The Year of Magical Listing

Yes, yes, y'all (Yes, y'all!). Jake here. I worked with Paul for a spell. I'm also a Brooklynite, by way of Boston and Charlottesville. I'm excited to be a part of this plan! Great idea, and some really great lists. It's an honor to be among you all. Here's some of what I was into last year...

MUSIC

ALBUMS:

10. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Better than Funeral? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Ask me again in a couple of years.

9. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
My sister dragged me to their concert at Summerstage this summer. I was vaguely familiar with them beforehand, though I think I had a pretty substandard view of them. In short, they kicked my ass. They are cocky, to be sure, but in a sort of "wink-wink, we know we're full of shit, but we're going to have fun anyway" vibe. Just 'avin' a laugh, eh? They are almost the anti-Oasis. All the swagger and none of the assiduous brooding. Good, driving Brit-Pop. Plus I'm a sucker for a discernible British accent, and the drummer is a force to behold.

8. Feist - The Reminder
I love you more. Especially loved you on Letterman with a large chunk of the indie scene backing you in sparkly forearm bands. Mates of State, The National, Grizzly Bear, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers = a pretty good chorus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmEHauRTzJI

7. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
I don't know what I can say that other folks haven't already, except to note that this album was a creeper for me. I'm still getting a little bit more enjoyment out of it each time I listen to it.

6. Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer
As any fan of The Band would no doubt agree, Levon Helm was their heart and soul. His deep Arkansas twang and steady drumming gave them so much of their sound. He had surgery for throat cancer in 1998 and couldn't speak for something like a year. To hear this album, you'd never know it. This is sweet American Roots music, perfect for a long Sunday drive in the country - ideally a fall trip to go apple picking. Keep that in mind...

5. Brother Ali  -  The Undisputed Truth
It's good to know that even in this Soulja Boy-obsessed ("Macarena" anyone?) climate there's still someone out there dropping tight, socially conscious rhymes. On this his second album, Minneapolis's albino MC delivers a scathing, introspective rumination on life in Dubya's America. "Uncle Sam Goddamn" takes me right back to the days of P.E. and KRS-One.

4. Thurston Moore - Trees Outside The Academy
Unlike many of my college friends, Sonic Youth was always a band I admired more than loved. Their music was too dissonant to really draw me in, unlike say Pavement. Maybe it just took them growing really old (they've got to be in their 70s by now) for our tastes to converge. I liked Rather Ripped quite a bit, and I love this album. It manages to be both contemplative and driving.

3. Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida
I can't get enough of this album. It's such an easy go-to. I've admired David Wingo's music on David Gordon Green's films, but this is so much more fulfilling. This is the one for Sunday afternoons spent on the couch with a good book. Looking forward to the Ola Podrida concert at Union Hall in a couple of weeks...

2. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Right now it's my fourth favorite Radiohead album. Given time, well, it's unlikely that it will leapfrog The Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A, but who knows what the future has in store for us (me and Radiohead). It's a welcome return to real emotion for Thom and the boys, as they reassert their humanity for the first time since OKC. The "Nude"/"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"/"All I Need" trifecta represents, along with "Reckoner," exactly what I've missed about this band for the last seven years - and reminds me why they used to be my favorite band.

1. The National - Boxer
This one's easy for me. No other album got nearly the amount of play on my ipod this year. For me, 2007 was the year of The National. I found both Alligator and Boxer this year, and I continue to play them constantly. You want to talk about a constant go-to album? This has been mine since last spring. That should be good enough for top billing.

