The year wasn't a total loss though, sometimes, when things are at their bleakest, you need to dig a little deeper to find the 'Win' buckshot scattered through the soft fleshyness of 'Fail'. Even the worst of times produced some great entertainment. After all, look at the 70's...
With that in mind, we will not 'dwell' so much as 'fondly reminisce' about the wonder and beauty 2008 held in it's wrinkled and nauseating paw. Keep in mind, this list as all others exists for two purposes, to provide my point of view on the year's accomplishments, and to inspire debate. I'm hoping you do not agree with my decisions and fire back your own thoughts in the form of blog comments. This is how I grow, and how I make 2009 an even brighter year than it already promises to be.
Without further ado, we shall unveil the categories on which I shall elaborate...
1. Best Album of 2008
2. Best New Artist of 2008 (Qualified entries must have released their first album, or at least the first widely distributed.)
3. Best Film of 2008
4. Best television series of 2008 (Qualified entries do not have to be in their first season, they simply have to have impressed during the 2008 calendar year.)
Once we have completed the look back, we'll take a look forward with:
1. 2009's most anticipated album that has no choice but to fall well below expectations
2. 2009's Artist to watch, because they may be crushed by their industry in a you-know-you-shouldn't-stare-but-you-can't-look-away sort of way, or could maybe even thrive.
3. 2009's flick I'm all jazzed about and will likely rend my flesh in two just at the mere thought of it's awesomeness to come.
4. 2009's television series with the best shot at being exceptionally enjoyable, at least until it's cancelled or inevitably jumps the shark.
I shall try my best to come up with new works I have not previously espoused upon in prior posts, but some repetition may be unavoidable. I'm also going to spend more time highlighting the year as a whole, rather than the specifics of my selection, allowing for a future album review. Hopefully by not passionately pleading my case I'll also open the door for some alternate suggestions...
Best Album of 2008: Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings- Counting Crows
As I peruse the dozen options I have listed as potential recipients of this prize I am struck by just how much good music was released in 2008, but as I scroll the list of releases provided by Wikipedia, I'm horrified by how many OTHER albums were released by talented artists that I missed while focusing on old MC5 tunes and digitizing my vinyl collection. This leads me to a 2009 goal. Not a 'resolution' mind you, but a goal. In 2009 I will make it a point to draw up a monthly list of albums to seek out. Finances and time may not allow me to actually get to all of them, but I would feel better if I at least KNOW what I'm missing out on. Seriously, I let new releases from The Breeders and Everclear go without even a notice, not to mention the Hillary Duff greatest hits disc...
Yeah, 'Greatest Hits', what the hell is up with that?
Anyhow, alternate also-rans in this category included: Vampire Weekend's self-tilted debut, Elvis Costello's Momofuku, Cover Up by Ministry, REM's Accelerate that I've spoken of frequently, B52's Funplex, No, Virginia the Dresden Dolls compilation CD, Fleet Foxes disc of the same name, Santogold's eponymous release, Partie Traumatic by Black Kids, David Byrne and Brian Eno's collaboration Everything That Happen Will Happen Today, and the latest from The Killers Day & Age
Here's a cut from SN&SM that will likely be destined to be forgotten, much like the final tracks from U2's Auchtung Baby, but just as Acrobat and Love is Blindness bring together one of the 90's best albums, this track Le Ballet d'Or is a guiltless bow to the audience, a chance for the Crows to put out something for themselves, rather than to sell records. Sometimes that kind of risk comes off like an experimental horror-show, but in this case, they've hit the nail on the head. Someday this is going on an iPod mix with the U2 tracks above, and Tori's Yes, Anastasia as an example of 'art' songs the artists need not apologize for.
