Brian LaBenne’s Favorite Albums of 2011:

25. Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts

I’ve been a fan of Thurston Moore’s solo work (as well as his work in Sonic Youth) for a while now, and, I must say, this is one of the best releases he’s been a part of. It’s a very engaging, slow paced, beautiful album, with interesting subtleties on every track. This is a great album for fans of mellow, engaging and inventive folky acoustic music.

Track to check out: ‘Benediction’



24. Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told
So, yeah, this totally sounds like Jay-Z. But, not like, “Watch the Throne”, rap about having awesome credit, recent Jay-Z. Like, incredible, 1990’s, best-in-the-game Jay-Z. The album is a huge undertaking, and, it unfortunately loses points for being heavy handed at points. However, overall, it’s an album filled with some of the best rapping around these days. This is a great album for fans of 90’s era hip-hop.

Track to check out: ‘Greatest Story Never Told’



23. Smith Westerns - Dye it Blonde
This album came out in January, and, at that time, I was convinced that it would be in the Top 10 of my list. I love the T-Rex influences that come through in this album. It’s truly a great old style rockin’ album. However, as you can tell, it did not make the Top 10. There are a couple reasons for this. First of all, 2011 has been such a great music year. Each of these albums I feel very strongly about, and, am very happy to have encountered them this year. Also, I think it kind of wore its charm off a little bit over the year. Maybe all these albums will do that at some point, and this just had the unfortunate early release date. I don’t know. But, this is a truly awesome album, and is great for fans of old style, T-Rex like rock music.

Track to check out: ‘Imagine pt. 3’



22. Starfucker - Reptilians
Yeah, probably the worst band name around. Also, after watching the video that I’m posting with this album, apparently the guys look like really annoying hipster dudes. But, whatever, this is a really enjoyable album. Reminiscent of the Flaming Lips at points. Really great synth-pop. They remind me of MGMT. However, where MGMT likes to mix it up a little bit and be unpredictable, Starfucker decided to do an album of all hard hitting awesome pop songs. This is a great album for fans of Flaming Lips, MGMT, or great synth-pop songs.

Track to check out: ‘Julius’




21. The Antlers - Burst Apart
The Antlers last release, ‘Hospice’, was a pretty dire affair, but, overall, it was an interesting album about loss. This time around, they have an album with “better” production, more electronic influence, and a slightly more uplifting dire sound. What has drawn me into this album are the electronic touches alongside the falsetto vocals, which may turn a lot of people off. This is a good album for people who enjoy bleak electronic pop music.

Track to check out: ‘I Don’t Want Love’




20. Richard Buckner - Our Blood
This was definitely one of the few surprise albums of the year. I have never listened to Richard Buckner before, and, shame on me! AND, shame on you if you haven’t either! ‘Our Blood’ sounds almost like an album of demos, in the vein of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’, and there is good reason for it. Apparently, his laptop was stolen from his apartment when he was about 90% done with the album as it was intended. After that, he just recorded stripped down versions of the songs with very minimal instrumentation for the most part. The end result is a fantastic mellow folk album. Buckner’s voice is the main draw here, and, it’s nice that the album showcases it so well with the minimal arrangements. Even if it happened on accident. This is a good album for fans of mellow folk rock albums like ‘Nebraska’.

Track to check out: ‘Traitor’



19. Cults - Cults
This may have been THE hype album of 2011, and I really didn’t want to like it that much. But, man it is pretty great. I’m a sucker for sweet girl melodies, and this is filled with ‘em. However, what really stands out on the album to me is the production. The drums and bass, for the most part, are huge and sound incredible. The vocals have a really nice reverb sound to them. And, the keyboards provide a great swirling that kind of throws things askew, in a good way. This is a great album for people who like good indie-pop rock groups with girl singers.

Track to check out: ‘Most Wanted’




18. Drake - Take Care
Drake is weird! A couple years ago he released a great mix tape and a good album and then he hit the radio circuit. It seemed like every other song on the radio featured Drake and they were TERRIBLE. Not only were the songs TERRIBLE but HE was TERRIBLE on those songs. He seemed like he was turning into a caricature of himself, and it was distressing. So, along comes ‘Take Care’ and it starts getting really good reviews. I see Pitchfork’s review and immediately think: “yea, but, remember their great review for ‘Watch the Throne’ Brian?”, so I didn’t give it much credence. However, after seeing The AV Club’s review, I finally yielded and gave into listening to it. Surprise Surprise, it’s GREAT! And, it’s a popular RnB album that is a grower. The music is very very beautiful throughout, and, his lyrics are engaging and uncomfortably authentic, in a good way. Overall, this is a great album for fans of RnB, or people interested in beautiful music and interesting lyrics.

