June 2012
4 posts
6 tags
Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau, 2010)
With the forward momentum and strong villain missing from its predecessor, Iron Man 2 is still easily the lesser movie, messily constructed and, at times, mind-numbing. Still, its willingness to embrace its absurdity makes it possibly more enjoyable. Sam Rockwell is a riot at a slimy weapons manufacturer. Avengers crossover did not bother me as much as it did two years ago, but maybe that just...
Jun 3rd
7 tags
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012) →
If the wildly overrated Fantastic Mr. Fox’s biggest flaw was its lack of drama and danger, Moonrise Kingdom represents a welcome return to form for writer-director Wes Anderson. The turmoil and frustration bubbling under the surface of each carefully composed shot drives the best of Anderson’s work, and as Spike Jonze did with Where the Wild Things Are, Anderson here filters the anger and sadness...
Jun 3rd
1 note
15 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1978
Previous: 1977 I must have a musical bald spot because my metalhead is starting to show. Bob Dylan never stopped writing great songs, even with his weaker albums. I will never cease to be amazed by Eddie Van Halen’s work on “Eruption.” There are two by Elvis Costello because he’s the man, but Bruce is on top because he’s the boss. 10. The Police- Born in the...
Jun 1st
1 note
5 tags
The Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012) →
Did I fall into Marvel’s trap? I have never read a non-Star Wars comic, and the Avengers tentpoles are never great. And yet, with each progressive installment, I fancy myself a fanboy, eagerly waiting through credits for Easter eggs that will reveal villains and plots points that mean absolutely nothing to me. But somehow, the marketing has trapped me, or franchise fever got to me because I’m...
Jun 1st
May 2012
13 posts
6 tags
Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008)
Revisiting Iron Man for the first time confirmed Captain America as my favorite of the Avengers franchise. Movie has great moments and a strong performance by Downey Jr., but story lacks a certain narrative thrust. It never quite feels like there’s much at stake, despite the presence of war. Instead, it plays like extended exposition with limited depth. But this is all nitpicking, as...
May 26th
1 note
3 tags
Alien 3 (David Fincher, 1992)
The third Alien lacks the fresh thrills of the first two, but Fincher does the best he can with a lifeless, obvious script. At its best, the film is visually mesmerizing, understandably the slickly shot and edited work of a director then best known for music videos. The threat of sexual violence hangs over the entire film, and the climactic set piece delivers the suspense absent from the...
May 20th
Dan Harmon Poops: HEY, DID I MISS ANYTHING?  →
danharmon: Kids: A few hours ago, I landed in Los Angeles, turned on my phone, and confirmed what you already know. Sony Pictures Television is replacing me as showrunner on Community, with two seasoned fellows that I’m sure are quite nice - actually, I have it on good authority they’re quite nice, because…
May 19th
12,380 notes
29 tags
Top 20 Tracks of 1977
Previous: 1976 As I did with 1969, I have selected 20 songs. Quite simply, there’s too much good stuff. 1977 might actually be my favorite year in rock music: the birth of the Clash, Cohen working with Spector, two game-changing albums from Bowie and Costello’s debut album. Even Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, an album I feel like I should hate, is pop perfection. 20. Billy Joel- Just...
May 15th
2 notes
4 tags
With Paul’s Boutique, the Beastie Boys went from fun frat rap backed by rock riffs to thoughtfully crafted hip hop with artfully layered sampling. In my book, it’s still the greatest rap album ever. “You be listening to my records, a number one sound.”
May 15th
4 tags
We’re trashing hotels like it’s going out of style.
May 14th
18 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1976
Previous: 1975 Punk is a wonderful thing, or at least it used to be. I recently saw Blondie live, and it would have been nice if they had played “X Offender.” (They didn’t.) I can’t think of “Long May You Run” these days without thinking about Conan O’Brien’s last week on NBC. ABBA is best known these days for an upbeat dance tune (and a horrible...
May 14th
3 tags
I’m currently obsessed with Bjork’s Homogenic.
May 10th
1 note
5 tags
Stavisky... (Alain Resnais, 1974)
Not as formally inventive as Hiroshima Mon Amour or Last Year at Marienbad, Stavisky… remains essential Resnais viewing for its intricate, moving tale of a con artist whose scandal topples the French political order. As always, Belmondo’s charm is effortless, inviting sympathy for a sociopath seeking love (much like Charles Foster Kane). The theme by Stephen Sondheim haunted me for...
