12-14-2004, 01:39 AM
Hey everybody! It's that time of year again, and I'm dying to hear everyone's picks for albums and movies of the year. So let's have 'em! And feel free to write a little blurb for each one. It's more fun that way. Alright, here we go:
ALBUMS
1. The Tragically Hip- In Between Evolution
"In most of these songs, there seems- in my mind anyway- a TV flickering away off in the corner of the frame. It's always there. And on that TV is FOX News."
-Gord Downie, July 2004
This sentiment pretty much sums up the general feel of the Hip's 10th album, which is a little angrier and more menacing than previous efforts. As always the songwriting from the boys is top notch, with tightly-focused arrangements, warm melodies, catchy hooks, gritty guitars cranked up to 11 and an exceptionally passionate vocal performance by Downie.
Gord takes brilliantly veiled swipes at George Dubya, American foreign policy, and even jingoistic right-wing country star Toby Keith, but he approaches these subjects in such a unique way that the politics never get in the way of the music. All together it makes for an edgy, urgent rock album full of heart, soul and intelligence. Put it on and crank er up!
2. Tom Waits- Real Gone
72 whopping minutes of some of the craziest, most absorbing music I’ve ever heard, full of darkly humorous tales of mortality, greed, war, murder, down-on-their-luck carnival freaks, and characters with names like Bowlegged Sal, Knocky Parker, Skinny Bones Jones and Mike of the Weeds. Waits’ gravelly vocals and bizarre instrumentation aren’t the easiest thing to listen to, but it’s worth the challenge just to immerse yourself in his fucked-up world for a while. I love it!
3. Lowest of the Low- Sordid Fiction
One of my favorite Canadian bands of all time returns with their best album in, well, 10 years. After breaking up in 1994 and embarking on various solo projects, the mighty Low have finally come out of hiding to proudly kick our asses once again. Singer/songwriter Ron Hawkins has some truly great moments on this record, most notably the catchy-as-hell “Last Recidivist” and my favorite song of the year, the awesome and tuneful “Everywhere and Nowhere”.
4. Elliott Smith- From a Basement on the Hill
It’s a damn tragedy that this guy had to go and stab himself in the chest with a kitchen knife, because judging by this stunning record he was an incredibly gifted singer/songwriter who will be sorrily missed. Before his death last year I didn’t know much about him other than the fact that he was nominated for an Oscar for his contribution to the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Who knew he was this good? What a shame.
5. U2- How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Another solid offering from Ireland‘s favorite sons, full of grand sweeping soundscapes, sing-a-long anthems, gorgeous ballads, Bono‘s soaring vocals, and most importantly the Edge‘s big chiming guitar right up in your face. The end result is their most U2-ish sounding album since the Joshua Tree, and that certainly ain’t a bad thing. It's been a while since they rocked this hard. They’ve been together almost 25 years now, and with all the different fads, fashions and musical trends that have come and gone over the years, they’ve still managed to not only remain musically relevant, but they’ve also been the biggest freakin’ band on the planet for as long as I can remember. I’m guessing that’s not an easy thing to do. Long may they run!
6. Sarah Harmer- All of Our Names
Solidifies Sarah’s growing reputation as one of Canada’s premiere singer/songwriters. The songs are sparse, gorgeous, full of warmth and wisdom, and they’re all framed perfectly by her beautifully angelic vocals. She can rock it up, she can folk it down, or even dip into a bit of country if the mood strikes her, and it all fits together like a glove. Did I mention her marvelous singing voice? I did? Ok, good.
7. Wilco- A Ghost is Born
One thing you can say about Wilco is that they’re never predictable. This is yet another great record in a long line of great records brilliantly conceived by singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy, who has never failed to deliver some of the most honest, heartfelt, mind-blowing music of the last 15 years. This album is a challenging listen, and it certainly isn’t for everybody, but if ya give it a few spins and let it sink in you’ll discover how satisfying and rewarding a Wilco album can be.
8. Neko Case- The Tigers Have Spoken
The main selling point here are Neko’s magnificently gorgeous pipes. This woman can belt out a tune like nobody‘s business. If that’s not enough to make you buy the album, you also get some kick-ass songwriting and a fantastically cool backing band (The Sadies) to complete the package. I often have dreams where Neko sings me to sleep at night.
9. Nirvana- With the Lights Out
An exhausting and fascinating 4-disc retrospective of arguably the most influential band of the last 15 years. Rather than focusing on the greatest hits like most boxed sets do, this one features mostly unreleased material including various B-sides, live tracks, radio performances, and acoustic home demos recorded by Cobain himself using nothing more than a 4-track. It’s incredible stuff. A must have for any Nirvana fan, and anybody who came of age during the early 90s rock explosion.
