My Favorite Places to Eat in Downtown L.A.

My apologies for the dual posts, but thought I'd also include my list of my favorite places to grab lunch, dinner or just a cup of coffee in downtown. I've tried to select places from every district in the area for scenic variety. This list has no particular order, except what I suggest that you order. Ha! Funny. And lastly, most of my suggestions are vegetarian-friendly because animals are our friends.

Lost Souls Cafe - Old Bank District - www.lostsouls.com
Totally hidden in an alleyway, but the best selection of iced coffees and hot teas you'll probably ever find. Try the mocha latte with soy. Great atmosphere too. Quiet enough to read or do work and totally laptop-friendly.

Tiara Cafe - Fashion District - (no website)
Best vegan burger EVER. Seriously. It doesn't get more delicious than this. Get it, you won't regret it. All their menu items are completely organic. Great looking place, too. Did I mention the vegan burger?

Pete's Cafe and Bar - Old Bank District - www.petescafe.com
Delicious veggie burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. Really friendly servers. Bar opened till 2am. Also new: Jazz nights on Tuesdays. Always a fun place to grab some food before going to another bar or lounge and only a short walk from The Edison.

Blossom - Old Bank District - www.blossomrestaurant.com
The best Vietnamese food in downtown LA, perhaps in all of LA. I took my Vietnamese friend here, too, and she agreed it was amazing and very authentic. Everything on the menu is delicious, but of course, go for the pho. I've probably eaten a steaming hot bowl of pho here at least a dozen times . . . and this was during the super hot summer of 2007; their food was just that good.

Pitfire Pizza and Rocket Pizza Lounge - Civic Center District and Old Bank District - www.pitfirepizza.com and www.rocketpizzalounge.com
The pizza at both restaurants is incredible. I love the decor at Rocket Pizza Lounge - really feels retro. Try the Penne Pasta or Rigatoni Al Forno while you're there. Also, there's a great beer selection at Pitfire. Pizza + quality beer = heaven.

Mendocino Farms - Financial District - www.mendocinofarms.com
Located in California Plaza, this place offers DELICIOUS gourmet sandwiches. Get the Drunk'n Goat in Paris. It is almost silly how delicious it is. Ingredients: Herbes de Provence marinated Skyhill Farm's goat cheese, cranberry chutney, French brie, balsamic roasted onions, green apple and organic farmer's greens. Sigh.

Traxx - Union Station - www.traxxrestaurant.com
Uniquely located in historic and beautiful Union Station. Literally, the restaurant is in the train station. You feel like you're in a film noir as soon as you enter. What to try: the grilled eggplant sandwich with feta cheese, mint & lemon aioli on curry toast or the Waldorf salad. Or both.

Engine Company No. 28 - Financial District - www.engineco.com
Located in a restored 1912 firehouse, this place is just lovely because it still retains its historic charm. You have to see it to understand. The food is not particularly fancy, but quite delicious; try the spicy garlic fries, the capellini or the portabello mushroom sandwich.

Empress Pavilion - Chinatown - www.empresspavilion.com
Without a doubt, best dim sum in town. You're served in a HUGE banquet hall which is always buzzing with people, while servers walk around pushing carts, yelling food names in Chinese. Not super vegetarian-friendly, but definitely worth tasting the non-meat dumplings and steamed broccoli in oyster sauce. Yum!

Frying Fish - Little Tokyo - no website
Delicious, truly delicious, sushi. You're seated around a sushi bar, while the freshly-made sushi moves along in small, color-coded plates on a conveyor belt, and you simply pick the dish you like. Or you can make special requests to the chefs. I love this place.

St. Vincent's Court - Jewelry District - www.svjc.com
This courtyard is filled with Mediterranean restaurants and has a distinctive Parisian feel to it. The selection of middle eastern food is quite good, including kabobs, falafel, and baklava for dessert.

Well, those are my top picks -- I hope you enjoy the atmosphere and food of downtown LA!

Top 10* Worst Fashion Trends of 2008
. . . and other things I'd like to see less of in 2009.

Anything Designed by Christian Audigier
How this man has been so successful is a complete mystery to me. If you've never heard of Christian Audigier before, it's highly likely that you already hate him (and didn't even know it) since he was the "creative force" behind those annoying Von Dutch trucker hats back in 2003. Here are a few samples from his Ed Hardy® clothing line which his website describes as "luxury streetwear". Seriously, who buys this stuff?


Men's Super Skinny Jeans
I added "super" because some guys can pull off the skinny jeans look. But, unfortunately, most guys can't without looking a tad pre-pubescent. Observe:


Oversized Sunglasses
Yeah, this trend has been around for a few years now, but I'm really hoping that by next year people will finally realize how ridiculous it looks. It's just silly.

Silly x 3 = trilly

Shooties = combination of "shoes" + "boots" (also called "booties")
At the time, I really thought this look had a lot of potential, especially when paired with a pencil skirt or tights. But I'll be glad to see them gone in 2009. Even the name annoys me now. Shooties.


A pair of shooties.

Shutter Shades
I believe these were first introduced by Kanye West. Since I'm naturally inclined to think Kanye sucks at most things, I guess I was heavily biased against this look to begin with. Let's be honest, there's no way you can wear a pair of shutter shades without looking like a tool. Speaking of, here's a picture of Kanye trying painfully hard to look cool in a pair of his own while "rapping" on stage.

"Damn, Kanye, you so cool! Teach me to be cool like you!"

Giant Scarves
The ironic part of the mega-scarf trend was that it reached its peak during the hot summer months. Even though I'm a huge fan of scarves as accessories, this look was just excessive and totally taken to the extreme.

Julianne Moore: smiling on the outside, hurting on the inside.

Buddy Holly Glasses
If your name doesn't start with Buddy and end in Holly, then chances are you shouldn't be wearing these. I've seen way too many people sporting this look recently and it just looks completely uncreative.

Woo-ee-oo, I look just like Buddy Holly . . .

Straw Fedoras
Like the "oversized sunglasses" look, the fedora trend has been around for what seems like an eternity. To me, nothing screams "trying so hard!" than a strategically placed straw fedora. As an example of how ubiquitous this look has become, last weekend, at just one bar, I counted nine (9) guys wearing a straw fedora. Unfortunate.


Baggy "Boyfriend Jeans"
I think Katie Holmes (first image) started this trend and I'm pleased to say that it never really seemed to catch on among us regular, non-celebrity folks. In short, it's just an incredibly unflattering look.

If you break up with your boyfriend, who keeps the jeans??

Celebrities Getting "Political"
Less a wearable fashion, than a fashionable "statement", this year's presidential election brought a barrage of celebrity ads encouraging young people to get out and vote. Unfortunately, they were about as effective as those old-school "The More You Know. . ." NBC public service announcements. Here's an obvious example:




*List is in no particular order, and of course, just my silly opinion.

MP3 Free-for-All

Yuletide Greetings,

Here are nine or ten of my most beloved free MP3s of the year, although this likely does not include any songs from my still-in-the-works list of top albums (I’ll include MP3 links in that list).

10. {{{ Sunset }}} – Man’s Heart Complaint
A sinister and gloomy slice of fuzz-rock.

9. King Tuff – Sun Medallion
Sounds like the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed inhaling a bit of helium.

