Listy, listy.

Okay, I'm pretty sure I've bought all the records and seen most of the films I'm going to this year. So I might as well put 'em all in pointless, annotated lists.

5 Albums:

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
I had been lukewarm on this when I first heard it, but mercy me, it's spectacular. Easily her best work, and trounces everything else I heard this year.

Bobby Bare Jr. - The Longest Meow
This is what Paul Westerberg's solo career should have sounded like. Hell, this is what the Replacements (post-Bob) should have sounded like.

Nina Nastasia - On Leaving
Califone - Roots & Crowns
Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery
Sure, it's kind of plain late-90's guitar alt-rock - not unlike the Grifters, or Girls Can Tell-era Spoon - but goddamn, I still really like that sound.

5 Excellent Songs:

Comets on Fire, "Lucifer's Memory"
The Mountain Goats, "Woke up New"
Grizzly Bear, "Marla"
Cat Power, "The Moon"
Malajube, "Montreal -40" (What? They can't all be depressing)

5 Disappointing Records:

Amy Millan, Honey From the Tombs
When I heard Ms. Millan was doing a solo record of country music, I was sort of hoping it'd be a big-arrangement, countrypolitan thing. Alas, it's an attempt to be 'rootsy', and her voice isn't suited for that. And, alas again, the songs are fucking boring.

Yo La Tengo, I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
When this record is on - which about a third of it is - it's very good, and given that it's their eleventh record (not counting compilations), the fact that it's not immediately dismissable is pretty impressive. But it's badly in need of an editor.

TV On the Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain
I think, if I hadn't expected so much more out of this record, I'd be pretty impressed with it; damn you, critics!

The Mountain Goats, Get Lonely
The Sunset Tree was going to be a tough act to follow; adding on to that, the fact that the strongest song on the album ("Woke Up New") was released some months before the record on a Pitchfork/eMusic free MP3 comp, so I probably should have lowered my hopes accordingly. It's not a bad record, again, just...I wish it could have been a little more.


5 Films:

The Science of Sleep
Tristram Shandy
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You for Smoking
Casino Royale

In case you're wondering, no, I didn't see a lot of current movies this year. Hey:

5 I Missed, And In So Doing Made An Error I Must Correct With All Haste:

Bon Cop, Bad Cop
Borat
The Fountain
Stranger Than Fiction
When The Levees Broke

~ ~

So, in case you weren't aware, we're having an informal, drop-by Christmas day brunch here, which will run from whenever we're up and have picked up the bagels (probably 11ish) into the afternoon. Mimosas and Caesars will be served.