The Best and Worst Stuff of 2010

There's only two full days left of the year, so it's time to reflect on the best and worst that 2010 has offered us.

THE BEST:

Best Scripted TV Show:

Hands down, Eastbound & Down. I have never felt so much enjoyment from a TV show than I felt from this past season of Kenny and Steve's antics. Maybe it was the donkeys, maybe it was the fat Hispanic people, or perhaps it was all the cocks. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made this season of EB&D so great, but it definitely hit its stride pretty hard.

Best Reality TV Show:

The Real Housewives of NYC, duh. I was sad to see Jill Zarin get all Hollywood Hogan on us this past season, but my delight was soon restored when I got to see Bethenny Frankel's face morph into all sorts of fun shapes. And let's not forget when The Countess dropped her hit single, Money Can't Buy You Class, in all of its autotuned glory. Also, the episode where Horseface Bensimon has a crazy party on the boat rivals The Swan for this year's best psychological thriller.

Best Movie:The Social Network gets my vote. Aaron Sorkin's script was so good, and Jesse Eisenberg totes nailed it as Mark Zuckerberg. When I first heard there was going to be a Facebook movie, I had a feeling it would be pretty fucking terrible. But then, when has David Fincher ever made a terrible movie? Basically, it was the first time in my life I've ever been wrong. Trent Reznor's soundtrack is also completely amazing.

Best Taco:
Calexico. Like you didn't already know that.

Best Digital Marketing Effort:

Skittles' Update the Rainbow knocked my socks off. Not like real-time advertising is anything new, but the way Skittles got people to update Facebook with all sorts of personalized Skittles ads was pretty effing genius. Facebook users could send their updates to a call center, where employees read them aloud and made a video of them.

Best Album:


LCD Soundsystem's This Is Happening is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. It's got the perfect mix of danciness, psychedelic funk, and rock. If this is James Murphy's last album, at least he went out with a bang.

Best Celebrity:
The sax guy from Mondolva. Undeniable talent.


Best New Tumblr Blog:

Bread People. Delicious.

THE WORST:

Worst Scripted TV Show:

Glee. WTF is this stupid show and why are so many people obsessed with it? I watched the Britney Spears episode and was completely dumbfounded by how unacceptable it was. Gross.

Worst Reality TV Show:
Why have I wasted so many hours of my life watching Millionaire Matchmaker? The "cupid" Patti Stanger makes me uncomfortable. Her weirdo assistant with a purple curl of hair on her head makes me even more uncomfortable. And I don't think she's even successfully matched anyone up on the show. Why Bravo? Why?

Worst Movie:
I know I'm probably going to get a lot of shit for this, but I vote for Blue Valentine. Slow, indie character-driven flicks are totally my thing, but I couldn't find anything redeeming about this movie. It just felt like it was trying so hard to be cool, and in the end it was just a boring movie about whiny hipsters. To be fair, I'm sure Tooth Fairy is a little worse, I just haven't seen it... yet.



Worst Taco:
Seven Star, a deli in dumbo with really nice people makes really terrible tacos. I used to eat them every Thursday until Calexico entered my life.

Worst Digital Marketing Effort:
Marc Jacob's old website was dumb, and their new website is even worse.

Worst Song:

As much as I love my Housewives, this song is simply not ok.

Worst Celebrity: Boo, you've got to step it up. I really need to see more scandalous behavior from you in 2011.

Worst New Tumblr Blog:
Fuck Yeah Ferrets. Ferrets are unbearable, particularly when they hang out in bathtubs.

Top 10 Tracks of 2010

In the tradition of sharing the very best and worst stuff with you each year, I will now present to you the best tracks of 2010.

10. Girls – Carolina

9. Twin Sister – All Around and Away We Go

8. Janelle Monae - Cold War

7. Crystal Castles - Not in Love (ft. Robert Smith)

6. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round and Round

5. CSLSX – We Ought to Be Together

4. Pantha du Prince – Stick to My Side (ft. Panda Bear)

3. Tennis – Marathon

2. CFCF – Before and After Light

1. LCD Soundsystem – Home

List of the best albums of 2010 coming soon!

Music Monday: Navajo Bixby

Sometimes I like to pretend I'm a surfer babe while listening to this track by Navajo Bixby.

CSLSX

Monday

+ Music


= MUSIC MONDAY



TOTALLY digging CSLSX right now.

