Reveries and Ruminations

Top 20 Albums of 2007

2008-01-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

2007 was without a doubt an excellent year for music. I listened to over fifty great albums this year, but these are truly me favorite ones. Some of the albums released this year will probably end up as my all-time favorite albums.

These are the records that forced me to stop, think and listen. They both challenged me and expanded my musical palette. And they are some of the most enjoyable and beautiful records I've had the pleasure to hear. It's interesting to see that in my top ten half of them were from old favorite bands and the others were newcomers. Also, it is interesting that seven different countries are represented by the artists in my top ten albums. I hope you will stop and take a listen to these artists and albums and maybe you'll find a new favorite record as well.

20. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank -- (Issaquah, WA)

19. Panda Bear - Person Pitch -- (New York, NY)

18. Derek Webb - The Ringing Bell -- (Nashville, TN)

17. St. Vincent - Marry Me -- (Dallas, TX)

16. The Veils - Nux Vomica -- (London, England)

15. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter -- (Moscow, ID)

14. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup -- (Santa Fe, NM)

13. Feist - The Reminder -- (Canada)

12. Okkervil River - The Stage Names -- (Austin, TX)

11. Menomena - Friend or Foe - (Portland, OR)

10. Steven Delopoulos - Straightjacket -- (Monmouth County, NJ)

- I see Steven around town sometimes, he is one of the few artists in the circle of Nashville artists that flat out intimidates me. Maybe it's because he's from Jersey and has all the attributes of a no guts no glory northerner, or maybe it's because his first solo album "Me Died Blue" is one of my favorite albums ever. Either way he is a mystery to me. Yet, he doesn't disappoint with this album. He writes with so much charisma and produces some of the most intriguingly beautiful songs I've heard. However, his lyrics can seem a little cryptic, but as my friend Jordan put it, though i might not totally understand them I can feel their meaning. I agree, you have to take it in to get it.

9. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters -- (Glascow, Scotland)

- Produced by Peter Katis, the same guy who worked with Interpol and The National, and highlighted by the humongous, washy guitars and the true scottish accent of the vocalist, this album has all the emotion of those beautiful scottish melodies with the intensity of the best shoe-gazer guitar sounds. A very bold and full-bodied record.

8. Chris Letcher - Frieze -- (South Africa)

- By far the most interesting production I've heard this year. Chris Letcher is also a filmmaker, which helps explain the dramatic, orchestral arrangements of the tracks. Every track has some unique production element that adds to the intrigue of this album. Many have said he's the most accomplished musical artist to come out of South Africa. Plus, liking this album was a shocking surprise, the reason I originally downloaded it was the awesome album art.

7. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala -- (Angered, Sweden)

- Jens Lekman is the definition of charming. He wins you over with his bouncy arrangements and deadpan singing delivery. But, his true appeal comes from his twisted humor. For example, in one song he sings about accidentally cutting off part of his finger because his girlfriend put her arms around him. In another, he describes a dinner date where he pretends to be a lesbian's boyfriend as to not upset her ultra-conservative father. He is unorthodoxly clever and and backs it up with undeniably catchy songs. A winning combination in my book.

6. Lcd Soundsystem - Sound of Silver -- (New York, NY)

- A perfect meld of indie rock and electronic music. A completely new sound to me, but one that I instantly took to. It was an album that expanded my musical palette and one that could be an easy gateway drug into other forms of electronic music. Plus, it's flat out just fun to listen to. No album made me smile more this year.

5. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago -- (Eau Claire, WI)

- Bon Iver means "good winter," which is exactly how this album feels. It sound isolated, it sounds introspective, it's sounds like longing. It is a stark, poignant statement from what I believe is one of the best songwriters alive, Justin Vernon. His layered vocal are both haunting and comforting. Very impressive.

4. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga -- (Austin, TX)

- Spoon have perfected their craft. No other band has records that sound like this. They push the envelope with their recording techniques, but maintain songs and melodies that your 12 year old kid sister would love. It's a rare band that can make a musical statement like this and be so universally liked. Every song is a single. Its hard to not like this album.

3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible -- (Montreal, Canada)

- I'm going to try to write this without comparing it to Funeral. Recalling dark images of the Antichrist (in the form of Jim Simpson) in Antichrist Television Blues or end times destruction in Black Mirror, as well as images of Heaven in Keep the Car Running and No Cars Go, it seems that the Neon Bible is opened to the book of Revelations. Thematically, Neon Bible has much to say about contemporary Christianity, and it would be good to listen. And musically, the Fire overwhelms in anthemic declarations with cascades of organs, strings, horns and of course Win Butlers voice. A different shift from Funeral(there it is) but a welcomed one, and another proof that they are one of the most important bands right now.

