tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-287501262024-02-06T21:07:48.447-05:00kriofske mixUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-31290578977373371352011-06-12T22:27:00.000-04:002011-06-12T22:28:51.164-04:00Kriofske Mix has moved! Please update your browser and bookmark to <a href="http://kriofskemix.wordpress.com/">http://kriofskemix.wordpress.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-38903384296997986942011-05-28T11:11:00.000-04:002011-05-28T11:11:05.628-04:00STILL NOT TELEVISED.<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qGaoXAwl9kw?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />Although I respected more than loved <em>I'm New Here</em>, his comeback effort from last year, it wasn't a bad way to go out on. He was one of the more influential, if underappreciated and clearly troubled musicians of his time. Still long overdue for a comprehensive compilation, his half-live (recorded in Boston!) 1976 opus <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-World-Scott-Heron-Brian-Jackson/dp/B000056VIT">It's Your World</a> is a good place to start. R.I.P., Gil.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-87202503867927903842011-04-14T17:40:00.002-04:002011-04-14T17:46:41.043-04:00MAINE SPRING THAW<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L6wr4R9tOFaf94G6qRbkRqRM-fd0yYvOH2fSKPUiy7-zpHaFWJyu5tI-XIlU0ZQ_4IljcUurQwzreuzpqtfwRVssNZ2m6DvQQVf7EpfvmVgBDxlgkZDQs744LA6036pXFFNQ/s1600/015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595555702686860562" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L6wr4R9tOFaf94G6qRbkRqRM-fd0yYvOH2fSKPUiy7-zpHaFWJyu5tI-XIlU0ZQ_4IljcUurQwzreuzpqtfwRVssNZ2m6DvQQVf7EpfvmVgBDxlgkZDQs744LA6036pXFFNQ/s400/015.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><p>Following an April Fool's Day snowstorm, we spent the weekend in Ogunguit, Maine as everything thawed out at a steady drip. Here's the wrap-around porch at <a href="http://www.2vsquare.com/">2 Village Square</a>, a lovely inn recommended to us by <a href="http://justgiblets.com/">these guys</a>.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7p799r1MFc-iZ3qgNe4BFcKf-AUuZ3_IvF3mkjIKez25eGZtygjWwT7FUp9S-mVO8_jMvYnEQDc0ITF81k92ZpjEdrSFDmlDEREvEo9laRmzGDNHLpOUCWL-cL7S9eFSctnV/s1600/046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595554676938705666" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7p799r1MFc-iZ3qgNe4BFcKf-AUuZ3_IvF3mkjIKez25eGZtygjWwT7FUp9S-mVO8_jMvYnEQDc0ITF81k92ZpjEdrSFDmlDEREvEo9laRmzGDNHLpOUCWL-cL7S9eFSctnV/s400/046.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><div></div><br /><div>And here's our fantastic view from it.</div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595545802637826418" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbhTLggmbOtJG7_7U0zMo62jUNt-Mmy2UIHSE82lex9zOpQwOqrbwKWKMZXJDx52zNddNegrJa-KB7-2JqfQG0w3mMZFj4Ou3W6dsanXW8V0UT3PDHm4W5xYnxn1ZI3lKhBxB/s400/040.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>We zoom in on The Front Porch, a restaurant/lounge/piano bar that we visited both nights of our trip, mostly for the cocktails.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6cYdWQjOABGfNjCDMql5we9pARawpfW4CKFdPRndSFuy24Ehp69GZn-WvDMemeXfwk6n9jYF-BTaKi0_F_mhEJVEo3oEOOj4J7KL2gU68SRXYgGJ4CCCN2fSg-1bKOmPYQot/s1600/062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595545601011389938" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6cYdWQjOABGfNjCDMql5we9pARawpfW4CKFdPRndSFuy24Ehp69GZn-WvDMemeXfwk6n9jYF-BTaKi0_F_mhEJVEo3oEOOj4J7KL2gU68SRXYgGJ4CCCN2fSg-1bKOmPYQot/s400/062.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>The beach was vast as always, but as empty as I've ever seen it. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooIOFthH8hq2nJIkVKn7lzwZ34dZ69inYAT8uV2iOu-8ELeZM4pLpnpRF5c2tiZ_idgJuEcWNcU3KybfZ9MpwqXLDG1anY0X47atJjkhuR-w-uidwfFWV40CxasoOUCehK3ir/s1600/063.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595545437941336866" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooIOFthH8hq2nJIkVKn7lzwZ34dZ69inYAT8uV2iOu-8ELeZM4pLpnpRF5c2tiZ_idgJuEcWNcU3KybfZ9MpwqXLDG1anY0X47atJjkhuR-w-uidwfFWV40CxasoOUCehK3ir/s400/063.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Dunes, wind and silence. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKBkWTlurTV1SWvzF9gxpk07BZSGs6FlSH58NUgNQqb27-_myOGSCDgyuf1ArNRokVVlBloR2NoMsbYbtc7xQ64Gk5-ldZCyN7TIs8r7FWPcRFpe3g8UFm02SpwxLpPt7tbh3/s1600/069.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595545194348630882" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 285px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKBkWTlurTV1SWvzF9gxpk07BZSGs6FlSH58NUgNQqb27-_myOGSCDgyuf1ArNRokVVlBloR2NoMsbYbtc7xQ64Gk5-ldZCyN7TIs8r7FWPcRFpe3g8UFm02SpwxLpPt7tbh3/s400/069.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Not our inn, but the only westie I saw on the whole trip. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIcpOL1CA6o7V7dBQbA3bWiKjA0qVoy5spZjamj1wPqgSnvEaL_Sn-7efjGAEQLy82zVQMgQ6rqGJ_Y7BALsbWvNnuDGFBxmScOFOEvKvAEaVG8Pk4qt1JaAKr_ag7KUIAgn8/s1600/024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595545067202150402" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIcpOL1CA6o7V7dBQbA3bWiKjA0qVoy5spZjamj1wPqgSnvEaL_Sn-7efjGAEQLy82zVQMgQ6rqGJ_Y7BALsbWvNnuDGFBxmScOFOEvKvAEaVG8Pk4qt1JaAKr_ag7KUIAgn8/s400/024.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>One afternoon, we browsed around nearby Kennebunkport. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsPqAAG2_3cVOCCZTZqP5h3nwYs20kCmcGNSWSuSs4p3E9lLK_gwZONi5b-G_C-_BsnKIU2XBVLtChLFn6NvkUBnqKYO56E-CTbgQcc6_PIHP5J8eLwMji6t5E5wzaNlozuV1/s1600/026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595544899689423330" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsPqAAG2_3cVOCCZTZqP5h3nwYs20kCmcGNSWSuSs4p3E9lLK_gwZONi5b-G_C-_BsnKIU2XBVLtChLFn6NvkUBnqKYO56E-CTbgQcc6_PIHP5J8eLwMji6t5E5wzaNlozuV1/s400/026.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>A cute little town teeming with precocious little shops... </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fCCRuDv31dvXJKN92aCup6JUj6JQtkeMPPjFqg_cGoys9OFrCMzTw1xMoT8TMnOhyk0R5NFQJa9sRn-TKrvv-w5SNugSZyvydAhs4g5gxXE8CjG94uFhBMzUWlq1b8tm0Dfa/s1600/029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595544702152073170" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fCCRuDv31dvXJKN92aCup6JUj6JQtkeMPPjFqg_cGoys9OFrCMzTw1xMoT8TMnOhyk0R5NFQJa9sRn-TKrvv-w5SNugSZyvydAhs4g5gxXE8CjG94uFhBMzUWlq1b8tm0Dfa/s400/029.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>...like this unconventional travel goods store. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwbfr3jONLrvW9iB-BUsltc3tolTwuqlNtuq8ES073mxNTpztz8Ov6czak0tWVcwZ8yiaxuLpKJdUnC_7rXekYDLLuV89RykjAKtcRqetX9lMZIkiMobP4p7-3ysTjlGFe0EJ/s1600/038.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595544529761889970" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwbfr3jONLrvW9iB-BUsltc3tolTwuqlNtuq8ES073mxNTpztz8Ov6czak0tWVcwZ8yiaxuLpKJdUnC_7rXekYDLLuV89RykjAKtcRqetX9lMZIkiMobP4p7-3ysTjlGFe0EJ/s400/038.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>The most wishy-washy Store Hours ever. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-aOLxo1RP_WSs2WFDRTMhrtsKrqiGfk8sadpxHTwdzuj7T6ij1-ajAZmDFjTn6wWS1Anfxe6iNg7PwmkVQ43jXDSVfMHCdH1xLEIK2yJB6RSlyI_sKM13Hzed1usPgp_F-7p/s1600/075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595544331344851954" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-aOLxo1RP_WSs2WFDRTMhrtsKrqiGfk8sadpxHTwdzuj7T6ij1-ajAZmDFjTn6wWS1Anfxe6iNg7PwmkVQ43jXDSVfMHCdH1xLEIK2yJB6RSlyI_sKM13Hzed1usPgp_F-7p/s400/075.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>On route back to Boston, we stopped in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaEbC7swir9Wl-mqHVM2Q3-U6vbzahpBkDiuv9vLAJO97s32uTmLZ2TfKwLfJQPxRdzRbfhHPqnyHc4jZcU7sNeP-HQFXQVfRHaZYOrdvwSIrFh0Gfap3Kig0skApJ79uJzPb/s1600/070.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595544159977310354" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaEbC7swir9Wl-mqHVM2Q3-U6vbzahpBkDiuv9vLAJO97s32uTmLZ2TfKwLfJQPxRdzRbfhHPqnyHc4jZcU7sNeP-HQFXQVfRHaZYOrdvwSIrFh0Gfap3Kig0skApJ79uJzPb/s400/070.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Portsmouth has a charming town center full of local businesses and few chains... </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UqMZFPxNfwfqTfmUpXPa-xnzDZ3UphzpZEdOHi4r1-rmaflc34NH01ejViPLRwD4iRhnVaLNWisy7lfTxBBFIGhUU1JugiZyV1kjRK4zSL38OdULQekhTCEn_6lpnxrM59xH/s1600/073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595543974802433058" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UqMZFPxNfwfqTfmUpXPa-xnzDZ3UphzpZEdOHi4r1-rmaflc34NH01ejViPLRwD4iRhnVaLNWisy7lfTxBBFIGhUU1JugiZyV1kjRK4zSL38OdULQekhTCEn_6lpnxrM59xH/s400/073.