The Best Of '09

Hi all. Well, it’s the beginning/middle of January, and you know what that means: Ryan’s belated blog about the best movies and music from 2009. I tried to get it done in a timely manner this year, and I did do better than last year, but a number of things conspired against me, including the stomach flu, getting a real job, busyness and not having Internet access. I’ve made a few changes this year. I’m going to include a few clunkers on some “Worst” sections, and I will also copy Roger Ebert and award a special jury prize whenever I deem it appropriate. Now, without further ado, here they are: the best of ’09.

Top Five Albums of 2009:
2009 was an interesting year for my musical tastes. Jars of Clay, my favorite band, released “The Long Fall Back to Earth,” but, some stellar songs aside, it wasn’t quite up to snuff with their best work. David Crowder released an interesting, well-produced but rambling effort, and Ben Folds followed up the disappointing “Way to Normal” with an oddball collection of college accapella groups singing his songs (if you’re unsure as to who that album is supposed to be aimed at, join the club. My best guess is that slim demographic of people who have always wanted to hear an accapella group use the F word).

However, the most significant musical shift for me was my decision to start listening to 89.3 The Current at one of my temp jobs. While they are oftentimes too occupied with their own pretension to notice how bad some of the indie music they play really is (plus they crank the truly awful Michael Franti now and then), I also discovered some good musical acts that I would have otherwise overlooked. One of those acts is on my list.

5. Forget And Not Slow Down, by Relient k
Genre: Pop/punk

If I was the revisionist type, I’d go back to my best of 2008 list and take RK’s “Bird and the Bee Sides” off of my top five. This album, however, is much better and more focused than that disjointed and oftentimes repetitive EP. Written entirely about Matt Thiessen’s painful breakup, “Forget” marks RK’s most organic and laid back album yet, although tracks like “Sahara” and “If You Believe Me” still crank it up every now and then.

Thiessen’s lyrical abilities are back in line too. While not as heartfelt and fitting as 2004’s watershed effort, “Mmhmm,” the writing on “Forget” is witty, earnest and poetic (although one pop culture reference seems like a step too far back. “I’m the Cusack on the lawn of your heart”? I know it’s supposed to be funny, Matt, but really?).

However, the most notable feature of RK’s sixth LP is its progression. Many of the songs are linked by little interludes, intros and outros, the most effective of which is the “Sahara/Oasis/Savannah/Baby” song arc. While the music can get a bit indistinguishable at times, RK has crafted their second best album and some catchy pop.

Standout tracks: “Sahara/Oasis/Savannah/Baby,” “This Is The End (If You Want It)”

(While I said I wasn’t the revisionist type, I may be forced to kick this album off of the list if I’m able to listen to more of “Aim and Ignite” by Fun pretty soon. I've really liked the little I've heard of it.)

4. The Incident, by Porcupine Tree
Genre: Prog rock, metal

First things first: this is not one of Porcupine Tree’s best albums. In fact, it’s probably one of the least excellent albums since frontman Steven Wilson decided to stop messing around with inaccessible oddities and form an actual band. However, notice that I said “least excellent,” not “worst.” Even on one of their duller gems, these British metal rockers still put on a heck of a show.

This time around, they split their album up into two discs. One disc contains the album proper, which is one long composition split into several tracks/minisongs, and the other disc contains a few extra tracks thrown in for good measure. Both discs contain music well worth listening to.

Thematically, the album isn’t a significant shift for the band; the primary theme seems to be the sterilization of real life, a topic often covered by Wilson (particularly in Porcupine Tree’s last album, “Fear of a Blank Planet”). However, it’s covered well as usual, and the secondary theme of aging seems to add a new dimension to the writing.

The music is good too, containing some of the hardest and softest sounds for the band. The album/song idea drags every now and then, but it’s usually pretty tight and is more than compensated for by “Time Flies,” the album’s almost-12-minute, fluctuating centerpiece and possibly the best song the band has ever written.

Standout tracks: “Time Flies,” “The Incident,” “Bleak House,” “Remember Me Lover”

For my sensitive readers: Casual swearing every now and then, with an occasional cavalier attitude to sexual encounters

3. Ellipse, by Imogen Heap
Genre: Electronic, pop

Say what you will about Imogen Heap, but she certainly knows her way around her music. This purely electronic effort might be a bit too dainty for some musical palettes, but no blip is out of place, no loop is looped wrong, and Heap’s airy voice weaves in and out of the music with perfect precision.

If you only have heard Heap’s famous “Hide and Seek,” don’t come here seeking more of the same. While the AutoTune does make itself heard every now and then, there’s a lot more than an altered voice going on this time around, and what’s going on is a lot more upbeat as well.