8. School of Seven Bells – Connjur
Gorgeous harmonies served over warm, electronic gauze.

7. Lykke Li – Little Bit
Soulful, Swedish electro doo-wop, if I’m not mistaken.

6. Thee Makeout Party – Wreckless Epic
Raw, ragged and desperate garage rock that probably was actually recorded in a garage.

5. Fight Bite – Widow’s Peak
Ethereal and enchanting like Beach House, but even lower-fi.

4. Kim Ki O – Kapali Kapali Kapali
Beautiful, bittersweet shoegazing from what must be the first Turkish band I’ve ever heard.
[Update: Apparently, the initial link I had for this song didn't work. I just replaced it with a new one that is working.]

3. Hecuba – Sir
Hip hop born in some kind of demented carnival.

2. Music Go Music – Light of Love
Ebullient and ABBA-inspired. Should be played on an old jukebox at a roller skating rink.

1. The Morning Benders – Boarded Doors
Sharp and slightly swinging pop-rock with a highly satisfying melody.

Learn to Listen

My Ten Favorite Talk Radio Programs/Podcasts

I don't think there's any entertainment medium that allows you to become more a member of community than talk radio. The best shows blossom only after months of listening b/c it's only then that you get the inside jokes, the tossed-off references, and the rhythms of the host or co-hosts. And once you get to that point, you can enjoy a bad show b/c you're not really listening to be entertained (that's a fortunate and, hopefully, frequent by-product); you're listening for a sense of comfort and place. This is a phenomenon that extends to other media, however; many a tv show I've watched religiously not b/c I particularly enjoyed it, but just b/c I got sucked in. Clearly, not all of the shows below allow this b/c some are too format driven. However, even with someone like Warren Olney of Which Way, L.A.?, I feel like I know him better than I do people I actually talk to on a daily basis.

I love talk radio and wish I could be a talk radio host, but I screw up too much when I talk. I also wish I could listen more often, but work gets in the way. How I loved those August days when I could lie on the couch and act like it was 1957.

(10) The Art Laboe Connection - This is less a talk show and more a show where the congenial but uncharismatic titular host fields listeners' song requests. It seems like most of the callers are Hispanic, and a lot of the requests are for unremarkable love songs from the past 25 years. It's hard not to wonder if the party to whom the song is dedicated is listening at that very moment. I think it would be awesome if someone dedicated a Gerald Levert song to me. Check it out.

(9) Which Way, L.A.? - Warren Olney's local political talk show is what all political talk shows should aspire to be. Knowledgeable guests, stern tone, compassionate nuances, and frustratingly unpartisan. Check it out.

(8) Pardon the Interruption - This is a TV show but I've podcasted it for the better part of two years now, and often listen to it while falling asleep. I love Michael Wilbon and the fact that he cares about the NBA. Tony Kornheiser has turned into (always been?) a killjoy (is it that hard to smile on camera on Monday Night Football?). I think I'm the only person who likes when Dan LeBatard fills in. I may be the only person I know who genuinely likes this show. Check it out.

(7) The Loose Cannons - This is a perfect example of a show I don't particularly like (in fact, I think I dislike it) but I listen to all the time. Considering the limitations of each host, it's a wonder they get 4 hours a day out of these guys. Someone once mentioned that if you combined Hartman, Vic, and MT you'd have a pretty great talk show host, but you'd still have 2/3 of a person predicting that the Lakers are gonna win 75 games. Check it out.

(6) Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me - I've cooled on Wait, Wait, but I still have a fondness for it. I'm just more inclined to accidentally tune-in to it on the radio than listen to the podcast. I read panelist Adam Felber's novel "Schrodinger's Ball" this summer, and it, like the show, was nerdy and mildly arrogant. It was pretty good. Check it out.

(5) Sound Opinions - Now, I know why I like this show theoretically: I like music and it's a talk show about music. But if this show were in print, it would be no better than Rolling Stone or another irrelevant magazine. But I like disagreeing with them, and I really enjoy when they review albums by artists I know I should know something about but am totally unfamiliar with (Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, etc . . .). Educational. I listen to this on Sunday Nights when I walk to La Salsa for dinner. Check it out.

(4) The Kevin & Bean Show - Yeah, it can be frustratingly low brow (lesbians? really?) and the commercials are endless and the Incubus/Foo Fighters/Offspring shuffle is terrible at 7am, but I've listened to this show first thing in the morning since the mid-'90s, and they still have gold moments. Ralph is fantastically funny, Psycho Mike's a good addition (even if his parodies are a mixed bag, minus the K-Fed ones which are always pretty good), Bean is great and weird, and Kevin is even growing on me after these 15 years. I really wish they'd ditch Omar. Check it out.

(3) The V Show - I rarely listen to this show for more than 5 minutes; it's on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm - 2am, so it's usually on when I fall asleep. I think the host is Jimmy V's brother, and he just seems like the nicest guy ever. The theme is a version of a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy song and he's got some really antiquated drops that he throws in on ocassion (boos, applause, rim shots). Very charming and perfect for falling asleep. He talks about the horses ocassionally. Check it out.

(2) The Petros & Money Show - What a show, man. It's weird; these guys talk too much, even for a talk show - it's exhausting. Petros has that rare ingredient that other sports talk show hosts don't have: experience on the gridiron. This show is like the polar opposite of that douchebag Colin Cowherd's show. Good music talk, surprisingly obscure cultural references (I called in and talked about the New Bomb Turks and Guided By Voices on the air once), no tortured analogies or references to management theories. Check it out.

(1) The Best Show on WFMU - still the tops. 3 hours a week, every week. It's hard to decide what I like more: the interplay b/w Tom and his fans or Tom and the denizens of the fictional New Jersey town Newbridge. The show doesn't throw any lifelines to new listeners. You just have to jump in and start piecing it all together on your own. It demands your patience and rewards your investment. Check it out.

Below are my top ten favorite places/things to eat in LA:

10. Lattitude Thai, http://www.lattitudethai.com/

Amid all the car repair shops and fast food joints that are characteristically Lincoln Boulevard, it’s easy to miss Lattitude’s small, unassuming storefront. But if you love thai curry, you should make sure to track this place down. Their red curry with chicken is so good and you’re sure to leave with yummy leftovers for lunch the next day.

9. Lares, http://www.laresrestaurant.com/

This is a great Mexican place: spicy salsa, family-owned, mariachi band, and fantastic Cadillac margaritas. Really, what more do you need in a Mexican place? Get the chicken mole enchiladas. Their verdes sauce is good too.

8. Cha Cha Chicken, http://www.chachachicken.com/

This is a great place to go after a long day at the beach. Bring your own beer or wine; order watermelon juice and the jerk chicken enchiladas at the window; grab a seat at one of the picnic tables outside; relax and enjoy.

7. Joe’s Shanghai, http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/

I know. I know. Joe’s is in NYC. But this place has the absolute best soba noodles I’ve ever had in my life. So it had to get a spot on my list, had to. Next time you’re in New York, go here.