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>...some of which have lovely decorative touches such as this. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pS5QGwDflcBmrlv5H1uOQT6K1MvuAD396VxaXng-5mFijTctmOHwCiaJQlp3TdBWN4O318jytyWONWhLhXsAxemdGq8UPfY2SOXmb5Rzjs9hNnz90ip4jyYZwnsCeadCfS0D/s1600/077.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595543782286749970" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pS5QGwDflcBmrlv5H1uOQT6K1MvuAD396VxaXng-5mFijTctmOHwCiaJQlp3TdBWN4O318jytyWONWhLhXsAxemdGq8UPfY2SOXmb5Rzjs9hNnz90ip4jyYZwnsCeadCfS0D/s400/077.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>We ate lunch at RiRa, an Irish pub housed inside an ancient bank, its glorious dome still intact. It was our last stop before heading home to our very own breathing, barking westie.</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-2477825972234123442011-04-10T13:05:00.005-04:002011-04-10T13:11:57.617-04:00UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NGGmUvDlwUukF0boxGO9MIT2Yp2M7YSQaJecnI2DBkFmutg5k4TIw66HPBEZxJFzMh4NYlpdOaTn0L4x8hKDNLRCwMP9Ow3Uj27OVwVclTB5iWGp1bHa6-Wctw7m4wHATNrb/s1600/uncleboonmee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594002662894000338" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NGGmUvDlwUukF0boxGO9MIT2Yp2M7YSQaJecnI2DBkFmutg5k4TIw66HPBEZxJFzMh4NYlpdOaTn0L4x8hKDNLRCwMP9Ow3Uj27OVwVclTB5iWGp1bHa6-Wctw7m4wHATNrb/s400/uncleboonmee.jpg" border="0" /></a> <br /><div></div><br /><div>Few would disagree that Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the more original contemporary filmmakers, but you could give that same distinction to everyone from Pedro Almodovar to Kevin Smith. What makes Weerasethakul a real visionary is more complicated. His movies are challenging but not inaccessible or avant garde. He often eschews narrative logic for a purely evocative effect. He emphasizes the textures of one’s environment over whatever drama is playing out in the foreground. He’s a kindred spirit to Tsai Ming-Liang, only even slower and with less slapstick.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>All of these elements are present in Weerasethakul’s fifth feature: a playful, poetic rumination on death and how life itself isn’t necessarily so linear. The titular character senses his own death is near, so he recounts his past lives (or vessels for his soul) as various other creatures for his sister-in-law and her son, who have come to take care of him. However, they’re soon joined by his wife (who suddenly appears after having been dead for twenty years) and their long lost son, who reappears in the guise of a “monkey ghost”, a hairy, simian-like creature with tiny glowing red eyes that could have stepped out of a B-grade ‘70s horror flick.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>At this point, you either simply accept what’s happening in the film or you don’t. Still, Weerasethakul mixes fantasy and reality together so fluidly that one comes to view both as interchangeable while still recognizing the former’s otherworldliness. Meanwhile, the film’s sound design builds to a masterful crescendo as the characters leave Uncle Boonmee’s home and partake in a spiritual journey of sorts deep into the woods: an endless mass of crickets has the same pull as sculpted, low-hum ambient noise, and the wind rustling through an extended take of the serene countryside stands in for a significant rite of passage.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Of course, all of this could seem unbearably, artfully pretentious if Weerasethakul’s sense of humor wasn’t present throughout. In addition to the dead mother asking her long-lost monkey ghost son why he’s grown his hair so long and a bout of catfish-on-woman sex, there is the film’s final scene which I’m still trying to wrap my head around. It throws a wrench (albeit not a monkey one) into what we’ve already seen, yet it’s so whimsical and unexpected (and scored to such an engaging pop song) that I was delightfully (rather than irritatingly) perplexed.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-38023174738106109992011-03-08T07:00:00.001-05:002011-03-08T07:00:00.297-05:00THE BEST MUSIC OF THE '90s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQryW2jfrQlKhKSH_xpOaH-FkhBtDinDuRoc8PPMJOd4fFEX6tmHewwlLyzd_jYWOBb7yGUmXoMX2vDaA4vxFQRz3YenLoHFfr9yRx6xzNA5Ok3DypDJXlXZcmf-0JKMSlJZ/s1600/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581554940193498402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 264px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQryW2jfrQlKhKSH_xpOaH-FkhBtDinDuRoc8PPMJOd4fFEX6tmHewwlLyzd_jYWOBb7yGUmXoMX2vDaA4vxFQRz3YenLoHFfr9yRx6xzNA5Ok3DypDJXlXZcmf-0JKMSlJZ/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>A warts-and-all view of Kriofske Mix HQ, circa 1995-96</em></span><br /><br /><strong>My Top Fifty Albums of the ‘90s:<br /></strong><br /><a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-fifty-albums-of-90s-50-41.html"># 50-41</a><br /><a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-fifty-albums-of-90s-40-31.html"># 40-31</a><br /><a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-fifty-albums-of-90s-30-21.html"># 30-21</a><br /><a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-fifty-albums-of-90s-20-11.html"># 20-11</a><br /><a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-fifty-albums-of-90s-10-2.html"># 10-2</a><br /><a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-fifty-albums-of-90s-1.html"># 1</a><br /><br />Additionally, here are 50 great songs from the decade (in alphabetical order) out of *hundreds* I could have picked that do not appear on the albums listed above:<br /><br />Air, “You Make it Easy”<br />Alison Moyet, “It Won’t Be Long”<br />Belle and Sebastian, “Lazy Line Painter Jane”<br />Billy Bragg and Wilco, “California Stars”<br />Bjork, “Human Behaviour”<br />Black Box Recorder, “Child Psychology”<br />Chris Isaak, “Somebody’s Crying”<br />Cornershop, “Brimful of Asha”<br />Depeche Mode, “Enjoy the Silence”<br />Emm Gryner, “Summerlong”<br />Fiona Apple, “Criminal”<br />Frente!, “Accidentally Kelly Street”<br />Grant McLennan, “Put You Down”<br />Indigo Girls, “Peace Tonight”<br />INXS, “Not Enough Time”<br />Jason Falkner, “The Plan”<br />Jen Trynin, “Better Than Nothing”<br />The Judybats, “Ugly On the Outside”<br />Kirsty MacColl, “My Affair”<br />The KLF featuring Tammy Wynette, “Justified and Ancient”<br />Komeda, “It’s Alright, Baby”<br />Le Tigre, “Hot Topic”<br />The Lightning Seeds, “Sense”<br />Liz Phair, “Jealousy”<br />Luscious Jackson, “Take a Ride”<br />M People, “Excited”<br />Matthew Sweet, “I’ve Been Waiting”<br />The Mekons, “Millionaire”<br />Morcheeba, “Part of the Process”<br />Morrissey, “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get”<br />Pet Shop Boys, “Miserablism”<br />PJ Harvey, “Down by the Water”<br />P.M. Dawn, “Downtown Venus”<br />Pulp, “Common People”<br />Roxette, “Sleeping in My Car”<br />Rufus Wainwright, “April Fools”<br />Saint Etienne, “Nothing Can Stop Us”<br />Shakespeare’s Sister, “Stay”<br />Smashing Pumpkins, “1979”<br />Soho, “Nuthin' on My Mind”<br />Steve Wynn, “500 Girl Mornings”<br />The Sundays, “Here’s Where the Story Ends”<br />Super Furry Animals, “Ice Hockey Hair”<br />Supergrass, “Moving”<br />Suzanne Vega, “In Liverpool”<br />10,000 Maniacs, “Noah’s Dove”<br />Terence Trent D’Arby, “Penelope Please”<br />Tori Amos, “God”<br />Was (Not Was), “I Blew Up the United States”<br />White Town, “Your Woman”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-72910410839290150672011-03-07T21:25:00.000-05:002011-03-07T21:27:47.144-05:00TOP FIFTY ALBUMS OF THE '90s: # 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCim8EpTOVNAtZT2Q77lRFQqsEhoyEKihKXWf5gTySB0WqcnPKavSEji5w6haLXsDo3xnjwS0tfyE2eJXOrQDS7BIgY7CGGXkUS-jcNFm8PwUmmKyt-ptrX64voCjqrDGUUCh2/s1600/automatic+for+the+people.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581523557705798178" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCim8EpTOVNAtZT2Q77lRFQqsEhoyEKihKXWf5gTySB0WqcnPKavSEji5w6haLXsDo3xnjwS0tfyE2eJXOrQDS7BIgY7CGGXkUS-jcNFm8PwUmmKyt-ptrX64voCjqrDGUUCh2/s200/automatic+for+the+people.