However, I’m not selecting this album simply for my admiration of her craft. There are some truly worthwhile songs on this album, and “Swoon,” with its flawless electric riff, passionate vocals and just-right lyrics … oh my. “Swoon” is unquestionably the song of the year.

Standout tracks: “Fast Train Home,” “Swoon”

2. The Open Door EP, by Death Cab for Cutie
Genre: Alternative

Is it bad to say that I like this release more than any of the superbly talented DCFC’s full length albums? Because I think I do. “The Open Door” is a collection of B-sides from “Narrow Stairs,” and it demonstrates what the already good “Narrow Stairs” could have been if it was tighter and not quite as odd.

It’s on a little more solid rock ‘n’ roll ground than its predecessor, but we still get a healthy dose of Ben Gibbard’s quirky, self deprecatory introspection. I just wonder why these tunes didn’t make it onto “Narrow Stairs” to begin with.

Standout tracks: “Little Bribes,” “My Mirror Speaks”

1. Fantasies, by Metric
Genre: Alternative

I discovered this band after hearing “Collect Call” on The Current, and I’m sure glad I did. This album is clever, tight and rocking, and one spin on the headphones reveals a whole new layer of aural and production complexity.

Lead singer Emily Haines' voice fits every line and every riff perfectly, and the songs range in topic from a casual dance number to a quasi-parable about greed to a comparison of the legacies of The Stones and The Beatles (that The Beatles come out on top is just one more reason to love this Canadian band). I hope there’s more to come from these guys, but, in the meanwhile, I have a back catalogue to catch up on.

Standout tracks: “Collect Call,” “Gimme Sympathy,” “Satellite Mind,” “Gold, Guns, Girls,” “Stadium Love”

For my more sensitive readers: The F word a few times on “Satellite Mind” and a satirically cavalier attitude toward sex on “Gold, Guns, Girls”

Special Jury Prize: The Beatles remastered catalog

If you’re a Beatles fan, and even if you’re not, you should check out at least one of these albums. The sounds are crisp and truly do mark a noticeable improvement in quality, and really, any excuse to buy a Beatles album is a good one. Another cool bonus is that the CDs are packaged in miniature facsimiles of the original album cases, which is fun.

Worst album (that I listened to, anyway. The real worst album is probably “The Fame,” by Lady Gaga): Raditude, by Weezer

Earlier this year, I had grown to somewhat respect some of Weezer’s work (most notably The Red Album). This respect was highly deflated after the tepid and insubstantial “Raditude," which can only boast one good song: the catchy “If You’re Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To).”

Top 10 songs of 2009 (in no particular order, except that “Swoon” is the best one):

“Swoon,” by Imogen Heap: the perfect pop song, the perfect electronic song. Just listen.
“Panic Switch,” by Silversun Pickups: if the rest of their album was as catchy and urgent as this, I wouldn’t be able to stop listening.
“Headphones,” by Jars of Clay: ironically (and perhaps intentionally) this parable about tuning out the world sounds best when listened to through headphones.
“Time Flies,” by Porcupine Tree: the sonic twists and turns never cease to please, and the chorus sounds like it’s being sung by a man who is starting to figure out what it means.
“Gimme Sympathy (acoustic),” by Metric: unfortunately, this song is currently only available on a live Current album, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful.
“At Least I’m Not As Sad As I Used To Be” by fun.: Zany and eclectic. That’s all there really is to say.
“Never Forget You,” by Noisettes: I only wish that the rest of their album, “Wild Young Hearts,” could have so perfectly captured the Aretha Franklin/Diana Ross crossbreed that was so wonderfully done here.
"God Almighty, None Compares," by David Crowder Band: While I’ve heard a fair amount of genre jumping from Crowder over the years, I never expected him to dabble in prog rock. And yet, here it is.
“Little Bribes,” by Death Cab for Cutie: one of the best rock songs DCFC has ever attempted.
“This Is The End (If You Want It),” by Relient K: this little ditty is actually two songs put together, but they combine to continue RK’s streak of excellent closing tracks.

Worst song: a three way tie between “Obama Song,” by Michael Franti, “LoveGame,” by Lady Gaga and “Boom Boom Pow,” by the Black Eyed Peas. These three songs rate very high, not only in my worst of the year list, but also in my list of worst songs ever, or indeed worst things ever.

Top Five Movies of 2009:
I didn’t see as many movies as I wanted to last year. Again, if I decide to be revisionist, some of these might come down in favor of movies like “Coraline,” "Up in the Air" or “The Informant!” For now, however, here’s what I’ve got.

