrange an illegal abortion . Bleak, direct, and powerful, 4 Months is an effective reminder of how the system we live in impacts even our most personal experiences.

6) No Country for Old Men (2007)
After spending the first part of the decade making such lightweight and glib films like The Ladykillers, O Brother, Where Art Thou, and Intolerable Cruelty, I just assumed that the Coen brothers had stopped taking their work seriously. So it was a shock when they delivered No Country for Old Men, a deeply serious and pessimistic look at how our society has reached a point where terror knows no boundaries. The deliberate pacing and superb acting (particularly by Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin as the cat and mouse in a cross country chase) create an aura of anxiety that pervades the entire film -- and keeps you staring at the screen even as you are certain there is death just around the corner.

5) Yi Yi (A One and Two) (2000)It is tough to describe what makes this Taiwanese film so transcendent -- after all, there is nothing particularly unique about the multi-generational Taipei family at the center of its story. But the appeal of Yi Yi is less about the story than the way it is told. Filmmaker Edward Yang mines the events of everyday life -- whether they be weddings, funerals, or first loves -- to show how even the simplest acts carry with them the weight of our past experiences. Tender and keenly observed, Yi Yi is the best foreign film of the decade.

4) There Will Be Blood (2007)This sweeping, magisterial tale of an oil tycoon's intense desire for success -- and to crush anyone who dare stand in his way -- is the kind of character study that feels as if it belongs to an earlier era of movies. That's because director P.T. Anderson is almost as ambitious as his subject. From the film's incredible opening scene, when we see future oil baron Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis, in the performance of a lifetime) find his first spurt of black gold, Anderson delivers a fascinating tale of an American dream that becomes a nightmare once achieved. There Will Be Blood is not a perfect film -- I still think the evolution of Plainview's character into total, brutish insanity is not completely earned -- but for the most part Anderson is working on a different, much higher plane of movie-making anyone else.

3) Memento (2000)Before Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan made this wonderfully hypnotic puzzle of a film about a man with short-term memory loss. It took a viewing of the recent Bollywood remake of the film (a lame imitation titled Ghajini) to remind me of how compelling and innovative the story is, with its backwards narrative and steady parceling out of clues that help solve the film's central mystery. Featuring a fiercely desperate performance by Guy Pearce as the man who struggles to remember his mission, Memento made all other thrillers look tame by comparison.

2) Capturing The Friedmans (2003)
No film better represented the huge creative strides made in the documentary genre this decade than Andrew Jarecki's tantalizingly ambiguous account of a family torn apart by reckless accusations from the outside and festering hostility on the inside. Arthur Friedman and his son Jesse are in prison on charges of child molestation -- charges that may very well be baseless, though the film demonstrates how difficult it can be to sort out fact from fiction. By the end of the documentary, it is practically impossible to distinguish truth from exaggeration and, in some cases, manipulation. Jarecki may not have cracked the case but he made a marvelous document while trying.

1) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)Would you erase your memories of a true love because losing them caused you too much pain? That's the question at the heart of Eternal Sunshine, a beautifully crafted, wildly inventive film that goes far beyond any previous love story had dare to tread. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry set up a standard romance between Joe (a subdued Jim Carrey) and Clementine (a radiant Kate Winslet) before literally getting into the heads of these characters -- showing us the psychological effects of a relationship that blossoms and then begins to wilt. I came out of Eternal Sunshine completely in awe of Kaufman's imagination and Gondry's direction and knowing fully well it was my favorite movie of the decade so far. Five years later and I can say my memories and feelings for the film are as strong now as they were then.