Best New Artist of 2008: Vampire Weekend
Pretty much anything new I was exposed to in 2008 came from the KEXP podcast or XM radio's XMU indie rock station, hence my nausea relating to Hillary 'Lizzie McGuire' Duff not only putting out another album, but a 'Greatest Hits' no less. This is why top 40 radio is dead to me. Anyway, the boys of Vampire Weekend rocked my socks in a new direction as they managed to blend American indie-rock with world music beats in a way that could actually be described as 'enjoyable' rather than 'interesting'. So often the 'breakthrough' music styles that pit western traditions against the rest of the world's musical genres come across more as PBS fodder than groovable tunes, but VW has managed to seamlessly blend two worlds of music into an entirely new bucket of Win. Don't take my word for it though, get yourself a little Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa...
Other new artists who caught my attention in 2008 were Fleet Foxes, and Santogold mentioned above. Beyond that I spent most of the year catching up on missed music from years and decades long passed. Hopefully a side effect of my 2009 goal to at least note the newness coming to my local music providers on a routine basis will be exposure to more first timers getting their feet in the door of the music industry.
Best Film of 2008: Hamlet 2
Browsing the Wikipedia rundown, it looks like I saw 21 films released in 2008, and only missed about a dozen that I wanted to see but have yet to get around to. In the 21 I saw, there is more than one that was nothing but enjoyable, and a handful that were more painful than a swan dive into a swimming pool full of razor blades.
On that note, I just have to say, I went in to Sex in the City with expectations so low that 2 hours of a blank screen would have FAR exceeded by wildest dreams, yet somehow from the moment the celluloid hit the flickering light this film somehow lowered a bar that was already planted firmly to the floor until I actually considered stealing the 7" heels off the overly-dressed movie goer next to me to put out my own eyes. Had this been a horror film, it easily would have been the most effective of the genre to date. That being said, I recognize I was not the core audience, and for anyone who enjoyed it, more power to you. Suffice it to say I will not be attending the inevitable sequel...
So far, I've been filling in my suggestion, and then doing a writeup of the year, but I'm yet to actually select a best film of 2008 at this point in the writing. The music snob in me wants to pay homage to the like-a-concert-but-way-cheaper-and-no-jackass-in-front-of-you-pretending-his-cell-phone-is-a-lighter-during-One tour de force that was U2 3D, but I feel like choosing a concert film is a cop out. I could also make a huge case for either The Dark Knight, or Iron Man both of which showed that comic genre movies can include brevity, darkness, mad special effects skills, and STILL feature a well written story arc. Hopefully Spiderman 3 was watching and left the theater ashamed for letting everyone down in 2007. Dracula: The Musical as featured in Forgetting Sarah Marshall may have been one of the funniest plot devices in a film during 2008, challenged only by the morose version of the theme to The Muppet Show performed in the same flick. Honestly brilliant stuff. Burn After Reading was typical Coen Brothers excellence, Milk made me angry, and gave me a healthy hatred for my state, which is the best reaction one could hope for such a film, Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull managed to exceed my admittedly low expectations and deliver an enjoyable action flick experience, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno was only slightly below-par for a Kevin Smith film, which is to say still better than darn near everything else available for one's viewing pleasure. I'm sure the DVD version will be even better with the added commentary track that's always good for a handful of chuckles on a Smith film.
OK, I've made my decision, which you already know, because you already read it above, but the choice is the quirky and infectious Hamlet 2, mostly because it didn't need to exceed diminished expectations, and equally didn't tread easy-to-please territory like a comic hero flick, a Judd Aptow comedy, of a Kevin Smith feature. It also scores points because I still find myself occasionally staring my cat in the face and saying 'What the fuck are YOU looking at?'
Here's a trailer. If you're yet to witness the joy of Rock Me Sexy Jesus, get thee to Netflix with the utmost haste!
Best Television series of 2008: Mad Men
I know, I'm kind of late on the scene to this one. Like a lot of good television, I didn't start watching from the beginning because nothing saddens me more than really getting into a show and then finding out it's been cancelled. (See Sports Night, Studio 60, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daises (now), New Amsterdam, etc.) I have half a mind to stop watching episodic television entirely and just waiting for the good stuff to come out on DVD except THATS why the shows keep getting cancelled! That, and the fact that Joe Reality is more than happy to humiliate himself on a 13 week run of My Loser Jackass Wannabe Boyfriend on the off chance he MIGHT be the one who gets the $100,000 prize and a Smart Car when the whole thing wraps...
