this is sarah's list

Hello Paulies!  My name is Sarah Lowe.  I know Paul through co-contributor Jeff Moran.  This is my 2nd year contributing to the list.  I live in Boston, where I'm in year 2 of 5+ in a clinical psych program.

I spent much of this year being a workaholic, which meant that I spent more of my free time being a more couch potato than a music connoisseur.  This is reflected in my list. Also, I'm not good at making top 10 lists or ranking things that I like.  Or describing why I like things.  That being said, my list is short + sweet

So, here are some things I liked this year.


MUSIC – ALBUMS

Kanye West – Graduation
He makes the hits and has an awesomely ridiculous personality to go with them.

M.I.A. – Kala
Fantastic sophomore album.  Loved "Paper Planes" the best.  Didn't love the excessive pimping on MTV, though.

Lavender Diamond – Imagine Our Love
Appeals to the girly girl in me.  I can't endorse the whole album, but I love "Here Xomes One," "Open your Heart," "Oh No" and "You Broke my Heart."

Coconut Records – Nighttiming
I like Jason Schwartzman, and I really like this album.  Really upbeat and fun.  "West Coast" is a must for long distance relationship peeps.

Mika – Life in Cartoon Motion
I felt like this album may have come out in 2006, but alas, I checked and it is indeed 2007.  Maybe this is b/c he sounds so much like Scissor Sisters.  Regardless, this album is great bouncing around music.

Kate Nash – Made of Bricks
"Foundations" is the jam, and her other songs are great, too.  Some quirky lyrics, but mostly not annoyingly so.

The Bird & The Bee – The Bird and the Bee
Some more girly, fun, bouncy music. 



MUSIC – SINGLES

Rihanna – "Umbrella"
It would be a vicious lie not to include this on the top of my list.  There was a point during the summer of 2007 where I was literally walking up to friends and being like, "have you heard that ella ella song?"  The song is funny, danceable and sweet.  Like the Scott Simons cover, too.

Lil' Mama – "Lip Gloss"
When I first heard this song, I was like… what is this crap?  But then, a few months later, I had memorized the lyrics.  So, I'm not sure if that makes this a good song, but definitely says something.  I also like the LM remix of Avril's Girlfriend.

Ola Podrida – "Instead"
A beautiful, low-key tune for the morning commute.

Sugarland – "Stay"
#1 reason to get into country music (#2 = Carrie Underwood's "Wasted")

Bishop Allen – "Rain"
Upbeat, fun, positive indie pop jam!

Lupe Fiasco – "Can You Let Me Know"
I'm confused about what album this is on, but I somehow came across this song and love it.  Great hiphop and old school sample.

Yelle – "Ce Jeu"
Bouncy, fun, French.



TELEVISON

Project Runway
The long-awaited return of my favoritest show.  My current top 4 = Rami, Gillian, Kit and Kevin.  Chris March is the cutest!

30 Rock
The show gets better and better.  Is it cheesey for me to say that I'm glad there's Tina Fey to be a smart, funny and pretty role model for young women? 

Intervention
Like Jeff mentioned, this show can make the stomach turn, but is great television.  Fascinating, sympathetic to its subjects, and well-paced.

American Idol
My guiltiest pleasure did not let me down in season 6 (except for when Tom Lowe didn't make the top 24!).  I wanted to babysit Sanjaya.

Family Feud
Best game show ever.  I know I mentioned this last year, too, but John O'Hurley hosting is a definite upgrade (Sorry Tool Time guy / Ray Combs is still the best).  My favorite moment of the year was the recent NBA players vs. NBA mothers week.

Flight of the Concords
I love Jermaine and Brett's lack of emotional expression.  The songs are hilarious and actually good, too.  I want a full-length album ASAP.

South Park
I feel like this show gets better with time. The World of Warcraft epp was awesome.

Degrassi
I love this show!!!  This year's spotty season – advertised as the "go-there-iest" yet – wasn't the best, but there was certainly dramarama.  I'm still deciding whether the Degrassi-Lakehurst merger was the official end of the show or an exciting new beginning.  Not that that means anything to all you non-watchers.  Also exciting was that one of its stars was in Juno.  Yay!

"Bad TV"
This year I became obsessed with shows that I considered pretty despicable.  Thanks MTV/VH1 for gems like The Pick-Up Artist, I Love New York, Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, Rock of Love with Brett Michaels, and Scott Baio is 45 and Single.  I also was a bit too into watching recap shows like The Soup and Best Week Ever.  There's something about Mo Rocca's commentary on bad reality episodes that I've already seen that keeps me wanting more.


BOOKS

The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver
The literary "Sliding Doors."  For anyone who has ever considered the "what ifs" of small but significant interpersonal decisions.  The book alternates between two parallel worlds – one in which the main character kisses a family friend, and another where she decides to go home instead.

Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
Just finished this one.  Two women, one a filmmaker and the other a writer, discover that they were twins separated at birth as part of a study on nature vs. nurture.  Great read.

The Sabotage Café by Joshua Furst
A schizophrenic mother speculates on her runaway daughter's whereabouts, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and reliving her days in the Minneapolis punk rock scene.

Grotesque by Natsuo Karino
2 Japanese prostitutes are murdered, and the narrator (the sister of one prostitute, and a classmate of the other) tells their life stories, as well as that of their murderer.

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann
I love animals, and maybe that's why I liked this book so much.  A flock of sheep solve the mystery of their shepherd's murder!


MOVIES

Lars and the Real Girl
I've seen this on some Worst lists this year, and I can see why people might not like it… but I thought this movie was sweet, funny, sad and moving.  Great performances by Ryan Gosling and Emily Mortimer.  I was worried that the premise would get old after about 20 minutes, but the movie had much more depth than I anticipated.

Enchanted
Amy Adams is adorable!


MAGAZINES

Wired
This mag keeps me learned about tech stuff and informed about crazy stories like Internet stalker murders and alleged scientist molesters.

Jane
I have to mention the end of my once favorite magazine.  Jane had definitely declined since Jane Pratt left, but I was still sad to find out that the mag was officially done-zo.  It will be missed.


CUTEST CHARACTER

Japan's Rilakkuma
I love this little guy, as well as Korilakkuma (the little white bear friend). 
http://www.san-x.co.jp/relaxuma/top.html

And, check out this commercial he's in.  Love that Maroon 5 is in the background.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9pt-ICMq7PI


AWESOME EMBARRASSING MOMENTS

Britney's VMA Performance
I've been a Britney fan and genuinely hope she gets good help… but, wow, I could not believe my eyes when I saw her performance.  It was definitely worthy of a post-performance mass-text. 

Zac Efron – "Bet on It"
I found this clip from HSM 2 to be absolutely hilarious, especially the sand throwing at 1:34
http://youtube.com/watch?v=omCFKGhe5j8


THANKS

Lastly, thanks to the list-writers, and to the people who recommended El Perro del Mar last year (love it).  And, of course to Paul for his organizing and monthly-or-so lists of new releases!