like everyone typing words on the internet right now, i am a narcissist. my opinion matters, and if it doesn't matter to you, it should. so, here are some lists of some of my favourite things in 2009.
albums:
it was not one of my favourite years for music - probably another sign that i'm getting old - but here are a few that i loved.
1. bat for lashes - two suns. put this one on while you are reading a sci-fi/fantasy novel, or just close your eyes and let the images of crystal towers, snowy battles, and huntresses fill your head.
2. junior boys - begone dull care. they did it again. they've slowly become one of my favourite artists of the last decade. i feel like they make music designed specifically for my tastes: dark, perfect melodies, plenty of nuance for repeated listens.
3. the xx - xx. lately, any young band coming out of england has been too abrasive, too upbeat, relentlessly blasting high-frequencies at your ears. how refreshing it is to hear a band so subdued, without being boring. i am certainly a sucker for minor-keyed pop songs.
4. tor vs. sufjan stevens - illinoize. mashups, at best, are amusing at first, but i never have the desire to listen to them again. when i read about this album (available for free at illinoize.biz) i thought it was a stupid idea. but these songs are more than mere mashups. it quickly became the only hip-hop album i really enjoyed in 2009.
5. wild beasts - two dancers. this album is wonderfully produced. sit in your living room, place two speakers on opposite sides of the room, sit in between them, and listen to two dancers.
songs
each year for the last 5 years, i create a playlist of my favourite songs of the year, and i attempt to put them in order, with my favourite being last on the playlist. the number of songs on the playlist indicates how good of a year it was. this year, i have 53 songs. last year i had 89, and in 2005 i had 98. 2005 was an amazing year, apparently.
i was going to list all 53, but that would be boring, and i would feel like i would be revealing a bit too much of myself. most of the songs were from the above 5 albums anyways.
tv.
i love music, but my true passion is watching television. here are my favourite shows to watch in 2009:
10. house
9. it's always sunny is philadelphia - i can only handle this show in smaller doses, though. a show consisting only of horrible people is very funny, but gives me a tummy ache after about three straight episodes.
8. 30 rock
7. the price is right - being on parental leave for 6 months left me addicted to the price is right. want to know the actual retail price in US dollars of a chevy malibu? gold bond medicated powder? a dune buggy? come see me.
6. the IT crowd - i discovered this show this year - i only wish there were more episodes. british tv always goes for quality over quantity.
5. sportscentre when hosted by jay onrait and dan o'toole - they should have their own talk show.
4. man vs. wild - my wife and i both have a crush on bear grylls. he's everything that i'm not. i think the episode with will farrell was my favourite hour of television this year.
3. how i met your mother - certainly the most underrated show on television. it's like the 'lost' of sit-coms. except 'lost' is quite overrated.
2. the tonight show with conan o'brien - i was so excited to watch conan an hour earlier, but was worried the quality of his show would diminish in the new time slot. but conan's 'tonight show' is even better than his 'late night' show (at least the last few years of his 'late night' show). i love that andy is back. although it appears this show may not exist much longer, i'm sure conan will be on tv somewhere.
1. dexter - each season comes closer and closer to giving me a heart attack. we watched the last season in 4 days, then i couldn't sleep.
websites
5. aintitcool.com - my favourite movie news website, although the readers comments infuriate me. i'm not sure why i read them.
4. thesuperest.com - this site won't make any sense unless you go to the archives and start from the very beginning.
3. rogerebert.com - you haven't seen much of roger ebert lately. apparently he can't eat or drink any more. but he can write, and he's been writing more than ever. regardless of whether or not i agree with his opinions, i can read a review and know whether or not i want to see the movie.
2. latfh.com - a constant source of hilarity for me. i am very tempted to take pictures of people and send them to this site.
1. kijiji.ca - i have bought and sold so many things that i can't keep track. it's also a good place to find a good deal on music equipment, and a great place to find horrible deals on music equipment.
food
5. sheena's homemade soup - she was a soup-making machine this summer
4. the chicken quesadilla i had at la bamba del norte in saskatoon
3. the classic nachos at chili's
2. any kind of donair from shawarma donair on primrose drive in saskatoon
1. a&w's mozza burger - fast food is great. it's fast, it's delicious, it makes me happy
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