Just in case you're not aware, reality television is the devil. Don't let him get his hooked horns and cloven hooves into you... No matter HOW entertaining you think it might be to watch models scratch and claw for a shot at a contract, it really isn't. It's sad, and it's degrading, to the audience even more so than the participants...
Anyhoo... So my friends over at Very Short List were all like 'you'll really love this show', and I was all like 'Yeah, a basic cable show about ad execs in the early 60's sounds THRILLING (sarcasm intended)' and they were all like, 'OK, we told you.' and so I decided I was going to act all big shot and be like 'whatever.' But the first thing I did was cruise over to Netflix to add season one to my queue.
So I get to Netflix and it's listed as 'Very Long Wait.' So VSL says it's good, and everybody who holds a Netflix account is waiting with baited breath for it so this MUST be THE show to see... Then again, I'm reminded of the lineup outside the theater for SitC... Sometimes the general public is just flat out stupid. So I kind of forgot all about Mad Men until I'm flipping through the channels and I see AMC is showing a 1st season marathon. This was early on a Saturday morning and it only took 1/2 an episode before my entire weekend was shot. Just like anybody else who's been sucked in by this show I'm physically unable to explain WHY it's so captivating, but it just effing IS... I swear to god if you watched frame by frame there's subliminal messages cut in between each take of office drinking, fabulous 60's furniture, and bullet bras that seem to be DARING to put your eyes out. Let me tell you, if you're going to blind yourself, that'd be a much better way to go than a 7" heel...
So I sat through the season 1 marathon, and caught season 2 as it aired. If you've not witnessed any of the greatness, do yourself a favor and slap in on the old Netflix list right behind Hamlet 2, or go buy a copy because you'll probably be waiting months before Netflix can ship it to you...
Here's a trailer, worth it for the set designs alone.
Other seasons of note, the always twistedly satisfying Dexter, soap opera-esque guilty pleasures True Blood and Dirty Sexy Money, the Fox animateds The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad all remainded watchable if not in-their-prime, and another basic cable original, Psych pleased in mid-season, with new episodes set to start this week. check your listings peeps. It's worth it for the random 80's references alone...
So here's the point in the post where we take our finger off the rewind button, and firmly place ourselves in the capable land of fast-forward... For those of you new to the whole home-entertainment deal, that there was VCR talk... That's right, I'm a colloquial old-schooler...
What will 2009 hold? Let me play the role of prognosticator and make some predictions, at least based on the first quarter of the new year...
2009's most anticipated album that has no choice but to fall well below expectations: U2- No Line on the Horizon
Recent history tells me that U2's latest will be a little hard to swallow the first time through, but will be deeply ingrained in my psyche by the 2nd listening. At least, that's the way the last two albums, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb treated me. The worry is this is the longest gap between U2 studio albums since their 1980 debut Boy, and the last time they waited even close to this long we ended up with Pop!, easily the weak point in a brilliant recording history. Still, U2 is to music what Kevin Smith is to film making. Even at their worst, the effort is likely to far out-pace pretty much anything else committed to digital sound in '09. Unless Elvis decides to come out of nowhere again with another studio album...
Also on the horizon (no word whether or not said horizon includes a line) are albums by Reel Big Fish, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (easily the best band name to start with an ellipse EVER), The Prodigy, Coheed & Cambria, Pet Shop Boys, KMFDM, and wouldn't ya know it, Phish is going to start touring again... Say, good for them... (again with the sarcasm)
All that in just the first three months of the year. There's all sorts of dashed expectations awaiting me in that pile of recorded goodness!
