KEVIN'S BEST OF 2009

With the year coming to an end, it seems appropriate to highlight some of the best (or most notable) things about the past 365 days...

PASSION PIT: MANNERS


I don’t think I’ve gone a day since this album came out without listening to at least part of it. It’s my favorite album of 2009 for sure.


SWINE FLU


For something that had more hype than The Dark Knight, the global swine flu pandemic really didn’t deliver. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing...

CHUCK PALAHNIUK’S PYGMY


Satire really doesn’t get any fiercer than this novel. My favorite book of 2009, of course I didn’t really read any other new books this year either.


FANTASTIC MR. FOX


Stop-Motion movies don’t come out nearly as often as they should, and in a year saturated with 3-D CGI releases Wes Anderson’s incredibly sharp adaptation of the Roald Dhal children's book was a breath of fresh air.


INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS


Quentin Tarantino really outdid himself with this one. This has got to be one of the best written movies in the past decade and the actors pulled off their roles without a single hitch. The ending was more than satisfying.


DISTRICT 9


This was one of the best science fiction films I’ve seen in a while. Creatively made and it had some pretty awesome special effects too.



POLITICS


Ranging from zany conspiracy theories to, well, more zany conspiracy theories, this has been probably the most politically obnoxious year in a while. 2009 was the year where almost anything could be used as a political platform and was, everyone seemed to have an opinion about things they didn’t know much about. Stupid knows no boundaries.


YEASAYER: AMBLING ALP


This single is so much more than I expected from Yeasayer (I expected a lot too)
I can’t wait for Odd Blood to be released (officially).




HEAP.


This November Heap had it’s very first post, that’s worthy of mention I think.


RANDOM: Star Wars + Adidas

I gotta say, most of the time merchandising kinda just pisses me off. The exploitation of Where the Wild Things Are got beyond annoying this fall. I will say though if there's one intellectual property that I don't mind seeing turned into clothing, toys, books etc. It's the Star Wars franchise. I don't know why Star Wars is exempt from my disapproval of brand exploitation, it probably has something to do with the fact that Star Wars has always been as much about the merchandise as it has about the films.
Anyway, it looks like Adidas and Star Wars have teamed up to create some awesome kicks due for release next year. I think it might be part of an underground effort to get us fanboys to look cooler.
Check out the the full product line below
Hypebeast

MOVIE: THE CULT OF SINCERITY

Recently I've stopped watching a lot of "indie" films. For the most part I've found a lot of the films released after Garden State made minimalist movies that had quirky, flawed characters, appeal to wider audiences to be on verge of being so pretentious that they make me want to throw something at the tv. Garden State was an exceptional film, but many writers and directors trying to reach that audience have bastardized the concepts that made the film so good. I honestly have gotten to the point where whenever the typified troubled, young, artistic character has a moment of self discovery, or as I have taken to calling it, a pseudo zen Garden State aha! moment (I've used the exact phrase in conversation, I promise), I check out for the rest of the film.
So with that rant out of the way, I introduce you to The Cult of Sincerity, a film I probably would have never watched except it was on instant watch on nextflix, it was pretty late at night, and the trailer seemed intriguing. I'm so glad I decided to watch it.

The plot centers around a guy named Joseph who, fed up with his generation's sarcastic and uncaring attitude, decides to start his own one-man movement to be more real with people.
There's no getting around it, the characters are part of the much loathed "hipster" sub-culture, they thrive on irony, are into art, and don't give a shit about anything, But I don't know if trying to categorize the characters under such a blanket statement is fair, hipster or no, they are all pretty relatable. Joe tries to combat their attitude but finds it much more difficult than he thought (I found a discussion on post modernism to be particularly humorous).