May 8th
6 tags
Dressed to Kill (Brian De Palma, 1980)
Originally written March 18, 2012 If De Palma had simply made gripping, cheeky trash art, it would have been enough. But Dressed to Kill is more, an extension and deconstruction of Psycho. It delves deeper into the psychosexual subtext of Hitchcock’s masterpiece and even pokes fun at (or pays homage to) the infamous scene explaining Norman’s condition. And with Pete, we get a hint of...
May 8th
3 tags
Passing Fancy (Yasujiro Ozu, 1933)
Originally written March 3, 2012 This is possibly my least favorite of the 13 Ozu films I’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. Passing Fancy sensitively explores unconventional father-son relationships, the difficulties of aging and, most importantly, the harsh realities of class struggles. Ozu’s keen eye for human behavior is revealed in deceptively simple...
May 8th
4 tags
Mike D: Your pops caught you smoking and he said, “No way!” MCA: That hypocrite smokes two packs a day.
May 8th
1 note
4 tags
I’m going to post one Beastie Boys music video each day along with an MCA quote because I’m sentimental like that. “I come out at night ‘cause I sleep all day.”
May 6th
April 2012
9 posts
22 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1975
Previous: 1974 I discovered the greatness of “So In Love” by Curtis Mayfield when I was going through my iTunes library for a song to use in a homemade Chicago video. I don’t like Horses as much as I should, but I adore “Free Money.” I just don’t like Young Americans, but I adore “Young Americans.” Seeing Blaine listen to “Love is the...
Apr 21st
2 notes
19 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1974
Previous: 1973 Despite a handful of highlights, 1974 was not a particularly strong year for music. I don’t particularly like Queen, so their presence alone is a sign, though “Killer Queen” is admittedly one of their great recordings. “Late for the Sky” used to be my all-time favorite song, but I think I’ve listened to it far too many times during break-ups and...
Apr 20th
21 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1973
Previous: 1972 For the longest time, I only knew “Kodachrome” as Paul Simon’s “crap I learned in high school” song. High Fidelity is the reason why I fell in love with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” I distinctly remember being confused the first time I heard “Time” (or all The Dark Side of the Moon for that matter). I...
Apr 16th
1 note
17 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1972
Previous: 1971 Looking at this list, I seem to love what Barry calls “old sad bastard music” in High Fidelity. I mean, Jackson Browne AND Rod Stewart? Still, no shame because these are incredible songs. I rediscovered “Mother and Child Reunion” recently when I was prepping to see Paul Simon live in October. The Temptations and other Motown acts are making more appearances...
Apr 14th
Apr 9th
119 notes
Apr 9th
72 notes
25 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1971
Previous: 1970 A number of these songs land very high on just about every all-time song list (and with good reason): “What’s Going On,” “Imagine” and “Stairway to Heaven.” I heard the live version of “Maggot Brain” on the One Nation Under a Groove EP before the original album cut, and in some ways, I’m more fond of the former. Still, I...
Apr 6th
2 notes
19 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1970
Previous: 1969 A new decade! This year reps the last possible appearance by the Beatles as a group. But as you can see, nothing is stopping solo career tracks from making these lists. My love for “Stage Fright” can be traced back to the first time I saw Martin Scorsese’s rock doc The Last Waltz. What a performance! Gordon Lightfoot wouldn’t be on this list if it...
Apr 4th
27 tags
Top 20 Tracks of 1969
Previous: 1968 I set out to make top 10 lists for each year, but I decided that 1969, perhaps the greatest year in rock history, warranted 20 songs. MC5 would have been much higher a few years ago, but I’ve listened to “Kick Out the Jams” too many times, and consequently its sheer brutality doesn’t seem quite as fresh as it did upon first listen. The fact that Led Zeppelin...
Apr 2nd
2 notes
March 2012
12 posts
17 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1968
Previous: 1967 For some strange reason, I originally had “America” by Simon & Garfunkel on my 1966 list. That error has been corrected, making room there for the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream.” The Byrds’ best music is their country-rock with Gram Parsons. For a period of time, “Sister Ray” seemed like the greatest song of all time, but...
Mar 31st
22 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1967
Previous: 1966 I have to think that these particular Leonard Cohen and Jefferson Airplane songs are here thanks in part to McCabe and Mrs. Miller and A Serious Man. I first recognized the greatness of the Temptations track after reading Rod Stewart rave about it in Rolling Stone. “These Days” is such a perfect song, so just about every recording of it deserves to be on any list. Sam...
