Erin's Arrival at the Party

Hello All! Tis Miz Fitz here, former fellow Cardinal Law with Paulie from the BC yrs. I'm an ol' vet of this New Years top-ten-ing (but have been a bit negligent these last two years.) I'm also from Washington DC which means I'm a lot less cool than you, so I spared you a Top Ten with a Top Five:

MUSIC

1. Daft Punk - Alive 2007

I've never been so excited about dance music after seeing this French duo in Chicago this summer. My heart was breakdancing. Can't say any more than that, and this live concert encompassed in "Alive 2007" explains why. As I mentioned to my buddy at the show, I had to kneel down and pat the beer-soaked, butt-strewn grass to find my face...Daft blew it off. There's nothing really "new," per se, about the diddies on Alive 2007, but it is packed with adrenaline in a way that makes you completely oblivious to your aching feet and back ...and spastic dance moves They put an extreme amount of thought into the quality of their sounds, how the entire performance flows, and how they can keep you dancing like your life depended on it for the 50+ minutes it lasts. take a first listen at Prime Time of Your Life and see what you think. These unassuming, low-key Frenchman are perfectionists at a genre on which they have left a permanent fingerprint. In fact, I'm up way past midnight writing this list for Daft alone. It's all for you, Daft! Fecilitations!

2. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Shocking that I've placed my favorite band of all time at #2 and not 1 -- particularly as their song-writing was superior to anyone else on this list (Nude, the Reckoner, Videotape, even Bodysnatchers for its edge...just when I thought we'd heard the limits of where this band
could go, they surprise us AGAIN. What I loved even more about this album is that the lyrics are clearly coming from a band who have matured, who have learned from their mistakes, and prob have entirely different priorities and other things that consume their heads than when they began as On a Friday...Videotape is soul-arresting for this reason. They seem wiser, in short, and it pours through the music.

My only criticism is that after listening to this bootlegged concert they did (before the release of Rainbows, all the same songs), I realized some of the live versions of the same diddies were far better than what In Rainbows has to offer. This is the second time I felt that formal production somewhat neutered the music -- as if you're hearing the music in an elevator. I felt the same way after Hail to the Thief. Perhaps it's my bad karma for listening to bootlegs in the first place? Regardless, Radiohead remains my favorite band of all time for albums such as this. They still have it in them (and taking the p*ss out of record labels with basically free downloads pre-release. Brilliant!)

3. The White Stripes - Icky Thump

As I've said many times before, if Johnny Depp had a band, it would probably open for the Stripes...then after the show, Jack and Johnny would probably reinvent new story lines involving charming raunchy social outcasts to compliment their music while downing whiskey in
Jack's trailor. What I'm trying to say is I LOVED how Jack invented characters on this record and brought them to life -- particularly with Rag and Bones, Little Creme Soda and Conquest. And better yet, how Meg playfully joined in, shy as she is. I think indie rockers forget that music is just like the page -- endless room for storytelling...and to no threat to the rock...too often the same cliche story lines are the focus of indie rock music and it's a darn shame. (Unless you're Interpol and lazily dump random words in a blender, dump them out on the floor, scotch tape them in strings and say "voila, lyrics! how ironic -- and hip!") Lastly, I loved this album because you could hear M&J having the time of their life - and it's infectious. Well done, Stripes!

4. The National - the Boxer

This album had me at the intro of "Mistaken for Strangers." It's Johnny Cash meets Interpol except -- and thank goodness -- they add something of their own to the mixture to make it just gosh darn cool. Makes the nerdy Washingtonian in me feel like a New Yorka.

5. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

A truly truly talented artist Andrew is -- esp for his fusion of traditional Asian instruments, accoustics, drums, all topped with a gorgeous voice. Fiery Crash and Cataracts are worthy of the first listens, I promise you'll be sold from there. I'm really not familiar with an artist quite like him -- perfect for a long drive in the car on a sunny day.

Other noteworthy mentions: Rodriguo and Gabriela (incredibly talented performers, jawdropping!); Elliott Smith's "New Moon" - esp for 'Angel in the Snow"; Live performance of "!!!"; Feist.

2007 disappointments: I have traditionally loved these bands but I'd have to say Spoon and Interpol were disappointing this year. The latter's album grew on me to a degree -- esp track 1 and 5 -- but all in all, seemed like the majority of these diddies were underdeveloped.

FILM

"Once" -- This film was just heartbreakingly good...so good, in fact, that I probably will never see it again, but for all positive reasons. And better yet, it has a great backstory: big hollywood-type backs out of playing the main character at the eleventh hour and the singer of
the Frames -- who was doing the music for the movie to begin with -- steps in and NAILS the role. (For those who have seen it, do you recall that first scene when he's playing at night on the street? my jaw dropped then and I pushed it back into place 2 hrs later.)

"Paris Je T'Aime" -- I haven't finished this one in its entirety, but I really loved some of the 8 min stories ...esp those that pull the rug out from under you such as the one about the postal service woman touring Paris for the first time. Any story that exposes you to your own stereotyped mode of thinking --subtley--is worth taking in.

TELEVISION

The HBO series "Flight of the Conchords" is just about the most funniest thing I've ever seen on a screen. Seriously, those two kiwis changed my life. No exaggeration. Simply "ixcellent." Bowie: "On your face, Bret, on your face!" If you don't have it already, get it get it GET it.

That's my two cents from 2007. Now whatcu got, 2008?!