Best of 2007

There are so many best of lists out there this time of year, I thought I'd add my best of list to the mix. The following are my favorite things of 2007:

Albums:

1) Moses Mayfield - The Inside. I'm still listening to this CD on a regular basis...and I think I got Pete into it too. "Are you are you..."

2) Travis - The Boy With No Name. I became a big Travis fan after hearing the song "Sing" in one of those movie theater pre-show radio stations that I often loathe. When I found out they were releasing a new album, I snatched it up on iTunes and I couldn't be happier with my decision. This CD kept me sane to and from work for a good two months. "My Eyes" and "Under the Moonlight" are favs of mine.

3) John Mayer - Continuum. He might have made some odd personal choices this year (Jessica Simpson??), but his albums just get better and better. I also enjoyed his "Village Sessions" EP, which contained acoustic versions of a lot of the songs on Continuum. I'm also enjoying his new single "Say" from the movie The Bucket List.

4) Brandi Carlile - The Story. In an interview, Carlile explained that her singing voice is dramatic to make up for her dull personal life. I don't know about the personal life thing, but she's definitely got a dramatic voice and a wonderful songwriting ability. Favorite tracks: "My Song," "Wasted" and "The Story."

5) James Blunt - All the Lost Souls. Solid album from a solid artist. Better than his first album, which is a good sign. I hope to include him on many top five lists for years to come. Favorite track: "1973"

Growing on me - "Not Too Late" by Norah Jones and Daughtry

Singles:

1) Umbrella - Rhianna
2) Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
3) No One - Alicia Keys
4) The Story - Brandi Carlile
5) 1234 - Feist
6) Lost - Faith Hill
7) So Small - Carrie Underwood
8) Last Request - Paolo Nutini
9) You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse
10) Grace Kelly - MIKA

Movies:

Since I don't go to the theaters much anymore, some of the following movies actually came out in 2006, but since I didn't actually see them until 2007, they made the list.

1) Children of Men - this movie should have gotten much more attention last year at awards time. It was absolutely brilliant! Buy it used at Blockbuster like I did for $5! GO!

2) Knocked Up/Superbad - Judd Apatow is on a roll and both movies prove that he is the funniest person in show business at the moment. Knocked Up was a better movie, but Superbad had some absolutely hilarious moments.

3) Little Children - I still think about this movie from time to time. That's when you know a movie is good. Kate Winslet always seems to pick the best movies...that is, except for "The Holiday" (what was she thinking?)

...wow, it's sad that this is all I can think of. Either I'm tired, or I really need to do a better job of seeing some good movies! I'm disappointed in myself.

Maybe my new years resolution needs to be, "make time for movies, music and more pop culture to keep your blog interesting." Done and done.

iPoop

Having trouble figuring out what to get the Mac lover in the family this Christmas? You know they already have the new iPhone. And the Touch iPod?!?...forget about it. That's old news to the hardcore Mac addict. I've got the answer. Get them something revolutionary in the toilet world. Get them an iPoop. I hear it can help one recover nicely from blogstipation.

The VCR makes a comeback

Is it bad that I felt kinda dirty after I watched the following video?

Fall TV Premiers - The Remainder

Sadly, premier week is over. If I've learned one thing from this year's week, it's to not believe all of the hype. Over-hyped shows are over-hyped for a reason -- they're not good and need extensive media coverage if they are to stand a chance of survival. Case in point - Private Practice.

In what will prove to be one of the worst decisions in Kate Walsh's acting career, the actress gave up a good gig on one of TV's most popular shows to join a cast of washed-up actors from failed shows in what has to be this year's biggest disappointment. Private Practice is Gray's Anatomy, only with less interesting people and dumbed-down medicine. SKIP.

Dirty Sexy Money - The pilot was great. Great acting, great premise and a great set-up for the rest of the season. The story goes something like this -- kooky family has lawyer, lawyer dies, lawyer has straight-and-narrow son who becomes lawyer for kooky family against his gut instinct. Interesting story lines ensue. CATCH.

And my favorites from last year picked up right where they left off. The Office was hilarious, as always and the staff of Gray's Anatomy's Seattle Grace has graduated to having interns of their own. Don't worry, they still have plenty of issues to sort out. Should be a good year of TV. Tracey can let you know the status of Gossip Girls and Desperate Housewives, if that's what you're into.

Still looking forward to...30 Rock and Friday Night Lights.
Need to start watching...Dexter.

Fall TV Reviews

It's TV premier week, which can only mean one thing...I've been watching way too much TV and should be doing something more productive. Nevertheless, I'm here to offer you reviews of the shows that you should catch, those you should skip and helpful TV watching tips, like always have a blanket, pillow, peanut M&Ms and a Diet Coke handy. With any luck, you'll be watching TV like a pro in no time.