5. Star Trek
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

While the unending supply of Young, Attractive People sometimes makes you feel like you’re watching “The Hills in Space,” the acting (by Pine and Karl Urban, aka Bones, in particular) is actually pretty decent, and Abrams accomplishes what no other Trek movie has been able to do: appeal to (most) Trek fans as a solid, story-driven and mythology-conscious entry in the storied franchise (the red shirt joke is a nice little addition too), and appeal to most other people as being a pretty good, pretty watchable film.

Is it the best Trek movie? Most fans would say not a chance, but then again, most fans think that an old guy wearing a fake muscle suit and William Shatner screaming “KHAAAAN!” are the highlights of Trek’s silver screen appearances. It’s definitely the most well made picture, and Pine, unlike Shatner, can actually act. However, my favorite still has to be “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.” I’d like to see anyone else get away with time travel, whales in space and a satire of the 80s all at once.

4. Taken
Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace

Yeah, yeah, you can groan all you want, and to a certain point I’ll agree with you: this is far from cinema at its finest, and the Academy sure isn’t planning on showering “Taken” with awards anytime soon. And yet, there’s just a bit more here than meets the eye.

For one thing, Neeson actually does take a fairly good dramatic turn here. While there’s still something inherently hilarious in watching Qui-Gonn Jinn kick, punch and shoot the everloving crap out of everything in sight, Neeson definitely scores some legitimately heartfelt scenes as a dad who genuinely cares for his daughter. People forget about it, but I’d wager there’s a good half hour of character development before the brawling begins.

Now, granted, I’m not including this movie here because of Neeson’s acting chops. Rather, I’m including it for what really are some top-notch action scenes, made on a comparably shoestring budget, and the aforementioned ridiculousness of Neeson’s decision to play one of the most relentlessly, brutally hardcore action heroes in a long time. In a Hollywood climate where action stars need to be emotionally conflicted or merciful, it’s hard not to feel a mild strain of incredulity as the normally placid Neeson takes absolutely no prisoners.

3. Sherlock Holmes
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams

I really didn’t think I was going to like this movie, but I was very pleasantly surprised that Ritchie didn’t take one of my favorite literary characters and change him beyond all recognition. While he’s quite a bit more physical in this flick than he is in the books, even this aspect of his personality is handled in a way that points back to his entirely cerebral personality.

The script is also surprisingly clever, and it doesn’t cheat with modern language or even very many modern intimations. There’s also a legitimate mystery that Holmes legitimately unravels (although there’s a bit of cheating because the audience never had a chance of figuring out the ending, but that’s more than forgivable because a fair amount of Arthur Conan Doyle’s own stories do the same thing). Moriarty even makes a brief appearance, with promises of more in the sequel. Bring it on.

2. State of Play
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren

There is almost no one reading this who will like this movie as much as I did, but I’m OK with that. While the film certainly has considerable cinematic merits, I was as charmed by its message and setting as I was by its plot. Now I just need to see the British miniseries it was based on.

“State of Play” is, at its heart, a love letter to journalism, or at least to the journalism that has been romanticized ever since Woodward and Bernstein first made Nixon sweat. Crowe’s character, Cal McAffrey, is an affable, pudgy reporter with a messy cubicle and an attention to detail, and he is unquestionably a hero. The film even defends the traditional newspaper format, with some subtle jabs taken at news blogs every now and then.

On top of that, however, is a truly thrilling film, with good performances all around. It’s gripping, and you’ll very much care about the characters by the end of it. In fact, it would have been my best of the year, if it weren’t for the incredibly spectacular film that also was released in 2009.

1. Up
Director: Pete Docter
Starring: Ed Asner

What a fantastic movie. Pixar outdoes even the spectacular “Wall-E” and “The Incredibles” in this film, a modern day fantasy about disillusionment, aging and love.

It’s rare to see any movie, let alone an animated one, that’s as profoundly touching as this tale of Carl Fredricksen, an unhappy, retired balloon salesman whose beloved wife died too soon. The opening montage will find you holding back tears, and the turning point of the film – those who have seen it know what I’m talking about – is masterful in its timing and emotional impact.

What makes “Up” even more fascinating is that it succeeds with such disparate elements at its disposal. It’s part fantasy (the elderly superhero elements, the balloon conceit), part serialized adventure flick (Charles Muntz, the biplanes), part science fiction (the dogs), part classic mismatched sidekick movie and part love story (and even that is done in an odd way, as Carl’s beloved Ellie is primarily embodied in the couple’s floating house).That Docter was able to shape all of these genres into something other than a mishmash is surprising enough. That he created out of these elements a story with the depth, humor and meaning that “Up” has is almost unbelievable. If you haven’t seen this one, do so as soon as you can.

Special Jury Prize: 500 Days of Summer
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

This film, about 500 days of rocky relationship is interesting, and it certainly bears watching, but there’s an inexorable gloominess that hangs over it that makes it hard to love. It’s also all a bit too intentional.

