I've been told I should take more pictures

I get asked a lot by people who read my blog why I don't post more pictures of concerts. It's a very excellent question, one that I really didn't have a decent reply for. To be honest, I haven't been taking that many pictures of anything, probably due to my newfound reluctance to snap portraits of myself, but that's another story. I've been trying to get into the habit of bringing my camera with me whenever I go out, so hopefully it will be a semi-regular thing. Here's what I found as I looked through it for this post.

Asobi Seksu/Bash On Wabash/Sept. 5, 2010

This was my second time seeing them and I got a chance to hear some new songs from the album they just recently released. Once I found that they were going to be at this street fest in the South Loop, I knew that my Sunday night had been decided.

Best Movies of 2010

As I always mention whenever I do my best films of the year list, I like to wait till around February or so to allow myself to be able to see some of the movies that don't go nationwide until the new year. I'm on a modest budget and I don't get to go to film festivals, so it's impossible for a Midwesterner such as myself to catch all the prestige films that are rushed to release during the Oscar season that manage to land on a lot of critics' year-end list. I feel that as long as I can do my list before the Academy Awards, it can still remain somewhat relevant and topical. This was also the first year that I got a subscription to Netflix and if you haven't jumped on board by now, I highly recommend it if you're a movie buff such as myself. It allowed me to watch more movies in a year than I have in a very long time and is partly the reason why this list is close to 60 and could have potentially been higher if I had the time to fit in everything I hoped to see.


1. I Am Love

One of the most visually impressive films of the year was not a flashy, big-budget Hollywood effort, but a brooding family drama from Italian director Luca Guadagino. The set design and wardrobes are rich with vivaciousness and detail that pop off the screen in an effective, subtle manner and reflect the tone and personalities of its scenes and characters beautifully. This is a movie that deals with contrast at nearly every corner, since the main character, a Russian woman played Tilda Swinton who married into an affluent Italian family, is an outsider in her own family and that idea is delicately exposed in nearly every frame. Technically, I Am Love is masterfully produced, but when it delves into the intentions and actions of its characters, the effect is poetic as it can be interpreted in many different ways. Even the film's final, grainy shot could have several connotations after repeat viewings (I've seen people refer to it as having the qualities of an ultrasound). I know I've come across a great film when I can't get it out of my head days later and I am constantly thinking it over in my head. As is the case with a lot of revered art, everything may not come to you the first time around, but along the way it forces you to ask yourself questions you never thought of before and enriches you in the process.

Live Blogging the 2011 Grammys:

6:49 Showtime is near. Checking out some of the awards handed out before the show and seeing how they matched up with my predictions. Some things of note: Black Keys won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group and also took Best Alternative/Music Album, which was supposed to be a gimme for Arcade Fire. Huge upset. Also, "Empire State of Mind" taking Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration over Eminem suggests that it may not be his night after all. This could have huge ramifications for the general categories, specifically Album of the Year where Eminem is favored.

6:58 I'm probably more excited than I should be that "Empire State of Mind" won those categories. For one, it makes Record of the Year more interesting and "Empire State of Mind" is simply the better song.

7:05 Tribute to Aretha Franklin to kick off the show featuring Martina McBride, Florence Welch, Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson. Right now, Xtina is winning. Florence seems like the only who doesn't belong. Will have to wait till she gets her solo turn. Martina McBride is making a very strong case for 2nd place.

Grammy Predictions & Live Blogging

It's Grammy time once again and I'll be live blogging the event as usual this Sunday, Feb. 13. I'll be getting things started here a couple of minutes before the big ceremony. Also, make sure to check out my Grammy predictions posted at Prefix.

Top 250 Singles of 2010

1. Janelle Monáe F/ Big Boi - Tightrope

It was only just a few weeks ago that I listed The ArchAndroid as my #1 album of 2010. Now Janelle Monáe can also lay claim to my favorite single as well. The steady groove of "Tightrope" was deceptive to me at first and made everything appear simple. Having been a fan of Monáe for some years, I was used to expecting something more explosive and colorful.

Best Albums of 2010

Another year, another albums list, another reason to share. This is what I live for in the last few weeks of December (and of course, family, holidays, yadda yadda yadda). Keep an eye out for my singles list next week. Also, if you want to check out lists from previous years, just check out the links below.

2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004



1. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

It's not very often when you come across a debut album as confident and self-assured as this one. Usually it might take an artist a few albums before they can muster up the courage and audacity to create something with as wide a scope as The ArchAndroid on their first time out, which is part of what makes it so impressive.

Kinky Notti - "100 Pieces"

There are a few of Kinky Notti's songs that I'm absolutely over the moon about, but "100 Pieces" gets the most play from me, hands down. It falls right in line with the sexy atmosphere of their debut album, Succumb, but this track steps further away from the R&B/hip hop hybrid that dominates their sound and is decidedly more eerie and subtle. There's a Prince vibe in the way that the guitars are used to bring sensuality to a pop song, but the bass and drums keep things sinister and serve as a reminder that if this song is playing, you should be making your way around 3rd base by now. It sounds like nothing else that's coming out of Chicago right now.



Download the song here and buy Succumb on Bandcamp here They also recently released a video for the title track to Succumb a few weeks ago. Warning: not safe for work.

Sonnymoon - "Soular"

Sonnymoon is an electronic duo based out of Boston who recently signed to Plug Research, the Los Angeles label responsible for the latest releases by Bilal and Quadron. They self-released their debut album, Golden Age on Christmas last year, way after I made my year-end list, which pretty much ensures that they'll make it this year. The album is excellent all around but "Soular" for me is one of the standouts. It's a subdued but rubbery track that showcases the group's more playful side amidst an album that's heavy on atmospheric, experimental hip hop sounds mixed with hazy melodies. "Soular" is more immediate but no less enjoyable. It also serves as a proper introduction to how Sonnymoon perceive themselves, which is as artists who specialize in making music meant for another solar system. Listening to this track, it certainly feels like it could have come from outer space, or at least something Esthero would have created after landing on Mars.



