This quotation from Andre Gide's The Immoralist roughly sums up how I feel at present about my academic subject of choice:
"when I began to turn my attention to some of my old historical studies, I found that I no longer took the same pleasures in them. As I have already told you, since my illness I had come to consider this abstract and neutral acquaintance with the past as mere vanity."
It's been more of a catch up year for me with films. This is partly because, when I'm at home, the nearest cinema is half an hours drive away and only has one screen. Then when I'm at uni, there are two one screen cinema's. All of these cinema's get their releases really late too. So this is basically just a list of the films which came out this year that I have actually seen:
Enter the Void: Visually stunning and emotionally effective, with moments of wierdness and humour so pure they make your head explode.
Kick Ass: Chloe Moretz is the scene stealer as Head Girl, eviscerating drug dealers while dressed as a barbie doll on crack. Nick Cage is tolerable and Aaron Johnson is pretty if you're into that sort of thing. Oh yeah, it had McLovin in it too
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Michael Cera is slightly more of an asshole than usual, which is a god send. This is hilariously written, filled with video game references which will delight any man of a certain generation and the girl in it is superhot. Bitchin sound track plus Jason Schwartzman round it all off nicely.
Inception/Shutter Island My how Di Capri Sun has grown since Titanic. Both good films, enjoyed them lots. Can't really decide which one was better, not sure it matters either way. Inception had the dude who used to be in Third Rock From the Sun in it so I suppose it wins.
Oh my god it's Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Tetro I think this was technically released in 2009, but it didn't get put out in most places until this year. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola (Sophia's dad), it's got a brilliant plot, is well shot, and has Vincent Gallo being (very) marginally more mature, but still doing his thang as good as ever.
The Illusionist This was cute, I enjoyed the garbled dialogue and the animation was very warm and nice
It's New Years Eve, tomorrow will be another year, does it thrill you or fill you with fear?
Resolutions: Get married Get married to an acloholic Properly attach tax disc to car windscreen Stop trying to learn guitar Do some writing, actually lots of writing. FINISH THE FUCKING BOOK. Increase pretension to maximum volume Talk to self in the mirror less frequently
Another one of those artists I didn't really listen to until they died. It's a poor show I know, better late than never (although probably not from his perspective)?
Tis the season for predicatable End of Year lists, so I'll start with the best Albums of 2010, although there are loads that I've yet to listen to, and others that I've only listened to once. And there's loads of albums that I've only heard this year despite them having been released anytime within the last forty years. BUT anyway, this is not an exercise in logic.
(I'm using numbers but they really have no relevance, it's not a chart or anything) 1. Titus Andronicus - THE MONITOR Pull out all the 'amazing live band' cliches for these guys you like, but this album is a devastingly good listen on record too. SO Jersey, so punk, so good.
2. Surfer Blood - ASTROCOAST My personal description for these guys: "The Shins with surf Boards". Any real life music journo's out there who want to steal it, be my guest.
3. Avi Buffalo - AVI BUFFALO
Beautfiul harmonies, riff tastic in the best possible way. Some of the best songs ever crafted on this record, and the little guy is a phenomenal guitar player.
4. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - THE BRUTALIST BRICKS
Incredible energy and enthusiasm, matched with bitchin' songs and, most importantly, Ted Leo.
5. Land of Talk - CLOAK AND CIPHER
Sexy songs, cool riffs, generally nice sounds.
6. Antarctica Takes It! - CONSTELLATIONS
The sweetest music made this year, centering around a Ukele but surrounded with vocal harmonies and sublime arrangements. Pop songs of the very oldest (I'm thinking 1950's) formula.
There was really no way I couldn't have put these two next to each other in the list. It's the power of love man. Still liking them despite the whole Target thing...
9. Clogs - CREATURES IN THE GARDEN OF
The best thing produced by a member of The National this year (soo controversial), absolutely delightful
10. Crystal Castles - CRYSTAL CASTLES (ii) It's Crystal Castles being Crystal Castles. And that's great.
11. Sparrow and the Workshop - CRYSTALS FALL
This follows the above very nicely, and of course sounds nothing like them. Fills a hole nicely.
12. Emeralds - DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M HERE? the prettiest electronic album released this year, bootiful
13. Shigeto - FULL CIRCLE
Fantastic rhythms, great hooks, a perfect grasp of how to make balanced electronic music
14. Deerhunter - HALCYON DIGEST
*cough* only listened to this once *cough*. But it will be amazing because everything Bradford Cox has ever done has been.
15. Wild Nothing - GEMINI
First of all he released the best version of Cloudbusting made since the original. Then he releases this, literaly like having your head massaged by teddy bear made of clouds.
16. Joanna Newsom - HAVE ONE ON ME
Well, I love this women. More than Andy Samberg ever will. Great live too.
17. Owen Pallett - HEARTLANDS
I thought this was released last year, but according to winamp it was 2010, which is great! Because it can go on this list and it really does deserve to be on more lists.
18. Nada Surf - IF I HAD A HI-FI
An album that consists of ten covers that is, at the same time,one of the most unique and brilliant albums of the year.
19. Laura Marling - I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN
SO emotional, so powerful, so pretty. I've seen her twice this year and it is every bit as convincing in person.
20. Max Richter - INFRA
Classically beautiful, a wonderfully talented composer, composing wonderfully.
21. Postdata - POSTDATA
Short and sweet, shades of Bon Iver mixed with more neurosis.
22. Monolake - SILENCE
The most beautiful sound there is, clackety ambience and mournful subtlety. More atmospheric than the o-zone layer.
23. Oneohtrix Point Never - RETURNAL
In some respects, very similar to Monolake, in others, it's polar opposite. The same genre, but the other end of the spectrum.
24. Bill Callahan - ROUGH TRAVEL FOR A RARE THING
Joanna's ex (he must fucking hate that) simply gets better with every release. He is one of the best songwriters of all time.
25. Siskiyou - SISKIYOU
Brilliant, evocative indie music, at times reminiscent of Arcade Fire, and the Shins, but generally absolutely unique. And certainly better than the former.
26. The Wave Pictures - SUSAN RODE THE CYCLONE
It doesn't match up to Instant Coffer Baby, BUT it comes close. It is wow. They are so wow.
27. Caribou - SWIM
Yup. It's on my list too.
28. The Method Actors - THIS IS STILL IT
A great band and a great best of.
(srsly, the only video i could find)
29. The Tallest Man On Earth - WILD HUNT
A title James Naughtie would struggle to pronounce, a propa folky record, with guitars, harmonicas, and really, really good songs.
30. Four Tet - THERE IS LOVE IN YOU
The lengthy break since Hebden's last Four Tet album was time well spent. A blinder.
31. Goldheart Assembly - WOLVES AND THIEVES
They totally get written about the NME, which is sad. But they're fantastic.
32. Dosh - TOMMY
Where to start with this one, so much variety, flexibility, that all comes together so well.
33. Toro Y Moi - CAUSERS OF THIS
Last, but very definitely not least, absolutely the sound of the summer, but groovy (?!) to listen to anytime of the year. Slick rhythms and smooth melodies.
'Futuristic slow jamz' indeed. I might add more this list, but I very much doubt it. Although there are so many more.
Honourable Mention:
The best album from the past that I've only just discovered, despite competition fiercer than Tyra Banks at 6 in the morning, is....Hefner - The Fidelity Wars
What’s your favourite thing about Christmas? My neighbour is a white witch rapper named ‘Lil Potion’. On Christmas morning he ties a dead deer to his bent basketball rim and then freestyle raps to the swaying deer corpse. I photograph him doing this every year. He drapes himself in Christmas lights and a pink bathrobe.