6. The Omelette Guy, http://www.smgov.net/farmers_market/sunday.htm

I think Main Street in Santa Monica is pretty much the coolest place in LA. Every Sunday, there’s a great farmer’s market with live music, fresh produce (obviously), and vendors selling delicious wares. If you go in the afternoon, get the tamales. But if you make it for breakfast or brunch, you have to get an omelette from the omelette guy. You walk through the line and point to “bacon!,” “green peppers!,” “mushrooms!,” “tomatoes!” Just as you’re paying, your omelette is slid from the pan onto your plate and you’re ready to sit down in front of the band and dig into deliciousness. Don’t even think about going to The Omelette Parlor down the street; it’s disgusting compared to the omelette guy.

5. Bay Cities, http://www.baycitiesitaliandeli.com/

Duh, I know. Bay Cities’ sandwich is the best in town. I love that pickled carrot (?) stuff they put on it. Also great, their fresh-baked bread – I get it to serve at dinner parties with lots of butter.

4. Trader Joe’s Very Berry Cereal, http://www.traderjoes.com/

I know this is a weird entry, but I have discovered the best cereal ever made … and it’s exclusively sold at Trader Joe’s. The Very Berry Cereal is the perfect combination of crunch and soggy, sweet and tangy, yummy and delicious that you want in every bowl of cereal. Yes, I used to be very against cereals with freeze-dried berries of any sort. Special K with strawberries is gross. But these berries are NOT gross; they are perfect.

This cereal is especially delicious in soy milk, which I have to use now because I’m lactose intolerant. :(

3. California Chicken Café, http://www.californiachickencafe.com/

This place is so good. I go weekly. I suggest the California Chicken Salad with balsamic dressing. I get it without the cheese and avocados. I’m sure they are delicious in the salad if a) you’re not lactose intolerant and b) you like avocados.

2. Amelia’s, http://www.ameliascafe.com/

Get the soup of the day. It is always the best bowl of soup you’ve ever had.

1. The Daily Pint, http://thedailypint.net/

Again, I’m cheating a little bit. The Daily Pint does not serve food, thank goodness. This is a dive bar, THE dive bar. And it is my favorite bar in the world. Not only do they offer lots of great beer, pool tables, and shuffle board (!), but they also offer the best bar game of all time – Photo Hunt.

Happy holidays and happy eating in the new year!

-- Sarah Luppen

Well I guess I'll start this thing out!

Well Merry Christmas to you all and I hope you all had a great 2008.  Personally it's been a wonderful year for me complete with getting married to most amazing woman I've ever met and getting to do a little travel to the Bahamas, Canada, Montana, and Washington.  Still enjoying teaching at a charter school, and just started writing an occasional review for a website http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?author=207.  

Anyways, enough with the personal update and onto the music...  I felt like there were a lot of good spins out there this year, but quite a few disappointments as well.  Regardless here is my top 10:

10. Metallica- Death Magnetic

It was nice to see a band finally do what the fans wanted and go back to their roots.  This one rocked a lot harder than anything they put out in the past 17 years and it was a surprising comeback album. 

Standout track: "The End of Line"  

9. Ray LaMontagne- Gossip in the Grain

Not my favorite Ray album, but it's still up there for this year.  Not sure what he was trying with "You are the Best Thing", but the rest of the disc was pretty decent. Props for trying something new though!

Standout Track: "Winter Birds"

8. Counting Crows- Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings

My first CD I ever bought was August and Everything After in 8th grade, so it's always nice to see what Adam Duritz is up to.  Pretty solid effort from the Crows and a fun contrast between the two halves.

Standout Track: "Washington Square"

7. Weezer- Red Album

Loved the first 6 songs on the disc and the the last few, but just couldn't get used to hearing anyone singing but Rivers.  I like the idea of giving the other guys a chance, but save it for an EP!  Flawless album aside from those songs though, in my opinion!

Standout Track: "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" 

6. Joshua James-  The Sun is Always Brighter

I caught on a little late to this great artist, but he warranted quite a few listens this year.  Nothing too new exciting about him, but he sure puts out quality music.

Standout Track: "Today"

5. Joshua Radin- Simple Times

Another folksy Joshua?  Yup!  Radin put out a great album this year and I really appreciated it a lot more after seeing him play in Santa Barbara a few months ago. If you've never listened, he's got some great mellow tunes to listen to on a rainy day (like today!)

Standout Track: "They Bring Me to You"

4. Kanye West- 808's and Heartbreaks

Although it was a very different album and entirely recorded with auto-tune, I thoroughly enjoyed Kanye's new CD.  I guess getting dumped by his fiancee and the death of his mother knocked his ego down a few pegs and gave him some perspective.  I loved the beats and lyrics like "Chased the good life my whole life long, look back on my life and my life gone...where did I go wrong?" 

Standout Track: "Welcome to my Nightmare"

3. Jon Foreman- Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer

Lead singer of Switchfoot's ambitious attempt at capturing the 4 seasons in 4 6-song EP's turned out very well in my opinion.  Fall was my favorite season, but each one brought new instruments and new sounds to add to a year of great music.

Standout Track: "Your Love is Strong"

2. Jason Mraz- We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things

Perhaps the greatest male voice out there in music today, Mraz put together a great CD with a fun sound.  Most people probably got sick of hearing "I'm Yours" over and over, but you have to admit it was really stinkin' catchy!  

Standout Track: "Live High"

1. Coldplay- Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends/ Prospekts March

Ok, so Martin may have ripped off Satriani, but even Johnny Cash ripped off "Folsom Prison Blues"! "Viva La Vida was still my favorite song of the year and quite brilliant.  Overall I love this CD and the EP that just came out and I beleive it was the one CD that lived up to the hype.  

Standout Track:...forget it, just download the whole thing!

Alright there they are...probably too poppy for most people's taste, but I look forward to reading other posts and trying out new music.  Take care all and have a great Holiday!

Nate

What Year Is It Again?

Ladies and gentlemen, start your posting.

11 Albums That Made My 2007

I still feel like I didn’t spend enough time with some other records, but I wanted to get this thing done before the new year came (close call). Of course, the jamboree can keep rolling into ’08. It’s too much fun to stop now, and we have yet to hear from some past contributors. Show us your lists, friends.
–Thom McMahon IV

11. Bodies of Water – Ears Will Pop And Eyes Will Blink
A glorious batch of catchy, triumphant symphonies. These four young folks sing their hearts out and make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

10. Alasdair Roberts – The Amber Gatherers
Mr. Roberts’ albums have been alternating between traditional folk songs and original folk songs. His new one is of the latter type, but you might think these had been handed down through the ages if you didn’t know any better. He has a gift for writing timeless melodies. The tone is much lighter than that of his last album (which was all songs about death). In fact, some of these songs sound like lullabies. Perfect to play on the stereo when you have a baby crawling around the room.

9. Blonde Redhead - 23
A nearly perfect collection of dream pop. Not groundbreaking stuff — just masterfully executed and thoroughly enchanting.

8. Caribou – Andorra
Pulsing, psychedelic wonder. Essential listening for a drive through the wilderness. Dan Snaith’s last album sounded a bit inconsistent to me. This is a strong return to the majesty of his Up In Flames record — back before some Dick forced him to stop using the name Manitoba.

7. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
Mr. Lekman gets my vote for best songwriter to emerge in the 21^st century thus far. His music is frequently sublime. His lyrics are sharp and hilarious, and English isn’t even his first language. This album has some of his strongest tunes, but I feel like it loses some magic in the middle. Still, I would highly recommend this and all of his other output to anyone who enjoys charming, playful pop.

6. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
Sure, he sounds like a Beach Bro from way back when. Why shouldn’t he? More accurately, this album evokes a drug-induced dream of some of Brian Wilson and company’s finest work. Gorgeous harmonies, high on reverb, flowing comfortably across warm and friendly waters. This is the best trip I’ve ever been on.

5. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
The first time I heard this record, I thought Kevin Barnes had lost it — and he just may have (12-minute-long “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” provides some convincing evidence). But after about 10 times through, these tightly wound, emotionally revealing outbursts had soaked through my skull and left me addicted.

4. Marissa Nadler – Songs III: Bird On The Water
I’ve already used the word “haunting” once in describing Ms. Nadler’s music, so I’ll try not to do it again. She has one of the most moving, elegiac voices that I’ve heard, and the stark arrangements on this album provide the perfect atmosphere for it. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that she left me misty-eyed on a recent winter eve. Haunting. Damn.

3. Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
Deerhoof is one of the more distinctive-sounding bands out there, and they manage to sound fresh with each new album. They’re talented musicians, and their songs are fairly complex, yet they sound playful and innocent. It’s an unusual contrast that’s due in large part to Satomi Matsuzaki’s child-like voice and apparent lack of a grasp on the English language. Ultimately, though, it’s the abundance of savory hooks that keeps me coming back for more.

2. Cass McCombs – Dropping The Writ
Mr. McCombs’ last album was a fairly ragged, low-fi affair; this one sounds more polished, more mature even. Of course, you won’t be hearing any of it on your local adult alternative radio station. But you should. The songwriting is impeccable, and his falsetto reaches incredible highs that will send chills up your headphone cords.

1. Battles – Mirrored
This is rock music as found in the wild, as opposed to the all-too-common domesticated incarnation of the genre. The album is an intoxicating stew of unusual sounds and rhythms. It might sound challenging, but it ain't math homework — just some good, clean, disorienting fun. Surprising, amusing and heavy. I have Battles in my life, and I'm loving it.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Some of my favorite things by James F. "Boots" Donnelly...

Albums of the Year
Lawrence Welk - Forever: The Best of Lawrence Welk
Sons of the Pioneers - Cool Water (& 17 Timeless Favorites)
Henny Youngmen - Take My Album Please (Or Two Sets for the Price of One)
Boxcar Willie - King of the Hoboes
Jodeci – Forever My Lady

Favorite Movie – Cocoon III

My favorite prune juice – Sunsweet

Favorite hard candy – MacTavish’s Butterscotch Candy

Favorite food – Tapioca

Favorite football moment – Red Grange’s 6 TD game against Michigan (18-October 1924). Still as magical a moment as ever. Kids these days just can’t match the speed and toughness of the Galloping Ghost.

Favorite Dance – The Charleston I performed at the Murfreesboro Elks Lodge Dance Off in July with Millie.

Worst College Football Idea: The playoff. It’s bad enough they got rid of ties and created the BCS. Now they want a playoff? What happened to the good old days of teams going 8-1-2 and winning the national championship by playing the #7 team in a bowl game?

Best move they should make for the 2008 Summer Olympics: Adding college football as a sport. We’d kick the asses of those commie pinko Russians and finally get a leg up in the Cold War. Wait a minute, it’s in China? Maybe 2012, since we’ll obviously be boycotting 2008.

The best moment in baseball for 2007: Appalachian St. beating Michigan.

I would like to wish everyone a happy 2008. Spring practice is right around the corner, as well as national signing day, so don't worry. Labor Day weekend is right around the corner!

2007 Mix - Paul Bost

Instead of coming up with some sort of list, I instead decided to create a mix conveying my favorite songs of the year (plus a couple from previous years). I've sent everyone on the email list a link from where you can download the mix (edit; here's the link: http://download.yousendit.com/F6FB429759684187); it's a big file and, unfortunately, it's one file (I tried to separate it into different tracks but my editing software was being a bitch about it). Some of the edits are pretty simple, whereas on others I endeavor to actually do some Steve Aoki shit (minus the gorgeous hangers-on). Check it out, if you get a chance. It might actually be a good workout mix, minus the last two songs that sort of slow things down (which may be appropriate for some post-running stretching/meditation).

Tracklist

(1) Night of the Furies - The Rosebuds
(2) $20 - M.I.A.
(3) St. Tropez - Golden Bug
(4) Kidz Are So Small - Deerhoof
(5) Hold On - Holy Ghost!
(6) Wow - Kylie Minogue
(7) Finer Feelings - Spoon
(8) Ice Cream - New Young Pony Club
(9) I've Still Got You (Ice Cream) - Pissed Jeans
(10) Tout va pour le mieux dans le pire des mondes - Les Breastfeeders
(11) World - The Bee Gees
(12) Coke & Wet - Spankrock
(13) Kill the Messenger - Karl Blau
(14) Come One Come All - Noonday Underground
(15) Mr. Me Too (Z.A.K. Remix) - Clipse
(16) Failsafe - The New Pornographers
(17) Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West
(18) Bright Lights, Big City - Jim Jones feat. Max B.
(19) Isn't Life Strange? - The Clientele
(20) On the Wings - Citay

Daniel Dowd's 2-0-0-7

First of all, I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts, as always.

Albums

-Wilco Sky Blue Sky. - Not many people I know or spoke with liked this one, but I liked it. I needed some mellow this year. I also love Nels Cline, though I almost think he overpowers Wilco live to the point of being a detriment. Almost. I like the song on and on and on

-New Pornographers Challengers – Another album I felt many didn’t like upon discussing with them. I enjoyed this quite a bit after listen 3 or 4, especially go places.

-Andrew Bird. The last two albums. - I finally stopped being lazy and soaked in The Mysterious Production of Eggs and had a little time away from Andrew for awhile, then dove into the new one. I love them both. I listened to Andrew Bird the most in 2007.

-Deerhoof Friend Opportunity - This was my favorite album of the year. It was also my favorite show of 2007. I can’t get enough of Deerhoof in every way.

-Of Montreal Hissing Fauna…-I wore this one out and enjoyed the song Gronlandic Edit the most. This album and Wilco seemed to have fitting themes for me.

My favorite films
No Country For Old Men
Grindhouse
Silver Jew
The Darjeeling Limited

Favorite live shows
Deerhoof
Animal Collective
TV on the Radio
Stumbling upon a sort of Blind Faith reunion on PBS

I also liked…

My daughter’s strange, sudden, sponge-like absorption of Black Sabbath.

The Sopranos ending. Yes! My favorite episode was the next to last episode Blue Comet.

Watching some English Premier League for the first time. Being a Mets fan I have to say that I really enjoyed watching the EPL. I still have the 1000 yard stare.

Best parts of the Mitchell Report…
Roidger Clemens
Mo Vaughn being “afraid of the big needles.”

Facial Hair of the Year

I didn’t really notice any great facial hair this year. I guess it’s Arthur Blank, owner of the Falcons...

The favorite hairs in my household were our family debates as to whether the guy from Big and Rich had deodorant dust on his armpit hair in the opening credits of ESPN’s College Gameday. I said no, my wife said yes. I thought it was the sunshine reflecting off of the fair locks of Big or Rich’s armpit. Tivo happened. Slow-mo happened. It was heated and lasted many weeks. I gave in and said it was deodorant.