Song to check out: ‘Take Care’




17. Panda Bear - Tomboy
Another great output from Panda Bear of Animal Collective fame. It’s like Beach Boys mixed with electronic music, which is a fantastic combination. If you’re not really that into strange electronic music, don’t bother with it. But, if you are, this is a great album full of haunting melodies and thumping, driving music. This is a great album for people interested in Beach Boys by way of electronic music.

Song to check out: ‘Last Night at the Jetty’




16. Beyonce - 4
It’s interesting how Beyonce keeps on getting better and better, while her soul mate, Jay-Z keeps on getting worse and worse (have I mentioned ‘Watch the Throne’ yet?). ‘4’ is Beyonce’s best album, hands down. So much of the album owes to early 90’s RnB music, but, it never comes across as dated. Musically it’s fantastically executed. And, does anyone really question if Beyonce can sing incredibly at this point? This is a great album for anyone who enjoys pop music, or Beyonce, or wants themselves to be happy.

Song to check out: ‘Countdown’




15. Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What
Paul Simon is possibly the best songwriter of all time. He’s up there at least. He’s been writing songs for, what, close to 50 years? And, instead of losing steam *cough* Bob *cough* Dylan *cough*, he releases one of his most interesting and best albums to date. If you’re a fan of Paul Simon, this is definitely something to check out.

Song to check out: ‘Getting Ready for Christmas Day”




14. Boris - New Album
Boris continues to impress and surprise, and this year was no different. There are actually three different Boris releases that came out this year. “Attention Please” and “Heavy Rocks” came out on the same day in May, but for some reason I connected most with “New Album”, which was released only in Japan. A little over half the album contains slightly revised tracks from the other two releases from this year, plus a few new songs. This is the closest they will ever come to a ‘pop’ album, and they do it masterfully. Yet, it never loses the noise that has defined them over their career. If you’re a fan of noisy poppy rock this album is for you.

Song to check out: Spoon




13. Wye Oak - Civilian
I first got to know Wye Oak last year when they perfectly covered a song by The Kinks for The AV Club. I was drawn in by Jenn Wasner’s voice and her guitar playing, which is reminiscent Neil Young’s noisy guitar solos at times. This year, they also covered a song by Danzig for The AV Club, and it was perfection again. So, I was excited to listen to their album, and it did not disappoint. Wasner’s voice and songwriting are top notch, and the juxtaposition of the soft and heavy throughout is a great contrast. Overall, a great album for fans of Neil Young, loud folky music, or beautiful female vocals.

Song to check out: Holy Holy




12. The Weeknd - House of Balloons
This is definitely the darkest RnB album I’ve ever heard. Its filled with songs about the consequences of drugs, having flings with women, and not knowing what you’re capable of. Yeah, it’s a really heavy album, and if it weren’t for the incredible vocals and engaging, yet dark, music, it could have been a train wreck. This is a great album for fans of RnB music. Also, the music video posted below is insane, it’s worth checking out.

Song to check out: ‘The Knowing’





11. Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4eva
What a fantastic mixtape from an up and coming rapper in the vein of T.I. and Big Boi. Its filled with great, very chill rap tracks that aren’t about objectifying women or killing people. The beats are great and the rapping is top notch as well. This is a great album for fans of rap, or, more specifically, southern rap.

Song to check out: ‘Rotation’




10. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
These guys are by far the best of the “new folk” generation. A lot of new folk can be quite boring and derivative, but I really feel like Fleet Foxes are paving their own sound, and this album is further evidence that they are going to continue making beautiful music with transcendent harmonies and interesting structures. This is honestly a great album for anybody who enjoys listening to music, you may not like it, but its worth trying!

Song to check out: ‘Grown Ocean’




9. Atlas Sound - Parallax
Bradford Cox (Deerhunter) has been making some of my favorite music over the past couple years, and he doesn’t disappoint here with his solo project Atlas Sound. Parallax is a very subtle album, so subtle I wouldn’t fault anyone for saying its boring, because it kind of is. But, I tend to like slow moving and evolving things, so, it’s great for me. Its mostly just a nice bedroom pop album with electronic flourishes thrown in. It’s a great album for people who like electronic sounds with slow pop structures.