New shows:

1) Back to You, starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. The reviews for this show were solid, which is why I decided to give it a chance. After watching, I realized that reviews are worthless and I never really liked Kelsey Grammer or Patricia Heaton that much anyway. If you're one for forced story lines and hammy acting, you'll love this show. Remember when I said to always have a pillow and blanket handy when watching TV? Well in this case, use them to take a much needed nap. SKIP.

2) Chuck, starring Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski. Clever premise, solid, understated acting and some comic relief boost what could have been another snooze-worthy show into a solid, entertaining hour of television. If you don't have the time to watch it live, record it and watch it during a TV programming lull. CATCH.

3) Reaper, starring Bret Harrison, Ray Wise and Tyler Labine. Reviews for this show were solid as well, and after watching I realized that some reviews are worth listening to. The story revolves around Sam, whose soul has been sold to the devil by his parents before he was even born in an effort to save his mother from an incurable illness. Sam must capture hell's escapees and return them back to eternal damnation. Okay, so the plot sounds ridiculous and it is. But once you get past it, you'll see that it is a show with a positive message and definitely worth your time. CATCH.

Returning Shows:

1) Hereos. After an extremely disappointing season finale, Heroes is back for its sophomore season to try to recapture the magic of its first batch of episodes from season one. The premier was okay until the end, which made it a must watch again. Heroes repeats the same pattern - not that interesting for the first 50 minutes, but then a solid fifth act brings me back to life and guarantees that I'll be watching next week. If only they could make the whole show watchable maybe I could justify the show's nomination for best drama over Lost. CATCH

That's all of the new TV I've watched so far. Look for updates throughout the week as new shows like Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money, Big Shots and Pushing Daisies premier and old favorites like Gray's Anatomy, My Name is Earl, Friday Night Lights and The Office are welcomed back into our lives.

And please, let me know what shows I should skip or catch in the comments section.

Is the "life-changing album" dead?

I was driving home from work the other day when To Zion from Lauren Hill's The Miseducation of Lauren Hill came on my iPod. I lit up with excitement, partly because I haven't heard that song in so long, but also because it brought me back to a time in my life when an album was able to educate me far more than any textbook could. There are a handful of albums that I can honestly say made me become a more interesting, cultured and wiser person. These are albums that changed my life...

As mentioned above, The Miseducation of Lauren Hill by Lauren Hill. I'm not saying that I consider this to be the best album of my life, but I remember being really intrigued by certain songs on this album and feeling like I was learning something about life by listening to it. To Zion, Ex-Factor, Doo Wop (That Thing), Every Ghetto, Every City and Everything is Everything really stand out here. The album has an amazing production value (listen to how many times Hill records a new track over herself) and some really great stories. Favorite track - To Zion


Santana's Supernatural. This CD was really different than any music I had ever listened to. I remember being fascinated by Santana's guitar playing and even more interested in his choice of musical partners. Many have tried to replicate the format of this album, including Santana himself, but none live up to this piece of art. Favorite track - The Calling (featuring Eric Clapton.)


Blue by Third Eye Blind. I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but I bought this album solely because I liked the cover art. I had heard of the obvious Third Eye Blind hits like Semi-Charmed Life and Jumper, but was never enough of a fan to pick up their first album. After purchasing Blue and loving it, I went back and bought everything Third Eye Blind that I could find. Favorite track - Wounded.


Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn. I actually had to stop listening to this album for a while because it was so good it was painful to listen to, if that makes sense. Lynn's raw voice and even more raw storytelling is absolutely amazing. I watched Coal Miner's Daughter after I purchased this album, which only made me appreciate Loretta Lynn more. Favorite Track - Portland Oregon and Little Red Shoes.


The Messenger by Edwin McCain. There's a lot on this album that I don't like, actually, but the good songs outweigh the bad. This CD taught me what good songwriting was all about. It would be nice to see an Edwin McCain comeback, wouldn't it? Favorite track - Beautiful Life and Sign on the Door.


Sheryl Crow by Sheryl Crow. What can I say about this album that I haven't already said. This CD came out when I was a freshman in high school and I'll never forget how much smarter, grown-up and appreciative of music I felt after each listen. I actually think The Globe Sessions is Crow's masterpiece, but this album is a close second. This album started my undying love for all that is Sheryl Crow. Favorite Track - They're all amazing, but if I had to pick one, I'd say Maybe Angels.


So you'll notice that most of these albums are from the late ninety's. I don't know if it's because I am more grown-up now or what, but I can't think of an album that has come out in the past five years that has truly affected me like the one's mentioned above. Sure, there have been some great albums since then (Come Away With Me by Norah Jones, Taking the Long Way by The Dixie Chicks, Nothing Left To Lose by Mat Kearney, The Inside by Moses Mayfield to name only a few) but nothing to truly rock my world. Hopefully the next life-altering album is just around the corner.

Dylan reads Not Their Blog!

I'm just truly honored and touched that Bob Dylan, one of my personal heroes, would take the time to write a personal message about Not Their Blog. Looks like this blog is a must read for superstars too.