My 15 Most Important Albums

Recently there's been a Facebook note going around where your friends list 15 albums that they will always "take with them." I don't like Facebook notes, but the concept of listing your 15 most important albums is certainly appealing. It's like making an impersonal mix tape and screaming from a rooftop, "OH MY GOD LISTEN TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT MUSIC BECAUSE I SAY SO!" Yeah. You should listen to these albums:

15. Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem (Top Track: Someone Great)
One of the best concerts I ever went to was LCD Soundsystem on Randall's Island in 2007. I gained a profound understanding of this album. It took over my body and I danced like a maniac for over an hour. But this album isn't just good for dancing, it's got a serious side too.









14. Moon Safari - Air (Top Track: Kelly Watch the Stars)
If you ever need a good album to chill out/take drugs/make out to, Moon Safari is your album. There's something about the French... I don't know how they make such fantastic music. Ya know what? Don't even worry about it. Just sit back and roller skate through outer space.







13. Building Something Out of Nothing - Modest Mouse (Top Track: Broke)
Isaac Brock is arguably the King of Indie Rock. Building Something Out of Nothing is his variety pack of masterpieces. Sometimes hypnotic and psychedelic, and sometimes rockin' with a dash of country, the songs on this album are all worth listening to at least two or three times in a row.







12. the Trainspotting soundtrack - various (Top Track: Born Slippy by Underworld)
My friends and I used the movie Trainspotting as the Bible of Cool way back in the late 90's. When I first saw this film, I knew that Renton and his pack of drug-addicted mates were the key to understanding the universe. I proceeded to watch the movie about 37 more times to absorb as much as I could about heroin-chic fashion, European sub-culture and of course, the music. Oh God, the music. From Iggy Pop's Lust for Life, to Blur's Sing to the adrenalin-fueled Born Slippy by Underworld, this soundtrack has so much to offer.





11. Nevermind - Nirvana (Top Track: Lithium)
If this album isn't in your top 15 list too, there's a good chance you were born before 1970 or after 1990. Everyone knows Nevermind rules - it's just a fact of life. Some people just happen to take this knowledge too far by making a pathetic documentary about Nirvana when they're in middle school. Hey, at least I learned how to use a jog shuttle and paid tribute to one of the best bands of my generation. Anyways, Butch Vig sums up the album nicely:
"Even though you couldn't quite tell what [Kurt] was singing about, you knew it was intense as hell."




10. Keep It Like A Secret - Built to Spill (Top Track: The Plan)
Remember when I told you about that summer I spent locked in my room playing Sim City 2000 and listening to Keep It Like A Secret? Best summer of my fuckin' life. Really.









9. Dirty -Sonic Youth (Top Track: Drunk Butterfly)
When I was 17, I used to raid my parent's liquor cabinet and jump around my bedroom to Dirty - particularly to the song Drunk Butterfly. I'd stare at myself in the mirror and think about how I would give anything to be Kim Gordon, and how Thurston Moore would obviously be in love with me if he only knew me. These days, not much has changed except I have my own liquor cabinet.






8. Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate (Top Track: In Circles)
Before emo music turned stupid, it was a reasonable direction for modern rock bands to turn. The pioneers of emo, Sunny Day Real Estate paved the way with their heartfelt lyrics and quiet versus followed by intense choruses. Diary was the beginning of a beautiful thing. Just listen to In Circles and you'll see what I mean.







7. Post - Bjork (Top Track: Hyper-Ballad)
Bjork is a magical Icelandic elfin fairy, and this album is her very special gift of wonderment to you! The poppy electro-beats and pixie-eque charm are a spectacular combo that can only be provided by a creature like Bjork.








6. Pinkerton - Weezer (Top Track: The Good Life)
It's too bad that Weezer became unbearable after this album, because every single song on Pinkerton is fantastic. The lyrics are painfully earnest, and when set to the melodic dork rock that made Weezer famous, you end up with one mind-blowing song after another. There are rumors that Rivers' feelings were hurt after spilling his soul into this album only to have it sell poorly. What happened next is a travesty we shall not speak of on this blog. But listening to gems like Across the Sea and Tired of Sex will remind you of happier times of singing at the top of your lungs with your best friends.



5. Entroducing - DJ Shadow (Top Track: Mutual Slump)
I was just listening to this album last night and thinking about how ahead of its time it was when it originally dropped in 1996. Listening to Entrouducing is like going on a trippy spiritual journey guided by David Bowie from Labyrinth. Its little sampled treasures from old songs and movies and hip hop beats layered on entrancing melodies will seduce you.