That marital spat finished second this year to the spat of trying to determine whether Don McLean of American Pie fame pronounces his name “Mc – Leen” or “Mc – Layne.” We went over Don McLean youtube clips like it was the Zapruder film. I won with “Mc-Layne.”

So, armpit hair of the year goes to…Big? Or is he rich?

I’d like to wish everyone a happy new year and late December holiday of choice. May your respective 2008s be filled with all things good.

Adam Willis' Year In Music

I didn't want to be the last to post again this year, so I tried to throw together my list as best I could. Like Paul and others, I think I listen to "albums" a lot less than I used to. I've also realized that I listen to a good deal more new "old" music than actual new releases, so that affects what I've listened to a lot. Here goes:

Favorite Singles of 2007:
-"D.A.N.C.E.", Justice- I think I heard this early enough that it was still cool to me and still cool for me to like it.
-"Players Anthem", UGK & Three Six Mafia- The best of Texas Hip Hop. Put a little South in your Mouth!
-"Bittersweet Poetry", Kanye West featuring John Mayer- Hidden track on Graduation, I'm as surprised as anyone else to feature John Mayer in my favorite singles of the year. I liked this album a whole lot and it probably falls just shy of making my top albums list. Either way, I think this is my favorite track. Keyshia Cole!
-"Irreplaceable", Beyonce- This gets in my head at least once a week and is in fierce competition with that "No One" Alicia Keyes song for favorite R&B traffic sing-a-long, but Ms. Keyes song is too new for me to make a judgement.
-"The Underdog", Spoon- Indie Rock single of the year. Those spanish horns really put me in a good mood.
-"Grace Kelly", Mika- I thought this was a self-referencing Queen song I'd never heard before when I heard it on the radio the first time. Definitely my number one sing-s-long of the year. Anything with a high-note I can strain to of this caliber is A-OK.

Favorite Albums of 2007: (There are 8)

8-LCD Soundsystem, "Sound Of Silver"- I was a lot crazier about this album than the first for some reason. It's at the bottom of the list because i wish it had ended right before that crappy New York song. Perfect until then for me.
7-Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky"- I got this when it first came out and kind of shelved it until later this year. The first half or so of this one could be my favorite recordings they've ever done. I'd almost swear it was recorded in 1975.
6-Apples In Stereo, "New Magnetic Wonder"- I'm really grateful to Elijah Wood for starting a record label to release this album. Vocoder always wins.
5-Junior Senior, "Hey Hey My My Yo Yo"- I know this actually came out a couple of years ago, but it was finally released in the US this year. I think they should be the biggest band on pop radio. I'm not sure why they aren't.
4-Spoon, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga"- In reality, my Top 4 albums could possibly all be tied for number 1. They all very equally shared the most listens of the year for me. This album is over quick and I frequently would start it over immediately afterwards.
3-Dr. Dog, "We All Belong"- Maybe they're channeling the Beatles, maybe they're channeling The Band, either way they are pop craftsmen. Also, I'm a sucker for male harmonies. The album is equally good to me as the EP "Takers and Leavers". I consider them as one.
2-Of Montreal, "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer"- I know it's dark and over-dramatic, but I really, really dug it all year long. I needed someone to replace Beck's Midnight Vultures-era Prince imitation and it was superbly done here.
1-Panda Bear, "Person Pitch"- This slowly grew to be my number one album. Although "Strawberry Jam" would be very high on my year's list, it's the soft layers of Brian Wilson production on this album that make me want to be on acid. On a plane. Reclining. Also, my favorite album cover of the year. It's certainly a complete package.

I look forward to rereading this list next year to see how my opinions of 2007's albums have changed.

Love,
Adam

For Your Aural Pleasure 2007

First, let me say that I’m really looking forward to checking out your guys’ musical selections. Last year, I ended up purchasing albums by The Knife and Junior Boys and loved both of them (thanks, Thom!).

Favorite Albums of 2007
6. "Once" (Music From the Motion Picture) - fantastic movie with a fantastic soundtrack

5. Linkin Park, "Minutes to Midnight" - Initially, I felt that this album was too musically schizophrenic - with the band taking a "let’s throw all these disparate musical ideas against the wall and see what pieces of spaghetti stick" approach...or something like that. By year’s end, I really enjoy 8 of the 12 tracks. The other four still consistently meet the ">>" button of my iPod.

4. Danny Dementor, "Where’s Your Hood At?" - If you like the Harry Potter series or just silly good hip-hop/pop music, then this is for you. www.myspace.com/dannydementor

3. The Shins, "Wincing the Night Away" - I found this to be a very relaxing and welcome escape from the stresses of year two in law school.

2. Britney Spears, "Blackout" - say what you want, but this album truly is a cohesive, well-produced album of pop/dance gems tarnished only by the distracting personal antics of the Britster herself. If she had focused her energy on this album, I believe she really could’ve had a Mimi-esque comeback with it. America is very forgiving. U-S-A! U-S-A!

1. Nine Inch Nails, "Year Zero" - this deserves much more attention than it received. Hands down my favorite album of the year. It was a pleasure listening to this one from beginning to end.

Favorite Ballads of 2007
8. "Breathless" by Shayne Ward (from Breathless)
7. "Soulmate" by Natasha Bedingfield (from N.B.)
6. "A World to Believe In" by Céline Dion (from Taking Chances)
5. "Slideshow" by Rufus Wainwright (from Release the Stars)
4. "Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park (from Minutes to Midnight)
3. "Homeless" by Leona Lewis (from Spirit)
2. "The Night Sky" by Keane (from The Night Sky)

1. "Say It To Me Now" by Glen Hansard

Favorite Tracks of 2007

10. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse

9. "Black Jacks" by Girls Aloud

8. "Red Rabbits" by The Shins

7. "Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold
6. "Straight Lines" by Silverchair
5. "Let It Die" by Foo Fighters
4. "Do I Disappoint You" by Rufus Wainwright
3. "Like A Drug" by Kylie Minogue
2. "Gimme More" by Britney Spears
1. "Given Up" by Linkin Park

Wishing you all the best in 2008!
-Ricky

Colin's Favorite Tracks (Sort Of)

I'm pretty sure most of these can be downloaded (or at least streamed) for free and legal from various interweb locations. Unlike Thom, however, I will not be providing you with many links. But you're smart and good at computers. Go find them yourselves.

COLIN'S 16 FAVORITE TRACKS OF 2007

(THAT DO NOT APPEAR ON COLIN'S 17 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2007)

by Colin F. McCormick

16. Lavender Diamond - "Rise In The Springtime"

15. Bat For Lashes - "What's A Girl To Do?"

14. Air France - "Beach Party"

13. Architecture In Helsinki - "Heart It Races"

12. Shout Out Louds - "Tonight I Have To Leave It"
Maybe I only like it because it sounds exactly like The Cure.

11. Thieves Like Us - "Drugs In My Body"

10. Hot Chip - "My Piano"

9. Super Furry Animals - "Run-Away"

8. Justice - "Phantom"

7. Jape - "Floating"

6. Cass McCombs - "Pregnant Pause"
I need to listen a bit more to this fellow.

5. Menomena - "Wet And Rusting"

4. Sally Shapiro - "I'll Be By Your Side"

3. Vampire Weekend - "Mansard Roof"
I've already sneaked a listen or two to the forthcoming debut LP from these African-influenced New York preps. It's pretty great stuff, but we'll see if the hype holds up long enough for it to show up on everyone's 2008 list.