Song to check out: ‘Mona Lisa’





8. Mikal Cronin - Mikal Cronin
Up next is another bedroom poppy album, but this one is much louder and heavier. I’m so happy that I encountered this album, and will be looking forward to what he releases in the future. Its filled with loud in your face guitar and vocals that sometimes drift into Beach Boys territory. His debut album shows a lot of promise and puts out 10 rockin’ tracks with interesting instrumental turns. This is a great album for people who like the sound of garage rock by way of the Beach Boys.

Song to check out: ‘Apathy’




7. Real Estate - Days
What a fantastic guitar album! It’s so chill and filled with great layers of guitar that its beautiful. Very nice songwriting and singing on the album as well, but, honestly, the guitars are the true star here. This is a great album for fans of hazy guitar driven music.

Song to check out: ‘Green Aisles’




6. Destroyer - Kaputt
Who knew an album that sounds like adult contemporary music from the 80’s would be such a smash hit? Dan Bejar, that’s who. He’s such a great songwriter with a distinct voice and song structure, and on Kaputt he doesn’t disappoint. AND, he adds saxophone! AND lots of it! And, it sounds incredible. This is definitely a great album for fans of Destroyer (duh), or adult contemporary music from the 80’s with lots of SAXOPHONE! (side note: the music video below is crazy awesome)

Song to check out: ‘Kaputt’




5. John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
Pretentious title eh? Yeah, this guy seems pretty pretentious. Dropping little known philosophers as the inspiration for the structure of his songs. Oh well, it’s a great album filled with crazy weird synth sounds and great song structures that really evoke Leibniz’s theories on rationalism. Maus’ voice is strange in the best way possible and filled to the brim with reverb. This is a great album for those who like strange synth pop.

Song to check out: ‘Hey Moon’




4. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
I love albums that have songs bleed together throughout to create the feeling that you need to listen to it as a whole and not just your favorite tracks. Cut Copy have created a true indie electronic album with Zonoscope. The vocals are front and center, swimming in a sea of warm, dancey synths, guitar and drums. This is a great album for those who like dancey indie electronic music with touches of New Order.

Song to check out: ‘Need You Now”




3. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
Its very rare for a truly inventive hip hop album to come along these days, and whenever one does my ears perk up. At first, I wasn’t sure about this album. I really liked the EPs that Shabazz Palaces put out last year. This album is difficult to get into at first. The first couple tracks are very strange musically. However, this album was really a grower for me. Each time I listen to it I like it more and more. The rapping (from a Digable Planets alum) is top notch throughout. This is a great album for fans of inventive hip hop.

Song to check out: ‘Swerve’




2. Tom Waits - Bad as Me
I became a huge fan after his last new release came out, so, this was the first time that I was able to anticipate an album from Tom Waits, possibly my favorite musical artist of all time. I was worried that, for some reason I wouldn’t like the album because I hyped it up too much in my mind. I should have known better. Waits comes back with one of his best, and most engaging albums ever. It has a nice short run time for Waits, and the music is just beautiful. This is a great album for fans of incredible songwriting, beautiful music, and strange vocals.

Song to check out: ‘Back in the Crowd’




1. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
I’ve been a fan of Fucked Up for a long time now, and have stuck with them as they have polished their sound more and more with each album. This seems like the album they’ve been leading up to for all the years I’ve been a fan, and they execute it perfectly. Normally I’m not a big fan of concept albums, but, I’m happy they went with the idea for one here. The screaming vocals are, of course, great and mix well when they occasionally harmonize with pretty female vocals. There are nice repeating musical themes that pop up in different songs, which definitely tie the album together well. However, the real star of the album is the guitars. Layer upon layer of fantastic rock guitars are on every song, and it’s just a joy to listen to. This is a great album for fans of melodic hardcore with incredible layers of guitars.

Song to check out: uhhhh, all of them! …. but, here is a fun video for ‘The Other Shoe’

Catfish / Exit Through the Gift Shop

Catfish - A very interesting documentary for sure. Some unexpected turns. It was really incredible to see an internet relationship between a New York City photographer and a family in small town Michigan unfold. The way these guys filmed and edited together the documentary was really remarkable and inspiring for my own documentary ideas. Overall, a great watch. I would recommend it to everyone. SEE THIS DOCUMENTARY!



