BEST OF 2008

What a year. I have to say that when it comes to entertainment, 2008 was really mega. I saw many great bands, some really fantastic films, and a few really groovy TV shows. So, the following is a list of those artistic endeavors that really stood out in my mind in each of aforementioned categories. If you have any you would like to share please do so in comments at the end of this column. I would welcome them.

Without further adieu, here is my list...

BEST CD

A Tortured and Wonderful Howl From the Heart
In April of 2006, Billy Lunn, guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Welwyn Garden City, Hertforshire, England trio The Subways, was diagnosed with nodules on his vocal chords. They canceled several appearances in support of their wonderful first album Young For Eternity, including one that I had tickets for here in Minneapolis. Doctors said that years of intense screaming during his songs may have damaged his voice permanently and it was entirely possible that he would never be able to sing again. His scream, in many ways, is one of the best in the history of rock and roll. It epitomizes that Janovian wail that only true disciples of the medium can capture and convey. An excellent example of its supremacy can be heard in the song "Rock & Roll Queen", from Young For Eternity, a high-octane, balls-to-labia shag tune that is a must for any playlist. Shortly after the diagnosis, Lunn and his girlfriend (and bass player in the band), Charlotte Cooper, broke up. The question of whether the band would even continue weighed pretty heavily on the trio. With the future of the group in doubt, Billy started writing.

And what we wrote has become the album of 2008: All Or Nothing.

In fact, it may be the album of the decade and is, without a doubt, in my top 25 records of all time. To borrow from the late Heath Ledger from Brokeback Mountain, I can’t quit this album. It is absolutely infectious on just about every level. As I listened to it the first few times, I could smell the beer, the smoke (if not illegal in your city), the vodka-Red Bulls, the sweat, the women, and the absolute human glory that is the CLUB. Every time I listen to it I get the urge to be body passed in a slimy, hoard of humanity…my Chucks flailing uncontrollably…as I revel in the majestic splendor of the pit. Clearly, Billy's voice got all better:)

Much of this feeling is due to the stellar production work of Butch Vig (of Garbage and Nirvana fame), and one really gets the sense that this is the next logical progression from Nevermind… Brit-Style. The first four songs are like Ali’s fucking fist (”Girls and Boys”, “Kalifornia”, “Alright”, and “Shake Shake”), pummeling you with such might that you are immediately brought to your knees in gratitude for hearing such great music. The next track, “Move to Newlyn”, is a wonderful travelogue that brings you on a journey of self discovery around the United Kingdom. We get back into the power with the title track, “I Won’t Let You Down” (his scream at the end…OMG!), “Turnaround”, and “Obsession”, the latter of which has a terribly haunting harmony vocal by Charlotte.

Then we get to the track of the album: “Strawberry Blonde”. To say that this song is gorgeous is the understatement of… history. It is three levels above gorgeous and there hasn’t been a word yet invented to define the truth and beauty of this instant top ten love song. I will say, like any great song, it reaches into my heart, pulls out a jumble of words, and puts them together to describe exactly how I feel. The album finishes with “Always Tomorrow” and “Lost Boy”, another shovel-to-the-head stunner of a track.

I have listened to this CD pretty much every day since I bought it last summer and still have not grown tired of it. You won’t either. No one will.

Because Billy approaches life like I do…fucking mega or fuck you…All or Nothing….and it is magnificent. Thank God.

BEST TRACK

From the moment I heard the opening seconds of it, I knew it was the song of the year. I also knew that there was a reason why I liked it but I couldn't figure out why. Then when I visited the Essex band Magistrates' web site and saw that their favorite two bands were Prince and The Talking Heads, I realized why I instantly fell in love with "Make This Work." Talk about a combination! I adore the Talking Heads and my hometown boy? Let's just say that Prince's super funk charged and deliciously dripping with sexuality music has made me a happy lover throughout the years...

Looking at it from this perspective, "Make This Work" is a fucking gorgeous gem that makes you believe that all romance and all love are possible in spite of the simple fact that most people are dicks. In all honesty, the hope of this song is something I really need right now and so should you!

BEST FILM

It is a rare thing when a film changes your life. My pick for 2008 Best Film changed certainly changed two lives as well as my own. Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona is an emotional gut wrencher in the most positive way you can imagine. The film reached into my heart, tore it open, and laid it bare for the whole world to see. Life, as the film states repeatedly, is lonely, dark, and often boring. This is why everyone needs to seize whatever moments of passion they can...regardless of how crazy it makes you...and cast aside conventional wisdom, and sometimes even emotional balance, to get to THAT place. For those of you who have been there, you know what I am talking about...:)

The story revolves around two women who visit Barcelona for the summer and how they each come to view romance, love, and passion through the events that unfold over the course of the narrative. What makes Allen's film so interesting is that it is not just about these two women. Every character in the film...even minor ones with only a few lines...convey very specific and wonderful ideas about the human condition as it relates to the female-male relationship. I found bits and pieces of myself in EVERY character in the film which lead to an enormous amount of self reflection after each viewing. I have seen the film three times and each time its impact on me grew, driving me to ask an amazingly intense question of my friends and of myself:

When faced with the choice of the comfort of boredom or the insanity of lust...which would you choose?

BEST TV SHOW

For the second year in a row, Mad Men is the best show on television. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible given how amazing the first season was. The second season was an absolute stunner. It picks up a little under two years after the end of the first season...the height of Kennedy era cool, which basically means I just jizzed in my pants.

So, Jack is president and women are either looked at as a Marilyn or a Jackie. Mega! Every episode was fucking incredible (mainly due to my girl, Christina Hendricks (left) and her amazing hips!) but the most interesting one was "The Jet Set" in which our hero, Don Draper, goes off the map on a David Lynchian experience in the wilds of California.

If you aren't watching this show, there is something seriously wrong with you and you need to get the first season on DVD immediately. The second season will be out in the first quarter of next year. If you do watch the show, can someone please tell me what the fuck Pete Campbell was doing with the shotgun at the end of the show?

Those are my picks for the year. What are yours? Leave comments below...