10. C’mon- Midnight is the Answer
25 glorious minutes of full-throttled, foot stompin, ass-kickin rawk n’ fuckin roll, courtesy of ex-Change of Heart/producer extraordinaire Ian Blurton. In the album’s liner notes it says the disc was recorded entirely using old-school analog equipment. How cool is that!
MOVIES
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Another brilliantly twisted piece of cinema from the warped mind of Charlie Kaufman. Possibly the most romantic film I‘ve ever seen, with incredibly solid performances from Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.
2. Spider-Man 2
Best superhero movie EVER. A non-stop rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Great story, great character development, great acting, great stunts, and great special effects. I loved every minute of it.
3. Garden State
The sweetest, most heartfelt film I’ve seen since Lost in Translation. Zach Braff (from TV’s Scrubs) plays a slightly messed up, overly-medicated struggling actor who travels back to his home state of New Jersey for his mother’s funeral. During his four-day stay he manages to re-connect with himself, his past, his best friend, his estranged father, and ends up falling in love in the process. Braff also wrote the screenplay and directed the film.
4. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
The awesome concluding chapter to Tarantino’s violent revenge epic. Don’t be surprised to see this movie get a few Oscar nods this year for best actress (Uma Thurman), best supporting actor (David Carradine) and best screenplay (Tarantino).
5. Fahrenheit 9/11
Whether you like Michael Moore (like me) or hate him, ya gotta admit the guy knows how to make entertaining, thought-provoking films. As many have pointed out, this flick isn’t exactly 100 percent “documentary“ per say, but damn if it isn’t a powerful piece of filmmaking.
6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Funny, funny, funny. It’s been a while since a movie has made me laugh this hard. Will Ferrell is hilarious as usual, but the Daily Show’s Steve Carell steals every scene he’s in. Needless to say I giggled myself silly all the way through it. Mark my words, this one’s gonna become a cult classic in a few years.
7. Touching the Void
Absolutely incredible. I dare anybody to walk out of this thing and not be totally inspired.
8. The Station Agent
A beautiful little film about an unexpected friendship that develops between three lonely people. Peter Dinklage (who you may remember as the dwarf who beats the crap out of Will Ferrell in “Elf”) delivers an incredible performance. If he doesn’t get an Oscar nod for this, there truly is no justice in the world.
9. Finding Neverland
Another amazing performance from Johnny Depp as author J.M. Barrie, the dude who wrote Peter Pan. Kate Winslet isn’t too shabby either. Anyone who doesn’t get a little misty-eyed watching this thing obviously has no heart. It's a great film.
10. Shaun of the Dead
A hilarious mixture of witty British humor, extreme gore, and excessive violence. Now THAT’S a movie!
ALBUMS
1. The Tragically Hip- In Between Evolution
"In most of these songs, there seems- in my mind anyway- a TV flickering away off in the corner of the frame. It's always there. And on that TV is FOX News."
-Gord Downie, July 2004
This sentiment pretty much sums up the general feel of the Hip's 10th album, which is a little angrier and more menacing than previous efforts. As always the songwriting from the boys is top notch, with tightly-focused arrangements, warm melodies, catchy hooks, gritty guitars cranked up to 11 and an exceptionally passionate vocal performance by Downie.
Gord takes brilliantly veiled swipes at George Dubya, American foreign policy, and even jingoistic right-wing country star Toby Keith, but he approaches these subjects in such a unique way that the politics never get in the way of the music. All together it makes for an edgy, urgent rock album full of heart, soul and intelligence. Put it on and crank er up!
2. Tom Waits- Real Gone
72 whopping minutes of some of the craziest, most absorbing music I’ve ever heard, full of darkly humorous tales of mortality, greed, war, murder, down-on-their-luck carnival freaks, and characters with names like Bowlegged Sal, Knocky Parker, Skinny Bones Jones and Mike of the Weeds. Waits’ gravelly vocals and bizarre instrumentation aren’t the easiest thing to listen to, but it’s worth the challenge just to immerse yourself in his fucked-up world for a while. I love it!
3. Lowest of the Low- Sordid Fiction
One of my favorite Canadian bands of all time returns with their best album in, well, 10 years. After breaking up in 1994 and embarking on various solo projects, the mighty Low have finally come out of hiding to proudly kick our asses once again. Singer/songwriter Ron Hawkins has some truly great moments on this record, most notably the catchy-as-hell “Last Recidivist” and my favorite song of the year, the awesome and tuneful “Everywhere and Nowhere”.
4. Elliott Smith- From a Basement on the Hill
It’s a damn tragedy that this guy had to go and stab himself in the chest with a kitchen knife, because judging by this stunning record he was an incredibly gifted singer/songwriter who will be sorrily missed. Before his death last year I didn’t know much about him other than the fact that he was nominated for an Oscar for his contribution to the Good Will Hunting soundtrack. Who knew he was this good? What a shame.
