Best Movies of 2011

Most people tend to do their movies list at the end of the year. I prefer to do them before the Oscars, that way I'm able to catch all the movies that open in limited release during the year, but don't become available nationwide until January. It does come late, but when I look back at my lists from past years, they feel well informed and not rushed. Moving on, 2011 had plenty of delights for cinema lovers, just like every year.

1. Hugo

Granted, I rarely see live-action movies in 3-D, but it's no secret that the general consensus is that a lot of movies that employ this technique are lacking. The extra surcharge that comes with admission has resulted in more revenue for certain movies, which has lead to Hollywood abusing 3-D and using it more as a gimmick instead of a tool. Hugo was the first film since Avatar that felt like it gave a damn about 3-D and used it in smart ways that helped embellish the story. The maximum enjoyment of this film is probably best experienced in that format, but it would have still been my favorite film of 2011 without it. Hugo is about a Parisian boy who lives in a train station during the 1920s and the setting plays a key part in the movie's magic. It's a film heavy on wonder and enchantment with the skill of one our greatest filmmakers in Martin Scorcese. When you go into a theater hoping to be entertained and moved, you want it to do so at the level that Hugo does.

Top 250 Singles of 2011

1. King - The Story

Some of the imagery here is of a galactic nature, with references to the mothership, stars and such. Not uncommon at all in pop music, but very fitting since every listen to "The Story" feels like a journey beyond space, possibly on an astral plane. There's a magic going on here that's hard to explain, but something about paving your own path and following your own heart spoke loudly to the dreamer in me, in the sort of way that my favorite songs of all-time do. We sometimes have a tendency to sneer at anything that's purposefully positive in this world. Perhaps it's out of jealousy or maybe because we simply don't like being told how to feel. Whatever it is, I implore any cynics to not let that get in the way of enjoying this song. There is too much warmth in those keyboards and too much love in the harmonies to feel anything but empowered when your heart is fully opened to this track. In the seven years I've been doing these lists, never have I been this sure of what my #1 single would be.

Best Albums of 2011

These are my favorite albums of 2011. This year, I'm trying something different by bringing Spotify into the mix. I've created a playlist with a song from most of the albums here. Check back next week for my list of the best singles of the year.



1. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

On his 2008 album, The Way I See It, Saadiq copped a retro sound that recalled some of the softer, romantic touches of Motown. As enjoyable as that album was, it often felt like a tribute instead of a creative exercise. For the follow-up, the sound is still of the past and just as accurate, but more soulful, freewheeling and raucous. By convincingly conjuring up the spirit of Stax and the eclectic side of Sly and The Family Stone, Stone Rollin' would have been pleasing to the ears of most by default as well. Instead, Saadiq completely reinvigorated the whole process of being retro by using the era not to justify the means, but as a catalyst for exploring just how vibrant his songwriting could be. The authenticity is part of the charm, but the joy lies mostly in listening to one of R&B's most intelligent and classiest artists at the top of his game.