The deeper I sink into cinephilia the less room I have for other things in my life like music. I can't do a top ten list of favorite songs or CDs since I haven't been paying much attention. But I do occassionally get into something or am convinced to love a song/artist by pleading friends. A close friend of mine --who some of you will know from the comments as 'kristoferrobbin'-- is in town and he's making cinematic concentration difficult. Damn him! So herewith a semi random assortment of 10 videos/songs I dug this year. Enjoy whilst I work on the movie stuff.
Jay Brannan (Shortbus) official video for "Body is a Temple". You should also be reading his blog --good stuff. And I'm sure you've seen Alanis Morrisette's Fergie spoof "My Humps" --it's still the funniest few minutes of film I've seen all year. With the possible exception of The Landlord.
Jackie Beat's "Filthy Whore" [NSFW] which is a spoof/response to Britney Spears lame ass "Gimme More" video. I f***ing love Jackie Beat. One of the only drag queens that still understands the old John Waters school of thinking. Quoth he 'I think a drag queen should horrify a family. I think families should run up the street in fear at a drag queen and not want to invite him home for dinner.' Jackie is terrifying. and genius. Let's pair Jackie with adorable and tiny Mika and "Grace Kelly" --she'd eat both of them alive.
Rihanna's "Umbrella" ella ella ay ay ay and Pink's "U + Ur Hand" because who doesn't love these songs? Pink's CD came out ages ago but it hangs on.
Björk's Volta CD only really scored media wise with the lead single "Earth Intruders" but I actually prefer the second release "Innocence" which has a triptastic beat. If a hip hop artist had thought that one up, they'd be bragging about it for the rest of the CD it's so hot. And let's pair Björk with another legendary crazy gal, Dolly Parton. Her new single is called "Better Get to Living" and her video stars the one and only Amy Sedaris. I mean... why not?
Behold: Charlotte Gainsbourg's "Songs That We Sing" I'm having the crush this year on account of this but mostly her spin on the jilted wife role in Todd Haynes's Dylan dissertation I'm Not There. And in every music post I must spread the gospel of Rufus Wainwright. This is "Rules and Regulations" His music hits me right there.
Finally, these aren't from 2007 but the Ian Curtis biopic Control is and its still haunting me around the edges a week after seeing it. So with Joy Division in my brain, I thought I'd throw up two covers for your consideration. First is Agent Provocateur and Siobhan Fahey (of Bananarama / Shakespeare Sister / ex Mrs. Dave Stewart fame --It makes me crazy that she never records a CD) doing "She's Lost Control" [NSFW] and then there's Swedish singer/songwriter José González with a cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Such a flexible classic.
Any music recommendations you'd like to share? You know what to do.
Monday, December 31, 2007
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20 comments:
Song of the Year - "Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)" by Groove Armada feat. Mutya Beuna. It's sounds like it was made in 1984 and 2084.
Album of the Year - Either Hook Me Up by The Veronicas or Kala by MIA. The former is like some long lost Giorgio Moroder-produced soundtrack and the latter is just electric amazing.
But, there's actually quite a lot of good stuff this year. My 750-strong CD collection grows and grows and grows.
Totally agreed about all your selections though, especially what you said about Bjork, Jackie Beat and Alanis. I love that Pink's album has been out for, like, a million years and only this year did America's mainstream catch on that it was the best thing she'd ever done.
I love me some Tori Amos this year. The three singles released from American Doll Posse may not be the best from the album, but they're certainly enjoyable and a change from her earlier stuff. She's more of a woman. It's not necessarily better or worse; but it's welcome. Big Wheel, Teenage Hustling and my favourite, Bouncing Off Clouds. Check it out!
re Pink: Yeah, what the hell happened, America?!?! I've loved it for almost two years now!
But... two words...
Hayley Westenra.
Anything she's ever done and will ever do.
You should check out the Arcade Fire, they're the best current band around.
My top five albums of the year:
1. Neon Bible [Arcade Fire]
2. Once [Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova]
3. Hospital Music [Matthew Good]
4. Into The Wild [Eddie Vedder]
5. The Reminder [Feist]
I still can't believe how much I like Tori's Bouncing. She gave up the brooding and it is funtastic. I have never heard her so happy; must have been getting laid something fierce when she was writing it.
