And now, a brief tip of the cap to the things we loved this year...in no particular order.
In the land of "Ear Candy", here's a few things we quite loved...
We Were Promised Jetpacks - "These Four Walls"
These laddies from Glasgow made all those who loved Jawbreaker, were too ashamed to tell anyone they liked at least one Killers song, and those who despised the Airborne Toxic Event jump for joy. Check out "Moving Clocks Run Slow" below.
"Moving Clocks Run Slow" by We Were Promised Jetpacks
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Jay-Z - "The Blueprint 3"
We just can't get enough of Sean Carter and his love for the NYC. While many fans prefer the Jay of old, and the fact that there are some holes in this album that leave more to be desired, we still can't help but dig when he delivers on this record. The fact that he dragged his wife, "BK", to indie rock festivals also won our hearts. Plus, this great Rhapsody commercial appeases to the days of yesteryear. Check out the anthemic "On to the Next One" below.
"On to the Next One" by Jay-Z
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Also notable:
Blackroc, The Horrors, Dead Man's Bones, The Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown, Sunny Day Real Estate Reunion Tour, The Get Up Kids reunion shows, Camera Obscura, Thorns of Life live bootleg, Coconut Records.
Here's some "Eye Candy" we liked this year:
"500 Days (of Summer)"
Given the director's track record of terrible music videos, how much we dislike Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and what has become Zooey Deschanel's obligatory singing of a song in each movie she appears in, this one registered high on our list. The awkwardness of a male attempt at "chercher la femme" made this one entertaining in the realm of romantic comedies.
"The Hangover"
What more could you ask for, with the talented and funny Ed Helms, the always hilarious Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper as the guy who just looks like a dick? For Zach, the added dimension of weirdness in his character sets this role apart from his past cinema bombs...i.e. "Out Cold". Our favorite quotable from Zach' "They gave out rings at the Holocaust?"
"Inglourious Basterds"
We haven't been staying up to speed on Quentin Tarantino's kung fu or double feature gore fest rip offs, so this remake was quite a refreshing surprise. A great cast, headed up by Eli Roth and Brad Pitt, makes us wish this over the top exploit was how the war really turned out. An affinity for Hogan's Heroes doesn't hurt either.
Also notable: Bored To Death, Paper Heart, Ballast, Sin Nombre, The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
We Were Promised Jetpacks and Jay-Z music is available on iTunes.
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