2. Radiohead - In Rainbows -- (Oxfordshire, England)

- What could be said about Radiohead that hasn't already been said? They are my all-time favorite band, and I believe the most important band in existence right now. And they've given us just one more reason with In Rainbows, another masterpiece in catalogue of masterpieces.

1. The National - Boxer -- (Brooklyn, NY)

- There are so many words I could use to describe both this album and this band. Perfect comes to mind. I've been listening to this album for 9 months and I'm still discovering new things. As one reviewer put it, "It's a rare album that gives back whatever you put into it." It's a dark, brooding and achingly beautiful masterpiece. It's altogether a very challenging album yet instantly accessible. It's mournful yet hopelessly romantic. It's songs about the every-man yet overwhelmingly personal. Honestly, just listen to it and the re-listen to it and then one day it will hit you like a ton of bricks, you'll realize how did I live without this album. One reviewer, after referencing the lyrics “You know I dreamed about you / For 29 years before I met you,” from the song "Slow Show, stated, "Funny, I feel the same way about this record, as if I’d been waiting for it all along." Seriously, it's that good.

>Honorable Mentions: Iron and Wine - The Sheperd's Dog, The Field - From Here We Go To Sublime, The Besnard Lakes - Are The Dark Horse, Frog Eyes - Tears of the Valediction, Burial - Untrue, White Rabbits - Fort Nightly, Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha, Kanye West - Graduation.

--Stay tuned for more lists!!!

Top 40 Songs of 2007

2007-12-29T10:02:00.001-08:00

I have an obsession with year end lists, I know it, and I'm probably not going to recover from it. But really, I think I am more obsessed with knowing what's going on in the arts. I want to hear all the rave albums I want to see all the best movies, I simply love great art and the enjoyment of experiencing it. It can get ridiculous when judging which piece of great art is better than the other, but we all do it. We have personal preferences and we would never have the same list as someone else, though I enjoy disagreeing with other people's lists ;) So, I will start of my end of the year lists with my favorite, though I think they are the best, 40 songs of the year.

In Alphabetical Order:

All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem (Sound of Silver)
Archangel - Burial (Untrue)
Bushels - Frog Eyes (Tears of the Valedictorian)
Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West (Graduation)
Cindy - Ola Podrida (S/T)
Cold Days From the Birdhouse - The Twilight Sad (Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters)
Creature Fear - Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago)
Dashboard - Modest Mouse (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice (Cross)
Distress Signal - Jeremy Casella (Distress Signal)
Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine (The Shepherds Dog)
The Ghost of You Lingers - Spoon (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
He Hit Me - Grizzly Bear (Daytrotter Sessions)
I Can Tell - White Denim (Let's Talk About It)
If Nothing Else - Chris Letcher (Frieze)
Jesus For the Jugular - The Veils (Nux Vomica)
Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead (In Rainbows)
Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire (Neon Bible)
Marry Me - St. Vincent (Marry Me)
Mistaken For Strangers - The National (Boxer)
My Secret Is My Silence - Roddy Wooble (My Secret is My Silence)
Nantes - Beirut (The Flying Club Cup)
No Cars Go - Arcade Fire (Neon Bible)
No One Would Riot For Less - Bright Eyes (Cassadaga)
Nude - Radiohead (In Rainbows)
One Two Three Four - Feist (The Reminder)
The Opposite of Hallelujah - Jens Lekman (Night Falls Over Kortedala)
The Pelican - Menomena (Friend and Foe)
Pioneer To The Falls - Interpol (Our Love To Admire)
Racing Like A Pro - The National (Boxer)
Saro - Samamidon (N/A)
She Held My Hand - Steven Delopoulos (Straightjacket)
Silent - The Field (From Here We Go To Sublime)
Skinny Love - Bon Iver (For Emma, Forever Ago)
The Temptation of Adam - Josh Ritter (The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter)
Time Is a Lion - Joe Henry (Civilans)
Umbrella - Rihanna (Good Girl Gone Bad
We're All In The Dance - Feist (Paris Je T'Aime Soundtrack)
What We Had - Handsome Furs (Plague Park)
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb - Spoon (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)

Radiohead Widget

2007-12-27T22:17:00.001-08:00

Because they are the greatest band in the world right now, and they never cease to blow my mind.

Christmas movies!!

2007-12-24T17:16:00.001-08:00

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
You're as charming as an eel.
Mr. Grinch.
You're a bad banana
With a greasy black peel.

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch.
Your heart's an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders,
You've got garlic in your soul.
Mr. Grinch.
I wouldn't touch you, with a
thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.

You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch.
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile.
Mr. Grinch.
Given the choice between the two of you
I'd take the seasick crockodile.

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.
The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch.
You're the king of sinful sots.
Your heart's a dead tomato splot
With moldy purple spots,
Mr. Grinch.
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing
with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable
rubbish imaginable,
Mangled up in tangled up knots.

