Before you say, what the hell kind of crap is this, I came here for movie reviews… listen to me carefully. I’m addicted to food. Perhaps to the point where I have an untreatable mental issue. So when I stepped foot in this supermarket, my jaw dropped… I drooled a little, then I walked around like the whitest person this side of Markham, oogling and gawking at every bizarre item on display.

During my adventure through this wonderland of chicken feet, dried squid, and 813 varieties of Pocky, I came to the realization that North Americans know nothing about cuisine. Not in the local sense at least. We have French restaurants, Italian restaurants, Japanese restaurants… the list goes on. When have you seen a sign for ‘Canadian cuisine’ (and I have) and said “Hmm… sounds delicious!”? I sure haven’t.  But I digress!

The supermarket in question, is called T&T Supermarket, and apparently I’m the only one out of my circle of friends who had never heard of it. I will from now on refer to it as Shangri-la.

My voyage throughout its many aisles, with their many, MANY odours, was somewhat hindered by the fact that… well…. I was very hungover. The myriad pungent aromas penetrated my nostrils with the force of a thousand skunks. Not to say, after the nausea subsided, I rather enjoyed some of the bouquets of freshly baked pork buns…. Oh… the pork buns.

Whatever they were, they were the greatest pork dumpling/bun/things I’ve ever eaten in my life. I destroyed a pair of them like they were going out of style, and I’d do it again. Speaking of which, are they open?  BRB!

At the pub and just have to write a quick blurb? Now I can even more of an outcast and whip out my HTC Hero… open the Wordpress app… type away on its average keyboard, and away we go.

Also, this WAS written on said phone. Yay to technology!

So, I’ve been told that there will be a mini-me soon.  Well, a female version of me, which… might actually be scarier.

I will be completely honest, having a baby was never the first thing on my list of lifelong goals, but I have no regrets and cannot foresee any in the near future.  However, that may change with the 3 hours of sleep / night. I’m very slowly getting excited, and the most recent ultrasound pretty much sealed the deal. Seeing our little one wriggling around on the screen was just incredible. (Insert lame Simpsons joke : I swear she was mooning us!)

Like probably every single other future parent, I constantly have fears that she will come out with 13 toes, 2 heads, or more realistic problems, like developmental problems, underdeveloped organs, I have no idea.  My mind tends to go to strange places. Thank god for my wife, as her job consists entirely of helping infants and toddlers with their speech and developmental problems. That, and her level of patience is enough for us both.

Oh, btw… she will LOVE the fact that I posted her very round, and very hard belly for the world to see. (Please look to your left!)

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.

---

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)

---

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)

---

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)

---

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)

---

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)

---

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)

---

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)

---

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)

---

… 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)

---

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)