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>1. R.E.M. – AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE</strong><br /><br />In 2004, when I blogged my <a href="http://kriofske100.blogspot.com/">100 all-time favorite albums</a>, <em>Automatic For the People</em> was number one. I didn’t spent too much time deliberating—it was one of two records (the other was <em>Abbey Road</em>) that changed my life (or at least profoundly impacted my musical taste) when it came out during my senior year of high school in October 1992.<br /><br />As I arranged this ‘90s list, I was initially determined not to have <em>Automatic</em> at the top. Over the past few years, I’ve grown a little wary of this album, partially because it takes me back to my 18-year-old self—a period I have some fond memories of but would never, ever want to re-live—but mostly due to having heard it too many damn times. Oddly enough, <em>Automatic</em> was one of those records that took a few spins for me to fully appreciate; once it clicked, I found more to love in its complexities and nuances on subsequent listens. However, after well over a decade, I knew the record too well, and its magic faded somewhat. I dutifully still played it at least annually (usually in autumn, for reasons I’ll get into later), but whether it’s still my <em>all-time</em> <em>favorite</em> <em>album</em> is up for debate.<br /><br />I went through phases where <a href="http://www.splendidezine.com/departments/essential/ea32204.html"><em>Apartment Life</em></a> would have been number one here. It’s another record I’ve called my all-time favorite, an album that for me fits any mood or occasion. I also considered placing <em><a href="http://kriofske100.blogspot.com/2004/12/3.html">If You’re Feeling Sinister</a></em> at the top, because it continues to age so well and still sounds extraordinarily unique, as if it could have come from nowhere else. In the end, though, I knew in my heart that I’d be putting up a front or trying to appear hip or cool (or obscure) if I didn’t place <em>Automatic</em> above those other two entries. Simply put, every time I hear it, it still carries an emotional charge like very few other records I’ve heard.<br /><br />Wrapping themes of mortality and loss into moody, not obviously radio friendly music, it scans as an intensely personal record, so how did it strike such a chord among the masses? Although it didn’t top the Billboard Album charts (sequestered at # 2 by Garth Brooks!) or include any huge radio hits (like “Stand” and “Losing My Religion” from the band’s previous two albums), <em>Automatic</em> sold four million copies in this country alone. Furthermore, it’s inarguably a classic of its era that has also transcended said era—nothing about it screams 1992 and, except for the political screed “Ignoreland”, none of the lyrics explicitly reference a particular time. (“Monty Got a Raw Deal” and “Man on the Moon” focus on deceased real-life celebrities, but view them philosophically rather than as biography, nearly awarding them mythical status).<br /><br />Before <em>Automatic</em>, I admired R.E.M. at a distance, enjoying their radio hits but not rushing out to gobble up their back catalogue. Then, a week before the album came out, I heard its lead single <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQN7A6Vl1H4">“Drive”</a> on the radio and took notice—something about that minor-key guitar arpeggio and the song’s fluid, dynamic shifts from urgent, stripped-down acoustic splendor to charged electricity and back again startled me. I bought the album days after its release, listened to it on shuffle a few times (as was my peculiar ritual at the time—I got my first CD player earlier that year, so the ability to shuffle tracks still held that novelty for me), liked some songs more than others (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijZRCIrTgQc">“Everybody Hurts”</a>, in which vocalist Michael Stipe talks a friend out of committing suicide immediately stood out) and that was that.<br /><br />A week or two later, sprawled out on my bed one Friday evening, I listened to the album (perhaps in order!) and when the Andy Kaufman tribute <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hKSYgOGtos">“Man on the Moon”</a> came on, I suddenly felt the music’s pull—in particular, its outgoing, sing-along melody, cathedral-like expansiveness and tremendous warmth. Soon, other songs similarly resonated: “Sweetness Follows” applying a soothing balm to death’s pain, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahJ6Kh8klM4">“Nightswimming”</a> capturing the melancholy glow of a faint but significant reminiscence, “Try Not to Breathe” casting a light unto the darkness with its sway and verve, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIJGlTu5sEI">“Find the River”</a> providing a lovely conclusion with wisdom and grace.<br /><br /><em>Automatic’s</em> fixation on memory and loss and its pastoral, acoustic folk hues forever link it with autumn in my mind; of course, first hearing it during that season also factors in. I now occasionally skip over “Everybody Hurts”—I still love the song but its intensity is sometimes too much for me to bear. I’ve never felt suicidal (nor had a close friend who has), but the song just slays me for how emotionally naked it is. This urgency and willingness to go out on a limb and open yourself up to the rest of the world reaches its peak here, but you can feel it throughout the album. The fact that millions of other people felt it too lends <em>Automatic</em> a sense of awe rare for any album.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-11837961151052508312011-03-03T00:00:00.006-05:002011-03-03T00:00:00.527-05:00TOP FIFTY ALBUMS OF THE '90s: # 10-2<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6cZJ8yBy7Y2i08eI4X3bTH8jQCzlP8HtU24tJ2NiwVUUHNDRqvX4RJmFLfyU8It2v4bKO3UttcHLCyxHYtJUB7sMtyG6FWhRKll7rSJL5e6mjFrIQuvsM46OukkXuLC4P63O/s1600/who+can+you+trust.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576697412392247186" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6cZJ8yBy7Y2i08eI4X3bTH8jQCzlP8HtU24tJ2NiwVUUHNDRqvX4RJmFLfyU8It2v4bKO3UttcHLCyxHYtJUB7sMtyG6FWhRKll7rSJL5e6mjFrIQuvsM46OukkXuLC4P63O/s320/who+can+you+trust.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>10. Morcheeba – WHO CAN YOU TRUST?<br /></strong>This trio was initially far hazier and mellower than most trip-hop collectives. Apart from a beatless orchestral interlude, everything here sounds the same, and for once that’s a good thing—this is a chill out album <em>with</em> hooks (languorous and sneaky as they may be), plus Skye Edwards’ smoky, sultry vocals register as vital signs, not as chilly detachments.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycDPMQf5-Pi1w7IZj-RQQRCo4FG-bzXrLXxNNLoCI4fx-wexpoIcL9Gtw80laPS8_aOrV3zFB3iIKcFVuxktW36gD7KSiKmVwa8yv2lrB4qRzQqfGF-zka6682UISpZFi5Ufg/s1600/martinis+and+bikinis.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576697230846648546" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycDPMQf5-Pi1w7IZj-RQQRCo4FG-bzXrLXxNNLoCI4fx-wexpoIcL9Gtw80laPS8_aOrV3zFB3iIKcFVuxktW36gD7KSiKmVwa8yv2lrB4qRzQqfGF-zka6682UISpZFi5Ufg/s320/martinis+and+bikinis.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div><strong>9. Sam Phillips – MARTINIS AND BIKINIS<br /></strong>The closest Phillips ever came to attracting more than a cultish audience was with this sharp, sly, album-length Beatles homage. From “I Need Love” to “Baby I Can’t Please You”, she was never so user-friendly or comfortably retro again. Thus, occasional left turns like the clanging “Black Sky” or the submerged, ominous cover of Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” that she goes out on seem all the more startling.<br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43UL_2fmKu336BqlQvRU-R-c-XRXBWrm4igWsq6JMQXMElYFWu3Q2WsDB6gmDlhgtb1xP4WxrcRZkHsZQWwcCFNDaDD6C6uJQF287qxWcWm9TbsYTO4QzRAlVQ-kbdy8eUev3/s1600/dummy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576696868913421938" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43UL_2fmKu336BqlQvRU-R-c-XRXBWrm4igWsq6JMQXMElYFWu3Q2WsDB6gmDlhgtb1xP4WxrcRZkHsZQWwcCFNDaDD6C6uJQF287qxWcWm9TbsYTO4QzRAlVQ-kbdy8eUev3/s200/dummy.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>8. Portishead – DUMMY</strong></div><div>For all of its <em>noir</em>-drenched gloom, this landmark set remains accessible and oddly inviting because Geoff Barrows and Beth Gibbons paid as much mind to melody and song structure as they did to tension, texture and cannily-employed samples. They had a keen sense of humor as well (“Nobody loves me / it’s true / (pause) / not like you do”), even if steadily shattering laments like “Glory Box” and “Roads” left a more indelible impression.