Now, if what I described sounds like it could be exactly the type of trite, pretentious movie that I should hate, then you are right, but it doesn't try to hammer you in the face with philosophy, or realizations about humanity at least not in an obnoxious way. The acting is very believable, and I think that is a lot of what sets this film apart from most others.
All said The Cult of Sincerity is a smart, funny film who's message isn't annoying or pretentious. But, that's just my opinion.
8.5/10

BAND OF THE WEEK #3 NATALIE PORTMAN'S SHAVED HEAD

What does Natalie Portman's Shaved Head have in common with Norweigian black metal band Darkthrone?
Absolutely nothing, I just wanted to start this post with a question.

NPSH (as I will refer to them for the remainder of this post) is a synth pop group who formed in a Seattle foodcourt around 2005 by two guys (Luke Smith and Shaun Libman) who wanted, among other things, to score girlfriends. The two eventually teamed up with Claire England, David Price and Liam Downey Jr to form the band's current lineup.

Their music lies somewhere between MGMT and the B52s with the dance sensibility of Daft Punk. This is a band who crams ridiculously catchy hooks into every orifice of their music, and they pride themselves on doing so. If you are looking for a band who's songs embody some sort of deep emotional or social meaning, this is not the band for you, but if you want a band who's music is full of immature sex jokes and just plain catchy ridiculous fun then you, my friend, have stumbled upon pure gold.

So far, NPSH has released one album, 2008's Glistening Pleasure sporting songs with titles such as Slow Motion Tag Team, Beard Lust and Sophisticated Sideways Ponytail. The whole album is catchy and like I said before crammed with high doses of highschool level humor. The poppy synths make the album perfect to put on and have an impromptu dance party in your basement, friends car, an elevator, really wherever you want, although I'm a fan of the elevator.

Something that really sets these guys apart from a lot of bands these days is the how vocal they are with their fanbase. They frequently update their blog, facebook page, myspace, and twitter with photos they've taken on tour, announcements, and random stuff that they find interesting(recently a post about ear wraps, earrings that make you look like you've just arrived from middle earth)

This band is really a must listen for fans of MGMT, Hot Chip, CSS, and Daft Punk as well as anybody who has a sense of humor and wants something they can dance to. but to you, the stuffy "mature listener" who's radio tuner never leaves NPR (I'm not hatin' on NPR!) and cannot stand those stupid kids who go out and cover your yard with toilet paper and loaf around the outsides of stores without buying anything (or maybe you are still one of the younger demographic but think you are better than that) , do yourself a favor and click the below link anyway.

MYSPACE

wintertime playlist.

a (just for fun) playlist

BAND OF THE WEEK #2: The Modern Electric

I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about this band except what they say in the mission statement that they posted on their myspace

We are from Cleveland Ohio, a city wrought with negative connotation. The mere mention of our town brings about scoffing! Eyes role in contempt! It seems that a cultural black cloud has hung over Cleveland for decades; held in place by the cynicism of the music industry and the lack of faith shown by artistic leaders. This stigma has given birth to a regional Dark Age. Any signs of light remain as "well-kept secrets", or are outsourced to the cities of societal favor: L.A., New York- bloated monotonous machines of industry whose glories fade as steel surely turns to rust. We, THE MODERN ELECTRIC, proclaim the coming of a Renaissance to Cleveland! The Dark Ages will be transformed by public reinvestment into Art! Beauty! Local music! Local galleries! Filled with Local artists! Local Boutiques! Local Ideas! Local blood pumping and rejuvenating the heart of Cleveland culture and expression! We shall be the desired destination! We shall be the Scene to which artistic nomads wander! They shall set their sails towards The Great Lake on which our empire stands! Hail Cleveland!

I really wish that more local bands had this mindset, especially here in Atlanta, a city who's music scene seems to hide itself.

Beyond having a great cause in front of them, this band has some exceptional music. They play some incredibly tight sounding piano-rock pop tunes and are most definitely worth lending your ears to. Usually when I talk to people about new music I attempt to impress them by describing the music or the artist. I'm not going to do that today, instead I will let the music impress you.
MYSPACE

- Kevin