Exit Through the Gift Shop - I've been a huge Banksy fan for a long long time. For those of you who don't know him, he's a street artist that has done some really interesting work with some great social commentary. My favorite of his work was done on the wall in Palestine. You should check it out (http://arts.guardian.co.uk/pictures/0,,1543331,00.html). So, anyway, this documentary was directed by Banksy. It's kind of about him, and street art, but really its about a French guy living in Los Angeles who carries his video camera around all the time and films EVERYTHING. This guy visits his cousin in France, who happens to be a well known street artist. He begins following his cousin around filming him putting up his art. Then, his cousin introduces him to other street artists who introduce him to others, eventually leading to Banksy, and a really interesting commentary on "Art". It's really great. Also, would recommend this for anyone!


All in all it was a GREAT documentary weekend spent with my wife.

The Big C: Season One

Laura Linney has been (like Colin Firth) one of those actresses that I've liked for a long time, but have only seen her in a few things. Finally, she's in an incredibly made TV Show that seems to have a consistent viewership, which means I get to see a lot of this fantastic actress.

The show is a very interesting concept. It's a comedy / drama about a woman who is diagnosed with cancer that is inoperable and will most likely kill her within a year. Yes, it is a comedy on the surface, but, over the course of the season it does shift to a drama with a lot of comedic moments. If the premise sounds interesting to you, just beware, it's not on regular cable, it's on Showtime, and therefore does contain a bit of swearing and some sexual situations and drug use. But, it's done in a way that does progress the story.

Overall, a really really great season. I'm looking forward to seeing the second season when it begins to air again. Also, Liam Neeson guest stars in one episode an is absolutely HILARIOUS. It was weird to see him be so funny, as I'm used to his dramatic acting. But, he needs to be in a comedy. It would be awesome!

Dinner for Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks: This is probably the strangest constructed movie I've seen. There were a few funny parts, but mostly, it was not funny, uncomfortable, and incoherent. It's worth seeing just for how INCREDIBLY WEIRD IT IS. But, yeah, I really did not like it at all.

The King's Speech

The King's Speech: I've been wanting to see this movie for a while now, and, after the BAFTA nominees were announced, and The King's Speech dominated with 14 nominations, I knew I had to see this ASAP. So, last night I enjoyed this fantastic historical drama that definitely lived up to the hype!

Right from the start the director, Tom Hooper (director of the GREAT John Adams mini-series), sets an interesting tone. You can tell the movie will be somewhat quirky, enjoyable, but, at times, very painful too. Throughout this movie I felt myself REALLY noticing the cinematography. Every shot seems calculated. Every angle specifically chosen. If you want to see a movie that displays what an ART cinematography can truly be at its finest, see this movie.

Not only does it look fantastic, its pacing and dialogue are also stellar. Again, every cut seems intentional here. Every bit of dialogue serves its purpose, sounds natural, and always evokes the appropriate emotion of the viewer.

All of these components are further elevated by a top-notch acting ensemble. The supporting cast includes actors that have carried movies on their own. Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, and Guy Pearce have little screen time, but perfectly compliment the two leading men. The chemistry between Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth is truly remarkable. Both hold their own with each other, and they make what would have been a great film with lesser actors even better.

However, the real star of the movie, the main component that sets this movie apart, is Colin Firth. This is definitely one of the best performances I've seen in a long time. At times painful, joyous, outraged, and defeated. All of these emotions can be clearly read on his face, even though his character, at many times, cannot clearly communicate what he is feeling. It truly is a performance that needs to be seen.

Smith Westerns - Dye it Blonde / The Decemberists - The King is Dead

Smith Westerns - Dye it Blonde: This super young band (all the members are between 18 and 20) makes me feel ridiculously unaccomlished in life. "Dye it Blonde" is their second album, but the only one I've listened to so far. I just listened to this for the first time on the way to work and, it's really great! Especially if you like T. Rex. Lot's of influence by T. Rex for sure. I think this will most likely grow into a favorite of the year for me.



The Decemberists - The King is Dead: The Decemberists have been such a tricky band. We have a real HISTORY together. At one time, I was infatuated with them. They were probably my favorite band for a lot of College. I bought all of their albums and EPs (pre- The Crane Wife) and listened to them all the time. Then, The Crane Wife came along, and it was alright. I really liked it at first, but, each time I listened I liked it less and less. I started to realize the faults in the band, and they seemed as if they were starting to become over bloated. Then all my worst fears were realized on their album The Hazards of Love. Man, it's really terrible. So, a while ago I heard that they were coming out with a new album in 2011 and realized I didn't really care. I heard from friends that it wasn't terrible, it was a mellow kinda alt-country album. I began to hope that maybe I could get into these guys again. However, after listening to this album a few times, all I can say is: it's not terrible, it's not great, it's alright, but, I don't really care about it. It's just fine.