The Year in Culture: 2008 Edition

2008-12-25T16:51:00.002-05:00

I don't know if 2008 was a particularly dismal year artistically or if 2007 just happened to be a brilliant one, but either way this year felt like a letdown compared to some of the achievements that came before. Nonetheless, there were high points and I've attempted to recount most of them here. Please see the following links for my thoughts on the year in culture:

The Top Ten Films of 2008

2008-12-24T21:29:00.011-05:00

I had a much harder time putting together my top ten movies list than my other lists, mostly because there was no movie I wanted to place in the top spots -- there were a fair number of good movies that came out in 2008, but no great ones. What follows is my 10 best of what I saw this year*:

10) The Dark Knight -
If you thought summer movies were supposed to be fun, director Christopher Nolan and his impressive cast and crew made sure to relieve you of that impression. The Dark Knight is an incredibly dark, deeply pessimistic and just plain depressing movie -- and also one of the most enthralling and suspenseful comic book films of all time. It has its fair share of flaws -- Harvey Dent's evolution is too rushed, the Joker's boat stunt is hackneyed, and the weird sonar thing at the end doesn't make any logical or political sense -- but kudos to Nolan for attempting to make a superhero film that tackles such thorny issues as the consequences of escalation, the uncompromising nature of terrorism driven by nihilism, and the importance of symbols in driving political change. Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart, as the Joker and Harvey Dent respectively, deliver performances of such power and conviction that my heart was in my throat whenever they were on the screen.

9) Tell No One -
This French thriller offers a maze of twists and turns, all centering on the question of whether the murdered wife of a Parisian doctor is in fact dead. It makes for surprisingly gripping entertainment, even if it is a relatively simple pleasure. Excellent performances by Francois Cluzet and Kristen Scott-Thomas lift Tell No One above the standard genre conventions.

8) Rachel Getting Married -
Jonathan Demme's domestic drama about a family reuniting for a wedding is an intimate and genuine depiction of a once close clan filled with troubled characters. Demme's direction makes joyous and loving work of a sometimes contrived script. Anne Hathaway and Marjorie Dewitt, as the sisters at the heart of the story -- one a drug-addicted, self-involved trainwreck, the other an insecure bride-to-be -- are a marvelous twosome, delivering heartfelt performances of touching honesty.

7) Man on Wire -

The best documentary of the year features a story more unbelievable than most Hollywood films. In 1974, Frenchman Philippe Petit illegally walked a tightrope connecting New York's World Trade Center towers. The tale of how he did it, the colorful cast of characters that helped him along the way, and the ramifications of his act are all joyfully captured in this poetic film.

6) Wendy and Lucy -
The relationship alluded to in the title of Kelly Reichardt's beautifully observed film is between Wendy (Michelle Williams), a young woman making her way to Alaska to find work, and her dog Lucy. When Wendy's car breaks down in Oregon, we witness the beginning of a series of obstacles, all believable, that stand in the way of her final destination. Reichardt's film is a portrait of a woman living on the margins, where small setbacks can doom one to misery and where whatever social safety net used to exist no longer serves any purpose. Makes you hope this Obama fellow can help a girl like Wendy out.

5) Happy-Go-Lucky -
Director Mike Leigh is not known for making light movies, so there's a sense of dread that hangs over the proceedings of Happy-Go-Lucky even as the main character Poppy (played by a vivacious Sally Hawkins) exudes her positive attitude through the most hostile of situations. That she's as cheery and effervescent at the end of the movie as she is at the beginning is all the more astonishing given the touching and hilarious events that occur along the way. Chances are, you'll end the movie feeling just as happy.

4) The Wrestler -
Darren Aronofsky's portrait of an aging wrestler past his prime takes a rather predictable story and imbues it with a rawness and sincerity that makes the whole thing feel authentic. As Ram Robinson, Mickey Rourke gives the performance of the year, fully committing himself to both the tragedy of Ram's personal life and his addiction to the the ring.

3) Milk -
The nature of the biopic genre is very limiting -- it's nearly impossible to make a truly great movie when the contours of the plot are so readily apparent and predetermined. Milk is not immune to those limitations, but it does a better job than most biopics at capturing a historical figure at the height of his significance. Sean Penn plays slain gay activist Harvey Milk with such incandescent joy and steely determination that you can't help but get involved in the local political minutiae, like ballot initiatives and city council races, that defined Milk's life's work. By giving the audience a seat at the table of all those organizing meetings, director Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black choose to celebrate rather than gloss over the procedural hard work that is required to define and secure civil rights.