Honorable Mentions:
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
Bishop Allen - The Broken String
Feist - The Reminder
Kanye West - Graduation
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Lucinda Williams - West
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River
Tegan and Sara - The Con

A SMATTERING OF SONGS:

"23" - Blonde Redhead
"Almost Ready" - Dinosaur Jr. Good as they ever were.
"As You Wish" - Aqueduct The Princess Bride. Nuff said.
"Australia" - The Shins
"Back In Your Head" - Tegan and Sara
"Bros (edit)" - Panda Bear
"Champion" - Kanye West Steely Dan samples? Yup, love 'em.
"Collarbone" - Fujiya and Miyagi
"D.A.N.C.E." - Justice
"Detlef Schrempf" - Band of Horses Seriously, how could I not love a song named for the original German baller?
"I Feel It All"/"1,2,3,4" - Feist Good, poppy fun.
"Impossible Germany" - Wilco It's definitely light rock, but this song gets it right. Nice seventies vibe, and Nils Cline just kills his solo.
"Myriad Harbour" - The New Pornagraphers I've never been real fan of theirs (though I love me some Neko Case), but I like this song a lot.
"North American Scum" - LCD Soundsystem Wait, are you talking about me?
"Oxford Comma" - Vampire Weekend Brooklyn's own. Looking forward to their full LP at the end of the month.
"Paper Planes" - M.I.A. She's generally too scattered and blippy for my taste, but this song is the shit. My wife hates the gun sounds and cringes every time I play it, which is often.
"The Shape is in a Trance" - Thurston Moore
"Umbrella" - Rihanna
"West Coast" - Coconut Records Schwartzman, oh how you slay me.

FILM

I didn't see nearly as many films as I wanted to this year, though of those that I saw, I particularly enjoyed Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, No Country For Old Men, Paris, Je T'aime, and Zodiac. Juno? Why didn't she get an abortion again? Oh right, it was the fingernails thing. Riiiiight...

TELEVISION

1. The Wire, Season 4 on DVD
Is this cheating? I don't care, because it is the best show that's ever been produced, and I just got this for Christmas. If you're not watching this already, Netflix it now. Right now.
2. Friday Night Lights
This show is just plain good. A little something for everyone, and Texas drawls to boot.
3. Flight of the Conchords
"I don't know if Stu is keen to, but if you want we could double-team you."
4. The Office
5. 30 Rock
6. The Unit
David Mamet+Army Special Forces=me glued to the television. Plus it turns Scott Foley (yes, the Scott Foley of Felicity fame) into a badass.
7. The Red Sox World Series Victory
How sweet it is.
8. Kitchen Nightmares
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy this nearly as much if Gordon Ramsey was American. Watching him dress down sad-sack Long Island restaurateurs with his Britishisms makes for riveting telly time.
9. The Sopranos final scene
I for one loved it. The Journey was perfect. The tension (Meadow unsuccessfully parallel parking) was perfect. When the screen went black, I literally cackled and shot out of my chair.
10. Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothin'" video featuring Zach Galafianakis and Will Oldham
Even after what seems like 100 viewings, this still makes me laugh but good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x0TumWdlhk

BOOKS

Fiction:
A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian - Marina Lewycka
Tomcat in Love  - Tim O'Brien
By Night In Chile - Roberto Bolano
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John Lecarre
various mysteries by Andrea Camilleri

Nonfiction:
Heat - Bill Buford
The Argument - Matt Bai
Love is a Mix Tape - Rob Sheffield

PODCASTS

Slate's Political Gabfest
Nadia and I are slobberingly, bloodshot eyes hooked on this. Smart, funny, and informative. We listen to it every week.

The B.S. Report
 I love Bill Simmons. and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Uhh Yeah, Dude
I was recently turned on to this weekly, hour-long bullshitfest featuring John Larroquette's son and a friend of his riffing on whatever suits them. I find it is perfect to do the dishes to. It's decidedly middlebrow, but the funnier for it.

Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my largest time suck, Hattrick. It's a free online manager-based soccer game, and it's as dorky and much more addictive than it sounds. If you like soccer at all, I suggest you check it out. A million dorks worldwide can't be wrong, can they? Be sure to look for AC Tatonka... www.hattrick.org

Thanks to Paul, and to y'all. Peace.