4. Brighten the Corners - Pavement (Top Track: Shady Lane)
I've already sung praise for Brighten the Corners before, but I'll do it again. Steve Malkmus is a genius. The "lyrical complexity" is pretty stellar:
One of us is a cigar stand -- And one of us is a lovely blue incandescent guillotine The edge of creation is blurred and blushed Not a lot of room to grow inside this leather terrarium

And the slacker ballad Fin proves that Pavement didn't just make cool, clever songs, they were like, real musicians.

3. Homework - Daft Punk (Top Track: Rollin' & Scratchin')
The French duo Daft Punk introduced me to electronic music in high school with Homework, and I'm sure I listened to this album more than actually doing homework. The pounding drums and bass made my parents angry because they thought I was hammering, and I'm sure that made the album even more delightful for me. But beyond that, Homework was the first album I listened to that really made we want to dance.






2. OK Computer - Radiohead (Top Track: Let Down)
The Bends was pretty awesome and it seemed almost impossible for Radiohead to top that with something better. On my God, they TOTES did! OK Computer sort of changed music forever right? Alternative rock was taken to a new level when mixed with all the looping and heavy beats. And the lyrics themselves are heartbreaking, especially for the 16-year-old emotionally charged me. This album confirmed that I was a pig in a cage on antibiotics. More than a decide later when I'm much fitter and happier, this album still blows my mind.



1. Doolittle - the Pixies (Top Track: Debaser)
Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Pixies just as much as Lindsay Lohan loves cocaine. When I first got this album at the ripe age of 15, it was given to me on cassette tape by an improv genius named T.J. I listened to it on my walkman (gross) while spitefully folding laundry or lighting candles and pouring the wax onto my floor (two popular teenage activities.) These were the times of my life I suppose. The second I heard the opening track, it instantly became my favorite song on what became known as the best album that could possibly ever exist at any time in Le Monde de Lesley. Frank Blacks wailing, Kim Deals eerie/awesome vocals and simple baselines, Joe Santiago fucking shredding on guitar, and Dave Lovering... well yeah... how can you not be obsessed with this album!? Thank god I am going to see the Pixies perform it live tomorrow night. This monkey's gone to heaven.

The Best Albums of 2009

I know you've all been waiting in anticipation. Here is my top ten album list of 2009. It was a pretty good year for music. Better than 2008, but nothing can top 2007. Sigh. Here we go folks. Hold on to your hats headphones.

10. Album - Girls
I must admit that I only heard this album in its entirety for the first time about a month ago. Weird that it's landing on my top ten list? A little cheap even? Yeah ok, I'll give you that but it's darn good. This is a collection of songs about girls. Duh. Sometimes heartbreaking and always poppy, Album is a really fun album to listen to that manages to encompass a wide range of genres. Best song: "Hellhole Ratrace"

9. Wolfgang Amadeus - PhoenixThis very pleasant rock album can be played and enjoyed by just about anyone. I'm pretty sure I could play Wolfgang Amadeus for my Nana and she would rock out, walker and all. It has that much mass appeal - you're guaranteed to like it. I guess that's why Cadillac used the song "1901" to sell their cars. Best song: "Love Like A Sunset"

8. Face Control - Handsome Furs
If Modest Mouse and New Order had a baby, the result would be the Handsome Furs album Face Control. Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade and his wife Alexei Perry rock pretty hard. The album also makes for a good dance party when you've had a little too much to drink and you feel like singing really loud.
Best song: "All We Want, Baby Is Everything"

7. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
This self-titled album is poppy, low-fi, and perfect for dancing around in your room by yourself. The four-piece New York band cranked out an album that is noisy, melodic, and effortless sounding - if that even makes sense. For some inexplicable reason, it makes me feel like a giddy teenager which is somewhat awesome and gross all at once.
Best Song: "Young Adult Friction"

6. Bite Orca - The Dirty ProjectorsThe Dirty Projectors are a different kind of band. They kinda sound like Vampire Weekend but with awesome lady vocalists. They could make a whole song with just their voices if they really wanted to. In fact, they should just throw all of their instruments in the trash and give it a try. Everyone in this band just reeks of talent. When I saw them live it was sort of overwhelming - there was nothing they could not do. The pleasant timber of their voices could probably save starving children and cure Cancer. Oh, and the ladies are really hot.
Best song: "Stillness is the Move"

5. Logos - Atlas Sound
Deerhunter front man Bradford Cox put out yet another amazing album to follow up last year's Let the Blind... The best song on the album (and probably the best song of the year) is Walkabout - a Beach Boys-esque melody created with Noah Lennox. Logos is totally depressing, but that's a given with Atlas Sound. If you ever want to bike around the Pacific Northwest taking drugs and crying, I imagine this is the album you'd want to listen to.
Best song (evah): "Walkabout"