Download the album here, which the group offered up for free or if that link doesn't work any more, you can also listen to the rest of the album streaming here and also pay $5 for it.

Best TV Shows of 2009-2010 Season

On the eve of the new television season and a full summer under my belt to catch up on some shows, why not take a look at the best TV shows from 2009-10. I mention it every year I do this list, but I never understand why critics do a best of television list at the end of year in December when a lot of the shows have not completed their seasons. I take into account shows that premiered from June 2009 and wrapped up by May 2010.


10. Archer (FX)

Animation is the perfect medium for pushing the boundaries that live-action television shows are usually confined to. Years after the heyday of Beavis and Butthead and South Park, it's nice to know that it's still finding ways to appall and offend while still making you roar with laughter. Archer, FX's first serious venture into animation, is centered around the title character who is an immature yet seemingly capable secret agent and the rest of the employees at the agency, which includes his overbearing mother, who also happens to be his boss. The retro visuals give the show a flashy old-school feel and the scripts are filled with raunchiness and sharp one-liners, but the main appeal to the show is the excellent voice cast they have, which includes H. Jon Benjamin, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell and Judy Greer. It's some of the best comedic talent currently gathered on basic cable today.

Adventures at Lollapalooza 2010

Another summer, another Lollapalooza. Under any other normal circumstances, I couldn't see myself walking back and forth across the entirety of Grant Park for eleven hours a day over three straight days in the hot sun, but it's my love of music and the energy I get from everyone attending that makes me do such a crazy thing, even if I'm completely exhausted at the end of each day. During Lollapalooza weekend, there really isn't any other place I would want to be, so I bear it all with a smile on my face and two bottles of frozen water in my bag. This past weekend also marked the fifth straight year I've been to Lollapalooza since it moved permanently to Chicago and this is also my fourth recap, which makes me feel like some sort of grizzled, accomplished veteran at this thing now.

Day 1 - Friday

These United States



I felt these guys were a pleasant enough way to start off the festival. Just some harmless folk pop-rock, but I appreciated their energy and they seemed genuinely excited to be opening up the weekend, as I'm sure most small bands would be. I didn't stay long, but I enjoyed what I heard.

B.o.B.

Ten On Tuesdays: Ten Most Influential Survivor Players of All-Time

With the season finale of what has arguably been one of the best editions, Heroes vs. Villains, this Sunday night and after 20 seasons of cutthroat strategy and boneheaded mistakes, what better time than now to look back at some of the most influential players the game has ever seen. I based influence not exactly on if a person won or not, but how their gameplay has made an impact on all future editions of Survivor and on the contestants, for better or worse. While I did not rank these and decided to do the list chronologically, I believe in my heart that Richard Hatch is without a doubt the overall most influential player of all-time. If he had not won in that first season, the game of Survivor would have turned out completely different and the use of strategy would not be as evolved as it is right now at this point 20 seasons on.


Richard Hatch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Placed: 1st; 14th

He is the grandfather of Survivor strategy, the man who first coined the term "alliance," which is now as neccessary as fire to survive in this game. By getting the idea of gathering a group of people to all vote the same way, it would ensure that they would have strength in numbers to advance in the game. When I first started watching Survivor, I originally thought that it would be a game of strength and endurance, but Hatch reminded us that along with outplay and outlast, outwit is also apart of the Survivor motto. His voting bloc was so unthinkable at the time that the opposing Pagong tribe members were easily picked off one by one, spreading their votes everywhere instead of focused one member, which is now the usual course. If Richard's strategy did not earn him the million dollars in the end, the game of Survivor would look completely different.

What If The Oscars Had Ten Best Picture Nominees In Years Past?

For fun, I decided to take my hand at imagining what the Best Picture race at the Oscars would have looked if there had been ten nominees in years past. Yes, these are the things I think of as "fun" in my head. I decided to do from 1998-2008 since I really didn't follow the Oscar race as intensely in years before, but not to say I don't ever see myself not taking a look at years prior to.

I've listed the five films that were nominated for that year with the five possible nominees following after.

1998

** denotes the winner.

Elizabeth
**Shakespeare in Love**
Life Is Beautiful
Saving Private Ryan
The Thin Red Line

Gods And Monsters
The Truman Show
Out of Sight
Primary Colors
A Simple Plan

The Truman Show was the only one that was seen as a major snub, as Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey also failed to get a acting nomination.

Best Movies of 2009

Living in the Midwest, I usually have to wait longer for a lot of the year-end prestige pictures to open in my area. While critics in Los Angeles and New York have the luxury of being able to catch movies that open in limited release before going nationwide within a calendar year, an average guy such as myself who happens to be a film lover can't fully complete a list of what the best pictures of the year are until much later. Add to that a modest budget and time can pass quickly before I've seen everything on my wish list. Which is why I'm finally doing best films of 2009 list more than two months into 2010. I figure that a list such as this still has relevance as long as it's before this Sunday's Oscars. So here it is. My favorite movies of 2009.

1. Ponyo

This marks the third consecutive year that an animated movie has topped my list. I think it goes to show just how great a period it is right now for animation. All three films were unique in their tone and subject matter and further proves just how diverse the field has become, from the moments of grimness in 2007's Persepolis to 2008's Wall-E with its patient and expressive storytelling style and to my favorite film of 2009, Ponyo, that mixed dazzling visuals with pure emotion in the way that director Hayao Miyazaki has made his career on.