I don’t know what it is that has me in such a good mood. I don’t know if it’s the charming Christmas light decorations on every fourth house I drive by, the good feeling that accompanies the purchase of cool gifts other people will enjoy, or the fact that it’s seventy degrees in the middle of December in Washington, DC.(Usually this last fact would be scaring the hell out of me, because just last week I saw An Inconvenient Truth and I tend to get sort-of, well, crazy about things that have the potential to end the world. But here I am, getting ready for New Year’s in shorts and a tank top, with not a care in the world.)
I had intended a snarky year-end summation of this year’s most vitriol-deserving famous people; I was going to call it The Trashies. Clever, yeah?
But because of my merry mood, I prefer now only to praise those things that were truly great about 2006. Scrap Heap refers to them “pieces of gold,” and it was these few nuggets that made wading through the septic tank of pop-culture completely bearable.
"The Wire"
The best show on television. I don’t do criticism well, so I won’t. It’s just the best show, maybe ever.
"The Office"
This show is so great, and in so many ways, I almost literally want to slap myself to prevent from gushing so openly about it.
Love Is All - Nine Times The Same Song
Energetic Swedish garage rock all about the different stages of love, from bliss to boredom. Very great.
The Organ - Grab That Gun and Sinking Hearts EP
This is the kind of year it’s been. A friend, knowing my deep affection for girl-made indie pop, recommends I listen to the Organ. I do, and I fall in love. I listen to their record and their EP a thousand times, marveling at how great a band they are, and looking forward to anything they release in the future. Then after a few months, I check their website to find out they’ve broken up. That’s the kind of year it has been.
Au Revoir Simone - Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation
Three ladies playing two keyboards and a Micro-Korg, singing sad, pretty songs. I ask you, what could be better?
"Lost"
This is more for the last half of season two, than for this fall’s six-episode mini-series tease-a-thon. I’m not joining the knee-jerk haters, I’m just saying that something better happen soon. Also, I’m still kind of pissed about Mr. Eko. But I know they’ll get it going for the seventeen straight shows next year, and that will ease my troubling mind.
"Postcards From Italy" - Beirut
My favorite song from this year. A catchy ukelele, Neutral Milk Hotel's amazing drummer doing his thing, and a horn section part that kick's my ass everytime. A perfect song.
The Prestige, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Departed, and Borat
(If you don’t like the end of movies ruined for you, stop reading this now.)
There’s this moment at the end the Pirates sequel where Captain Jack is staring straight into the mouth of the terrible Kraken monster that’s been unleashed to devour him. Just before the enormous sea monster swallows him alive, Captain Jack pulls his sword, smiles as if he were looking forward to his fate, and casually says, “Hello, beastie.”
God, I love that shit.
The other movies listed are my other favorites released this year, all awesome in their own distinct way.
That's all I can think of for now. If my mood sours, I'll have a crack at the worst of this year. Until then, however, have a nice holiday everybody, whatever you celebrate.
Except you Episcopalians. You people fucking freak me out.
2 comments:
Excuse me Mr. Basura, but is your apocalyptic picture upside down?
It is upside-down. I was messing with some pictures with my photo editor and I thought that this picture of the recent Discovery take-off looked super rad upside-down. It has nothing to do with the post, which I only now see as possibly confusing. But fuck it, it's still a rad picture.
I love my computer.
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