It’s not the end of the year yet… I know.  I felt it was completely necessary to list my personal favs of the year.  Starting with music releases of course. This year was fantastic…which was made easy with a wonderful little application called Spotify.

Anywho…. here is my list.  Yes, it’s rather skewed towards Electronic/Alternative/Shoegazer, but then again, it’s MY list dammit! Other than that… any horrific omissions?

Please note : These are in no particular order, and please feel free to click the end links for a video for a random track on YouTube.

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The Orb – Baghdad Batteries

Somewhat of a departure from the recent Orb releases, it feels like a slow, warm walk along  memory lane. The occasional beat only teases you, before sitting you back down and rubbing your shoulders with the sound of a cat purring.  And no, I’m not kidding.  Check Track 9.
The Orb – Baghdad Batteries (5:10)

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Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You

I’m not sure where this came from, or where SHE came from, but I fell in love with this album earlier this year after apparently living under a rock. (You’ve never heard of Lily Allen?) I thought striking emotions through pop music, with great electronic undertones and a thick british accent would have been impossible. I guess I was wrong.
Lily Allen – Not Fair (3:51)

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Vitalic – Flash Mob

Pure fun. It seems Vitalic doesn’t give a shit about what people think and writes songs how he wants, which is a big reason why I like him.  Sure, there is the odd track that will annoy the hell out of you, but then two will follow it up and both will blow you away. The similarities to Daft Punk are slight, but if you’re a fan of electro-rock-disco, give it a listen.
Vitalic – Poison Lips ( 3:53)

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The Black Dog – Further Vexations

Not sure what to say about this album, except that it deserves to be listened to from start to finish. It is as spacey as spacey gets, but never takes you far from earth. In fact, I could imagine dance clubs on mars playing this album on loop. Not for everyone, but if you’re a fan of losing yourself and enjoying a journey, give it a shot.
The Black Dog – You’re Only SQL (4:59)

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Basement Jaxx – Scars

Easily their best album since Rooty. I have a spot spot for these guys, so my opinion may be a tad biased.  However, Raindrops is probably one of the best tracks I’ve heard all year, and I’ll defend that judgement to the death. The production is as tight as a drum throughout the entire LP, so if you’re a fan of club dance, this album will fill a big hole.
Basement Jaxx – Raindrops ( 3:28)

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Royksopp – Junior

With a touch of Air, Cassius, Fisherspooner, and even Madonna, this is a tremendously fun album with a lot of range. It’s difficult to pick out individual tracks, as it flows so well throughout, although many will no doubt find their own favorites.
Royksopp – Happy Up Here (2:48)

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Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

These guys came out of nowhere and blew me away. Calling them ‘Experimental’ is an understatement, but almost everything goes right during this 55 minute adventure. It starts with a bang and ends with an epic farewell, with a relaxing trip along the way.  I’ve caught myself smiling more than once during the seemingly hundreds of listens, and I guarantee you will too.
Animal Collective – My Girls (5:45)

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Yppah – They Know What Ghost Know

Popping up only a few years ago on Ninja Tune, Yppah has provided some of the most listenable and genre-bending tracks, combining rock, with spacey beats and gritty lofi. It all makes for a very unique and enjoyable sound. Some tracks are completely memorizing, while others will make your feet move. All of which you have never heard before, from anyone else.
Yppah –  Gumball Machine Weekend (4:01)

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… and what is probably still my favorite of the year :

Moderat – Moderat

It’s difficult to describe this album, as it doesn’t flow like a typical album. It’s more of a greatest hits collection… but it’s their first release! The clever combination of the incredibly talented Modeselektor and Apparat (= Moderat) has created one of the best albums of the decade. The sound is completely their own, but is so tightly wound and well timed that you’d swear they had been doing this together forever. I cannot wait for more from this collaboration.
Moderat – Rusty Nails (4:50)

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Special Consideration (since it’s more of a re-release/cover album) :

Saint Etienne – FoxBase Beta

Once I was informed that Richard X was basically re-creating my (and everyone else’s?) favorite Saint Etienne album, Fox Base Alpha, I was thrilled. It turned out wonderfully, with a complete 2nd disc nonetheless, describing the painstaking process of putting the original LP together. Any Saint Etienne fan owes it to themselves to check this out.  If you haven’t listened to the original, do it now.
Saint Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart (NEW MIX) (4:34)

Larry Gopnik is a loser.

Am I supposed to feel sorry for him?  Maybe.  Do I?  Not at all. This is the issue I had with A Serious Man, the latest ‘masterpiece’ from the infallible Coen Brothers.  It’s a story about a Jewish mathematician who has his life unravel in front of his eyes through a chain of events, ignited by his wife’s desire for a divorce.

Gopnik is bossed around by nearly everyone he encounters, and he does little, if anything, to try and stop them. Not only that, but he questions whether he’s supposed to complain or not. This is just not a character you can feel sorry for, nor one that you can cheer for.

By the end of the film, I was left wondering, who am I supposed to agree with?  Larry’s pot obsessed son? His daughter and her quest to endlessly wash her hair? The creepy and childish Uncle Arthur (played by the great Richard Kind)? I couldn’t connect with any of them.  Actually I really disliked them all. After all, there really was nothing to like about them.

This film felt like it was a passion project for the Coen brothers as it was quite a departure from their normally engaging story lines. Was it driven by past personal experiences of the Coens?  Was their dad a big, unloveable loser?  Did they smoke pot in the bathroom at school? Who knows, although it felt like a script that woudl have been very close to their own experiences.

While the film’s pacing was incredibly slow, there is no doubt you are in the 1960’s.  The set design, clothing and props reeked of the swinging decade.

It’s just hard to recommend this to film to anyone but the most diehard Coen Brothers fan. I am very open to unique filming styles, touchy plot issues, and nearly anything else, but I just could not connect with anyone in this film in order to develop a point of view.

As for dark comedy, there are definitely moments where you may chuckle under your breath, but you’ll immediately wonder if you should be or not. If you are as big of Coen Brothers fan as I am, do yourself a favour and submit your own opinion.

Synopsis : A departure from the normally engaging and creative writing/directing style of the Coen brothers. Very slow pacing, very unlovable characters and questionable focus make for a film that is tough to watch. If you can relate to any of the situations or characters, you will definitely take more away from it.

In case you haven’t heard, there will be a Forza 3 event happening tomorrow (Saturday, October 24th) at the Better Living Center located within the exhibition grounds in Toronto.

What it includes, as far as I can tell, is some early access to Forza 3, the opportunity to sit in a Ferrari, and the chance to drive your car around a test track with some driving professionals. Should be pretty fun!

I’ll try to snap some pictures and put them online.  Should be interesting.  Just being able to touch a Lambo is enough for me!