On...BEST ALBUMS OF 2011

Since I have a brief moment before the new year, I will present my favorite albums of 2011 in descending order.

10.) Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi ~ Rome
9.) Foster the People ~ Torches
8.) Florence & The Machine ~ Ceremonials
7.) Cake ~ Showroom of Compassion
6.) Fountains of Wayne ~ Sky Full of Holes
5.) My Morning Jacket ~ Circuital
4.) Adele ~ 21
3.) The Decemberists ~ The King is Dead
2.) Ivy ~ Distant Lights

and

The Best Album of 2011

1.) The Black Keys ~ El Camino

FILM REVIEW: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

[Director: Michael Bay. Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Kevin Dunn, Bunch of CGI Robots]

Michael Bay continues to produce big summer films with Kodak moment shots, slow-motion-world-burning-behind-you mayhem, and vivid generalizations about modern society. AND he scores huge box office (SEE Box Office Mojo). Transformers 2 is basically a nice upgrade of the first movie, sans the lovely shots of the decaying Detroit Railroad Station. Bay did improve the battle-sequences in the fact you can actually tell one robot from another much better. Still this film is too long for a popcorn movie, over 2 and a half hours! The plot is convulted and lengthy. I feel you could have cut a good twenty minutes of it and got the same effect.

Every standard Michael Bay shot is here including his patented shot looking up from the ground into the sky as a slow-motion helicopter blades whirl by ala Bad Boys II. He clearly loves filming Megan Fox with her flowing auburn hair, stunning blue eyes, and Bally's body. Fox is an empty vessel, like a dorm-room poster She and new-hottie Isabel Lucas just walk around in tight shorts and flimsy dresses all movie. Not that I'm complaining.

But the main focus I have is what I called 'vivid generalization.' I know its Hollywood and this is a summer flick. I get it, but still Bay films have this synthetic layer, coating if you will, that permeates the movie. I think this is best shown in the twenty minutes the movie depicts "college" life. It is absurd. The dorms are immaculate and huge and clearly been raided by graphic artists, there are no ugly people, girls strut around in big, fluffy towels, and no one is there for education. AND Rainn Wilson (Dwight from the Office) is a professor, funny yes, but still fits my point. Megan Fox herself is a generalization of bitchy-beauty. The whole thing is ridiculous and so much more superficial than the real thing. Does Bay even live on this planet?

And lastly there is the blatant racism or pseudo-racism in the film. I'm pretty anti-PC and don't like to flame such nasty name-calling, but I was cringing in this film every time the twin Autobots, Skids and Mudflap, appeared on screen. They are a 21st century minstrel show. What the Hell were they thinking? And by they I mean the hundreds of people who must have been involved in this aspect of the movie--from the concept to the finished product. It does make Jar-Jar Binks look like a pure enlightened mascot. It is really horrible and now millions of kids have seen this idiocy. It is so unnecessary and so easy to avoid. Just leave them out!

I've added some links to show the continuing conversation on this:

Ain't It Cool News.com (Warning: Adult Language)
Yahoo.com
SLASHFILM.COM: No One Wants to Own Up to Racism in Transformers

Further 2 cents. This film in my opinion is a hard PG-13, there are lots of sexual innuendo throughout. I wouldn't take kids under 13.

RATING: 5.5 out of 10
Though I'd rate the actions sequences as 7.5.

On...The Best Music of 2008

The Best Music of 2008
Brought to you by Snow Day and The Sleeping Claires

Here is my List of the Top 40 songs of 2008
Many of the songs might be new to you so you can spend hours listening to some great tunes on ITunes or Napster or Amazon or wherever. Granted the list is a bit heavy on Alternative, Rock, Indie/College Rock, with a little Electronic, Folk, and Pop mixed in but that's what I like.

Please email me or post any comments or songs that would make your list. I post a collection of them (if I get any.)