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ-knKNOXonAx8Z-SEOvS0qzAsnKMSalHcovZJAi3_bXeHE_Mr0jZDef74ajgO-jYRcLpHCVQsr524vQ2knZbCc6zjR1nrzUam_uQvmLhbDlVIA7WNw_wRiqTKpR41jRRkOf6/s1600/bloodletting.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576696967168518626" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ-knKNOXonAx8Z-SEOvS0qzAsnKMSalHcovZJAi3_bXeHE_Mr0jZDef74ajgO-jYRcLpHCVQsr524vQ2knZbCc6zjR1nrzUam_uQvmLhbDlVIA7WNw_wRiqTKpR41jRRkOf6/s320/bloodletting.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>7. Concrete Blonde – BLOODLETTING<br /></strong>Still one of rock’s most underrated vocalists, Johnette Napolitano makes up for a lack of technique with how her beguiling wail magisterially fills a space. Although the title track established her band as favorites in Goth circles, the album’s bulk is less theatrical and brooding. She supposedly wrote these songs in a rush after deciding not to break up her band, and their urgency comes through in undulating detail.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5aOZZMl7Pk2Pcg-uwXBdHohhKNneXuQkTHygu5zV6zPTP64bMys7LP97s7kkWf2Av2mMr9-AC9W_Zlk3E_ZmPSjp88atKuC528RTU72BWrOeZysZvmCOiiKWbIqPBq1YioKt/s1600/so+tough.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576697147627957074" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5aOZZMl7Pk2Pcg-uwXBdHohhKNneXuQkTHygu5zV6zPTP64bMys7LP97s7kkWf2Av2mMr9-AC9W_Zlk3E_ZmPSjp88atKuC528RTU72BWrOeZysZvmCOiiKWbIqPBq1YioKt/s320/so+tough.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>6. Saint Etienne – SO TOUGH<br /></strong>Using an up-to-the-minute cut-and-paste aesthetic, this trio curates a music geek’s joyride through decades of pop effluvia from a decidedly British viewpoint. In a series of wild juxtaposes, heavenly strings and wide-eyed innocence sit next to a swirling guitar loop sampled from a Rush song, and the soaring, sighing seven-minute impressionist epic “Avenue” never loses its footing even as it threatens to be forever whisked away by the wind.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD1FykpbPiWvB-ndPnLrJFcyNOhBomKBf9gRrUjZ9OmgxgvVKGDPr_r11IV5PABx-2uD6AbrJznmBVwe7CNI7DQUAoUDCjRb1rHXgbqZSkcxtqS7xzgvI2eb52_YhCl8PXFy4/s1600/69+love+songs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576697042440123138" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD1FykpbPiWvB-ndPnLrJFcyNOhBomKBf9gRrUjZ9OmgxgvVKGDPr_r11IV5PABx-2uD6AbrJznmBVwe7CNI7DQUAoUDCjRb1rHXgbqZSkcxtqS7xzgvI2eb52_YhCl8PXFy4/s320/69+love+songs.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><strong>5. The Magnetic Fields – 69 LOVE SONGS<br /></strong>Living up to its title, this sprawling triple album contains said number of songs sung by five vocalists in at least twenty-five genres. An extraordinary act of chutzpah for leader/composer Stephin Merritt or his successful bid to be a modern-day Cole Porter? Both, actually—the talent and dedication put into this massive, singular project is such that you almost believe every word, even when deliberately cloaked in irony and pastiche.<br /><div><div><div> </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3deG3eyPp91r_xUnIHzJ8zA17szZVFGzAlhRVCW_4Pq1bWCGV05Xot0qSVYUTRXYpvEJjNe9F3p_8JLUyyZJZ4HrmAANH0xZD_niQF1OWzHFAeMpFVg6hyVqP4CP-NIFeIMd_/s1600/amplified+heart.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576696332011962402" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3deG3eyPp91r_xUnIHzJ8zA17szZVFGzAlhRVCW_4Pq1bWCGV05Xot0qSVYUTRXYpvEJjNe9F3p_8JLUyyZJZ4HrmAANH0xZD_niQF1OWzHFAeMpFVg6hyVqP4CP-NIFeIMd_/s400/amplified+heart.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div><strong>4. Everything But the Girl – AMPLIFIED HEART</strong><br />On first listen, every note seems smooth, sophisticated, carefully chosen and executed, like aural wallpaper for a subdued cocktail party. Then, you notice the raw, messy emotions beneath the glassy veneer; the lyrics surge with longing, regret, disappointment, melancholy, resolve. Although one could interpret a sense of romantic breakdown and failure in the subject matter, after a series of tinny, overproduced EBTG releases, the remarkably stripped-down, elegant music carries with it the promise of rebirth. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFydDXZfFnrPSKjW_ULbv2eTdI_LzRijVZLQopYrmKbkOwXR9XhN3ZmRR2wki-w1T6zQfAWJm5K1EK8gCZ1_rOU9utyu6qv6coulOFwuBzuPcnAp-1VpWQwnHYGSwpnW39kLA/s1600/apartment+life.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576695731244948562" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFydDXZfFnrPSKjW_ULbv2eTdI_LzRijVZLQopYrmKbkOwXR9XhN3ZmRR2wki-w1T6zQfAWJm5K1EK8gCZ1_rOU9utyu6qv6coulOFwuBzuPcnAp-1VpWQwnHYGSwpnW39kLA/s400/apartment+life.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div></div><div><strong>3. Ivy – APARTMENT LIFE</strong><br />Still the best used-CD store impulse purchase I’ve ever made (without having heard any of its contents), this album beautifully captures of ennui of city living near the <em>fin de siècle</em>. From the first crisply strummed chords of opener “The Best Thing” to the overlapping vocals fading into the ether on closer “Back in Our Town”, these songs shift between sun-soaked ecstasy, moody reflection and glistening calm, all punctuated by Dominique Durand’s French-accented croon. It’s a perfect soundtrack for almost any occasion.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0huWZ52nuU5IAaXJ9OotQ1aACt6eSdo3uT9rAMasY6GsTIhwWXfCa2jScfgpxnLV6sbIYIWYARSxJg8_lwoEs1tgyT7DabOhB0XTJ1gqXsmF5Z6GH81UqXzVXTSD-3Qv0GdBU/s1600/if+you%2527re+feeling+sinister.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576695793971244642" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0huWZ52nuU5IAaXJ9OotQ1aACt6eSdo3uT9rAMasY6GsTIhwWXfCa2jScfgpxnLV6sbIYIWYARSxJg8_lwoEs1tgyT7DabOhB0XTJ1gqXsmF5Z6GH81UqXzVXTSD-3Qv0GdBU/s400/if+you%2527re+feeling+sinister.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /><strong>2. Belle and Sebastian – IF YOU’RE FEELING SINISTER</strong><br />This wasn’t the band’s first album, but it was the first one most people heard. To discover it is to stumble upon an anomaly in pop music, an alternate universe that has nearly nothing to do with rock star celebrity or artistic pretension. These literate, bittersweet songs begin quietly (barely audible at times), then gradually build, adding on piano, trumpets and strings until the chorus swells with Stuart Murdoch’s fey warble exuding a force you never guessed it had.<br /></div><div><br /> </div><div><em>Check back in a few days for the number one album (and more)! What could it be, what could it be???</em></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-56613334515700347422011-03-01T00:00:00.009-05:002011-03-01T00:00:12.035-05:00TOP FIFTY ALBUMS OF THE '90s: # 20-11<div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkednzw80strSXEX7U5sdY6N5sj9jhsxhH9qXHEKqi3lquExs6Q2TwayHXJsFcol1Xv7avnYzUEMw7qYGYaP3_R5HbmEi3CmtFabnZRvqeSqgjJXSpCJUJQLj_W36yvGaHUUnK/s1600/nonsuch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576695452374393826" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkednzw80strSXEX7U5sdY6N5sj9jhsxhH9qXHEKqi3lquExs6Q2TwayHXJsFcol1Xv7avnYzUEMw7qYGYaP3_R5HbmEi3CmtFabnZRvqeSqgjJXSpCJUJQLj_W36yvGaHUUnK/s400/nonsuch.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><strong>20. XTC – NONSUCH</strong><br />Slightly ahead of their time as usual, this splendidly overstuffed salvo appeared at the height of an alternative nation obsessed with edgy rock, predating the return of Britpop by a few years. That it went mostly unheard at the time nearly lends it a sense of awe now, whether it’s aiming for the pastoral (“Wrapped in Grey”) or the jugular (“The Ugly Underneath”).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUP9i0-41vAobQlbVWroaq0kZeyqjy4A3pnGXeZZMa-gmxTs0pcXrT1NMekZl0moMXUdjvRZdc_8xIYFl9KILTpTCmLPjCq6uz94aG0ce_DuNtpK_luZFTt-8EMUsOZn5iu0th/s1600/ruby+vroom.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576695387230733426" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUP9i0-41vAobQlbVWroaq0kZeyqjy4A3pnGXeZZMa-gmxTs0pcXrT1NMekZl0moMXUdjvRZdc_8xIYFl9KILTpTCmLPjCq6uz94aG0ce_DuNtpK_luZFTt-8EMUsOZn5iu0th/s400/ruby+vroom.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><strong>19. Soul Coughing – RUBY VROOM</strong><br />Forget Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins—<em>this</em> was alternative rock, in which “vocalist” M. Doughty talked/scatted/halfway sung over stand-up bass, live drums and a symphonic array of samples (anticipating The Avalanches by half a decade). More beat poetry than white-boy hip-hop (with “Bus to Beelzebub" a gleeful mixture of the two), it hasn’t dated at all.