2) Wall-E -
Pixar's latest and greatest masterpiece, Wall-E is better than all that came before by virtue of the film's beautiful, remarkable, and wordless first half hour. In those thirty minutes, the audience is treated to a Buster Keaton comedy by way of Mad Max, a post-apocalyptic silent love story between two very affecting robots. The rest of the film is very satisfying, but those first thirty minutes were the purest expression of great cinema produced this year.

1) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days -
This Romanian film about abortion is bracing and heartbreaking, a grim tale of two friends who find themselves struggling for freedom in Communist-era Romania. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days was released in the US in the spring, but its has remained with me throughout the year. It is a tough, honest, and sometimes brutal work that demonstrates how resourceful and strong people can be even in the most punishing of environments. No other film that came out this year was so unforgettable.

*Note: I still haven't had the chance to see Che, The Class, or Waltz With Bashir, films that have received wide acclaim. Special thanks to my friend Ben Kenigsberg, film critic at Time Out Chicago, who made it possible for me to see a number of films I wouldn't have had the chance to otherwise. Please check out his top 10 list.

The Top Ten Television Shows of 2008

2008-12-24T14:16:00.009-05:00

The writer's strike had a significant, adverse impact on this year's television season, resulting in weaker seasons of existing shows and no new series worth paying any attention to. Assuming the actor's strike doesn't happen, it'll be nice to have a return to normal production schedules and, hopefully, higher quality television. What follows are my few favorite series of 2008:

10) Chuck -

Created by TV wunderkind Josh Schwartz, the man behind The OC and Gossip Girl, Chuck has all the silliness and self-awareness we've come to expect from a Schwartz production without the heavy-handed melodrama. It's not a particularly revelatory or insightful show -- just a fun way to spend an hour of your time. Chuck, played marvelously by Zachary Levi, is an electronics store employee who inadvertently gets drafted into the CIA thanks to a computer implanted in his head. Minimum wage worker by day, spy by night -- Schwartz and Co. mine the premise for lots of laughs and enjoyable action sequences, but it's done with a sweetness and heart that keeps you hooked.

9) The New Adventures of Old Christine -

Now in its third season, this very funny show about a single mother and the family of characters that surrounds her really ought to have more fans. As the self-involved, neurotic, and altogether hilarious title character, Julia Louis-Dreyfus continues to demonstrate that she's one of the most talented comediennes working today. She gets strong support from Wanda Sykes, Hamish Linklater, and Clark Gregg as her best friend, layabout brother, and ex-husband respectively.

8) How I Met Your Mother -

I continue to believe that no show captures what it's like to be a young professional in Manhattan better than this CBS sitcom. It's been rather uneven as of late, but at its best HIMYM transcends sitcom conventions with unique narrative structures and insightful humor about living in New York. With Jason Segal, Alyson Hannigan, and the pitch perfect Neil Patrick Harris, it also has the most talented young comedic cast on TV.

7) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog -

Not quite a television show, this side project by Buffy creator Josh Whedon was produced during the writer's strike and premiered to acclaim on the internet before heading to DVD. With an incredibly unique conceit -- an aspiring super-villain who also maintains a video blog is secretly pining for a woman who becomes the girlfriend of his archnemesis -- this musical production was funny, touching, and a welcome respite from the unoriginal reality programming the networks tossed at us during the strike.

6) The Office -

This season, The Office humanized Michael by introducing (and then unfairly withdrawing) the captivating Amy Ryan as Holly, one of the few people who could tolerate Michael's stupid jokes and inappropriate behavior and still love him anyway. The show also demonstrated that it's possible to ring entertainment out of Jim and Pam's relationship, even without the "will they or won't they" tension that was central to the series' earlier seasons.

5) Saturday Night Live -

The show is always stronger during an election season, but even by those standards it had an impressive year. Driven by Tina Fey's great impersonation of Sarah Palin, SNL took its political comedy in numerous directions and more often than not hit the mark. It also created a few hilarious digital shorts along the way. Special props to Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig, who always seem responsible for the funniest non-political sketches.

