Thursday, December 20, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
video killed the radio star
From Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz.
The thrilling high of love and how abruptly it can end.
The thrilling high of love and how abruptly it can end.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
top 10 albums of 2012
Hi people. Here are my Top 10 Albums of 2012.
What albums from the year did you dig?
And here's a look back at '11.
10. WhoMadeWho - Brighter
A haunting disco-rock album from the Danish band.
9. Tame Impala - Lonerism
Groovy, psych-pop album.
8. Twin Shadow - Confess
Twin Shadow's 80s electropop throwback is a nice blend of tunes including my pick for single of the year, "Five Seconds." Check out my review of the album on Frontier Psychiatrist.
7. Grizzly Bear - Shields
Another stellar record from the band--a little rougher-edged than past efforts but not without some gorgeous tracks.
6. Beach House - Bloom
Not innovative or anything but still a luxurious, dreamy listen to get lost in.
5. Jack White - Blunderbuss
White's album is a great solo outing of punchy, prickly heartache.
4. Jessie Ware - Devotion
With shades of Sade Adu, English singer Ware offers up a smooth, sophisticated debut.
3. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
So many irrelevant and cheeky house tunes.
2. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Fresh and frustrated and raw, The Idler Wheel... is another dynamic album from Apple both lyrically and musically.
1. Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
I wonder if Ocean is a bit mystified about his success. His mixtape (Nostalgia, Ultra) was an interesting mesh of tunes, but his latest is much more sophisticated: sorrowful and deep, sometimes humorously L.A.-tinged, featuring Ocean's strong songwriting skills and sultry vocals.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
top 10 singles of 2012
It's that end-list time of year again!
Here are the tunes that helped me endure '12. What songs did you love?
10.
Alabama Shakes - "Hold On"
Fronted by Brittany Howard's gravelly voice, somehow they made the sentiment of the cliched song title fresh and emotionally resonant.
9.
Breakbot - "1 Out of 2"
A mix of French nu-disco and the Doobie Brothers "What A Fool Believes."
8.
Danny Brown - "Grown Up"
Whistful rap about getting old.
7.
Bruce Springsteen - "We Take Care of Our Own"
Another moving anthem from The Boss that became a memorable campaign song for Obama's reelection.
6.
Solange - "Losing You"
With a lush mix of "Twin Peaks" synths and snappy percussion, Solange proves she's not her sister's beat biter.
5.
M.I.A. - "Bad Girls"
The singer / rapper infuses worldbeat and her savvy lyrics into another relentlessly addictive track.
4.
Jack White - "Love Interruption"
Mixing woodwinds (bass clarinets yo) with an agonized, desperate vocal (Ruby Amanfu did the backups), White created a song that seethes within its minimalist design.
3.
Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again"
A rambling tune of relationship woes and glimmering guitars.
2.
Frank Ocean - "Pyramids" & "Thinkin Bout You"
Ocean's "Pyramids" is a 9 minute epic that mixes story, soul and mesmerizing electro. "Thinkin Bout You" is definitely the prettiest, most aching single of the year. When he hits those falsettos... lord.
1.
Twin Shadow - "Five Seconds"
I played this track out: new wavy and relentless.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
remembering "designing women" by karen g.
What do you get when you toss a feminist, an ex-beauty queen, a divorcee/single mom, a respectable "country girl" and an ex-con into a design business running out of a house in Atlanta? A show that is very near and dear to my heart, all these years later. (I might have to grab the series on DVD this holiday). The show ran from 1986 to 1993 but I can still picture the opening credits whenever I hear "Georgia on My Mind."
Julia Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter)
Suzanne Sugarbaker (Delta Burke)
Mary Jo Shively (Annie Potts)
Charlene Frazier Stillfield (Jean Smart)
Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor)
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