Mar 30th
1 note
15 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1966
Previous: 1965 I never provide any explanation for my rankings, so I’m going to say a few words whenever possible. For a while, these top 10s are going to be unavoidably dominated by the Beatles and Bob Dylan. I put Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” on my 100 favorite songs list at #82 in part because I used to listen to the song all the time, but after revisiting...
Mar 29th
2 notes
30 tags
100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: The Top 20
Previous: 40-21 20. N.W.A- Straight Outta Compton Paste: excluded Slant: +4 19. Prince- Sign O’ the Times Paste: -5 Slant: +10 18. Run-D.M.C.- Raising Hell Paste: -27 Slant: -26 17. Eric B. and Rakim- Follow the Leader Paste and Slant: excluded 16. Pixies- Surfer Rosa Paste: -2 Slant: -13 15. Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste ...
Mar 25th
3 notes
15 tags
Top 10 Tracks of 1965
I recently picked my top 10 albums for each year starting with 1965. (Note: I compulsively update these lists.) More recently, I made an updated list of my 100 favorite songs. In the spirit of those two projects, I’m going to list my top 10 songs for every year starting with 1965. These lists are redundant, but they’re fun and therapeutic to make. No more than one song per album ...
Mar 25th
2 notes
Mar 23rd
467 notes
Mar 23rd
599 notes
Mar 23rd
1,878 notes
30 tags
100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: 40-21
Previous: 60-41 40. De La Soul- 3 Feet High and Rising Paste: +22 Slant: +32 39. U2- War Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste Slant: -20 38. Husker Du- New Day Rising Paste: +6 Slant: excluded 37. The Jesus and Mary Chain- Psychocandy Paste: +4 Slant: +6 36. Tom Waits- Rain Dogs Paste: +21 Slant: +24 35. My Bloody Valentine- Isn’t Anything Paste: -13 Slant:...
Mar 16th
1 note
30 tags
100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: 60-41
Previous: 80-61 60. Bruce Springsteen- The River Paste: #26 on adjusted list Slant: excluded 59. Mission of Burma- Vs. Slant: excluded 58. The Replacements- Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash Slant: excluded 57. XTC- Skylarking Paste: #30 on adjusted list Slant: +11 56. Pretenders- Pretenders Paste: #42 on adjusted list Slant: +13 55. The Police- Synchronicity Paste:...
Mar 14th
1 note
30 tags
100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: 80-61
Previous: 100-81 80. Black Flag- Damaged Paste: #48 on adjusted list 79. Slayer- Reign in Blood 78. New Order- Low-Life 77. The Stone Roses- The Stone Roses Paste: #29 on adjusted list Slant: #23 on adjusted list 76. Bruce Cockburn- Humans Paste: #43 on adjusted list 75. Stevie Ray Vaughan- Texas Flood 74. Minor Threat- Out of Step 73. Sonic Youth- Sister Slant: #49 on...
Mar 13th
30 tags
100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: 100-81
About a month ago, Paste (which still exists online) posted its “80 Best Albums of the 1980s.” I enjoyed the list but forget about it soon thereafter. This past week, Slant published its “Best Albums of the 1980s.” It was odd that these two sites both decided to do the same amusing but otherwise random list. Naturally, I played along and also ranked my top 100 albums of popular music’s most...
Mar 11th
1 note
February 2012
7 posts
24 tags
100 Favorite Songs: The Top 10
See 100-11 10. Public Enemy- Fight the Power 9. Depeche Mode- Enjoy the Silence 8. Rage Against the Machine- Killing in the Name 7. Neil Young- Cortez the Killer 6. Sonic Youth- Teen Age Riot 5. The Beatles- This Boy 4. The Replacements- Bastards of Young (Non-Album Live Version Below) 3. Pulp- Common People 2. Stevie Wonder- Love’s In Need of Love...
Feb 12th
1 note
22 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 20-11
See 100-91 See 90-81 See 80-71 See 70-61 See 60-51 See 50-41 See 40-31 See 30-21 20. OutKast- B.O.B. 19. The Clash- Train in Vain (Stand by Me) 18. The Smiths- Is It Really So Strange? 17. New Order- Blue Monday 16. The Rolling Stones- Rocks Off 15. Guided by Voices- Smothered in Hugs 14. My Bloody Valentine- Sometimes 13. Bjork- Hyperballad 12. The...
Feb 9th
2 notes
24 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 30-21
See 100-91 See 90-81 See 80-71 See 70-61 See 60-51 See 50-41 See 40-31 30. R.E.M.- At My Most Beautiful 29. Arcade Fire- Rebellion (Lies) 28. Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven 27. The Hold Steady- Stay Positive 26. The Stooges- Search and Destroy 25. Portishead- Glory Box 24. Joni Mitchell- River 23. Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky 22. Wilco- A Shot in the Arm 21....