4) 30 Rock -

After deservedly winning multiple Emmys this year, it would have been understandable if 30 Rock took a break from being the best comedy on network television. Instead, the show has been firing on all cylinders this year, most notably in the hilarious "Reunion" episode above. With Tina Fey coming into her own as a comedic actress and Alec Baldwin continually raising the stakes with his remarkable performance as Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock could stand to lose some of the slew of guest stars they keep parading on the show. Honestly, who needs real celebrities when you have characters as delightfully skewed as Kathy Geiss?

3) Lost -

At the end of its third season, the creators of Lost, a show that has always been about time and destiny, made the rather bold decision to start using flash-forwards in addition to the flashbacks that had always added mystery and intrigue to its wide cast of characters. That decision has singlehandedly rejuvenated the island drama, adding layers of complication to an already labyrinthine story. "The Constant," the episode excerpted above, was a good encapsulation of all that Lost does well: it combined island mythology with well-earned character development to produce one of the most heartrending moments of the season.

2) Mad Men -

I liked the first season of Mad Men just fine, but felt it wore its 50s period stereotypes on its sleeve and forced its characters into directions that did not always feel organic. But now that the first season's exposition is all out of the way, the show has matured into a much more interesting, multi-layered study of diverse characters in varied positions of social and personal entrapment. Much of this season focused on the challenges facing the women of Mad Men -- the ambitious copy writer Peggy, the frustrated housewife Betty Draper, the stifled secretary Joan -- while the male characters pursued their selfish personal fantasies (e.g., Don's lark in California, Roger's rash engagement to Jane). And yet, when all was said and done, they all ended up in the same lonely, unhappy place. It was a thrilling and poignant journey to witness.

1) The Wire -

I will be the first to admit that the last season of this great HBO drama was the weakest one of the show's five seasons, but it was still better than anything else on TV. Yes, the journalism plot was too simple and the serial-killer story was fairly unbelievable, but it didn't matter -- at the end of the day, the universe of The Wire, with its venal city officials, violent corner kids, damaged cops, and showboating politicians, was as fully-realized as ever. Creator David Simon and his collaborators did the unimaginable -- they gave us a brilliant show that was less about individual characters and their personal demons (e.g., The Sopranos or Mad Man) and more about the institutions that surround those characters and the futility of railing against a society where the decks are stacked against change. In doing so, they also penned an honest ode to Baltimore, the city at the heart of it all. I am going to greatly miss this show, the best television series in the history of the medium.

The Best Albums of 2008

2008-12-22T19:18:00.027-05:00

Frankly, I thought 2008 paled in comparison to 2007 music-wise -- any one of my top 5 albums from last year would likely have topped this year's list. Still, disappointing as the year was, there were some gems. Below are my 25 favorite albums from 2008:

25) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
The debut album from this New York electronic outfit features some of the best dance tracks of the year with propulsive beats that avoid falling into monotony or kitsch as many dance/techno tracks do. Vocals by Antony of Antony & the Johnsons fame elevated what could have been a typical dance record to a new realm.
Watch Hercules and Love Affair - "Blind":

24) Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers
Aimee Mann is not a particularly versatile artist -- she's been refining the same sound for most of her career -- but she's a very talented songstress, as this album proved once again. She has a unique ability to take songs filled with melancholy and merge them with the sunny pop of her California home.
Watch Aimee Mann - "Freeway":

23) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
MGMT blasted onto the music scene in early 2008 and the best songs off their debut album stuck around throughout the year. This New York-based duo have undeniably eclectic tastes -- the best tracks fall somewhere between between psychedelia and prog-rock, two genres I normally despise. And yet there's no denying how much fun they are to listen to.
Watch MGMT - "Time to Pretend":

Notable Songs of 2008

2008-12-21T16:12:00.015-05:00

As with last year's list, I've avoided choosing any songs from my best albums list since it seems fairly obvious that most of the best songs of the year would come from those artists. Instead, here are 10 songs from artists whose LPs couldn't quite match the brilliance of these tracks.

10) The Long Blondes - "Guilt"
The Long Blondes produced the best album of their short-lived career this year and then promptly split up. It's too bad, because songs like this one suggest they had a future worth paying attention to.