4. Tarot Sport - Fuck Buttons
The buttons on my winter coat exploded right the fuck off my winter jacket upon hearing this album for the first time. A lot of heavy beats and industrial noises is totally what you'd expect for Fuck Button's second album, yet somehow this year's vocal-less Tarot Sport is totally easy on the ears. Even for someone who usually listens to music with poignant lyrics. I like walking around the city listening to this album and pretending I'm cruising through the apocalypse.
Best Song: "Surf Solar"

3. Psychic Chasms - Neon IndianI don't take acid anymore, but if I did I would listen to this album while doing so. If you went to a beach in outer space, you would play this album on your ghetto blaster. The track "Deadbeat Summer" is something I refer to as my summer jam of '09. The whole album is worth listening to though - for reals. Do it this instant. The live show was pretty alright too, but I wasn't blown away.
Best Song: "Deadbeat Summer"

2. The xx- The xx
The XX kids will blow your mind in a quiet, sexy, understated way. The over-exaggerated bass and simple guitar riffs accompany the soft wailing of Jamie Smith, who sounds so hot she'd turn any girl into a lesbo. Unfortunately when I saw them live, I learned she looks more like a high school boy, but that's ok. Their live sound wasn't that great either, but The Friendly Fires (whom the XX opened for) brought the party hardcore. Thanks for saving the day, FF. Anyhoo, this album is rad and you need to own it.
Best song: "Heart Skipped A Beat"

1. Merriweather Post Pavilion- Animal Collective
I don't know what I would have done in 2009 without this album. Animal Collective have come a long way, baby... sort of. Merriweather Post Pavilion takes a lot of cues from band member Panda Bear's 2007 album, Person Pitch. It's shocking that I love this album so much since most of the lyrics were inspired by babies... and we all know I'm terrified of babies. Panda Bear's lyrics for "My Girls" describe how all he wants are four walls and adobe slats for his girls, and normally it's pretty lame to sing about stuff like that. But this album rises above any rules and explodes in your eardrums with harmonic awesomeness. Also, I saw Animal Collective play the album live this summer in Prospect Park and the show was amazing. My friends who I went with took mushrooms which was a really good idea, but not required to enjoy this album.
Best Song: "Brother Sport" (but it was so hard to choose because they're all so good!)

My Lymbyc Systym is working again

I mentioned before that I've been feeling really overwhelmed with life in general. Yesterday I decided it was time to get over it and I've officially transitioned from World of the Frazzled to World of the Living. Do you ever have those time periods where everything seems unmanageable? I recently got a subscription to the New York times, and I've found that even the task of reading the newspaper makes me a little anxious. So much news to consume, so little time. Anyway, hi.

For my triumphant return to the real world, I planned to see Built to Spill. They were playing for free in Coney Island yesterday at the Siren Festival. I was super excited because I have been obsessed with BTS since high school, when I first got my hands on Ultimate Alternative Wavers. For some reason, I thought I especially identified with the song "Nowhere Nothin' Fuckup" when I was 14. Yeah, I was pretty cool. Then during the summer of 2000, I spent most of my time locked in my room, playing Sim City and listening to Keep It Like A Secret. Every time I hear the familiar hum of "The Plan" I'm hearkened back to building light residential zones in my computer chair. It had been a long time coming and I was stoked to get to see a band that I have been in love with for 50% of my life. I was packing up to head to the subway, hoping everything would be perfect from now on.

Then Pancake started barfing so I had to take her to the vet, and I missed the show. Oopsiedaisy.

But all hope was not lost. My pals Mike and Jared Bell were in town, and their band Lymbyc Systym was playing at Union Hall. Dudes, if you have not heard Lymbyc Systym yet, stop being such a dumb dumb. You should really see them live because they put on a great show. They're on tour right now, but if you can't make it out, then listen to these tracks.

The mix of soothing keyboard melodies and kick-ass drumming punctuated with bells and xylophones is pretty rad. I was so impressed by their music last night, and I think Mike might be the best drummer in the whole world. I went to school with these guys since elementary school and their dad was my rabbi. Now they're all grown up. I'll always remember them when they looked like this:

Like Wow

Holy shit MIA...
Performing at the Grammys dressed as a ladybug the same night you're supposed to give birth? It would have been pretty sweet if they would have actually let you perform on your own but whatevs. Shine on you crazy diamond.

The Best and Worst Stuff of 2008

The year is quickly drawing to a close so without further ado, here is Floating Robot's List of the Best and Worst Stuff of 2008!