Feb 7th
24 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 40-31
See 100-91 See 90-81 See 80-71 See 70-61 See 60-51 See 50-41 40. The Velvet Underground- Sister Ray 39. The Jesus and Mary Chain- Just Like Honey 38. Broken Social Scene- 7/4 (Shoreline) 37. Pavement- Silent Kit 36. Aretha Franklin- A Change is Gonna Come 35. Radiohead- Let Down 34. Roxy Music- Love is the Drug 33. U2- Wake Up Dead Man 32. Beastie Boys- Sabotage ...
Feb 5th
2 notes
23 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 50-41
See 100-91 See 90-81 See 80-71 See 70-61 See 60-51 50. Fleetwood Mac- Dreams 49. TV on the Radio- Staring at the Sun 48. The Strokes- What Ever Happened? 47. Elvis Costello- I Want You 46. Nine Inch Nails- March of the Pigs 45. David Bowie- Quicksand 44. Ray Charles- You Don’t Know Me 43. Rod Stewart- Every Picture Tells a Story 42. The Animals- Don’t Let...
Feb 3rd
2 notes
23 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 60-51
See 100-91 See 90-81 See 80-71 See 70-61 60. PJ Harvey- To Bring You My Love 59. Pedro the Lion- Options 58. Michael Jackson- Man in the Mirror 57. Ryan Adams- Oh My Sweet Carolina 56. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Rich 55. Pixies- U-Mass 54. Nirvana- Serve the Servants 53. Pink Floyd- Comfortably Numb 52. Neutral Milk Hotel- Two-Headed Boy 51. Bon Iver- Flume See 50-41 See...
Feb 2nd
2 notes
22 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 70-61
See 100-91 See 90-81 See 80-71 70. LCD Soundsystem- Losing My Edge 69. A Tribe Called Quest- Scenario 68. The Police- Wrapped Around Your Finger 67. Judas Priest- Painkiller 66. Daft Punk- Digital Love 65. M83- Don’t Save Us From the Flames 64. Teenage Fanclub- I Don’t Want Control of You 63. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five- The Message 62. Beck- Lost...
Feb 1st
1 note
January 2012
3 posts
20 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 80-71
See 100-91 See 90-81 80. Marvin Gaye- Let’s Get It On 79. The Flaming Lips- Do You Realize?? 78. Tom Waits- 16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six 76. The New Pornographers- The Laws Have Changed 75. The Zombies- Care of Cell 44 74. ABBA- Waterloo 73. Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime 72. The Fugees- Ready Or Not 71. Animal Collective- Fireworks See 70-61 See 60-51 ...
Jan 29th
2 notes
23 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 90-81
See 100-91 90. The White Stripes- Icky Thump 89. Frankie Valli- Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You 88. The Avalanches- Frontier Psychiatrist 87. Iron Maiden- Hallowed Be Thy Name 86. Van Halen- Jump 85. Lady Gaga- Bad Romance 84. Big Star- Thirteen 83. Massive Attack- Teardrop 82. Otis Redding- Try a Little Tenderness 81. Weezer- Tired of Sex See 80-71 See 70-61 ...
Jan 28th
1 note
24 tags
100 Favorite Songs: 100-91
It’s been about two years since I last made a list of my 100 favorite songs. I’m due for an update. I’ll be posting 10 songs a day, each with an embedded YouTube video. As usual, I limited myself to one song per artist. More importantly, I tried to pick songs that are actually my current favorites. I sometimes try too hard to make lists of my “ALL-TIME FAVORITES,” and...
Jan 27th
2 notes
December 2011
7 posts
30 tags
Top 10 Albums of 2007
1. Spoon- Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Listen: “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” 2. Dinosaur Jr.- Beyond Listen: “Crumble” 3. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago Listen: “Flume” 4. Kanye West- Graduation Listen: “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” 5. Various Artists, I’m Not There Listen: “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Antony and the...
Dec 31st
4 notes
30 tags
Top 10 Movies of 2011
I often wonder if I’ve seen enough movies to make a top 10 list at the end of the year. Even though I saw nearly 60 new releases in 2011, probably more than most people, I feel that my habit of largely seeing critical favorites results in an incredibly predictable list. But this is an honest reflection of what I saw and liked this year, and that means something (I think). And indeed, the fact that...
Dec 30th
5 notes