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch.
With a nauseous super-naus.
You're a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked horse.
Mr. Grinch.
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool
sandwich
With arsenic sauce.

I watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas tonight. It's funny to read those lyrics now that I'm older, I finally appreciate how ridiculous and fantastic they are. There are so many great Christmas movies it's hard to choose my favorites. But, I love lists, so here they are.

1. Charlie Brown Christmas
- I'm a sucker for Peanuts, and who doesn't hear Linus's voice when reading Luke 2.
2. It's A Wonderful Life
- Yes an obvious choice, but everyone loves it and I do too.
3. A Christmas Story
- Reminds me of The Sandlot except at Christmas.
4. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
- The TV original, not the idiot Jim Carrey remake.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
- The film is amazing, one of my favorites ever.
6. The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Hilarious as all the Muppet movies are. Kermit might be the most believable Bob Cratchet ever.
7. Home Alone
- Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Only seven, but these are my absolute favorites.

A Longing For Home

2007-12-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

Holiday candles are what tug at me the most. The sights and especially smells of Christmas make me long for home and for family. My home in Arlington is so jam packed with Christmas decorations that you can barely walk, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It makes me sad to know that the holidays are troubled times for many families. Though it hasn't always been great most years, being with my family during the holidays brings moments of great relief.

Yet, I can't help but think of our true and final home when I think of a longing for home and especially for rest. I desire to be home so I can relax and not have the weight of a frustrating job, endless paperwork, applications galore, and other anxieties on my shoulders. Yet, only after a few days I have to return to those things. How much more freeing and gratifying will our final rest in Heaven be where all our endless doing ceases. While I wait a couple more days for the shadows of Heaven at home I meditate on that true rest to come. So I'll light a candle and pray, "Jesus, come quickly."

Oh man....

2007-12-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for summer '08

The Dark Knight Trailer #2
Uploaded by ghostrider2007

I'm Excited

2007-12-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

I saw the newest trailer for The Dark Knight a couple nights ago. And can I say, I can't wait until next summer. With Christian Bale, one of my favorite actors ever, under the direction of Christopher Nolan, one of my favorite directors - see Memento, Insomnia, Following, The Prestige, 2005's Batman Begins was incredible!

And now with the addition of Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking) as Two-Face and Heath Ledger as the Joker, which after seeing the trailer might top Nicholson's performance, The Dark Knight looks to be even better than Batman Begins. Seriously look at this still of Ledger. Plus Michael Caine called Ledger's performance one of the scariest he's ever seen. Now, who can deny that Batman is the best Superhero.

Out of the mouths of babes.

2007-12-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." -Matthew 11:25

One of the benefits of working with children is that you learn more often than you teach. Kids have the most profound ways of saying things and often putting things in perspective.

I teach preschool (3 and 4 year olds) and it is easy for me to get frustrated with my students for continuing to break the same rules over and over again. For example, Ian, one of the most intuitive kids I've met, kept getting in trouble one day for getting angry and hitting. After punching another boy I called Ian over to have a conversation with me. It went like this:

" Ian, why do you keep hitting people today, why are you angry?"
" Well, I have this thing in my nose and it keeps pulling me around."
" Ok, it's pulling you around; like pulling you around and making you do stuff?"
" Yeah, it's like this germ that's in my nose and it's pulling me around and making me do things. I've tried to take it out and squash it with my foot, but it keeps coming back."

After this I was stunned, I let Ian go back to playing and I sat in meditative silence for a few minutes. I realized why I couldn't make these children behave consistently, they were sinful. In a few words Ian had reiterated to me what the fallen state of man was, and both of our inabilities to fix it. I then remembered the gospel, that though we were still slaves to sin (i.e. hitting people when we got angry), Christ died for us and it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Freedom from sin and freedom to abide in Him. Now, that doesn't make working with rebellious children easier in the moment, but it does remind me that I am not in control and I can rely upon the grace of God for the struggle.

Blog #1

2007-12-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Reveries - A state of abstracted musing; daydreaming. Fantastic, visionary, or impractical ideas

Ruminations - The act of pondering; meditation. Calm, lengthy, intent considerations

To think I would keep this up is kind of a joke. I have enough trouble finishing one task without picking up another and forgetting about the previous one. For example, I have the hardest time finishing books. I will waltz through most of one and then see a different book on my shelf calling to me, pleading for me to read it. I'm very easily distracted. Nonetheless, blog on. I once had a blog account with xanga, but I didn't like it much.

I'm not exactly sure what I want to write about maybe reviews of music or films. Maybe stories from my adventures in babysitting aka teaching preschool. Maybe just musings, however serious or ridiculous they may be.

-Justin