9) Elbow - "Grounds for Divorce"
This year's Mercury Prize winners from Britain made the catchiest rock song of the year -- chances are you heard it in the background of a ton of commercials and the trailer for Burn After Reading.

8) Estelle feat. Kanye West - "American Boy"
R&B artists seem to have mastered the art of the duet, as this song from British songstress Estelle proves. On his own, Kanye West can seem obnoxious and self-involved. Paired with the right singer, though, and he becomes almost a gentleman.

7) Yelle - "Ce Jeu"
Yes, this song is in French. No, I have no idea what she is singing. Fortunately, none of that matters.

6) Blitzen Trapper - "Furr"
This Portland-based band folk band is difficult to classify, mostly because they tend to take their genre eclecticism to levels of quirkiness they can't sustain. Once in a while, though, they produce songs that are both remarkably pretty and deeply weird, like this one about a man who turns into a beast.

5) Lykke Li - "Little Bit"
I don't know what it is about the Swedish, but they're undeniably the best nationality for crafting quirky pop songs (see #2 below). Lykke Li's first album, Youth Novels, was uneven but it had some very enjoyable melodies, the strongest of which was this lovely song.

4) Ben Folds feat. Regina Spektor - "You Don't Know Me"
When you think about it, Ben Folds and Regina Spektor make an obvious duo -- they're the perfect combination of overly-clever and overly-precious. Put it together and you get just the right balance in this charming duet.

3) Liam Finn - "Second Chance"
I saw Liam Finn perform this song on Letterman and couldn't get the haunting beat out of my head. Finn is a one-man band -- he writes all the songs and plays most of the instruments himself. How he manages to perform all the tasks required for this rocking tour de force is beyond me, but it makes the end product all the more amazing.

2) Marching Band - "Gorgeous Behavior"
Another pop marvel from Sweden, this song by Marching Band is from the indie duo's debut album. As the title suggests, they've crafted a gorgeous melody with a surprisingly robust sound for two-person band.

1) Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"
Boston's Passion Pit produced one of the best EP's of the year, filled with danceable electronic tunes. "Sleepyhead" was the strongest song on it, an incredibly catchy, quirky, and infectious jam. It's practically impossible to avoid bopping your head as it plays.

Best TV Shows of 2007

2008-01-20T02:36:00.002-05:00

To be honest, there weren't a lot of great shows introduced this year. Still, there were a few new standouts, and some great seasons of returning shows:

10)Aliens in America - The conceit of this show, about a foreign exchange student from Pakistan, is a recipe for cliches about American xenophobia. Fortunately, there's a lot of heart on display in Aliens in America, and while it may be a bit too cute for its own good at times, it's also surprisingly smart and funny when dealing with the culture clash and general open-mindedness of the American people.

9) Big Love - This year, the HBO polygamist saga made the transition from gimmicky drama with occasional moments of brilliance to captivating series about a tension-filled family that happens to practice polygamy. Superb performances from Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ginnifer Goodwin and Chloe Sevigny helped propel this year's storylines to a higher level.

8) Top Chef - This Project Runway-esque reality series really came into its own this season, with some very talented and compelling contestants, most of all eventual winner Hung. Unlike many of its contestants, the show succeeded on its truly creative challenges. Top Chef has slowly slid itself into the position of best reality series on television.

7) The Sopranos - Count me as one of those viewers who thought the finale worked. More than that, though, the series experienced a comeback of sorts with its final 6 episodes, from the masterful brawl between Bobby and Tony at the lake house to AJ's suicide attempt. The Sopranos may have gone out on a lower note than it entered, but it was still amazing television.

6) Planet Earth - The amazing footage that appeared on this series of animals caught in their natural environments singlehandedly forced me to go out and buy an HDTV.

5) Pushing Daisies - Yes, this show can be too whimsical for its own good. But it has also managed to create an entirely believable universe of its own, where corpses are brought to life with the touch of a fingertip and the streets are decorated with more bright colors than a candy store. It's an impressive visual accomplishment and a surprisingly addictive television series.

