Watch: “In Your Heart” by A Place to Bury Strangers
A Place To Bury Strangers // In Your Heart Music Video from adam grabarnick on Vimeo.
Did anyone else notice how much amazing music there was in 2009? I heard one of the monotone DJs on XMU rattling on about how he thought this past year was a pivotal one for indie music – and, much as I hate to admit it, I agree with him.
Here it is, then: my 2009 list of albums. I’ve chosen nine of the best – even though it was next to impossible to pick them. Last year’s list was certainly easier to write than this year’s with all the shuffling and head-scratching I had to do to arrive at this finished version. Videos are linked where available.
9. Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
Really, I’d have placed this so much higher except I was late to the party, only really becoming aware of how amazing this album was in December (chronicled here.) This is a fucking fantastic album! “All the King’s Men” makes me giddy every single time I play it. And my other favorites, “The Fun Powder Plot” and “We Still Got the Taste Dancing on Our Tongues” are not too shabby either.
8. Gossip – Music for Men
As usual, it was a glittery video that brought me in to the fold with this disc. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the kind of visuals that “Heavy Cross” delivers. “Dimestore Diamond” is smart and infinitely listenable. And there’s a track called “2012!” The only question I’m left with is what happened to the “The” in (The) Gossip?
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
Karen O. and company released a new album in 2009 and I had completely forgotten until I sorted my iTunes by year. Oops! It was really undeserved, especially since this particular disc contains gems like “Heads Will Roll,” “Dragon Queen” and “Hysteric.” I may have mentally misplaced it, but you really shouldn’t follow in my footsteps.
6. Patrick Wolf – The Bachelor
The Wolf-man does it again, as I previously reviewed. A fantastic collection of the crazy sounds I’ve come to know and love from this kooky Brit. While I put the release down for a few months to pursue other music, now that I’ve dusted it off again, I think I’ll be listening to tracks like “Vulture” pretty steadily in these earliest days of 2010.
5. IAMX – Kingdom of Welcome Addiction
It seems logical that, as we get closer to the top of the list, more and more of the albums would have already been reviewed by me, right? I can’t heap enough praise on to IAMX and this most recent effort is infinitely delightful from “Think of England” to “My Secret Friend” (which I recently suggested you all watch.)
4. Esser – Braveface
Who is this Esser? I recommended his “Headlock” video a few months back (but didn’t review his album.) And what’s he doing this far up the list? I’m not entirely sure, but something about his sound will very much be associated with 2009 in my head. Check out the title track and “Work It Out.” I’m really hoping for more from this guy in the year to come.
3. Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
How can Bat for Lashes not at least hit the top 3? (Review.) “Daniel” got the beginning of the year off and running in a dramatic direction. “Pearl’s Dream” jumped the journey to light speed. Every track is epic, lush and utterly captivating. Just try to listen to “Sleep Alone” without at least tapping your foot or drumming your fingers. I defy you!
2. White Lies – To Lose My Life…
Higher than I’d have expected this one to fall, too, but on looking back at what I listened to while drudging away at my desk, White Lies really was this close to the top. I haven’t reviewed them (though they’ve been on a mix – twice) but I really should have. Imagine The Killers having never gone to Sam’s Town but instead traveling to the moon. “Nothing to Give,” “To Lose My Life” and “From the Stars” got me through so much office work, it’s not even funny.
1. Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe
Any year that includes a brand new album from fucking Depeche Mode is a banner year indeed. 2009 was one of them. Have you seen the video for “Wrong?” Watch it. Now you get why this is my #1 choice. Then give a listen to “Fragile Tension,” “Perfect,” and “Corrupt.” All sublime, no? Keep on creating, guys, because it will be a very sad year indeed when bloggers can’t put you somewhere in a wrap up list.
And – as last year – I give you a bonus!
0. The Postmarks – Memoirs at the End of the World
Much like this album’s artwork, The Postmarks seem more at home in another, more stylish time. The single that caught my attention, “Thorn in Your Side” is simultaneously inviting and aloof, drawing you in to its textured landscape where you are then scowled at by gorgeously disheveled people all of whom hold French cigarettes badly in need of ashing. And, that sums up the entire disc, to be honest.
Fun fact: this list is 70% English bands. That must be significant.
When my mother books an excursion, she really books one. Yesterday’s trip to Xel-Ha was no exception. From the 7 am departure, we did not spend a single moment standing still. We drove 30 minutes south to see the ruins at Tulum and then hopped from zip lining and cliff diving at a cenote to cave snorkeling at another of these clear-watered sinkholes to lunch on the beach before snorkeling with turtles, sting rays and a rainbow of fish off of Akumal (Mayan for “turtle nest.”)
So, let this nerdy traveler be your guide to my Flickr set, won’t you?
Updated with more photos aqui.
Well, friends, I’m here. Here are some photos of our stay in Playa del Carmen in Quintana Roo, Mexico so far:
Good morning from Mexico!
The Mexican Rigel – a Mexicat, if you will.
Yes, it really does look like a god damned postcard.
Ah, extravagance!
So, yeah. I do have to say that I’m extremely grateful for being a US citizen at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. This is beyond amazing – far better than any Mayan king could have imagined – flying thousands of miles to be on a beach in the dead of winter.
We had birds yesterday morning, much to the (wishful) gastronomical delight of the cats.
And then the cooking began – aided by a bottle of Ruinart champagne…
…and observed, of course, by the Smeageltrix.
There were walnut and chocolate chip cookies.
And then a delicious dinner of pork tenderloin medallions wrapped around apple-sage stuffing and accompanied by Boursin mashed potatoes and white asparagus.
Oh, it a was so very good.
And then it was time to open presents from my family. Clyde was very intrigued the cat gift. What is it?