The Fighter / Never Let Me Go

The Fighter: This movie was better than I expected. Sometimes I hear "boxing movie" and then "based on a true story" and am not interested from the start. And, to be honest that's how I was with this. If it weren't for positive reviews from friends and all the Oscar buzz this is getting (yes, I am a big Oscar nerd) I probably wouldn't have watched it. But, I'm very glad I did. What I enjoyed about this story was how it was more interested in the family dynamic than the boxing training. Mark Wahlberg plays the boxing hopeful as an extremely reserved and introspective person. I can see how some think his performance is weak and one note; however, seeing the surrounding forces in his life, it makes complete sense to have the character SO reserved. Christian Bale plays Wahlberg's crack-cocaine addicted brother, and (of course) is looking dangerously skinny and unhealthy. This is another fantastic perform ace from Bale, and he continues to cement himself as one of the most consistently great actors around these days. Melissa Leo also delivers a knockout performance as Wahlberg's mother. Roger Ebert sums her character up really well in this way:

"she sees both sons as performers in a long-running tribute to herself. She presides in a living room filled with her seven daughters, who smoke so much and use so much hairspray, they must be considered fire hazards."

Overall, a great movie that I highly recommend for anyone, even if you don't like movies about boxing.




Never Let Me Go: I read this book when I was in a book club in Chicago. After reading, I thought I really loved it; however, after discussion with the club, I discovered it was good, but not as good as I was giving it credit for. But, it was actually the trailer for the movie that made me interested in the book, so I have still been wanting to see the movie. It stars Carey Mulligan (one of my favorites around, SEE - AN EDUCATION IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HAVE NOT YET) Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield (who has me VERY interested after this and his incredible performance in The Social Network). So, yeah, the cast is great! The look of this film is fantastic. It made me want to work as a person who goes out and finds locations to shoot scenes for movies. I also really enjoyed how stationary the camera was for the majority of the movie. Sometimes a little pan here a little pan there, but, really, it hardly moved at all. It was a really nice feel. The movie improved on the book in a couple ways. 1 - it did a really great job at developing actual romance that the book fell flat on. 2 - the main character seemed to actually have emotions and was definitely more likeable in the movie than the book.

Overall, a very enjoyable watch. The story is very intriguing and the movie actually improved upon the source material, which was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Parks and Recreation: Season Two

To your left is the man, the legend, Ron Swanson (aka: Duke Silver) ... He has become one of the absolute best parts of this show. Man, this is really an incredible comedy, it really is. It starts out with an AWESOME first episode and never loses steam throughout. The side characters are developed more, and, it's because of the hilarious ensemble cast that this show succeeds so much. Also, there is an incredible invention introduced called DJ Roomba, that I really would love to see in person.

The absolute BEST episode (in my opinion) is the episode entitled "Hunting Trip". If you have any interest in the show but are doubtful and need an episode to try out, watch that first. Absolutely hilarious. For me, what separates this from a lot of comedies out there is that I really really genuinely LIKE the characters. I care about them. It's more character driven to me than by wacky situations.

CHECK IT OUT!

Parks and Recreation: Season One

I actually finished Season One of Parks and Recreation a few days ago, and forgot I was also blogging about TV Show consumption .... whooops .... so, don't be surprised if you see Season Two following shortly ....

Parks and Recreation is an incredibly funny show. The first season is a pretty short season, it's pretty funny, but what's so great about it is watching all the pieces being put into place. Each episode builds on the next and it is fun watching the writers truly distance the show from The Office comparisons as it finds its own voice.

All of the characters are fantastic and played perfectly by the cast members. Of course, Amy Poehler is hilarious, but, the supporting cast really makes the show great. I love Aziz Ansari, and he's great in this. Why hasn't he been a leading man in a comedy yet? But, really, everyone is funny.

I like the storyline a lot. It'll be fun to watch these characters try to succeed in Governmental work with a higher up who hates Government power. All around, very fun and enjoyable and it'll make you laugh really hard.

127 Hours / Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 / True Grit

127 Hours - Super intense film about a mountain climber who gets his arm trapped under a boulder. It's a true story, and, I'm sure you've heard all about this movie. I really liked it. James Franco was so great in it. It was really well done seeing as a majority of the movie deals with one guy trapped in one place. It was never boring and definitely kept interest throughout. It has an image that I keep seeing whenever I think of this movie that makes me cringe. Very powerful stuff.




Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 - Wow! What an excellent Harry Potter movie. Could it have been any better? I really don't think so. It makes me wish they were able to re-do all the existing movies with this same director in two parts. Everything was pretty much exactly as I pictured it. They ended it at a great point in the story. The mood was perfect. The look was perfect. Finally a Harry Potter movie that was, without a doubt, spot on. Can't wait for part 2!





True Grit - Oh, Cohen Brothers, you never cease to amaze me. This film is incredible. It's Quirky. It's dark, yet, funny and endearing. A fantastic western. The acting is incredible by everyone. Of course Jeff Bridges shines. Was there ever any doubt that he would? Hailee Steinfeld was AMAZING as the 14 year old girl searching for revenge after her father was killed. A truly great performance. And, Matt Damon sheds his usual suave persona for a hilariously uber pretentious and dorky Texas Ranger. The dialogue was perfect. The cinematography was noticeably beautiful and perfect as well. All around, a great film from every angle.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Last night I stayed up too late (only midnight, but, I'm feeling pretty sick) ... but, I HAD to, I could not stop reading this fantastic book by Neil Gaiman (quickly climbing the ranks of my favorite authors) ... I recently read American Gods by Gaiman, and LOVED it ... When I started Neverwhere I was hoping to like it, oh, half as much as American Gods and I'd be happy ... little did I know that I would like it MORE.

Neil Gaiman has an incredible way of taking real places and adding "fantasy" elements to them ... the whole premise of the book is that there is a city under London that is filled with Rat-Speakers, people with magical abilities, Sewer Folk, and a whole host of interesting and diverse characters ... once you "pass over" to this city, if you go up to "London Above" (present day London) no one will notice you unless you scream in someones face, but, most likely, they'll forget all about you in a matter of minutes ... interesting concept and wonderfully executed ... so, the story begins with an average London dweller, leading an average life, when all of a sudden he becomes invisible to those around him and learns of "London Below", and goes on a quest to find out who killed the family of a girl named Door, who can open doors and transport pretty much anywhere ... TONS of stuff happens, several different plot threads weaving together at once beautifully ... and, in the end, just a fantastic and enjoyable read!

Definitely worth your time! ... next, I continue my Neil Gaiman obsession by reading his graphic novel series "The Sandman".

that's all i got ...

The Social Network / Despicable Me / Black Swan

Over the weekend I watched a few Good to AWESOME movies ...




1. The Social Network - Citizen Kane comparisons? Really? That's bizarre to me ... anyway ... this movie was GOOD ... not great ... just good ... happy i saw it, it was definitely well made and all ... had some good performances ... but, disappointing and WAY overhyped



2. Despicable Me - very good movie ... animated movies lately have been awesome ... this doesn't rank as high as Up or Wall-E but, it's still really good ... very "cute" and funny and fun ... check it out!



3. Black Swan - wow ... i've been waiting for this movie to come out for a year and a half or so and have been very excited for it ... had just about as high expectations as one can have ... and, it still managed to exceed them ... Natalie Portman was perfect ... without a doubt ... everything about the movie was perfect ... it's the first perfect movie i've seen in a long time ... it's also incredibly crazy, weird, and INSANE

Welcome/First Post/Overview/Top 30 Albumz of 2010

Why Hello, and good morning/day/evening/night to you reader/family/friend!

Welcome to "Thingz I Consume" a blog that is mainly selfish on my part. In this first post, I'll give you an overview of what you can expect to find here...

The plan for the blog is to keep a list of everything I consume this year. Not food consumption ... media consumption. I want to keep a list of every movie I watch, book I read, music I listen to for the first time, TV Show I watch, etc... Again, really it's selfish on my part, but, whatever!

There is one thing I want to get out of the way in this first post. You know how people say you must shed the past like a snake sheds its skin so you can truly move forward toward the future? (I don't really know who exactly says that, but, it makes sense for this post) ... Well, to kick off this blog I figured I should post my "Top 30 Albumz of 2010" list, so you can get an idea of what kinds of stuff I consume ...

So, without further ado:

"Top 30 Albumz of 2010"

30. Drake – Thank Me Later - So, I guess this guy was in the reboot of the Canadian High School Drama TV Show "Degrassi High" or something (possibly something I'll check out at some point) ... anyway, I was OK with Drake up until I heard "Fancy" from my good friend Dan ... after that I decided to listen to this album and was very pleasantly surprised ... it is a mostly subtle album, some sparse beautiful songs, and some really in your face catchy radio pop/rap tracks ... overall very enjoyable!