5. U2- How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Another solid offering from Ireland‘s favorite sons, full of grand sweeping soundscapes, sing-a-long anthems, gorgeous ballads, Bono‘s soaring vocals, and most importantly the Edge‘s big chiming guitar right up in your face. The end result is their most U2-ish sounding album since the Joshua Tree, and that certainly ain’t a bad thing. It's been a while since they rocked this hard. They’ve been together almost 25 years now, and with all the different fads, fashions and musical trends that have come and gone over the years, they’ve still managed to not only remain musically relevant, but they’ve also been the biggest freakin’ band on the planet for as long as I can remember. I’m guessing that’s not an easy thing to do. Long may they run!
6. Sarah Harmer- All of Our Names
Solidifies Sarah’s growing reputation as one of Canada’s premiere singer/songwriters. The songs are sparse, gorgeous, full of warmth and wisdom, and they’re all framed perfectly by her beautifully angelic vocals. She can rock it up, she can folk it down, or even dip into a bit of country if the mood strikes her, and it all fits together like a glove. Did I mention her marvelous singing voice? I did? Ok, good.
7. Wilco- A Ghost is Born
One thing you can say about Wilco is that they’re never predictable. This is yet another great record in a long line of great records brilliantly conceived by singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy, who has never failed to deliver some of the most honest, heartfelt, mind-blowing music of the last 15 years. This album is a challenging listen, and it certainly isn’t for everybody, but if ya give it a few spins and let it sink in you’ll discover how satisfying and rewarding a Wilco album can be.
8. Neko Case- The Tigers Have Spoken
The main selling point here are Neko’s magnificently gorgeous pipes. This woman can belt out a tune like nobody‘s business. If that’s not enough to make you buy the album, you also get some kick-ass songwriting and a fantastically cool backing band (The Sadies) to complete the package. I often have dreams where Neko sings me to sleep at night.
9. Nirvana- With the Lights Out
An exhausting and fascinating 4-disc retrospective of arguably the most influential band of the last 15 years. Rather than focusing on the greatest hits like most boxed sets do, this one features mostly unreleased material including various B-sides, live tracks, radio performances, and acoustic home demos recorded by Cobain himself using nothing more than a 4-track. It’s incredible stuff. A must have for any Nirvana fan, and anybody who came of age during the early 90s rock explosion.
10. C’mon- Midnight is the Answer
25 glorious minutes of full-throttled, foot stompin, ass-kickin rawk n’ fuckin roll, courtesy of ex-Change of Heart/producer extraordinaire Ian Blurton. In the album’s liner notes it says the disc was recorded entirely using old-school analog equipment. How cool is that!
MOVIES
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Another brilliantly twisted piece of cinema from the warped mind of Charlie Kaufman. Possibly the most romantic film I‘ve ever seen, with incredibly solid performances from Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet.
2. Spider-Man 2
Best superhero movie EVER. A non-stop rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Great story, great character development, great acting, great stunts, and great special effects. I loved every minute of it.
3. Garden State
The sweetest, most heartfelt film I’ve seen since Lost in Translation. Zach Braff (from TV’s Scrubs) plays a slightly messed up, overly-medicated struggling actor who travels back to his home state of New Jersey for his mother’s funeral. During his four-day stay he manages to re-connect with himself, his past, his best friend, his estranged father, and ends up falling in love in the process. Braff also wrote the screenplay and directed the film.
4. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
The awesome concluding chapter to Tarantino’s violent revenge epic. Don’t be surprised to see this movie get a few Oscar nods this year for best actress (Uma Thurman), best supporting actor (David Carradine) and best screenplay (Tarantino).
5. Fahrenheit 9/11
Whether you like Michael Moore (like me) or hate him, ya gotta admit the guy knows how to make entertaining, thought-provoking films. As many have pointed out, this flick isn’t exactly 100 percent “documentary“ per say, but damn if it isn’t a powerful piece of filmmaking.
6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Funny, funny, funny. It’s been a while since a movie has made me laugh this hard. Will Ferrell is hilarious as usual, but the Daily Show’s Steve Carell steals every scene he’s in. Needless to say I giggled myself silly all the way through it. Mark my words, this one’s gonna become a cult classic in a few years.
7. Touching the Void
Absolutely incredible. I dare anybody to walk out of this thing and not be totally inspired.
8. The Station Agent
A beautiful little film about an unexpected friendship that develops between three lonely people. Peter Dinklage (who you may remember as the dwarf who beats the crap out of Will Ferrell in “Elf”) delivers an incredible performance. If he doesn’t get an Oscar nod for this, there truly is no justice in the world.
9. Finding Neverland
Another amazing performance from Johnny Depp as author J.M. Barrie, the dude who wrote Peter Pan. Kate Winslet isn’t too shabby either. Anyone who doesn’t get a little misty-eyed watching this thing obviously has no heart. It's a great film.
10. Shaun of the Dead
A hilarious mixture of witty British humor, extreme gore, and excessive violence. Now THAT’S a movie!