Some sort of weird tunnel. It makes such delightful crinkly sounds…but Rigel is skeptical. This will require further exploration.
Merry Xmas!
I don’t know if I’ve perhaps been playing too much Forza 3, watching too much television or reading too many car blogs, but I actually had a dream (more like a nightmare) about the Chevy Cruze last night. It went a little something like this:
You know those horrid ads where Howie Long (dressed in a stylish enough blazer or sweater with an infuriating white t-shirt peaking out the top) condescendingly talks to “hapless” American stereotypes about how they could be so much happier with a Malibu, Traverse or whatever else they are selling now? Ads that seem to be trying to sell cars based on seats wide enough for childhood obesity, return policies and “cop hair?”
Yeah, well, my dreamscape last night was like one of these ads.
Howie Long, who was both spokesperson and current CEO of General Motors to me, appears randomly in my living room and wakes me up from a mid-weekend morning nap. Perplexed, I ask Mr. Long why he is in my house. He just smiles wryly and asks if I’ve driven a Chevy in recent memory.
“No,” I honestly reply, trying to be polite.
“Well, have you taken a look at our New GM™ products?” he inquires.
“Uh, actually, no. I really prefer European cars and I’m not exactly in the market for a new car right now anyway,” I state, now getting impatient that this football player/executive is not only invading my home but giving me the hard sell treatment.
“Oh, I think you might be, especially after you drive our new 2011 Chevy Cruze,” says Howie, looking like he’s just eaten the canary.
“Really, Mr. Long, I don’t think that your economy car is going to be what I’m after. I appreciate you stopping by, but as you can see out the window, there’s already and A3 and an…” I start to say as I raise the blinds.
Howie Long gives me a slightly too blank stare.
“Where are the cars?!” I yelp, running for the front door.
Outside, the sky swirls in black and white, ready to pour down an angry rain in just seconds.
“Where the hell did my car go? This isn’t funny at all, Howie and I want this to stop!”
“Isn’t that it over there?” he asks, motioning to the top of the street.
Now I’m sprinting and the white visage of my Simone is getting closer and…looking entirely wrong. The diffuser is smashed and crumpled, there are small dings all over the hood, the trim strip is missing from the driver’s side and the rims have been switched out to 15 inch steel specials with Walmart hub caps. There are even horribly tacky stickers for kid’s pop and country music acts on the hatch and a massive dent by the gas cap.
“Maybe you’re going to need a new car sooner than you thought?” says the spokes-ecutive, starting to chuckle.
The thunder rolls. And I wake up.
Following up on yesterday’s post on the sci-fi tech of Caprica – chiefly the digital paper, I found this new digital magazine concept from Popular Science publisher, Bonnier. Straight to the video:
Now, let’s critique it, shall we? Über sexy. I’m not entirely sure that I believe the narrator’s notion that page turning is a false notion in a digital format, especially since he’s replaced page turns with horizontal swipes that feel an awful lot like page turns, no? I love the “heat up” concept and the radial menu, though I wonder how it might grow. Overall, I’m happy with Mag+.
And to recap, we’ve had:
Microsoft Courier from aswin indraprastha on Vimeo.
& (terrible techno not withstanding)
&
Alright, we get it. Now where’s the Apple Slate to make it happen?!
In the process of so much collecting, I also stumbled across kottke.org, which bills itself “Liberal Arts 2.0.” As we desperately need to rethink this sphere I’m in now, I am intrigued. And will be back.
I finally got to see the Caprica pilot thanks to my successful installation of DirecTV OnDemand (for only $35, no less.) As the first two episodes premiered in April, there are plenty of reviews of things like plot and characters already online. So, instead of focusing on these things, I’ll instead be talking about the two topics I really cared about: technology and aesthetics.
Caprica being set a few years into another culture’s future certainly sets a geek up for quite a bounty of lust-worthy gadgets. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the family Graystone is rolling in cubits from their diverse and expansive tech empire. In just the first two hours we’ve seen immersive virtual worlds delivered via holobands, a robotic butler/target, swanky maglev train system and more. But what I was most smitten with was the electronic paper interfaces that Zoe, Ben and Lacy favor. Example:
I want this. I have no idea how it would work, really, but I want it.
And all of this gizmo-y goodness is wrapped in a far more grey depiction of Caprica City than we ever saw in Battlestar. Any time filming takes place in the Pacific Northwest I’m likely to be won over (Twilight, anyone?) by the finished product. But Caprica goes a step further than just a great, dreary locale by presenting a world that reads as believable and beautiful. It’s science fiction, but not campy from fashion to industrial design. The styling goes above and beyond BSG (who wasn’t tired of Roslin’s suits?) with compelling touches like Victorian mourning garb and references to the show’s Grecian mythology. Sets are minimalist but richly textured. I was particularly pleased to see the same predilection for artifacts and sculpture in Joseph Adama’s home as in his son’s future quarters. I’m excited (as I’m sure the cast and crew are) to see how style evolves without the limitations of refugees and the same damned warship.
Overall, I want to live in Caprica City at the brink of The Fall of Humanity. But, since it’s fictional, I’ll settle for it’s skyline donor, Vancouver.
Can’t wait for the remaining 19 episodes this January!
Have had on my computer for a time now but I finally caught this video last night and can’t now get it out of my damned head. Not such a bad fate for Monday, I suppose.
No, it’s not a Wheel of Fortune puzzle but a collection of faux book covers that I was tipped off to today byGizmodo. Stéphane Massa-Bidal, a French graphic artist, has created a super cool set of 1960s-style manuals for web services like YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. You can even buy them as posters – if you want to have a poster shipped from France!
Check them out on Retrofuturs.