29. Jonsi - Go - I hate to admit this, but, Sigur Ros has kinda lost my interest of the past few years ... can they really go anywhere new? I don't know ... so, I wasn't really that into hearing a solo album from a member of Sigur Ros ... well, I was wrong to have my doubts ... from start to finish it provides breathtaking tracks that are interesting and fantastic to bob your head to

28. The Roots – How I Got Over - Wasn't sure how these guys would be after landing a gig being Jimmy Fallon's house band ... but, one of their best! Which means it is great

27. Joanna Newsome – Have One on Me - Yes, it's a triple album ... yes, it's ridiculous ... and, yes it's overwhelming ... however, it is also incredible, beautiful and fantastic songwriting ... if she would have trimmed this down to one album it would easily be in my top 15

26. Curren$y – Pilot Talk 1; Pilot Talk 2 - GREAT.RAP.MUSIC.

25. Sleigh Bells - Treats - People hate this band, and, I understand that ... I hope those people can understand that I really really enjoy them ... It's over the top on purpose, like, a Baz Luhrman film or a Cartoon Network Adult Swim TV Show ... and, they really nailed it, in my opinion

24. Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma - This used to be higher on my list, but, then I heard some better electronic music ... it's still really good, don't get me wrong ... it's just, toooooo much sometimes ... which, really hits the spot at points, and at other points doesn't ... but, it's adventurous and i appreciate that and, when I'm in the right mood, man, it is fantastic

23. Aziz Ansari – Intimate Moments for a Sensuous Evening - Yeah, yeah yeah, it's not a music album ... i'm sure people will ask "How can you compare a stand-up comedy album with music albums?" ... my answer is, I can compare them because this is my list! so there ... anyway ... this is absolutely the funniest stand-up album in existence (that I've heard) in my opinion ... he is SO funny ... check it out if you like to laugh ... don't check it out if you get offended by swearing and offensive things

22. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today - This is a really good album ... there are some points that are too weird for me ... but, then some points that are better than anything I've heard this year ... but, unfortunately, for me, too unbalanced ... but, still good enough to rank higher than some albums I really enjoyed ... Round and Round is SO GOOD though ... if you have no interest in the album, at least check that song out

21. Wavves – King of the Beach - One of the most fun albums of the year ... really loud and abrasive and catchy and loud ... i wish i didn't like it because the kid seems annoying ... but, whatever, it's good

20. Vampire Weekend - Contra - Yeah, i think i like this more than the debut album ... it's more consistent definitely ... this year in music was so enjoyable for me that I can't believe this album is so low considering how much i liked it ... any other year it'd probably rank in the top 10 or 15 ... crazy

19. Girl Talk – All Day - All you haterzzz stop ur hatin'! He's great ... if you don't like it you can ... well, ok, you can not like it, that's fine, music is so subjective, I understand ... but, for me, i love it, he's great, this is a perfect example of something he does perfectly ... i know people say "i could do that easily" ... yeah right ... try it ... send it to me and i'll let you know every single reason that it's way worse than Girl Talk

18. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest - Dear Bradford Cox, I'm sorry ... for some reason I thought I didn't like you for a while ... I thought you were full of yourself and pretentious ... then, I heard the song "Nothing Ever Happened" a couple years ago, and your Atlas Sound solo project and starting reconsidering ... well, now you release an INCREDIBLE album, with your band mates of course, and I realize that you are just a really good musician and songwriter and i was wrong to doubt your talent ... again, i'm sorry

17. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor - I loved Titus' debut album ... and, this is even way better ... so nice and loud, very consistent ... it's definitely an "ALBUM" ... meaning, it's very well structured, each song feeds into the next, and, i have a hard time pulling one track out of the album, as the whole album stands out ... keep up the good work!

16. Beach House – Teen Dream - Some think it's too boring or simple, but i definitely disagree ... it's subtle, but complex at the same time ... great melodies, fantastic vocals, good songwriting, and very solid from start to finish

15. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs - I was worried that I wasn't going to like the new Arcade Fire album ... in fact, i was betting on it ... but, they put out another solid album yet again ... i've heard people complain it's too long and there are songs that don't need to be on it ... i don't think so, i like it just the way it is ... it's another good "Album" to me, and, i enjoy the songwriting a lot ... very appropriate for where I'm at in my life these days

14. The Walkmen - Lisbon - At first i thought this was just a not as good version of their last album "You & Me" ... i still think that's true, but, somewhere along the way it found its own identity in my mind, and i stopped comparing it to "You & Me" ... and that's when i started noticing how good it is ... The Walkmen continue to prove to be one of the best bands making music today