2009's Artist to watch, because they may be crushed by their industry in a you-know-you-shouldn't-stare-but-you-can't-look-away sort of way, or could maybe even thrive.: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Far from a 'new' band, the Bosstones are back together to release their first studio album since 2002. I really wish the best for these gentlemen. As a Southern Californian I was given the distinct pleasure of listening to Bosstone front man Dicky Barrett on Indie radio 103.1 until he was unceremoniously shit-canned in 2006. Oddly enough, that pretty well coincides with the last time I listened to broadcast radio... HMMM... Dicky still has his day job (night job?) announcing and leading the band on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show, but it would be great to see the boys of the early 90's new-wave skacore movement get back to the studio, and hopefully onto the satellite radio airwaves...
As far as 'new' artists releasing debuts, I've pretty much got nothing, but it would probably be entertaining if no one bought into the latest Capitol Records boy band project Varsity Fanclub, but that's like asking a fish not to swim, asking a bird not to fly, and asking the mumbling masses to stop watching American Idol. I'm sure they will go platinum, and by the 2009 wrap up post I'll be dropping a WTF? about their 'Greatest Hits' album that'll come out 2 months after their debut hits the shelves.
2009's flick I'm all jazzed about and will likely rend my flesh in two just at the mere thought of it's awesomeness to come: My Bloody Valentine 3D
So normally I'm against the whole horror remake deal, but that's normally because you don't screw with perfection... There was no need for a new Halloween, although I was entertained by Rob Zombie's take on it. There is no reason to remake the original Friday the 13th, especially if you're going to screw old Pamela Voorhees and make Jason the killer right from the get go... There is exception to the rule though... For example, if you had a great slasher premise, like say, a deranged killer offing Nova Scotians on Valentines Day with his mining gear, but it just never really came together.
I know horror purists hold the OG MBV in quite high regard, but it was missing something... Something unidentifiable... Something that this year's model has stumbled upon...
Three Fucking Dee...
I'll probably see the new Ft13th flick too... even if it's only in TWO dimensions... Before the year is up I'm sure there will be a few dozen flicks that beat the holy living coal out of MBV 3D, here's a few potentials... Inglourious Basterds, Final Destination: Death Trip 3D, Watchmen, Land of the Lost, Horrorween (No idea what this is, but it's GOT to rule), The Wolfman, Sherlock Holmes, and who amongst us isn't already geeked about next Christmases Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel?
Yeah, me neither...
2009's television series with the best shot at being exceptionally enjoyable, at least until it's cancelled or inevitably jumps the shark: Lie to Me
Of all the questions, this is the one that brings me the most pause, mostly because no matter which upcoming show I select, odds are it'll only get three episodes before it's replaced by Bridezillas or When Bridezillas Attack... Hence, I went with the show that is beyond a doubt the single most likely series to get canned quickly that's been slated for the 2009 television season...
High Priced Star? Check
Decent to Movie-Quality production value?
Check Hype Like Crazy?
Check On Fox? Check and Mate
Tim Roth melds already existing shows The Mentalist and Psych into an entirely new kind of show. Why entirely new? Why because this time it's on Fox!! This particular title seems to have worth-watching written all over it. That's why I'll give it a watch, but no one under 25 or over 50 will, so those of us in-between will enjoy the two or three episodes Fox is kind enough to air before our dreams of decent television programming are once again dashed by the network's drive for profit margin. Oh well, at least there's Mad Men to go back to...
Here's the trailer Fox has been played ad nauseum.
If you like to get into shows and then have them taken from you, give it a watch! As far as other potential shows worth my time in 2009, I'm going to chose to abstain from uttering their names in the hopes that I may only kill one program this season... I suppose I could say Lost, or Desperate Housewives in the hopes that my death touch will leech into what's currently filling the airwaves, but I know even sub-par episodic television will just be replaced by more reality mindlessness, so better the devil we know...
Man... Sounds like I've got a serious case of the mopies... Alas, I'll cheer up by next post... So long as I don't get to rambling about cancelled TV shows...
I miss you Parker...
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