2. The New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours"
The rest of Challengers left me a little flat.

1. Beirut - "Elephant Gun"
Also gets my vote for best music video of the year.

Colin's Favorite Albums

I always hesitate to call these lists "best of" because there is still so much I haven't gotten the chance to hear. I'd like to take a closer listen to those Jens and Cass gentlemen, for instance. But I guess that applies to just about everybody, so this is what you get from me.

COLIN'S 17 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2007

by Colin F. McCormick

17. Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
A thick coat of production gloss has rendered Connor Oberst a relatively edgeless version of his former self. That said, he'll still win you over if you're a sucker.

16. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
A bold and passionately personal examination of (possibly) meaningless life as art. Also wins the prize for most interesting insertion of "Sloop John B."

15. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
It's great stuff, but I feel like most people went a little more ga ga over this album than I did. But hey, I'm not gonna be a baby about it. Sorry.

14. Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
I love Ben Bridwell's voice. And while this folksier effort didn't resonate with quite the same degree of emotional impact as last year's Everything All The Time, I'll take what I can get.

13. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The level of grandeur much of this album shoots for may have required a bit too epic a trajectory for The Arcade Fire's own good. But what it does manage to accomplish is still compelling in its own right.

12. The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
It may be slightly more upbeat than The Clientele's previous material, but God Save's hushed, understated melodies lilt by so unassumingly, you might fail to notice just how lovely they can be.

11. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
The Shins' earlier albums were driven by their charming youthful spontaneity, and the more mature Wincing sounds a little constrained by comparison. Still, this album contains several legitimate gems, and even some of the best melodies they've ever released.

10. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Deerhoof seem to have somehow finally gotten a firm handle on their unique haphazard style, and they've honed it well on this great haphazard album.

9. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
When Balkan gypsy music this convincing is blaring and bellowing from a 21-year-old New Mexico native, it's surprising, to say the least. But Zach Condon infuses his songs with just enough Western pop sensibility and charm to quiet the questioning and make them instantly enjoyable.

8. Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings
"I try to write music that I think if like really cool six-year-olds got together...and they were like, 'Let's write the most awesome music ever,' this is hopefully what I hope they would come up with." When Dan Deacon gave that description of his style during an incredible (and inexplicable) TV appearance in 2005, Spiderman Of The Rings was still more than two years away. The aesthetic, however, holds true, and he's come surprisingly close to realizing his most-awesome-music-ever goal. "Wham City" is easily one of the best tracks I heard all year.

7. Radiohead - In Rainbows
With all the hype surrounding the style of its release, I feel like I heard little about how good this album actually is. It's classic Radiohead, without feeling at all rehashed or tired. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

6. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Sam Beam has continued the fleshing out process he began on the Woman King EP, and Iron & Wine is now a far cry from its solo bedroom project roots. This folksy album is beautiful and haunting.

5. Caribou - Andorra
These songs are just solid pop melodies at their cores, but they are wrapped in insistent, driving percussion, and dipped in a sparkling coating of psychedelic ambience. It's a delicious concoction.

4. Battles - Mirrored
Technical prowess coupled with innovative, progressive songwriting make this one of the most interesting and enjoyable albums I've heard in a long time. Could this be the music of the future?!

3. of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
I always assumed post-romantic separation albums were gloomy and sullen, consisting mainly of guys crying into acoustic guitars (see Beck's Sea Change). Such is not the case for Kevin Barnes, who here takes us on a wild journey through his hurt and frustrated (yet extremely hyperactive) psyche. The album progresses from bouncing, frenetic pop confusion through a 12-minute cathartic bout of rambling bitterness, and finally settles on flamboyant, Prince-esque, funked-out sex jams. Despite the recent ridiculous Outback Steakhouse campaign (among other advertisements), and long-winded rants in support of selling out, Kevin Barnes managed to craft my most listened-to album of the year, and the best of Montreal LP to date.

2. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Awash in reverb-saturated ambience, Person Pitch is hypnotic, dizzying, uplifting, and gorgeous.

1. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
I read that the title for this album was chosen after one of the members opened an airline packet of strawberry jam during a flight. The idea was that, like jam, their music is starts with something as natural as a strawberry, say a catchy hook, and processes it to such a degree that its appearance and texture are rendered so unnatural as to seem almost alien. Well, if you've ever eaten jam, you know that end result, bizarre as it appears, is extremely sweet.

2007: A Year in Albums - Paul Bost

It seems like as the years go by, the album becomes less and less relevant. I mean, I still buy a lot of albums but it seems that I rarely listen to them in their entirety. There are exceptions, though, like when I'm driving cross country and I can't stand one more hour of Jim Rome. It's then that I remember that the album's a legitimate artistic form, like a triptych for painters or a pieta for sculptors. Yeah, this sounds like gobbledlygook, but the point is this: there's still something to be said for the album and the merits of full and repeated listening.

That said, I think the best of these albums have great stand alone tracks and a cohesive quality that sets them apart. Also, if there was anything that I paid attention to this year more than any other year, it was vocals. I like Archers of Loaf and Dinosaur Jr. as much as the next guy (unless the next guy's wearing Doc Martens and an SST t-shirt), but vocals should be more than an afterthought; just like a great melody can save shitty lyrics, a great voice can salvage an otherwise unremarkable song.

Lastly, as if you care, there are some older artists that have been getting much more airplay in my house than the following artists, but they didn't put out albums this year (that I know of, at least). Still, I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention how much I enjoyed the music of Bad Brains, The Left Banke, Tony Allen and Afrika 70, and Linda Ronstadt.

Enough w/ the preamble . . .

Top 20 Albums of 2007

1) Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity
2) The New Pornographers – Challengers (their serious record) w/ extras ordered from Matador (unreleased tracks and demos, the Christmas e.p., and a yet to be uploaded live concert)
3) Cass McCombs – Dropping the Writ
4) Gonzales – Solo Piano
5) Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (comeback player of the year)
6) Panda Bear – Person Pitch/Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
7) Brad Laner – Neighbor Singing
8) The Clientele – God Save the Clientele
9) The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
10) Grinderman – Grinderman (album opener of the year)
11) White Williams – Smoke (funniest sounds of the year)
12) Band of Horses – Cease to Begin
13) Sloan – Never Hear the End of It
14) Bill Callahan – Woke on a Whaleheart (song of the year: Sycamores)
15) The Shins – Wincing the Night Away (great first half of the record but loses steam after "Red Rabbits")
16) Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (the Satanic Panic in the Attic era was far too short)
17) The Rosebuds – Night of the Furies
18) Dr. Dog - We All Belong and Takers and Leavers
19) Citay – Little Kingdom

