Tag: lists
Best Albums of 2007
posted: 12.31.2007 3:33 pm tags: best of 2007, lists, music, pop culture
None of the albums released this year were strong enough to make my all-time top 40, but that doesn’t mean this was a weak year for the album. Sure, digital sales and single-track downloads made huge inroads, and people bought even fewer CDs than they did the year before.
But I am not one of those people. I heard more than 100 albums this year, and am still dying to hear more. Most everything I heard was at least good and much of it was great. Here’s the giant list, starting with an in-depth look at the top 13 albums of 2007. Oh yeah, and if it’s not on here, it simply means I haven’t heard it.
Best Songs of 2007
posted: 12.21.2007 8:02 pm tags: best of 2007, lists, music, pop culture, songs
I came across some amazing songs this year, so I’ve taken the time to list a full 100 of them. This is no Pitchfork list either—I’ve got pop songs, country songs, rap songs and yes, indie rock songs too. All irony- and snobbery-free. The first of many year-end best-of lists, here then are my top songs from the year that was: 2007.
Top 13 Movies of 2006
posted: 12.12.2007 8:01 pm tags: best of 2006, lists, movies
You read that right: I’m back again one year later to recap my list of last year’s best movies. But first, the ten runners-up, in alphabetical order:
Bubble, Cars, Casino Royal, Flags of Our Fathers, The Good German, The Good Shepherd, Marie Antoinette, A Scanner Darkly, The Science of Sleep, Wordplay
Top 100 Songs of 2006
posted: 12.31.2006 12:58 pm tags: best of 2006, lists, music, pop culture, songs
This list can’t be held to just 13. With all the great songs of 2006, I can’t really pare down. There were great singles from pop stars and alternative rockers alike; fantastic album tracks from folk-rockers, countrified ladies and dance producers. When it comes to a great song, I don’t discriminate. Here are my Top 100 songs of the big ’06:
Top 13 Albums of 2006
posted: 12.27.2006 3:53 pm tags: best of 2006, lists, music, songs
2006 was a really strong year for music, although as far as I’m concerned there weren’t any truly great records released. None of these albums will break my top 30 or maybe even top 50 all-time, but they’re still solid through and through.
I can’t listen to everything that was released in 2006, so at the bottom you’ll find the complete list of eligible albums. We start though, with the ten runners-up, listed from 14 to 23: Duper Sessions — Sondre Lerche & the Faces Down, Rabbit Fur Coat — Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, How We Operate — Gomez, At War With the Mystics — The Flaming Lips, The Garden — Zero 7, Everything All the Time — Band of Horses, We the Vehicles — Maritime, Time Without Consequence — Alexi Murdoch, Half the Time — Pablo, Putting the Days to Bed — The Long Winters
Top 13 Live Shows of 2006
posted: 12.27.2006 2:36 pm tags: best of 2006, comedy, concerts, lists, live, music
I saw more than 30 live performances this year, and nearly all of them were excellent. Here’s the best of the best in both music and comedy. First, as usual, the ten runners-up:
Ben Harper at Sasquatch, Ben Folds at The Paramount, Gomez at Easy Street, Guster at Easy Street, Spoon at Bumbershoot
Top 13 of Television 2006
posted: 12.27.2006 9:53 am tags: best of 2006, lists, television, youtube
TV is everywhere now: internet, phones, iPods, DVD, even the television itself—and in all forms: drama, comedy, reality, game show and more. In celebration of the no-limit world of TV we live in now, this is a free-form list of my favorite things on TV of any kind for this year.
First, the ten runners up, in alphabetical order: 24’s Supporting Players (Gregory Itzin, Marylynn Rajskub, Sean Astin, Jean Smart), ABC.com Full Episode Player, CBS.com Innertube, “Get a Mac” ads with John Hodgman & Justin Long, Lost: “Two for the Road,” Pardon the Interruption, Project Runway Season 3, Saturday Night Live Season 1 on DVD, The State Season 1 on iTunes, YouTube
Top 13 Movies of 2005
posted: 12.26.2006 9:43 pm tags: best of 2005, lists, movies
2006 has nearly passed, so it’s about time I get around to posting my best of 2005. No, that’s not a typo. I just don’t see as many movies in the theater as I used to. So here, better late than never, is my top 13 list. It’s an eclectic list as usual, filled with blockbuster extravaganzas that actually delivered right along side smaller, more intimate fare.