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL15GPLn8i15ShtMhs4wBfXn_nLl6Yr4KwbCGxGn_nLs2BKLKvQCwmzljvt3Mxv_8xA6zPQrSBMZMvxqG0yoPJqOEgbIJylBFxG-Vfm76jrMfMyL77xnpNhke1xAPVd6otWKoS/s1600/it%2527s+heavy+in+here.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576695296760932738" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL15GPLn8i15ShtMhs4wBfXn_nLl6Yr4KwbCGxGn_nLs2BKLKvQCwmzljvt3Mxv_8xA6zPQrSBMZMvxqG0yoPJqOEgbIJylBFxG-Vfm76jrMfMyL77xnpNhke1xAPVd6otWKoS/s400/it%2527s+heavy+in+here.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div><strong>18. Eric Matthews – IT’S HEAVY IN HERE<br /></strong>Since Matthews’ chamber pop seemed so entirely out of time in 1995, it’s no surprise that it has aged so well. The catchy opening “Fanfare” remains his best song and a strong entry point, but it leads to various tangents and hidden passageways: the lyrics give precious little clue as to what he’s singing about, but the delicate, stripped down arrangements conjure a secret, special place I never tire of returning to.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzfzLT-FhxWqt28LfXzaR8W9oR8WS8MT6v6ARp7obWO6QKXlnXXq-d5RLbw0lqQCq2EDcf3j4_DLeCDOs2Fei48aICdXjj2tpSYnQuIaCSdWcjHhNOJBvMss40SIsWMj9-NSc/s1600/kerosene+man.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576695221490407250" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzfzLT-FhxWqt28LfXzaR8W9oR8WS8MT6v6ARp7obWO6QKXlnXXq-d5RLbw0lqQCq2EDcf3j4_DLeCDOs2Fei48aICdXjj2tpSYnQuIaCSdWcjHhNOJBvMss40SIsWMj9-NSc/s400/kerosene+man.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>17. Steve Wynn – KEROSENE MAN<br /></strong>Former Dream Syndicate leader Wynn is perhaps my favorite unsung singer/songwriter. Although a bit slicker than subsequent efforts, his first solo album still serves as a good gateway into his back catalogue. Veering from jangle pop and twangy country rock to guitar grunge and even a little noir tango, it’s nonetheless a coherent sampler. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdoCyRQEWWVXz-0CuQmjbJbhyphenhypheniZhHhBm5hmPRNpegfIosia0MTOfTJEHIwm3HUro4bJAo5LBZBwKOTMMS_BJ_0WoQ1CAp3KB-XDashv9bq78dnF-DOOvmhlj4CrCDKU6nUM1Q/s1600/little+earthquakes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578451329690787010" style="WIDTH: 138px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdoCyRQEWWVXz-0CuQmjbJbhyphenhypheniZhHhBm5hmPRNpegfIosia0MTOfTJEHIwm3HUro4bJAo5LBZBwKOTMMS_BJ_0WoQ1CAp3KB-XDashv9bq78dnF-DOOvmhlj4CrCDKU6nUM1Q/s320/little+earthquakes.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><strong>16. Tori Amos – LITTLE EARTHQUAKES</strong><br />How did a record this intensely personal resonate with so many people? Amos not only updated Joni Mitchell’s confessional girl-and-a-piano style for a different age, she also made it her own—even the Kate Bush comparisons seem simplistic now. After all, the young Kate never came up anything like “Silent All These Years” or a “Me and a Gun”, just as the young Tori set an impossibly high standard she arguably hasn’t matched since.<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MYhSY_PKfd4Ld2fCYmQYLkJxQEoLeSmUjnBFcaP4W3z1v_mVn8WAV9VD7iUesor-ihf6GNe4nwY8tIiMIazXPbJO9sV6xipFNUFafJCAZrUbfNmqiBeMbhcLCzB0ZtPa1Yf1/s1600/dilate.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576694850935463554" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MYhSY_PKfd4Ld2fCYmQYLkJxQEoLeSmUjnBFcaP4W3z1v_mVn8WAV9VD7iUesor-ihf6GNe4nwY8tIiMIazXPbJO9sV6xipFNUFafJCAZrUbfNmqiBeMbhcLCzB0ZtPa1Yf1/s320/dilate.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div><strong>15. Ani DiFranco – DILATE<br /></strong>On her most focused, complete studio album, DiFranco sings of a love affair’s dissolution and aftermath—not an original template to follow, but in her hands it never feels obvious or heavy-handed. Kicking off with possibly the most scathing “fuck you” ever recorded and concluding with quiet resignation and possible enlightenment, she works through personal demons while sustaining your attention every step of the way.</div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578451245985090146" style="WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 122px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqd8KsfyXtS1USmUia50AJT_yvpVnuqlVYM5xQURmV_SyikJQHOFcejkPpvBjD6RFh1lw2mB-EvnWXKC5xKkUr41gJ-Elfn3Rk-laXydps_VEfIVpVeIFXnjB5PjWqy9HLEy-g/s320/tiger+bay.jpg" border="0" /><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>14. Saint Etienne – TIGER BAY<br /></strong>Only knowing the altered U.S. version, I vastly underrated this release until I finally heard the original U.K. edition with the correct sequencing. The most cinematic of St. Et albums, it's an ever-changing canvas of electronic symphony, hushed folk and flamenco disco, but get the version with this cover: you need to hear the seven minute whole of “Western Wind/Tankerville” in order for closer “The Boy Scouts of America” to make its wallop of an impact.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIliCoM0CT_N6WaQxpDuEczXdTiaozSuxWa5X2Gu2nImXye4Aw-seL9aQKYKhcsATDuJ9Ya9ZUEphz41_xUXY0TWIyp4ezXTwcnNuhJja_Oi29uh9ZBpqYlN7kIudoy9OwyS9/s1600/very.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578451151584842434" style="WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIliCoM0CT_N6WaQxpDuEczXdTiaozSuxWa5X2Gu2nImXye4Aw-seL9aQKYKhcsATDuJ9Ya9ZUEphz41_xUXY0TWIyp4ezXTwcnNuhJja_Oi29uh9ZBpqYlN7kIudoy9OwyS9/s320/very.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>13. Pet Shop Boys – VERY</strong><br />Ostensibly Neil Tennant’s larger-than-life coming-out party, this is an intriguing turning point for the Pets. Still carefully cloaked in irony and metaphor, these songs further expose the emotional, vulnerable core beneath the surface while maintaining a sense of renewal and ecstatic joy: who else could reveal the yearning and poignancy lurking within the glorious camp overtones of The Village People’s “Go West”?</div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNbQ4Ns9BhpNPyfVbvbK1hW0xtw4a9D_nuDuQ8fVx3e3go2U8Cmg_YoP-5ygK2IyPoPa4kqldyO-NccFq1iphTog-88APNJf7vqVG56Tk1wEQJx2hodLQqyMhl8whDsh79yhj/s1600/i%2527m+with+stupid.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576694261432949346" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNbQ4Ns9BhpNPyfVbvbK1hW0xtw4a9D_nuDuQ8fVx3e3go2U8Cmg_YoP-5ygK2IyPoPa4kqldyO-NccFq1iphTog-88APNJf7vqVG56Tk1wEQJx2hodLQqyMhl8whDsh79yhj/s320/i%2527m+with+stupid.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div><strong>12. Aimee Mann – I’M WITH STUPID<br /></strong>Wiping away some of its predecessor’s gloss, Mann’s second solo outing turns up the fuzz-tone guitars and tightens the melodies until they gleam like late-period Beatles (or, in the case of “Superball”, Josie and the Pussycats if they really rocked). Rarely has any artist channeled her misery into something so tart, therapeutic, caring and merciless—not for nothing is “You fucked it up” the first song's first line.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvYnKxtTT9cJJBhh1KtT4aCG0k_c763UvS8zdgaWfPrzdtmGdrcQLVnA1QpSClnrW-yM1MTJpaL36E17Ccwv8CcjbSeq0X6uwFLz1TBE8vD52kTioc0BmqxfBqThIE6ciD9Gv/s1600/parklife.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578451078050664610" style="WIDTH: 143px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvYnKxtTT9cJJBhh1KtT4aCG0k_c763UvS8zdgaWfPrzdtmGdrcQLVnA1QpSClnrW-yM1MTJpaL36E17Ccwv8CcjbSeq0X6uwFLz1TBE8vD52kTioc0BmqxfBqThIE6ciD9Gv/s320/parklife.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>11. Blur – PARKLIFE</strong><br />Unlike their more homogenous efforts, this one’s all over the place stylistically, chewing up, spitting out and recontextualizing British bands of yore without ever sounding derivative. Yet, it dexterously holds together, indulging in cheeky wordplay (the chorus of “Girls and Boys”) over a mutation of genres. Fortunately, they also balance their skepticism with at least some affection for their suburban middle class roots.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-52499679596940204292011-02-26T10:11:00.000-05:002011-02-26T10:12:33.120-05:00TOP FIFTY ALBUMS OF THE '90s: # 30-21<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iGMFg5V5DzLvUeloy9NtV3oQfqugH1tUOtXIbbdG9I7a6ckctZ_Uea8Kc5AZZ3EvYVy9bkJgOUxmlsC7LuYRg8Bx5vrY1JanJa5ZybAG8tHpqUpKWtD3HWPmtFE4zLmKMdRe/s1600/hedwig.