Good Listens
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse
Blonde Redhead - 23 (sounds good, but also like they're treading water)
Celebration – The Modern Tribe (talk about vocals elevating a song - holy guacamole!)
Dungen – Tio Bitar
Enon - Grass Geysers . . . Carbon Clouds
Field Music – Tones of Town
Future of the Left – Curses (best lyrics of any album this year)
Joan as Police Woman – Real Life
Les Breastfeeders – Les Matins de Grand Soirs (I bought the Hives album but I like this Hives album more)
M.I.A. - Kala
Michio Kurihara – Sunset Notes
No Age – Weirdo Rippers (aah, memories . . . to some of us, The Smell is known less for No Age and more for Extreme Elvis)
Pissed Jeans – Hope for Men
Santa Maria – Santa Maria (Michelle McMahon: check this out if you haven't already; I think there's a Concretes connection there)
Sissy Wish – Beauties Never Die
Slow Six – Nor’easter
St. Vincent – Marry Me
White Stripes – Icky Thump

I still haven't picked up the following albums, so these are officially on my Xmas list:

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky (the fact that I've heard this, like it, and love the band makes not having this record a crime)
The Fiery Furnaces – Widow City (this sounds pretty similar to E.P., which is the only thing I've ever really liked by them)
Meg Baird – Dear Companion
Boris and Michio Kurihara - Rainbow
The Good, The Bad, and The Queen (w/ my new found love for Tony Allen, perhaps the best supergroup lineup ever)
LCD Soundsystem - Sounds of Silver

Top 10 Systematic Theology Books We Read in 2007 by Matt Stephan and Katie Byron

10. Theology for the Community of God—Stanley Grenz: A great and exhaustive overview of Evangelical systematic theology, based on the premise that the Kingdom of God is manifested through community. Everyone should own a copy of this book.

9. In Our Image—Miroslav Volf: A free church ecclesiology developed over and against Eastern Orthodox ecclesiology (Zizouilas) and Catholic ecclesiology (Ratzinger), and in dialogue with feminist ecclesiology that seeks to give proper place to both individual and community, thus reflecting the trinity.

8. Jesus and Judas—Ray Anderson: An imaginary conversation between Jesus and Judas in the time after the resurrection when, according to Matthew, many of the saints rose from the dead, which demonstrates that Jesus' selection of us as disciples is stronger than our rejection of him as Lord.

7. The Mediation of Christ—Thomas Torrance: In assuming the role of Israel, argues Torrance, Jesus performed the divine role(s) of revelation and reconciliation through a two-fold movement of bringing God to earth and humanity to heaven.

6. God of the Oppressed—James Cone: In arguably Cone's most influential work, he continues to develop his thesis of what it means to be black and Christian, culminating in the theodic argument that God is on the side of the oppressed.

5. Most Moved Mover—Clark Pinnock: This book outlines openness theology, the view developed against a Calvinist view, here painted as representing our Heavenly dictator, that the gift of free will is a prerequisite for a loving relationship between humanity and God. Therefore, because God no longer holds all the power (he has granted some to us: free will) he can be influenced by our intercession.

4. She Who Is—Elizabeth Johnson: A feminist discourse on the study of God, Johnson argues that a female image for God is just as appropriate (and inappropriate) a metaphor for the Holy One.

3. The Return of the Prodigal Son—Henri Nouwen: This book is life transforming, focusing on each character in Luke's Prodigal Son parable. Nouwen details the ways in which we are like each character and most importantly, need to become more like the Father.

2. Resident Aliens—Hauerwas & Willimon: A more communal recapitulation of Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship set in late 20th century America.

1. Becoming Human—Jean Vanier: This is an amazing book, explaining the struggles every human being faces, such as loneliness and rejection, which compel us to exclude others. Vanier describes the ways we are called to become truly human, as was Christ, by overcoming our fears and living in community. It is a beautiful book in which we discover our common humanity.

Soapy's Obsessions in 2007*

(Soapy's only a little bit older than Tommy, so his faves are only slightly more sophisticated.)

10. Watching Tila Tequila.

9. Chewing slippers, rainbow flip-flops, stairs, tables, and cell phones.

8. Eating Wendy's vanilla frosties.

7. Running away from Paul.

6. Pooping.

5. Farting.

4. Spooning Paul.

3. Bone zoning.

2. Going to the dog park and getting slobbered on.

1. Eating sticks!

* as recounted by Sarah Luppen

Top 10 Older Alternative Rock Songs that Deserve More Radio Airplay than "Tainted Love" - Paul Bost

10) "I Know What Boys Like" - The Waitresses
9) "Roam" - The B-52s
8) "Headache" - Frank Black
7) "Do the Vampire" - Superdrag
6) "Natural One" - Folk Implosion
5) "Crash" - The Primitives
4) "Possum Kingdom" - The Toadies
3) "Your Woman" - White Town
2) "In the Meantime" - Spacehog
1) "Epic" - Faith No More

My Favorite Things To Do In 2007, Tommy McMahon

I’ve only been in the world since January 11, so this is really a list of my favorite things to do in my life so far.

10. Eat Cheerios
9. Pull garbage out of garbage cans
8. Put my fingers in the paper shredder
7. Slide around the carpet on book covers, CDs, or record sleeves
6. Splash in the bath
5. Kiss myself in mirrors
4. Flush toilets
3. Eat biscuits
2. Pull cords out of electrical outlets and then try to put them in my mouth before Mom or Dad sees me
1. Crumple newspapers

2007: Whatcha gonna do with all that tripe?

For now, here are some of my favorite YouTube clips from this past year. For the most part, they come from The Soup, which is hilarious!

Merry Chrismukkah!
-Richard P. Steelman, Jr.

A Dozen MP3s And A Little KFC

Two humble offerings from me for now. I’ll be back in a while with an albums list. Too much to listen to.
-Thom McMahon IV

MP3 JAMBOREE: Best Free Downloads

12. Ghost – Caledonia
This will make you want to grab a spear and run through a jungle in search of something to kill. Although by the end of the song, you may want to kill yourself.

11. The Curtains – Go Lucky
An understated — sneaky, even — pop gem.

10. Richard Swift – Paisley Park
Reminiscent of another great “park” song: the Zombies’ “Beechwood Park.”

9. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Sun Lips
The band name seems nonsensical, but this song does feel something like flying through a gauzy rainbow. Psychedelic, in other words.

8. White Williams – New Violence
A white man playing guitar and drums simultaneously in a room full of malfunctioning keyboards.

7. Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
New Yorkers playing guitar pop at a street festival in Congo. Their debut album, which comes out in January, should be hot.

6. Marnie Stern – Put All Your Eggs In One Basket, And Then Watch That Basket!!!
Spiraling out of control has never sounded so cute.

5. Yeasayer – 2080
Some sort of futuristic dub ensemble playing an Irish jig.

4. Marissa Nadler – Diamond Heart
Haunting folk from a young woman who sounds like the daughter of Leonard Cohen and Joanna Newsom.

3. Bodies of Water – These Are The Eyes
This was apparently made by young people who were cut from their high school choir, so they started their own choir in the guise of a rock band. Triumphant!

2. Sally Shapiro – I’ll Be By Your Side
You know that hotel made out of ice in northern Sweden? If there’s a dance club there, this is what they play non-stop. Icy perfection.

1. Jens Lekman – Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo
Will make you laugh, dance, and become nostalgic for rural Sweden.

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BONUS LIST: Least-Appetizing Ads Seen In KFC Windows

5. “Triple Dip Strips!” – I’ve heard of double dipping, but triple dipping? How many times do you have to smother these things in sauce before you can get them down? Three times.

4. “Fish Snacker!” – Since when is fish a snack? And since when is it appropriate for Kentucky Fried Chicken to serve fish?

