Music Wrap Up

It's year end list time, and I have been racking my brain for weeks now...re-listening to all the new albums I heard this year....trying to guage which is my favorite...going back and forth with my critiques. I have to say that it's quite an exhausting process. I have only reasserted to myself that I am indeed ADHD, resulting in extreme difficulty with the organization of favorite albums of the year in a specific order. So, I have decided to abandon that endeavor altogether in favor of a more holistic approach. I'm just going to tell you all the stuff I liked and why. Hopefully, I can introduce you to something new....and maybe you can fill me in on some things I missed. Here it goes:

1. YOUTH NOVELS by Lykke Li - One of the most charismatic performers I've ever seen.....Miss Li's stage presence was unmistakable. The minute she appeared on the stage everyone was hooked.
http://www.myspace.com/lykkeli

2. WE STARTED NOTHING by The Ting Tings- This album is anything but complex. If you want to just have fun and relax, it's the perfect album to put on when all you want to let go and dance :)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=128903885

3.ORACULAR SPECTACULAR by MGMT - This is another fun album. I can't say that I listened to it over and over but a few songs (like "Time to Pretend" and "Electric Feel") served as power anthems for my summer.

4. FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO by Bon iver - Hands down, my favorite album of the year. It's the only album I've come back to over and over again. Words can't describe the beauty in each and every song.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=155754525

5. THE RHUMB LINE by Ra Ra Riot - This band is only going to get better....at least I hope so.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=56252739

6. ALAS, I CANNOT SWIM by Laura Marling - Not that many people have heard of this album, but I have no idea why. Poignant, and deep are a couple of adjectives that come to mind. Go out and buy or download it now. It gave Bon Iver a ton of competition in my ipod.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=47912874

7. SANTOGOLD by Santogold- This is another summer, power album. I've had a lot of fun dancing around the city to tunes from this album. I love that it is different and still so easy to listen too. I can't wait to hear more from her as well.
index

8. DEAR SCIENCE by Tv on the Radio- The energy on this album is just crazy. For me, this album really brought together TVOTR's sound.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=28460683

9. FLEET FOXES by Fleet Foxes - I am a sucker for harmonies, crystal clear voices and beards :)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=403814244

10. VAMPIRE WEEKEND by Vampire Weekend - No one can deny that this is one of the most popular and fun albums of the year. It certainly brought me back to my college days which was nice since I turned 31 this year. Purely fun and mindless...which is good sometimes. I'm very interested to see where they will take their sound.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=105993385

11. Med sud eyrum vid spilum endalaust by Sigur Ros-I have no idea what they are saying (for those of you who don't know, they are from Iceland) but for some reason, this album makes me feel so joyful....especially the first couple of songs. I can't help but smile when I hear them. I am so so so sorry that I missed this concert.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=4685333

12. MADE OF BRICKS by Kate Nash - Quirky, cute and so to the point. This is the album I turned to when I needed to not take myself so seriously.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=56725469

So, that's it. I am really interested to hear what you loved this year. I have several honorable mentions but I am thinking I might just mention them on another post. Enjoy !

warm and fuzzy

Lately, I've been seeing the beauty in things that seemed ordinary before....a street lamp, the empty branches of a tree at night, the bird bath two doors down from my house. It might just be the holidays that are making me warm and fuzzy but I hope that it's more than that. I hope that months from now, I can still say that I am looking at the world in this way.

Tonight, all of my friends came over for a holiday get-together and I don't think I have felt that blessed in a long time. I'm not just seeing the beauty in things but in people too. I looked around the room and the atmosphere was just full of joy. It's something that should be passed along so I thought it would be appropriate to write about it here. There might be things that drive us crazy throughout our lives....hell, throughout our days !.....but I think it is so important to remember the beauty in things too. Happy Happy Holidays :)

smiling

A smile can change everything. They are infectious....not just to others but within yourself. I've smiled all morning and my whole body can't help but be happy. It brings a new meaning to the word "joyful" for me. I need to do this more often! Dude, even sad songs aren't bringing me down right now. Hee hee

I know all this is really sappy but suck it up! It is a rare occasion where I am not a sarcastic, pessimistic ball of disgruntlement. So relish in this moment with me and....get ready for it!.....Smile :)

the holidays

Yesterday, I attempted to see the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefellar Center. It was fun until I was separated from my friends as a policeman shoved me across a barricade. Aaaahhhh....the holidays.....

I have to wonder if I am the one to blame here. As a New Yorker of almost 5 years, I am well aware of the chaos that ensues in the city (especially around Rockefellar Center) during the holidays. And after last year's debacle where I had family visit during the 1st and 2nd weeks of Dec, let's just say I should know better.....which makes me wonder further. Why do we repeat the same mistakes over and over again? Why do we do things that we know are stupid ? I like to think it has something to do with hope....

date night

I spend a lot of time alone throughout the day. Although there are certainly social aspects to what I do, at the end of the day...it's work. There are calling cards of work that are ever present...discipline, responsibility, focus. It's just not relaxing. But tonight, in an effort to chill out, I decided to take myself on a date. I am a planner by nature but tonight was slightly spontaneous. I say slightly, because once I made the decision to go to a movie (no suspense there...), the next feature was two hours away. To be fair though, I could have flaked on myself, but I didn't. (For the record, it is a rare occasion that I flake. Ask anyone. I just don't do it.)

I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/.
The last movie I saw alone was "Garden State," and that was an afternoon feature. There's something a little more thrilling about seeing a movie alone at night. It's empowering for some reason.....and it has me thinking that maybe I should feel that way a little more often. I guess there is something to be said for doing something new, different and out of your comfort zone. Just because you are out of your comfort zone doesn't mean you can't be comfortable;)....it's actually refreshing, or maybe replenish is a better word. Either way, it felt good. All in all, it was a great night.