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578014117116816594" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iGMFg5V5DzLvUeloy9NtV3oQfqugH1tUOtXIbbdG9I7a6ckctZ_Uea8Kc5AZZ3EvYVy9bkJgOUxmlsC7LuYRg8Bx5vrY1JanJa5ZybAG8tHpqUpKWtD3HWPmtFE4zLmKMdRe/s320/hedwig.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>30. Original Cast Recording – HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH</strong><br />Avoiding the bloat and phoniness that has plagued many a rock musical, John Cameron Mitchell’s glam cabaret act drew from various recognizable influences but transformed them into something new: personal yet engaging, his songs (co-written with Stephen Trask) not only brim with a sassy wit and an earned poignancy, they also convincingly rock.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNdSHkeW0Pqc0dV-UqGACBoqxOpHD35BmyYIzpVo7YPocLHik_BmXm3zZ0Trc3Evl4-vZEmuciMJPD_3dgAIZcR6VLcGjkXBIkOIJ08MIUOYxNfZehUOl00xr9j8HFB8RImjl/s1600/erotica.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578014042643086418" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNdSHkeW0Pqc0dV-UqGACBoqxOpHD35BmyYIzpVo7YPocLHik_BmXm3zZ0Trc3Evl4-vZEmuciMJPD_3dgAIZcR6VLcGjkXBIkOIJ08MIUOYxNfZehUOl00xr9j8HFB8RImjl/s320/erotica.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>29. The Darling Buds – EROTICA</strong><br />The final album from these feisty Brits had the misfortunate to come out around the same time as Madonna’s similarly-titled effort, thus dooming it to obscurity and cut-out bins across the land. Too bad--their sublime dream pop version of My Bloody Valentine wrapped layers of guitars and tart hooks around Andrea Lewis’ playful, knowing vocals.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAINsLKkzdHWNWUmuAVmzEhbIqwIiBiUwfNrGd5xR72Qca5cbzH599PtbIai5k6d_McGd7Xn_L0NZPYR4X8l5MjxB93dxPfSUssD2kaeVivYiCsNZJx67oqzOUs9WHsjVaGPsn/s1600/when+the+pawn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013979172630210" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAINsLKkzdHWNWUmuAVmzEhbIqwIiBiUwfNrGd5xR72Qca5cbzH599PtbIai5k6d_McGd7Xn_L0NZPYR4X8l5MjxB93dxPfSUssD2kaeVivYiCsNZJx67oqzOUs9WHsjVaGPsn/s320/when+the+pawn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>28. Fiona Apple – WHEN THE PAWN…</strong><br />Apple wears her neuroses on her sleeves but doesn’t always shy away from trying to figure them out. This can be intimidating for those looking for instant gratification from a pop song. The thing is, once you rationalize her methods with her obvious melodic talent and lyrical prowess, no matter how long it takes for a song to sink in, once it does, it’s unshakable.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgy38ywnNcnBQjvak5gYJIgfORgMX-eftscHZB54F11F9Q75oEG-ilW8xWkPTDlDANzDYGFCo1-1ElIMUURgrKukwKFsbHPQUiI5wJKRMyzmLYolKy_GRNnIttJTSHCf-m-rh/s1600/whatever.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013882186946754" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgy38ywnNcnBQjvak5gYJIgfORgMX-eftscHZB54F11F9Q75oEG-ilW8xWkPTDlDANzDYGFCo1-1ElIMUURgrKukwKFsbHPQUiI5wJKRMyzmLYolKy_GRNnIttJTSHCf-m-rh/s320/whatever.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>27. Aimee Mann – WHATEVER</strong><br />The girl with the braid from Til Tuesday surprised everyone with this solo debut: uncommonly mature, elegant and sharp, it didn’t receive a fraction of the radio airplay it deserved. Although the slick, bright production dates it more than Mann’s subsequent work, it’s also intriguingly devoid of the wry bitterness Mann would make her stock in trade.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMlp56DCbvc3gXwC-wQ7H6aPzKn2YghGe-VK3J3y9XCr_YhvpQgsaLLbOO_-HG_E-bQEItjE06SNMyhkyuVIX6H_z2lCENe3lgRMc5H_s4YsbR5EI4eYOK1hR3n_vBWCKbCRL/s1600/future+listening.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013805388322434" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMlp56DCbvc3gXwC-wQ7H6aPzKn2YghGe-VK3J3y9XCr_YhvpQgsaLLbOO_-HG_E-bQEItjE06SNMyhkyuVIX6H_z2lCENe3lgRMc5H_s4YsbR5EI4eYOK1hR3n_vBWCKbCRL/s320/future+listening.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>26. Towa Tei – FUTURE LISTENING!</strong><br />Formerly of Deee-Lite (whose WORLD CLIQUE just missed cracking this list), Tei promisingly kicked off a solo career with this playful set that could be summed up by the song title “Technova”: colliding electrobeats with Antonio Carlos Jobim and featuring a who’s-who of ‘90s bossa nova acolytes (including Bebel Gilberto), it’s breezy yet stimulating fun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT4m1Kh4wzTPNtfTjmk8XhTcxvCJwpbjWFwqrGXKqwYXsJtJwbBd0wmf-ZLJgt8TRdQDxE9b8v-ooybvSXVIPXYhOGnUYuq3SoqVonA7VyAy2WtU826iA0txJECrBjaH50p4x/s1600/seal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013668731004594" style="WIDTH: 115px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT4m1Kh4wzTPNtfTjmk8XhTcxvCJwpbjWFwqrGXKqwYXsJtJwbBd0wmf-ZLJgt8TRdQDxE9b8v-ooybvSXVIPXYhOGnUYuq3SoqVonA7VyAy2WtU826iA0txJECrBjaH50p4x/s320/seal.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>25. Seal – SEAL (1991)</strong><br />His gradual descent into Adult Contemporary Hell makes this now 20-year-old debut all the more remarkable for its unadulterated weirdness: it’s almost as if he can’t decide whether to be a dancefloor belter, soulful crooner or enigmatic seeker, so he’s a little of all three, often on the same song.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA17SzjS-snWiDBBBtA_Kv6olanROTEiWABqfWcTL-UGHtlrMLAn-YTQCPX93_2_jRsCje_-M3Fv7q_WDhry3st9gozk2ik0DenBDM_HGSsRB-T_sb3_Ovoz_Q1R0X8o7OxNQs/s1600/sound+of+music.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013591304734818" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA17SzjS-snWiDBBBtA_Kv6olanROTEiWABqfWcTL-UGHtlrMLAn-YTQCPX93_2_jRsCje_-M3Fv7q_WDhry3st9gozk2ik0DenBDM_HGSsRB-T_sb3_Ovoz_Q1R0X8o7OxNQs/s320/sound+of+music.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfB3ROD4xtKlD6pM9-g5iL4DV64fnZMcSPNT7SX5zsYYolLgrTPRGVBhG9ie7UPG1IZCiIDVQFiEd0zcKyoqVj-weFQQW7YaMm4ArcG1C75aa0wF4R8wSRnyxsrnYM5cRzoq2/s1600/sound+of+music.jpg"></a><strong>24. Pizzicato Five – THE SOUND OF MUSIC BY</strong><br />Japanese studiomeisters pillage a selection of decidedly American songs and rev it up past the postmodern mark until it resembles either a TV game show theme or a Burt Bachrach strung out on pixy stix. However, with elusive diva Maki Nomiya at their disposal, they spin ample gold out of so much sugar.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5GZAichyphenhyphenHYa3ZIPk2-fFxax-lkcI-SWXu-cxY9PBRxQd1u7CFzx7VrYes7KBwVlo0xOv4VZu5zg3lHHvHhWiYITuMui02Pzq-bAqTXepDLjK2FVoTpe5UdNUdqurR1lxNs5E/s1600/bellybutton.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013510957513122" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5GZAichyphenhyphenHYa3ZIPk2-fFxax-lkcI-SWXu-cxY9PBRxQd1u7CFzx7VrYes7KBwVlo0xOv4VZu5zg3lHHvHhWiYITuMui02Pzq-bAqTXepDLjK2FVoTpe5UdNUdqurR1lxNs5E/s320/bellybutton.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>23. Jellyfish – BELLYBUTTON</strong><br />Sounding like Squeeze and early Cheap Trick at possibly the least coolest time ever to do so, this admittedly silly-looking outfit made gushingly irresistible music that encompassed psych-pop, Brill Building craft, bubblegum, The Beatles and even a little bossa nova–and it remains more durable than you’d ever expect.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIENyxA0i6LddPTYgM7ii1T80CGl23cDyDqtjxF95CEJC6X_d5A8M41iw18BSBhonnIh5pweFNV1Mhceu0Av0aFo_I999gTQBaChrDVdkHbaUkDfBtdYQGE4JQv2bkWaYa5ppT/s1600/good+humor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013421411334818" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIENyxA0i6LddPTYgM7ii1T80CGl23cDyDqtjxF95CEJC6X_d5A8M41iw18BSBhonnIh5pweFNV1Mhceu0Av0aFo_I999gTQBaChrDVdkHbaUkDfBtdYQGE4JQv2bkWaYa5ppT/s320/good+humor.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>22. Saint Etienne - GOOD HUMOR</strong><br />Varying from their usual cultivation of instrumentals, film snippets and other experimental detours, this very British trio hooks up with the producer of The Cardigans and affectionately gazes back to late '60s/early '70s AM radio heaven. Vocalist Sarah Cracknell also displays an ever deeper, more versatile tone that fully complements the songs' puppy dog warmth.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HYCcHjhx5mR4_b7n05cwSxu_FuAkgU088OZ_BonvSB_lGKtn8MWVX1BShyphenhyphenb33JmgAieDuO14lEb6xV6nhWIDkFebqc6kdOedZi4twBzK-r6gPqaj68HqbS9m612Ha6A8zAbs/s1600/whatever+and+ever+amen.