The Best:

Movie: It's a tie! Between a gay dude and a robot!

Milk- Social relevance? Check. Great acting? Check. James Franco looking mega foxy? Check! Throw a little controversy into the mix and we've got one hell of a movie on our hands.

WALL·E- When you combine a lonely robot trying to save the world, songs from a Broadway musical, and stunning animation, you are sure to win my heart.

Song: Collapsing At Your Doorstep- Air France

Listening to this song is like being inside a fantasy world. Kind of like a dream, isn't it? No... better.

Marketing Campaign: Coraline

Ok so I'm a little biased because I've been working on the campaign, but this shit is pretty awesome. In case you haven't heard, Focus Features is releasing Coraline in 2009. The film is an adaptation of a book by Neil Gaiman, written for the screen and directed by Henry Selick of Nightmare Before Christmas fame and is the first stop-motion animation film to be shot in 3D. Anyways, 50 bloggers who are enthusiasts of Neil Gaiman and/or stop motion received really cool, personalized boxes in the mail with all sorts of Coraline goodies. You can see a list and pictures of all the boxes here.

Reality Show: Project Runway This was probably the last good season of my all-time favorite reality show, if not the last season ever. While it started off slow, things turned around when three very talented ladies landed spots in the finale show at Bryant Park. When Leanne won, it was the icing on the cake. I love you Leanne! Will you please marry me?

Scripted TV Show: True Blood So I watched every episode of this show on demand in 3 days. Am I crazy? Obviously. But is this show crazy good? You'd better believe it.

Book: I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley This funny collection of essays was recommended to me by my mom because it was written by a girl who seemed a lot like me. Sloane Crosley's debut novel is painfully hilarious, witty and at times like watching a train wreck. Very charming in a Larry David-esque way and right up my alley.

Celebrity Gossip Providers: Sarah Palin Ok, it wouldn't have been so funny if this bitch was our VP, but now that she's not I can say "Thanks for the good times Sarah P!" From her knocked up daughter, to gotcha journalism, to the the flute playing to the turkey grinding interview, the fun just never stops. Plus, I wrote about visiting her mansion and a lot of people seemed to notice, so that was nice too.

The Worst:

Movie: Smart People I went to see this movie with my mom and brother when we all met up in Seattle. It was our idea of quality family time because the Robin family is... you know.. full of smart people. *cough* Anyway, as we were sitting in the theater watching Ellen Page and Dennis Quaid's shiteous, pseudo-intellectual performances, my brother threw his head in his hands and began moaning. "I can't stand another second of this! I have to walk out!" he whined. I forced him to stay in the theater and endure the rest of miserable movie which was riddled with unlikable characters and Sarah Jessica Parker's horse face. I know- I'm just as bad as Hitler.

Song: When I Grow Up- The Pussycat Dolls

I don't even have the appropriate words to express just how much this song has widdled away at my sanity this year. Watch the video if you must, but be forewarned- it may cause severe brain damage.

Marketing Campaign: Pizza Hut

As my old boss Ian Schafer mentioned, this "grass roots" marketing campaign for Pizza Hut which features two assholes belittling mom and pop pizza shops is rage-endusing. Not really a good strategy for making people like your brand.

Reality Show: The Real Housewives- Atlanta

After watching The Real Housewives of New York City, I had some hope for this new season. But watching these Atlanta ladies was more depressing and embarrassing than interesting. I mean, Nene was fun and stuff, but when cast members pretend to have cancer in order to get sympathy, I have to turn the channel.

Scripted TV Show: Life On Mars

Galen keeps trying to force me to get into this show, but every time I watch it I'm overwhelmed by the terrible writing. The dialogue is atrocious and the storylines are boring. I'd get into more detail but I would sicken myself with disgust. Sorry G, I still love you!

Book: My Dad, John McCain by Meghan McCain

If you didn't read this god awful book, don't worry. The Huffington Post breaks the whole thing down for you here. Meghan explains why her dad would make a good president by highlighting how he became a war hero and how he met her mother, but she skipped over the parts where he abandons his first wife and assists in cheating a bunch of people out of their life savings.

Celebrity Gossip Providers: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt

As I'm typing this, I'm tuning in to The Hills, watching Heidi's mom cry about her fake marriage to the despicable, flesh-color mustachioed Spencer. They are terrible human beings, but I am even more terrible for wasting a half hour every week listening to their made up family drama and watching Heidi "work" at her pretend job. I can't help it though- it's so fascinating to watch people whose every action is a calculated publicity stunt.