Here is a repost of my Best Albums of 2011 list that originally appeared a couple of years ago on CHIRP Radio’s Web site... Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members' top albums of 2011. The next list is from Assistant Online Media Director Clarence Ewing.
1. tUnE-yArDs – W H O K I L L (4AD)
I’m not the kind of person who stands on street corners loudly exclaiming “Holy S#%!” with my headphones on, yet that's just what I did when I first gave this album a listen while waiting for a bus. Merrill Garbus' melodic gymnastics and fiercely inventive technique (backed by Nate Brenner's sweet bass lines) are just brilliant.
2. Battles – Gloss Drop (Warp)
They combine the blunt force of a punk band with the dexterity and precision of a chamber orchestra, genre-hopping all over the place to suit their needs. It's the most focused and confident experimental music or the most advanced pop music I've ever heard. Either way, it's fantastic.
The Office is finally ending, and I’m still watching it with all the enthusiasm of someone who just wants to get to the end of the massive book they’ve been reading, even though most of the interest ended around chapter 153. Back in 2009, I wrote an article when Steve Carrell was getting ready to leave the TV show that made him a star. I’ve re-posted the article below, along with some updated reactions and opinions to what I wrote:
(This is a post I wrote for CHIRP Radio back in 2010.)
Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members' top albums of 2010. The next list is from CHIRP Radio's Assistant Online Media Director Clarence Ewing.
1. Sleigh Bells – Treats (Mom & Pop Music)
The debut album from duo Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss is a hail storm of big, visceral, static-and-feedback-soaked fun, both anchored and elevated by the sugar and spice of Miller’s catchy-as-hell hooks and Krauss’ assured, flirty vocals.
2. Delorean – Subiza (True Panther Sounds)
Waves of sunny, pastel happiness from the Spanish former punk-rockers. It’s been said that great music transports you to other places. Whenever I listen to this album I want to be somewhere in southern Europe dancing on a beach.
Summary: An alcoholic WWII veteran suffering from PTSD (Joaquin Phoenix) gets involved with a charismatic, self-styled philosopher and healer (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and his group of followers.
This is an outstanding film by Paul Thomas Anderson featuring powerhouse performances by Hoffman and Phoenix with gorgeous cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. Jonny Greewood’s original score is also fantastic.
It's not surprising this movie didn't get a huge amount of lasting buzz, what with its frank, non-titillating depictions of sex, violence, and anger and the way it, like other works of art, doesn't provide easy answers or guide a viewer by the hand and tell them what to think and feel about the experience. Also, the story's allegorical connection to Scientology, a belief system held dear by many in Hollywood (including distributors and publicists), is unavoidable even if unintentional.
Still, this is the kind of engrossing, complex film that's getting harder to find in wide release, and it is well worth seeking out. My rating: 9/10
Next month I will reach a goal that I never thought I would accomplish writing this blog – I'm actually going to get paid money for my efforts. I won't say exactly how or how much because I don't want to violate any Terms of Service, but if you know anything about Google or Wordpress, you know how the process.
Making money at blogging was never my top goal, and the amount I'm getting isn't anything that’s going to let me quit my day job, but I couldn't be more satisfied, because this means I'm officially a "professional" blogger, if you accept the definition of a professional as someone who gets paid for doing something. It took me six years of posting to get to this point – I did a couple of things right, and a bunch of things wrong. Here are some things about blogging I learned along the way:
1. tUnE-yArDs – W H O K I L L (4AD)
I’m not the kind of person who stands on street corners loudly exclaiming “Holy S#%!” with my headphones on, yet that's just what I did when I first gave this album a listen while waiting for a bus. Merrill Garbus' melodic gymnastics and fiercely inventive technique (backed by Nate Brenner's sweet bass lines) are just brilliant.