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013214109151890" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HYCcHjhx5mR4_b7n05cwSxu_FuAkgU088OZ_BonvSB_lGKtn8MWVX1BShyphenhyphenb33JmgAieDuO14lEb6xV6nhWIDkFebqc6kdOedZi4twBzK-r6gPqaj68HqbS9m612Ha6A8zAbs/s320/whatever+and+ever+amen.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1DEf6B4ZXwN7Tg9W3s5PVee6yCcrLL5gTNeiT3LAUzlJyJ8pfTNwOlgk14mgYRaU3YNH49CyJa_K4VqrKGyPP5QmzV-S5dHNQeWylxSRI2ulyJzTYa8BlPw8T0-D8e8yo_pr/s1600/whatever+and+ever+amen.jpg"></a><strong>21. Ben Folds Five - WHATEVER AND EVER AMEN</strong><br />Against charges of insincerity and excess cleverness, Folds initially had the talent and tunes to answer his distractors, plus the depth and finesse to prove them wrong. If a rant like "Song For the Dumped" remains a little crude (if riotously cathartic), somber, more pensive numbers like "Evaporated" and surprise hit ballad "Brick" still reveal the vulnerable soul behind the smart-ass.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-85527579136924855502011-02-24T00:00:00.002-05:002011-02-24T14:27:27.513-05:00TOP FIFTY ALBUMS OF THE '90s: # 40-31<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4-3lB1do777-0lOIAZuuh8jGsMe6lyWA-BeFe-v7H-YYcZ18AHgHUOQgrzy_dJXLwHhMbitZd79d0hhmfm5K3S-A5-eDn7w1btWEbg0hs2HlHhlDTerG2vIusVnSoUAV6cFI/s1600/exile+in+guyville.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576680401223019330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4-3lB1do777-0lOIAZuuh8jGsMe6lyWA-BeFe-v7H-YYcZ18AHgHUOQgrzy_dJXLwHhMbitZd79d0hhmfm5K3S-A5-eDn7w1btWEbg0hs2HlHhlDTerG2vIusVnSoUAV6cFI/s320/exile+in+guyville.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>40. Liz Phair – EXILE IN GUYVILLE<br /></strong>No longer crossing my fingers for a middle-aged masterpiece from this woman given her recent dubious exploits, I’m still thankful I’ll always have this brash, clever, bratty song cycle to return to: a raw, arresting, unapologetic blow-jobs-and-all account of a 26-year-old woman in a male-centric world.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaVTvs8v9DyxsaLThMcdLgNeJE5mQ4dvApA3zvbL5EIPM8aAvkACx9lpJ78lOj9ZJwkG72bm7E0g0wt1o7t3NpR_xqhweQpwRpkLLkLxEdzcwNLG_pYYB2O7Uj9JqmBf9Ts05/s1600/viva+la+woman.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576680339838260466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaVTvs8v9DyxsaLThMcdLgNeJE5mQ4dvApA3zvbL5EIPM8aAvkACx9lpJ78lOj9ZJwkG72bm7E0g0wt1o7t3NpR_xqhweQpwRpkLLkLxEdzcwNLG_pYYB2O7Uj9JqmBf9Ts05/s320/viva+la+woman.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>39. Cibo Matto – VIVA! LA WOMAN<br /></strong>If Yoko Ono had collaborated with the Beastie Boys, this sample-heavy concept album about food might have materialized. Goofy, surreal and occasionally menacing (all at once on “Birthday Cake”), it makes me nostalgic for a time when MTV would air something so deranged, even if it was only on <em>120 Minutes</em>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxT_HjbJPp-df-Fgbfjg041wzWNLBclMzv2oq0EpXBY1U0AJG3A8QkCc4eeVJXTwsHZHXySJsrH-BQI0HeJ0GJspnryi8Dbs8GUrKrEWhyWiv3bD8EX26irqg1zGopaesXYxW3/s1600/living+in+clip.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576680254126746306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxT_HjbJPp-df-Fgbfjg041wzWNLBclMzv2oq0EpXBY1U0AJG3A8QkCc4eeVJXTwsHZHXySJsrH-BQI0HeJ0GJspnryi8Dbs8GUrKrEWhyWiv3bD8EX26irqg1zGopaesXYxW3/s320/living+in+clip.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>38. Ani DiFranco – LIVING IN CLIP<br /></strong>Since her many, many studio albums only sporadically nail down her onstage energy and presence, this double live album remains an essential overview, even more so for capturing the spontaneous, intimate, mesmeric vibe of being there like few other live albums.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DP3BabE3rz2XyDuuWupgRF2jtWoljC__QyDSH4xfWQW2qp5IGx7OZqjpLfNFNPDGK_ASPHKYCrZwCl_usFPg53EpRiGEwJZDwa3qodc0iwwoAE1j4szs4g7GvfgAHmu2hpcE/s1600/jill+sobule.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576680140045803154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DP3BabE3rz2XyDuuWupgRF2jtWoljC__QyDSH4xfWQW2qp5IGx7OZqjpLfNFNPDGK_ASPHKYCrZwCl_usFPg53EpRiGEwJZDwa3qodc0iwwoAE1j4szs4g7GvfgAHmu2hpcE/s200/jill+sobule.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>37. Jill Sobule – JILL SOBULE</strong><br />The original, way better “I Kissed a Girl” is only an entry point into an enchanting world of sketchy boyfriends, mysterious co-workers, daydreamers and other lovingly drawn winning losers - it's a shame her Major Record Label didn't help her much in becoming more than a novelty one-hit wonder.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsw93elTiWDs9xqBv5baTwY1qykk70cuAF2EFNl52VA05LtivatQArVHrrrYSakaJG0Tv-_9Fmi4f9q1dh5YqDhGP3LKHrXuSAUZQRL4MMxEgZJEZUruHjLRLA7cYshIZC5-l/s1600/cruel+inventions.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576679967720714082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsw93elTiWDs9xqBv5baTwY1qykk70cuAF2EFNl52VA05LtivatQArVHrrrYSakaJG0Tv-_9Fmi4f9q1dh5YqDhGP3LKHrXuSAUZQRL4MMxEgZJEZUruHjLRLA7cYshIZC5-l/s320/cruel+inventions.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>36. Sam Phillips – CRUEL INVENTIONS</strong><br />A more introspective and acidic Phillips emerges on her second secular album. Like ever-shifting puzzles, the songs simmer with both lyrical and musical intricacies, but they never obscure such olive branches as a gorgeous Van Dyke Parks string arrangement or a declaration like “If I told myself I believed in love and that’s enough, I’d be lying.”<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbpfC2UD4T8G6-S4Eb7YDik-JkPsHyAYhDMOCXy8RIdkS22MJx0TDRd8YPZCerkUqiyees-dcqwLDZgYL2k_xJTOtcUmFitjHm3qteeb4sz8OqWRLyF0R5i97I8A8FXCZavIl/s1600/realistic.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576679869060944738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbpfC2UD4T8G6-S4Eb7YDik-JkPsHyAYhDMOCXy8RIdkS22MJx0TDRd8YPZCerkUqiyees-dcqwLDZgYL2k_xJTOtcUmFitjHm3qteeb4sz8OqWRLyF0R5i97I8A8FXCZavIl/s320/realistic.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>35. Ivy – REALISTIC</strong><br />On their full-length debut, this French female-fronted trio comes off less like the pop sophisticates they would evolve into and more like Mazzy Star at a slightly quicker tempo…which proves a brilliant idea once the actual songs emerge from the overall heavenly, atmospheric gauze, hitting their targets with gentle aplomb.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ZXCuJayiAnhEZvMclVp6Pirimfwwdkkh0q-61vak_rwox71PYwUqMhuvsI2t0SBaTswMD4Wq-X5KCKKTf14DdY4mw7v98H-Byu1KvnsfBl7u_cQXGxkoiZ68pS0C-eF2b2f/s1600/nine+objects+of+desire.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576679784994444034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ZXCuJayiAnhEZvMclVp6Pirimfwwdkkh0q-61vak_rwox71PYwUqMhuvsI2t0SBaTswMD4Wq-X5KCKKTf14DdY4mw7v98H-Byu1KvnsfBl7u_cQXGxkoiZ68pS0C-eF2b2f/s320/nine+objects+of+desire.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>34. Suzanne Vega – NINE OBJECTS OF DESIRE</strong><br />Many fans loathe her two ‘90s albums produced by now ex-husband Mitchell Froom, but I love how his elaborate, quirky settings occasionally scrape against her clean, unfussy vocals. Here, her lyrics seem particularly inventive as they craft unique metaphors out of such standard subjects as sexual attraction (of various shades) and maternal love.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeP8qFqfuMZAtrPtyfHWcLe0vjBuX8_fvl5eB8KKkjS7pdfqq7xgfvY_S1ReDOCat9pu1Vw6e25g0rAkNNg7qoBmjohyOKUWfUZ-8tl_1YrgiTddrNoIo7SGVufeuliwpQ4AP/s1600/gun+shy+trigger+happy.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576679683528188994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeP8qFqfuMZAtrPtyfHWcLe0vjBuX8_fvl5eB8KKkjS7pdfqq7xgfvY_S1ReDOCat9pu1Vw6e25g0rAkNNg7qoBmjohyOKUWfUZ-8tl_1YrgiTddrNoIo7SGVufeuliwpQ4AP/s320/gun+shy+trigger+happy.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>33. Jen Trynin – GUN SHY TRIGGER HAPPY<br /></strong>Witter and wiser than most alt-rock chicks of her time, Boston-based Trynin deserves to be more than a footnote. Her second (and final) album crosses Chrissie Hynde (at her most self-assured) with Joni Mitchell (at her most confessional). It actually rocks while projecting vulnerability and subtlety, which perhaps is why it has aged so well.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm8PvCGxCEHHgX80IS37QAqABQiIVHhgVroBOITjNjrdezt4C87DfiTsgghXbUe3unwIjX3FaWo_wzoTUc_PbhzlFB4fbek3ehTEA0gx9p_NlzStQ8i_wW4qt8cYUkgPyYm8E/s1600/mezzanine.