40) Grafton Street by Dido
39) Signs by Bloc Party
38) AEIOU by Charlotte Sometimes
37) Black & Gold by Sam Sparro
36) Spiraling by Keane
35) Lucid Dreams by Franz Ferdinand
34) Runaway by Ladytron
33) I'm not going to Teach your Boyfriend how to Dance by The Black Kids
32) I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry
31) Mercy by Duffy
30) Darlin' Don't You Fear by Brent Dennen
29) It's Amazing by Jem
28) Buildings and Mountains by The Republic of Tigers
27) Falling Down by Oasis
26) Detroit by Black Gold
25) Black River Killer by Blitzen Trapper
24) Night Reconnaissance by The Dresden Dolls
23) Id Engager by Of Montreal
22) Mykonos by Fleet Foxes
21) In a Cave by Toyko Police Club
20) Go On, Say It by Blind Pilot
19) Highly Suspicious by My Morning Jacket
18) Into the Summer Sky by the Smoking Popes
17) We Won't Break by Zoot Woman
16) Funplex by the B-52s
15) The World Should Revolve Around Me by Little Jackie
14) Waiting for a War by The Morning Benders
13) My Mistakes Were Made for You by The Last Shadow Puppets
12) Shut Up and Let Me Go by The Ting-Tings
11) Ready for the Floor by Hot Chip

and the Top 10

10) Light & Music by Cut Copy
9) Human by The Killers
8) Flame by Bell X1
7) You Don't Know Me by Ben Folds and Regina Spektor
6) You, Me, & The Bourgeoisie by The Submarines
5) Olympic Airwaves by The Foals
4) Song We Sang Away by Low vs. Diamond
3) I'm Good, I'm Gone by Lykke LI
2) The Geeks Were Right by The Faint
1) Old Enough by The Raconteurs

BEST 5 ALBUMS

Though I believe this is a dying concept, since most people just buy singles now, I will list my Top 5 Albums of the year, which is certainly saying something because it is rare for an entire album to rock.

5) My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges A really unique blend of old school rock and eclectic new wave pop. A few songs are duds but overall it is bold edition.
4) The Killers: Human The glam boys of Vegas are back and they don't disappoint. Perhaps not as dynamic as their last couple of outings, but a fine listen.
3) Bell X1: Flock I listened to their single Rocky Took a Lover all year, but it wasn't until a week ago that I got a hold of the whole album. The best late year surprise by far.
2) Charlotte Sometimes: Waves And Both Of Us Best pure pop album of the year. She's only nineteen or there about, but she has fine ear for sound. Should be bigger than Katy Perry, but there is no justice in the world of pop music. Solid album from track one to track twelve.

1) Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs Hands down the best full album of the year. Yes, I have a soft spot for DCFC but they came through. I had high expectations for Ben Folds, Kaiser Chiefs, and Keane, but they all disappointed. DCFC nailed it. Give it a few listens. Once I warmed up it was on high rotation on my listening schedule.

And a few side notes.

• Best Rediscovered Song: Venice is Sinking by Spirit of the West. I loved this song in college and played it a lot on the Guten Morgen Morgen Show on 87.1 WIDR FM. But I could never find it and my brain forgot the title. Luckily 93.9 The River played it two months ago and I heard it. It is a beautiful song.
• Best Discovered Classical Music: Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Upon listening to it I would never would have thought it was from the 1870s. Really magnificent and a bit haunting. Beautiful work from a tragic man.
• Best Song on a Cold Night Roasting Marshmallows: Flame by Bell X1. Just listen to this cool song and you'll understand.
• Biggest Disappointment: Ben Folds; Way to Normal. Only a couple of songs are really good. I'm still shocked.
• Weirdest Euro Video (Yes, the still produce videos): I'm Good, I'm Gone by Lykke Li. Just have to see it. SEE HERE
• Best Baroque Reissue: Joshua Bell and The Academy of St. Martin of the Fields and Vivaldi's Four Season. A fine recording for those Vivaldi fans.

I'll post my Best Films of the Year in a few days and anyone's recommendations. Later.

...On Esquire's 75th Anniversary

Excuse me while I morph into a shill, but the 75th anniversary issue of Esquire (which just came out) is really fantastic. I haven't gotten through it all but it's big. They've been working on it for years, even hiring an editor just for this issue.

They profile their opinion of the 75 most important people that will shape the 21st century. Some seems a bit tacked on (more like influential for the next decade to me), but many are very unique (meaning people I've never heard of who are doing some pretty interesting things in various fields).

They also have huge profiles on 6 they think will have the most continuing impact: Putin, Jobs, Rupert Murdoch, Lebron James, filmmaker PT Anderson (There Will Be Blood), and Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal.

I really liked the small piece on Jim Webb and his thoughts on writing and art. Also the David Petraeus job heading which reads: "Commander, everything between Libya and China." Hilarious.

Also select covers are equipped with electronic ink, with flashing words and moving images--the future is now! Hear NPR on E-INK HERE and see write up HERE