13. jj – Kills (mixtape) - WAAAAAAAYYYY better than the proper album they released this year ... this is a mixtape that was released for free on Christmas Eve and I haven't stopped listening to it since then ... i feel like they made this just for me ... combining all the best elements of jj with great Rap/Hip-Hop samples is such a great combo ... and, the weird interludes actually add another dimension to the already great mixtape ... all in all, it's awesome and if released earlier in the year, maybe it'd rank even higher

12. Das Racist – Sit Down, Man - Hilarious and insightful well written and performed rap music ... at first i thought they were just parody rap, but, they have proved to be much more ...in a year of excellent rap music, they rank toward the top ... very interested to see what these guys do next!

11. Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner - This is totally awesome electronic music ... great from start to finish ... it's an inspiration for me musically and I hope to someday be able to put out an electronic album a quarter as good as this

10. Ceo – White Magic - Completely surprised by this album ... thanks Dan for telling me about it ... heard it the first time and thought, this is really great, catchy, wonderfully melodic dance-pop music ... since then it's gotten better each time i listen to it ... only 8 songs and 28 minutes long, it's like a breath of fresh air and a reminder that you can make albums that are short and concise that are awesome

9. No Age – Everything in Between - This is probably the surprise album of the year for me ... i've liked No Age for a while, but, this is way better than anything they've done ... it's the best "loud" album in a long time ... just, extremely enjoyable and fun to blast

8. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening - One of the first albums of the year I heard, and it's still revealing more and more each time I listen to it ... every song is great, and, one of the best closing tracks ever ... thought i wasn't a big LCD Soundsystem fan, but, was wrong once again ... check out the music video for "Drunk Girls" it's sooooo great

7. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Hate to put this so high, but, it can't be helped, it's that good ... Kanye can go nowhere but down from here though, it's the perfect Kanye album ... i don't find myself thinking, "man, for a rapper, Kanye really is a bad rapper" at all when listening to this album ... pretty impressive stuff Mr. West

6. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach - Damon Albarn is a genius ... it cannot be denied ... i mean, have you heard the Ravenous soundtrack? ... this is Gorillaz at its best ... each listen is better and better ... great guest artists throughout ... hopefully the next Blur album is at least half as good as this

5. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast - Hopefully signing to a bigger label won't ruin this bands great sound ... i don't know how to describe why it's so good ... it's like, a Weezer album at their best but better ... the guitars sound fantastic ... everything just clicks on this album

4. The National – High Violet - I love this band a lot ... they've been gaining momentum over the past several years ... i was worried that they had reached a point where they wouldn't have anywhere to go but down, but, again, was wrong ... it's The National's best album ever ... it's perfect ... the drums are incredible, the music is subtle and complex, stellar vocals and lyrics ... just, perfect

3. Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid - So, Janelle released an EP with the first part of a three part Android story a year or two ago with some solid songs on it ... Sean "Puffy" Combs, or Puff Daddy, or P. Diddy, or Diddy, or whatever his name is heard it, loved it, signed her to his label, and gave her COMPLETE CREATIVE CONTROL to finish the last two parts of her Android story ... The ArchAndroid consists of two movements, part 2 and 3 of the story ... it features some great guests ... and, the best genre bending i've ever heard ... it is one of the strangest yet most accessible things i've heard ... it's endlessly inventive and earnestly epic ... i wish it was my number one album of the year ... and, at several times throughout the year it was ... but, hey, it was a tough year!

2. Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 1; Body Talk Pt. 2; Body Talk - My wife calls Robyn my girlfriend because i'm so in love with her musically ... it's the best pop music around these days, hands down ... she released a total of 28 new songs this year, and not one of them was bad ... well, really, not one of them was even mediocre ... if you like dancing and pop music you will definitely not be disappointed with all three of her albums from this year ... again, wish this could be number one

1. Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty - However, the number one has to go to Big Boi for releasing one of the best hip-hop album in years upon years ... I think i'm ready to say it's better than anything Outkast did together ... which, is a huge compliment ... for me, it will go down as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time ... the beats throughout are complex, challenging, and incredible ... Big Boi's style, voice, and flow have never been better ... from start to finish absolutely perfect

So, there you have it, I hope you enjoy this blog ... i'll have more posts soon about what i'm consuming ... they will definitely not be this long ... and, please feel free to comment on anything at all

much love!

brian