Love the new Goldfrapp as well as the Maroon 5 release; two albums I have listened to all the way though this year several times.
I recently saw Björk in concert, which was intense, and the one song that really blew me the fuck away that she did from Volta was Declare Independence. She closed the show with it and it was spectacular.
I've not been following video clips this year so I've missed several of the ones you cite. But I have seen your Video of the Week, and that is one of my all-time favourites.
And I second Brooke re: Tori love and especially Teenage Hustling love
Mika. I really wish I'd had my act together, back in October, and dressed up like him for Halloween. All I would've needed were a red Ben-Stiller-In-Royal-Tenenbaums-style gym suit and a 'fro. His CD is uneven but so much fun.
Also fun is that Dolly video. I'm looking forward to the full CD in February.
Don't know if you've got time for a couple extra listens, Mr. Film Bitch, but if you do, check out the new album from Juanes (Colombia's non-Shakira music superstar) or even "Phantom Punch" by Sondre Lerche. I think those are my two all-around favorites this year. For what that's worth.
Oh, and HAPPY 2008.
I'll second the "Song 4 Mutya" love. That song is FIERCE. I spent like 7 euro on the 12 inch release.
And Tori...yeah, I liked ADP and I dig what she's doing, but I was listening to Little Earthquakes and Boys For Pele over the last few days and I have to think they're masterpieces. She's never going to top them...which is sad.
Other good stuff this year:
- FeistFiestFiest
- Janelle Monae is going to be so big in 2008, but she rocked my '07.
- Seeing Rufus sing Poses live means I can die a happy woman
- Bjork/PJ Harvey/Tori/Siouxsie release albums in same year? YES PLEASE.
- Radiohead sucked. :(
- Aaaaand....Panda Bear is so great.
"Song 4 Mutya" is the feircest song to ever be fierce. It sits alongside Girls Aloud's "Biology" as the song of the decade, which is high praise from me (hey, I get paid to voice my opinion on music).
And, yeah, Arcade Fire's Neon Bible is sort of technically a masterpiece.
I've lost track of music this year as well, mostly in favor of film and comics. Still, I did enjoy the hell out of El-P's second album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead, which wins the award for most absurd guests on a rap album. Trent Reznor? Cat Power?? Bonus points for the weirdness, and double bonus points for the fact that both guest spots actually work. On the more avant-garde end, I also loved Keith Rowe's latest solo disc, The Room, which is just gorgeous.
"Biology" the song of the decade? YES. That opening stompy piano can move me to tears if I hear it unexpectedly.
Holy crap, can that Alanis be short-listed for Best Live-Action Short??
I was just about to give up on the human race, but Alanis sends me into 2008 with hope. Time for a new album please! I'll buy this one, I swear!
"Biology" - Hell yeah
"Neon Bible" - Hell yeah
"In Rainbows" - Hell Yeah
PJ Harvey - Hell yeah
MIA - Hell yeah
Bjork - .....
The usual suspects (MIA, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, White Stripes)
plus Tegan and Sara, Beirut, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, Feist, The National, The Shins, White Rabbits... I could go on and on, but those people put out some AMAZING stuff this year.
Nas Hip Hop is Dead
arkaan was the "...." a diss on Bjork or merely a shortcut to another 'hell yeah'
i'm pretending it's the latter until further notice
Not a diss. How can you diss the most original, inventive artist of our time? You don't have to love her
That said, I don't love her output from 2007. I much prefer the warm blanket of "Homogenic" or the haunting strains of "Medulla" to whatever Volta is.
But, to be fair, I haven't given it a truly full listen. And it's not because she scares me. Not just because she scares me, anyway.
fun choices, but it's Gainsbourg, not Gainsborough. seen it a couple times on here and thought i'd offer a correction
UM.
BRITNEY'S BLACKOUT?
correction noted and corrected ;)
mortenson is mortensen
honsou is hounsou
gainsborough is gainsbourg
these three names continually thwart my otherwise fine ability to s-p-e-l-l
unknown factoid: i won my junior high school spelling bee and went to regionals. now, i don't even use spell check (not that it understands names anyway... )
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