4) Mad Men - Leaving aside the fact that one of the primary plot points was a direct rip-off of the Armen Tanzarian storyline from The Simpsons, the first original series from AMC was filled with gorgeous images, well-crafted character arcs, and touching performances. Some of the plot turns may have been a bit too forced, but the execution was impeccable and the acting first rate.

3) Friday Night Lights - This show makes the list on the merits of its incredible first season. There has been an undeniable decline in its second season, but that's no reason to avoid this pitch-perfect series about a small Texas town that finds its soul in high school football. Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler make for the most realistic couple on television; after a few episodes, you too will wish you were a member of the Taylor family.

2) 30 Rock - The best comedy on network television since Arrested Development. Like that show, 30 Rock boasts an incredible cast, superb writing, and wonderfully absurd storylines. It also boasts Alec Baldwin, who singlehandedly elevates every scene he's in with his dry delivery and perfect comic timing. I'm not sure how long the ratings will allow 30 Rock to be on the air, but this series deserves all the viewers it can get.

1) Flight of the Conchords - I don't know that Flight of the Conchords is a funnier show than 30 Rock. But it's the most original and creative comedy on television, mining the humor of New Zealand's most famous comedy rock troupe to maximal effect with fantastically weird musical set-pieces and low-key, perfectly deadpan punch lines. Murray the manager (Rhys Darby) alone makes this show worth watching.

Best Songs of 2007

2007-12-23T01:01:00.002-05:00

A quick note on the list that follows: I purposefully avoided repeating songs from artists that appeared in my top album list, since it seemed obvious that most of the best songs of the year would come from the best albums. Still, there were a good number of tunes that came from artists whose albums I didn't care for as a whole, and it seemed worth highlighting those accomplishments. So without further ado, a list of notable songs in 2007:

1) LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends". Download at Distortion Disco
A notable exception to the above rule, since this is such a remarkable song and "Someone Great" would probably just follow it on any list of the year's best songs. With little more than a simple piano chord and a great sense of timing, "All My Friends" conveys a variety of emotions, culminating in a chorus that is at once exhilarating and heartrending.

2) Battles - "Atlas".
The novelty of Battles' math rock runs thin after a few listens of their album Mirrored, but the power of this song endures. I think the fact that I don't really know what they are singing actually makes it better.

3) Animal Collective - "Peacebone". Download at Obscure Sound.
This fits with the previous song in terms of my astonishment over how many different sounds can be used to make something so musical. It's the epitome of Animal Collective's strengths as a band.

4) M.I.A - "Paper Planes". Download at Hipster Runoff
I enjoyed Kala, MIA's new album, just fine, but I didn't find myself returning to it. I did, however, register way too many listens of this song.

5) UGK (feat. Outkast) - "Int'l Players' Anthem". Download at Audioversity
Best hip-hop song of the year. Figures Outkast would be involved.

6) Rogue Wave - "Like I Needed". Download at My Old Kentucky Blog
If the second half of Rogue Wave's latest album had been as much fun as the first, it likely would have made my top 25 list. Instead, it kind of fell apart. That doesn't detract from this song, which is totally addictive and in keeping with the band's sunny, California rock sound.

7) The Redwalls - "Summer Romance". Download at Carl Sandburg Visits Me In a Dream
This Chicago-based band came back with an excellent garage rock album this year. This was the best track off it.

8) Rilo Kiley - "Silver Lining". Download at The Pop Cop
I thought Rilo Kiley's last album was a huge disappointment, right along with Bloc Party and The Hives' latest in terms of sub-par albums by bands I normally like. Still, the opening song on the album is one of the best they've done.

9) Electric Six - "Down at McDonelzz". Download at Nine Bullets
I think a lot of people assume that most of what Electric Six does is just shtick. That may be true, but sometimes they produce inspired songs that are hilarious and catchy. This is a new high point for them.

10) Ashlee Simpson - "Outta My Head". Okay, hear me out on this one -- the beat is really catchy. That's actually all I've got. I'm happy to give all the credit to Timbaland, cause that way i can feel better about liking a song by a Simpson.