First, the ten runners-up (listed in alphabetical order): The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Batman Begins, Broken Flowers, Cinderella Man, King Kong, March of the Penguins, Me and You and Everyone We Know, The Squid & the Whale, Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Where-Rabbit, Wedding Crashers
Top 31 Songs of 2005
posted: 12.31.2005 12:17 pm tags: best of 2005, lists, music, songs
If you thought my Top Albums list was eclectic, just check out this wildly diverse two-cd set of my 31 (13 inverted, of course) favorite singles, b-sides and album cuts of the great year for music that was 2005. I had only one rule for this playlist: no repeat artists (this made it quite hard to pick my favorite song from Sufjan’s Illinois, which featured 5 of my favorite tracks of the year). More on that later. For now, the list, in order of appearance:
Top 13 in Television 2005
posted: 12.21.2005 7:55 pm tags: best of 2005, lists, pop culture, television
TV is an interesting medium these days. 2005 will probably go down in history as the first year that time-shifted television truly broke out. Sure, Tivo had its first cultural moment with Janet’s Super Bowl fiasco in 2004, but with Tivo, the ubiquitous “on demand” cable offerings and now iTunes, TV is starting to go beyond the old days of “appointment viewing.” All rules are being thrown out the window, and the same can be said for this list. What follows is not really a Top 13, but a series of 13 lists. Some are short, some are long. All are essential viewing. Put down the remote and enjoy.
Top 13 Concerts of 2005
posted: 12.17.2005 3:52 pm tags: best of 2005, concerts, lists, live, music
In a year which I saw nearly 3 times as many live music performances (31) as movies in the theater (11), this was a tough list to put together. Much like my movie list though (which will probably show up sometime mid-2006), this list features a swell of repeat viewings. I managed to see many of my favorite acts multiple times this year, and my list will reflect that. My list also reflects not only the performers and performance, but the extraneous details of the show. When you get down to it, going to a live show you always want to see something spontaneous, original and unique. The list reflects that as well. So with the exposition out of the way, here we go with another list of the Top 13/Best of 2005.
Top 13 Albums of 2005
posted: 12.15.2005 1:43 pm tags: best of 2005, lists, music
I have a blog, therefore I am required by law to publish my annual best-of list for the year in music. Rest assured I will follow some, but not all, of the rules of year-end lists. Also, please note that while I hate commercial radio and much of what is played on it, I am no indie yuppie or music snob. I like what I like, from the mainstream to the obscure, and my list reflects that. So here we go, counting down from 13 to 1.
Top 13 Movies of 2004
posted: 12.03.2005 11:08 am tags: best of 2004, lists, movies, pop culture
2005 is almost over, so I figured I could finally publish my list of the top 13 movies of last year. Why 13? Because 10 is played out, and 13 is my number of choice. Why now? Because in this day and age, with movie theaters filled with more ads than television, more annoying crowds than a football game, topped off by escalating ticket prices, can you blame a guy for waiting 3-4 months for DVDs to come out? So without further adieu, here’s my list of the Top 13 Movies of 2004. Can you guess what #1 is?
My 130 Favorite Albums of All-Time
posted: 03.20.2005 6:17 pm tags: lists, music
Heady title, no? I specifically chose the word “favorite” instead of the usual “greatest” because by no means do I think these are the greatest albums of all time. These are simply the ones I like best. I think it’s a crucial distinction that many fail to make.
So why 130? Well, I’m eschewing the typical top 100 list for two reasons: a) I wanted to head further down my ranked albums list to show a bit more diversity, and b) 10×13=130. Ten thirteen is my birthdate and therefore a good number combination.
One more note…this list changes frequently, and the final results will be shown accordingly. It may change monthly or annually, but it will change. So without further adieu, I present a constant work in progress…
[editor’s note: last updated 3.29.2005]