Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Fave Albums of 2008

Glasvegas-Glasvegas
Flight of the Conchords-S/T
Duke Spirit-Neptune
M83-Saturdays=Youth
Orson-Culture Vultures
She & Him-Volume One
Sparks-Exotic Creatures of the Deep
Wolf Parade-At Mount Zoomer
Walkmen-You & Me
The Week that Was-S/T
Black Kids-Partie Traumatic
Dr.Dog-Fate
Fleet Foxes-S/T
Jakob Dylan-Seeing Things
Hold Steady-Stay Positive
Portishead-Third
Cut Copy-In Ghost Colours
Los Campesinos-We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
Butch Walker-Sycamore Meadows
Oasis-Dig Out Your Soul
British Sea Power-Do You Like Rock Music
Okkervil River-The Stand-Ins
Sloan-Parallel Play
Blitzen Trapper-Furr
Justin Townes Earle-The Good Life
Raconteurs-Consolers of the Lonely
Gentleman Jesse-S/T
Last Shadow Puppets-The Age of Understatement
Futureheads-This is Not the World
Neon Neon-Stainless Style
Nada Surf-Lucky
School of Language-Sea From Shore
Goldfrapp-Seventh Tree
Hot Chip-Made in the Dark
Supergrass-Diamond Hoo Ha Man
Kills-Midnight Boom
Teenage Prayers-Everyone Thinks You're the Best
Drive By Truckers-Brighter Than Creation's Dark
Los Campesinos-Hold on Now Youngster
Robyn-Robyn
Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend
Elbow-The Seldom Seen Kid
James-Hey Ma!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Fave TV Shows of 2008

Though this year was plagued by the writer's strike (thus turning alot of folks off of TV), I continued to get my share of the boob tube. Here are some of my faves for FY 2008:



1. The Shield (best cop drama to grace the TV screen..the finale blew my mind..worthy of a multitude of Emmy's)

2. Mad Men (my good friend Jon turned me on to this show and boy, was he right. This is some of the finest writing and acting I have seen in ages..guess it doesn't hurt that one of the main writers was an established writer on the Sopranos).

3. How I Met Your Mother (I've been following this show from the beginning and am so thankful that other folks have joined on..thus making its ratings grow. If you have kids or have gone through the ritual of marriage, then this show will make you smile)

4. Big Bang Theory (this in combination with How I met Your Mother is probably the best comedy block on TV currently).

5. South Park (this show never grows old...Trey and Matt always find some new way to tackle a social issue or just make you shit yourself! From the Imaginationland episodes to Cartman fighting a girl to the High School Musical parody...it doesn't get any better).

6. Battlestar Galactica (I was new to this series this year and it probably didn't help that I started mid way through the next to last season. I've chosen to Tivo alot of the episodes and am enamored by the storyline. My wife hates the space that they take up on the Tivo).

7. Robot Chicken (yes another animated (well..really it's stop motion) TV show. If you grew up in the 80's and 90's..then the parodies of old TV shows using toys is brilliant. I even got my wife to watch this show and she laughs..alot. Everywhere from GI Joe, to Transformers to Rainbow Brite..nothing is safe or sacred)

8. The Office (This show just keeps getting better each season. The Dwight/Angela sexual tension this season is just hilarious. It doesn't matter how many times I watch the repeats...the show is always funny...one of the best British imports that the US has embraced and 'made its own.')

9. 30 Rock (Tina Fey could do no wrong this year. The silliness that is this show is just plain silly. I love how Tracy Jordan and Kenneth play off of one another. It would be awesome to sit through one of the writer's meetings for an episode and just listen to all off the wall ideas that get thrown around..would probably make my head spin).

10. Smallville (If it wasn't for the great writing since the beginning of the Fall season, I doubt this would have made the list. If you are a comic book fan, then this show just makes you smile. I'll be interested to see where they go with the Doomsday story and how they end the series come May)

Honorable/Guilty Pleasures
Grey's Anatomy
Desparate Housewives
Dirty Sexy Money
Heroes