There are some nice things here. It’s well acted, and you really do like both Deschanel and Gordon Levitt’s characters. It’s also done in an interesting non-linear style. I did like it, but there are a few things holding me back from a wholehearted recommendation.

For one thing, the soundtrack (including, most notably, two Regina Spektor songs), the dialogue and some of the shooting practically and almost cynically bashes you over the head with the fact that the film was clearly made for indie kids. Also, the non-linear style makes the movie a bit morose, as we’re never fully able to focus on the good parts of the couple’s relationship. The depression is only added to when you realize that one of the characters doesn’t believe in love, while the other believes in it but truly has no idea what it means. Check it out if you're looking for something unique, but be prepared for a bit of a downer.

Worst Movie: Year One

Jack Black and Michael Cera do their worst in this uninspired, crass and unfunny “comedy” about cavemen in Bible times. Geez, Mike, between your acting choices and "Sit Down, Shut Up," I'm almost afraid for the "Arrested Development" movie.

Top Five Books or Book Series that I Read for the First Time in 2009:
There are so many great books to read that I rarely get around to reading stuff that came out in the current year, and 2009 was no exception. Here are the best things I did read, however.

5. Y: The Last Man
By Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra

Before I give you my review, let me just say that this book is very R-rated, mostly to its detriment. Some of the content is understandable from a story perspective, but much of it is not.

Problems aside, however, this graphic novel tale of a plague that wipes out all but one male human is a compelling, poignant, well written tale, and it even slips in some clever social commentary and good jokes. Check this one out if you can stand language, violence and other content.

4. Starman Saga (if you're checking it out, look up Starman Omnibus)
By James Robinson, Tony Harris, others

To be fair, I’ve only read through the first two volumes of the omnibus so far, but Robinson’s Starman, Jack Knight, is in my mind the only major competition with Batman in the DC Universe.

The visuals are unique, the writing is crisp and the story is unpredictable. Jack Knight is a reluctant superhero, but in an entirely new way: he almost finds heroics annoying, and he never lets the mantle of Starman become his driving persona.

This series also gets props for prominently featuring The Shade, unquestionably the coolest antihero I’ve ever seen in a comic book.

3. ‘Til We Have Faces
By C.S. Lewis

It’s not Lewis’ best work (look to “The Screwtape Letters” or the oft-overlooked “That Hideous Strength” for that), but this first person retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche is one of his most unique.

The story almost defies a brief description, but the central theme is that of the justice and manifestation of God. That Lewis can, as usual, so wonderfully pull it off is a testament to his skills, as this is an idea I can not imagine any other Christian writer tackling.

2. Catch 22
By Joseph Heller

This weird, run-on sentence laden, rambling narrative succeeds where the same style in “The Catcher in the Rye” fails. Yossarian, the protagonist in this strange WWII comedy, is a singularly lazy and self-centered character, but we root for him anyway. The book is a bit self indulgent and sometimes a bit too off kilter (there’s also some sexual bits that some will not want to read), but it fires back with a joke again and again. Come on: the book’s best character is named Major Major Major Major. I think I’ll be a little forgiving.

1. The Harry Potter Series
By J.K. Rowling

I never knew until this summer: these books really are that good. I had always dismissed them as pop literature, but I was simply wrong. The first four books are wonderful children’s literature, with characters and situations rivaling the whimsy and charm of the Narnia books, and the last three books transcend the genre into … I’m not entirely sure, really. Somewhere much more mature, where Rowling creates an unbreakable mood of tension, oppression and real danger.

It’s interesting, really. I, who used to dismiss the HP books, now sometimes defend them from friends who read and liked them, “but not that much.” I don’t really care. This is one series I’d love to read again for the first time.

Top 10 Most Heard Albums of 2009:
Most of what I listen to isn’t exactly new. Here’s what it exactly was.

1. “Stringtown,” by Jars of Clay
2. “The Long Fall Back To Earth,” by Jars of Clay
3. “The Beatles” (The White Album), by The Beatles
4. “Blue on Blue,” by Leigh Nash
5. “Far,” by Regina Spektor
6. “Keep Color,” by Republic Tigers
7. “Rocket Man: Number Ones,” by Elton John
8. “Forget And Not Slow Down,” by Relient k
9. “Ellipse,” by Imogen Heap
10. “The Man Comes Around,” by Johnny Cash (listen to this. It’s so good)

Thanks for reading my list. Sorry if it seemed a little rushed. Please comment with agreements, disagreements, suggestions, etc. Also, stay tuned: coming up (hopefully) soon on this blog will be two best of the decade lists, as well as a "series so far" entry on the TV show "Lost."