A lot of best of the year charts are starting to appear in magazines and on the net at the moment, so i thought I'd post mine. When thinking this over i realised this has actually been a great year for releases of both CDs and DVDs, and both lists could easily have been twice or three times as long! I've agonised over this in my head for ages, so here goes, starting with my favourite DVD releases this year...
Film/TV DVDs
1. Baraka - Ron Fricke's truly awesome film has to be seen to be believed. This is a re-release on DVD but it's getting its first release on Blu-Ray, which I'm sure will be even more visually stunning. It's one long montage in the style of Koyaanisqatsi. One of the best films I've ever seen, easily.
2. No Country For Old Men - The Coen Brothers' return to form after a couple of below par efforts, this film ticked all of my boxes. Great script, cast, cinematography and direction, with a fantastic performance from Javier Bardem.
3. Dark Knight - Forget the hype, forget the great performance from Heath Ledger - this is one of the best action movies of the decade. I fail to see why anyone would not enjoy this.
4. Snuff Box - Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher of Mighty Boosh fame star in this surreal sketch show about a hangman and his apprentice. It doesn't sound great, but it's actually the funniest DVD release of the year.
5. Summer Heights High - Awesome sitcom set in an Australian school. Chris Lilley plays the 3 main characters including my favourite Mr G. My boss just saw him in Soho funnily enough. Wonder what he's doing here...
6. Takeshi Kitano Boxset - Kitano has produced some truly phenomenal films, and is one of the biggest stars in Japan. This is a great collection. If i had to pick a favourite from the box it would have to be Sonatine, but they all have their merits.
7. Eyes Without A Face - Geroges Franju's masterpiece is one of the greatest horror films ever made. It's as simple as that.
8. Happy Go Lucky - It was refreshing to see a Mike Leigh film that made me laugh pretty much all the way through. Superb performances, as you'd expect with Mike Leigh at the helm, and one of the most endearing lead characters in recent memory.
9. Juno - This is a nice little comedy about teenage pregnancy with a great soundtrack and a script that's made Diablo Cody a star in her own right.
10. The Short Films of David Lynch - This is a great collection of short films from a true artist. Sure he can be weird, but that's why i love him. The Cowboy and the Frenchman, starring the great Harry Dean Stanton, is hilarious.
There's also some great stuff coming out theatrically and on DVD next year, like Burn After Reading, Body of Lies, Pineapple Express, Choke, Somer's Town, Quantum of Solace, The Spirit, Watchmen and the new X-Men movie. On to my favourite music of the year...
Music
1. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era cont... - This was one of those records that slowly crept into my consciousness until i couldn't bear not to listen to it every single day. Album of the year.
2. No Age - Nouns - for the first six months of the year i was thinking that this'd be album of the year, then Deerhunter came along and swept the rug out from under it. This is punk rock with a hint of bands like My Bloody Valentine. Great live band too.
3. White Denim - Workout Holiday - This is one of those albums i whacked on my iTunes and forgot about, then realised that every time a song from it came on when i was using shuffle, I'd check who it was by.
4. Los Campesinos - Hold On Now Youngster - Los Campesinos are the current kings of indie pop as far as I'm concerned. Yes they seem a bit precocious, but they're also the best band of their ilk since Belle and Sebastian. They followed this up later in the year with the almost equally brilliant We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed.
5. Manhattan Love Suicides - Burnt Out Landscapes - Imagine the Jesus and Mary Chain had played songs by 60s girl groups and you're along the right lines with this one. Noisy yet melodic, these guys deserve to reach a wider audience. Great sound.
6. Bodies of Water - A Certain Feeling - This reminded me a bit of Arcade Fire, Band of Horses and bands that fall anywhere between those two. Another record that slowly crept into my consciousness, this is a real cracker!
7. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes - This is such a beautiful record. It's been number 1 in a few of the end of year charts I've seen so far, which frankly has restored my faith in journalists everywhere (because they're right about it's brilliance!)
8. Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw - I saw Tindersticks play twice this year, and it has to be said that they surpass themselves which each release, each gig, each moment they play together. Many will disagree but i would say this is one of their finest moments. I love his voice. So unique. Have a listen.
9. Jay Reatard - Singles 06/07 - I really hope Jay Reatard goes on to become king of the world. Sadly this won't happen, so he'll continue to release brilliant singles, much like those in evidence here.
10. Boris - Smile - My favourite Boris album by a clear mile, this is a modern guitar classic. Expect face-melting solos and noise that'll annoy the neighbours. This always gets me in the mood for ROCK!
It was really tough choosing a top 10. The following artists also produced great albums this year: Portishead, Vampire Weekend, Born Ruffians, Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell, Gutter Twins, Silver Mt Zion, Fucked Up, Fuck Buttons, Mogwai, Bon Iver, Micah P Hinson, Deerhoof, Atlas Sound, Vivian Girls and Mercury Rev.
0 Comments