3. “Kids’ Laptop Meal!” – Nothing says nutrition like a portable computer. I guess they e-mail your kids their drumsticks and coleslaw.

2. “Free Mega Mash!” – This is apparently what Mega Man eats when he has a hankering for some greasy, whipped potato product. And when he’s broke.

1. “Boneless Variety Bucket!” – So there’s no bones, but what is there? I just picture a bucket of bones.

Let's Get This Jamboree Rollin'!

Welcome back, folks. As 2007 winds down, let's all take some time to think about what moved us during the year. Tell us what were your favorite (or least favorite) albums, movies, concerts, donuts, or anything else that appeared in the past 12 months. Check back often to see what others have to sing about, and comment as you please.

If you'd like to review what went on last year at this time, take a look below this post. We'd say it was a strong turnout in 2006. Let's make more magic.

Fondly,

Thomas A. McMahon IV
Paul A. Bost I

Adam "Gunny" Willis' Music Year In Review

Greatest Singles of the Year
5. “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” Scissor Sisters (as discussed, why are they not bigger in America?)
4. “Black Magic” Jarvis Cocker (2nd Best Sample of the Year)
3. “Hip Hop Is Dead” Nas (Best Sample of the Year)
2. “What You Know” T.I. (The King. Greatest Hip-Hop Anthem of the Year)
1. “Crazy” Gnarls Barkley (Inescapable, but definitely the most infectious and brilliant dance song of the year and probably one of the best singles of the past 10 years. Sorry.)

Honorable Mention Albums of the Year
4. Bishop Allen’s Monthly EP Experiment (a favorite band of mine, dropped from their label embarked on an ambitious project worth mentioning out of it's sheer ambition)
3. Jarvis Cocker Jarvis (A very good return to form from Harry Potter star and former Pulp frontman. Will most likely get more listening in the year to come. (see Greatest Singles above))
2. Beck The Information (as with the next album on the list, this was a very decent album by an old favorite. Leaps and bounds above Guero for me, some fantastic songs but all in all lacking in spirit.)
1. Flaming Lips At War With The Mystics (Disappointing but very good. It's altogether possible that I will grow to like this album much more somewhere down the road. But maybe not.)
Top 10 Albums of the Year
10. Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor (Kanye protege of sorts delivered a fantastic hip-hop album about Buddhism and skateboarding, I think, while Kanye did the soundtrack to MI:3. And seriously, that's one of the best rap monikers around.)
9. Phoenix, It’s Never Been Like That (Best Strokes Album of the Year. They have wonderful hair and wardrobes. I'm a sucker for French pop and they know how to deliver it. This time they delivered it as rock n' rollers instead of as Steely Dan and it really grew on me.)
8. The Walkmen A Hundred Miles Off (No comment. I just liked it.)
7. The Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury (They continue to be the greatest rap duo around and live up to any and all hype they receive. This album is way dark compared to their previous major label release. They rap about dealing drugs and appear to continue to do both in equal amounts which holds more credibility for me than every other rapper who "quit the game" and survived to utterly sell out and make mediocre rap albums, movies, tennis shoes and designer jeans.)
6. Band Of Horses Everything All The Time ("The Funeral" is probably the indie single of the year and deservedly so. Lots of people already mentioned this album's merits so I'll agree. This one grew on me all year long and I continued to revisit it throughout 2006.)
5. Girl Talk, Night Ripper (Is it called sampling, mixing or mashing-up? This PB recommendation was a mind-blower and I burnt it and gave it to a young British commercial director I worked for in the hopes that he would enjoy someone else's music which I copied and gave to him so much that he would give me a big break into the industry. Still waiting for that, will let you know.)
4. Peter Bjorn & John, Writer’s Block (I waited too long to pull this one out of nowhere and my thunder was stolen and apparently a lot of other people had also heard this album. Probably my new favorite band.)
3. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat (I'm pretty sure I downloaded this album before it was out in 2005 and put it on my list last year. Oops. Either way, it deserves to be on two years running for me because I've listened to it that much. I clearly have a greater love of country music than even I thought. This album is also a real "wife-pleaser" of a CD.)
2. Grandaddy, Whatever Happened To The Fambly Cat (You might think this made the list because they're one of my favorite bands and they officially broke up this year with this release, and that might have something to do with it. Either way, it made Ryan McNeill cry and has many times gotten me pretty damn close. It's a tie with number one as far as most listens of the year.)
1. Belle & Sebastian, The Life Pursuit (You know what, it's a perfect album and it would appear that they have completely come into their own as far as songwriting goes. Nobody does twee better, and this one is honestly less twee than ever and provides some really timeless, perfectly crafted pop songs. Finding Thom McMahon and an inebriated and shirtless Paul Bost at their fantastic Hollywood Bowl show was a highlight of the year.)

Love,
Adam Willis

Adam "Gunny" Willis' General Year In Review

In writing something of this nature, I tend to dwell on my decision for too long. The main reason for this is that having a limited amount of time and money for buying/"buying"(downloading) music, watching movies, reading books (ha!), watching television and generally participating in cultural studies restricts the pool from which I can draw. Therefore these year end lists would probably be more accurate a few years down the road after I've had the chance to watch more DVDs and listen to more CD releases from the year in question.

The lists on this blog alternately make me feel good and bad about my tastes in pop culture. I hope the following best-of-lists of my own will impress you and make you feel ashamed for not nearly being as cultured as I am. Sorry for the length of this post. Enjoy!

Best Movies I Saw in 2006
7. Wassup Rockers! (maybe not the 7th best, but very enjoyable and influenced me to take up skateboarding too late in life)
6. Borat
5. The Departed
4. Half Nelson
3. A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
2. Brick
1. The Fountain

Worthy Acting Performances Worth Mentioning In Which The Film Itself Did Not Make The Top 7
2. Sasha Baron Cohen- Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (I still stand by my comment of this being a "Peter Sellers-worthy comedic performance)
1. Isaac Laskin- Art School Confidential (most shocking recognition of an actor on screen, and most Malkovich scene-stealing performance of the year)

Best Movie Trailer of the Year
1. Marie Antoinette (the initial teaser featuring New Order's "Age of Consent")
View Trailer

Best Television Shows of the Year
4. MTV's Two-A-Days (my lack of interest in the past few Real World Seasons, Real World/Road Rules Challenge-esque shows, and the latter 2 Seasons of Laguna Beach provided a gaping hole in my youth culture "reality" programming which this show filled. There's nothing like High School Football and High School Drama. Also, those Alabama jocks had the best uniform hairstyles of the year.)
3. 30 Rock (Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin. Fantastic.)
2. Saxondale (Steve Coogan's latest BBC Comedy, see it now before it is made into a watered down, slightly less-funny American version for NBC)
1. Sopranos Season 6 (I can't help being on the bandwagon, it's great.)

Most Un-funny Television Show of the Year Which The General Public As Well As Multiple Friends & Family Find Funny to My Lack of Understanding
1. My Name Is Earl (Jason Lee is much smaller in real life than he appears on screen.)

Most Cliche Celebrity Sighting Observation Used In This Best-Of-List
1. Celebrities are always smaller in real life.

Facial Hair of the Year
1. Beards

(This was such a ridiculously long post, that I have split it up into 2 to look less obnoxious.)

Love,
Adam Willis