It's the end of a year, a decade, and really, a whole era. Tomorrow, I'm getting ready for New Years Eve with a cute outfit, delicious hors d'oeuvres, champagne, and resolutions I'll abandon by February. But first, the year in review.
Some of my favorite albums released this year. This list is by no means a critic's review of the albums - they're just the albums I've enjoyed listening to most. In no particular order...
1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone This might just be my favorite Neko Case album. I could've done without the nearly 30 minutes of white noise on the Marais la Nuit track, but everything else is just wonderful. For the uninitiated, Neko Case shares the lead vocals with A.C. Newman and Dan Bejar in The New Pornographers. A.C. Newman has had his own solo act for several years now. His first album The Slow Wonder was pretty good, but his second and most recent album Get Guilty (released in 2009) just didn't cut it. Neko Case definitely has the vocal upper hand here.
2. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
4. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love I actually had some issues with this album at first, but it definitely grew on me. The new female vocal additions really add some depth and variety. This is definitely a more mature sound from The Decemberists. Still, not my favorite album from them, but fair game for 2009.
5. Taken By Trees - East of Eden
6. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Some things I hope will go out of style when the clock strikes 12. So, to you I say good riddance.
1. Leggings as pants - Can we all agree to end this? I can maybe see how this could be cute, but it's overdone and often styled horribly. Note that just because your leggings are black, it doesn't mean that they're not sheer and I can't see your zebra print underwear underneath them. Also, cameltoe. EDIT: I think this is acceptable if you have a long tunic or some kind of top that covers your derrière, otherwise, put on some real pants.
2. Cougars - By now, the novelty has worn off. Age difference isn't so much of a shock nowadays. Thank Demi Moore and Anna Nicole Smith for that. I don't really have a problem with the idea or the term, just the prevalence of it. Making a whole TV show about it is just too much for me.
3. Frozen Yogurt - I'll be the first to say that I like frozen yogurt, but I don't think we need a Pinkberry, a Red Mango, and a Cherry on Top all in the same block.
4. Tyra Banks - It seems my wish has already come true! No more Tyra show. Of course, this just means that she's going to set her sights on something bigger and more annoying, but until then, Arrivederci!
5. Useless Eyewear - Kanye West and Lady Gaga, you have created a nightmare. The shuttershades and nonfunctional "sunglasses" have unfortunately taken the world by storm. I just can't take someone seriously when they're wearing a pair of 2 for $8 shuttershades they bought at Venice Beach.
6. Pouty Faces - When did this become a thing? My first instinct would be to blame the Olsens. This is a disgusting and fascinating phenomenon. The face doesn't appear in real life, only in pictures. And apparently, when you throw up peace signs and middle fingers, it somehow ups your coolness by around 14%.
And now my favorite films of the year. Again, in no order...
Tarantino and his Basterds.
1. The September Issue - They may have portrayed the "real" Anna Wintour (Vogue's Editor-in-chief) as a hard-working misunderstood woman, but I'll still bet money that she's an icy bitch.
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Star Trek
4. Coraline
5. I Love You, Man
6. Broken Embraces (Los Abrazos Rotos) - Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz are like the new Spielberg/Hanks duo or the Scorsese/DiCaprio pair. I haven't encountered an Almodovar film that I haven't liked yet. He has a great way of really telling a story and developing his characters. It's just been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This is Almodovar's third nomination in the same category. Volver was up against Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (another Spanish film) and Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima (winner) in 2006.
So keep in mind that this list isn't exactly comprehensive. I still haven't seen some biggies of the year since I'm a poor college student that needs groceries. I have yet to see A Single Man, Where the Wild Things Are, The Road, Precious, and Nine (among others).
Time to get ready for a Beatles Rock Band Party, complete with themed foods. Thanks for reading, kids.