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 115px; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576679589584922818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm8PvCGxCEHHgX80IS37QAqABQiIVHhgVroBOITjNjrdezt4C87DfiTsgghXbUe3unwIjX3FaWo_wzoTUc_PbhzlFB4fbek3ehTEA0gx9p_NlzStQ8i_wW4qt8cYUkgPyYm8E/s400/mezzanine.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>32. Massive Attack – MEZZANINE<br /></strong>Their first two albums invented and perfected trip-hop, but their third proved far more prescient. Suffused with an encroaching dread verging on decay, it negated any feel-good optimism of its time, instead anticipating the darker days ahead. And yet, it’s all so seductive and alluring—not for nothing did “Teardrop” become a TV show theme song.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_FjmV-mQjS41H0NVt4VvbuvZuVdFbCqWeknHcUbSilb3sSf7bnqywaNZyKumdutrCK7glVDdxXpmCVWNqvj_fFRhuOJ2xjZvb5GvOgoGjAIRN6kN42ao7olPoppz21C_jPhz/s1600/ingenue.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 160px; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576679334175470258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_FjmV-mQjS41H0NVt4VvbuvZuVdFbCqWeknHcUbSilb3sSf7bnqywaNZyKumdutrCK7glVDdxXpmCVWNqvj_fFRhuOJ2xjZvb5GvOgoGjAIRN6kN42ao7olPoppz21C_jPhz/s320/ingenue.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>31. K.D. Lang – INGENUE</strong><br />Never a genre conformist, Lang’s shift from country to torchy adult pop still radiates bravery in an environment where far too many artists allow themselves to be boxed into neat, identifiable packages; it also succinctly creates a special, singular space for her nuanced, dramatic voice.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-35336065206954307982011-02-22T00:00:00.002-05:002011-02-22T00:00:02.244-05:00TOP FIFTY ALBUMS OF THE '90s: # 50-41Here's a long-delayed follow-up to <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-music-of-00s-recap.html">my oughties list</a>. 14 years old when the '90s began, I cannot stress enough how important the decade was in cultivating my taste in music. You can read more about that <a href="http://lymejello.blogspot.com/2005/12/secret-history-index.html">here</a>. For now, here's # 50-41:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWJht07oETPBnJ1IysIQtr5NcvlYmnpbDcyZQIYxCEa74qvnN0PTMVoQrXsE-mGxiHcCwlAmTHqmQ6CuKo8yuMsBuQYpyU-QIullujc8SGDQ4Abk59PIUAkiaViwLS6djd02V/s1600/got+no+shadow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576352082295373554" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWJht07oETPBnJ1IysIQtr5NcvlYmnpbDcyZQIYxCEa74qvnN0PTMVoQrXsE-mGxiHcCwlAmTHqmQ6CuKo8yuMsBuQYpyU-QIullujc8SGDQ4Abk59PIUAkiaViwLS6djd02V/s320/got+no+shadow.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>50. Mary Lou Lord – GOT NO SHADOW<br /></strong>On this former Boston-area busker’s most endearing album, lush, polished arrangements and melodies cancel out her vocal limitations while preserving her charming naivete. It's a well sequenced set of songs (including a definitive cover of Freedy Johnston’s “The Lucky One”) that nails her amiable persona just as well as her on-the-street performances.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpc0703Uj-fLGI3vNRmKlNb1Pl7-1zE3dub-pqwz-D18DP1ehLJIBDtUUY_Huokg6UEG9vaBC4vJ3V_u1lt97TYokN6VftjLwLIjkTyMXG3wVGBSuaI2MDoPS6Gz_RMXIOy2b/s1600/grace.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576351938476183026" style="WIDTH: 115px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpc0703Uj-fLGI3vNRmKlNb1Pl7-1zE3dub-pqwz-D18DP1ehLJIBDtUUY_Huokg6UEG9vaBC4vJ3V_u1lt97TYokN6VftjLwLIjkTyMXG3wVGBSuaI2MDoPS6Gz_RMXIOy2b/s400/grace.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>49. Jeff Buckley – GRACE<br /></strong>You may never need to hear his startling but overplayed rendition of “Hallelujah” again, but Buckley’s only real album still seems gloriously out of time: tender, torturous, melodramatic, beguiling—not even a kindred spirit like Rufus Wainwright has come close to topping it.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDzQ7V-OHkeDkUX7eppTVPac60Y1w3Y_lxCXAaDR9YxpsPxc7QmZKYdF5w4Q23CHIvHSpZxB-8uIEkDa0miQl5QknGAS7Xn46BOtsSMHC-PoGZPPVD7WLW5bXAVMRprfsE-jp/s1600/flood.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576351719585251602" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDzQ7V-OHkeDkUX7eppTVPac60Y1w3Y_lxCXAaDR9YxpsPxc7QmZKYdF5w4Q23CHIvHSpZxB-8uIEkDa0miQl5QknGAS7Xn46BOtsSMHC-PoGZPPVD7WLW5bXAVMRprfsE-jp/s320/flood.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>48. They Might Be Giants – FLOOD</strong><br />John and John’s third LP transports me back to my 18-year-old Geek Self – despite the bargain-basement soundscapes and bad puns, I can’t deny its abundance of miniaturist triumphs, from the nagging, insistent “Particle Man” to perfectly quirky pop centerpiece “Birdhouse in Your Soul”.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoRuZIAlj-ZtIvtQAW09X2R3yJR5iiSXxLTVkpKy0thVMGcAdv4FFVCyhkm5FkWVw2ZotZMTtmq67raKnyCbXZMqpgOCIGtdR5mJFZNJnEHnkC_q8lTgHsQ4msTs9H0xK7bQ5/s1600/Dig+Me+Out.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576351591889739154" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoRuZIAlj-ZtIvtQAW09X2R3yJR5iiSXxLTVkpKy0thVMGcAdv4FFVCyhkm5FkWVw2ZotZMTtmq67raKnyCbXZMqpgOCIGtdR5mJFZNJnEHnkC_q8lTgHsQ4msTs9H0xK7bQ5/s200/Dig+Me+Out.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>47. Sleater-Kinney – DIG ME OUT<br /></strong>In which a female power trio build on the neat-in-theory concept of riot grrrl rock by displaying real musicianship and enveloping intricate twin guitar lines and vocal parts into hookier-than-fuck songs. During a decade largely absent from energetic, fun stuff of the Violent Femmes/B-52’s variety, this deftly filled a void.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA9uOipIGZqbwJACThL2UVjn48d5FKtZSZETjSzdYhWngefo8j_zsLOjcGFcMd-s73stTlziUjPhWv1mbIaH77njig5r3we0SZZTnnPV5X8Xy8K0mg5veFJiCNJiVlU9c4A0H/s1600/on.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576350641194206674" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNA9uOipIGZqbwJACThL2UVjn48d5FKtZSZETjSzdYhWngefo8j_zsLOjcGFcMd-s73stTlziUjPhWv1mbIaH77njig5r3we0SZZTnnPV5X8Xy8K0mg5veFJiCNJiVlU9c4A0H/s320/on.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>46. Echobelly – ON<br /></strong>As I tire of revisiting certain old favorites, I’m increasingly drawn back to second stringers that never really made it, like these Brit-pop also-rans. Fronted by an enticing female Morrissey impersonator, their tart, crunching guitar rock could’ve been a crack, less fey imitation of The Smiths high on a sugar rush.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WR2jjo72wAV-Rw3ZztPq13RctLcHDUmWuwF_cZrUjEq7lbPdVBQl5DlnLcJhBtgEASdjlV9T-Tt5MD3QoSTH58WNwtgTV65Lmv3aRD8lc-LSnzASW2hdEoDMuQ-kAkUJiDu_/s1600/boys+for+pele.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576349106955189506" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WR2jjo72wAV-Rw3ZztPq13RctLcHDUmWuwF_cZrUjEq7lbPdVBQl5DlnLcJhBtgEASdjlV9T-Tt5MD3QoSTH58WNwtgTV65Lmv3aRD8lc-LSnzASW2hdEoDMuQ-kAkUJiDu_/s320/boys+for+pele.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>45. Tori Amos – BOYS FOR PELE</strong><br />Initially baffled by this sprawling, double album length set of often angry, crazy songs liberally sprinkled with harpsichord, lyrical non-sequitors and cathartic wailing, it took years to decipher it as a ‘90s equivalent to Kate Bush’s THE DREAMING - it creates a similar mood, even if the landscape sounds a thousand miles away.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_quwN_rXrt9q_d5zJSHDQlnm2r08FKeOynk-MmAda4TrY_PBYaL89m4t5qmqXL5wsqnnAOZ74bo2cmwlF9aIYjGkGXdlhRSSAlTXlyVUwDef-MdtrVIVaAi9AUrXkWJWynMA/s1600/trailer+park.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576350363212226658" style="WIDTH: 115px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 115px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_quwN_rXrt9q_d5zJSHDQlnm2r08FKeOynk-MmAda4TrY_PBYaL89m4t5qmqXL5wsqnnAOZ74bo2cmwlF9aIYjGkGXdlhRSSAlTXlyVUwDef-MdtrVIVaAi9AUrXkWJWynMA/s320/trailer+park.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>44. Beth Orton – TRAILER PARK</strong><br />A shifting template of acoustic and electronic elements gives Orton’s debut tension and texture, but her voice compels and commands even as she threatens to drift away altogether. She never achieved such a stasis again, and I’m still perplexed and intrigued as to how she pulled it off.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEyGGXaOyYqOuh7HSkRVHS0AxqEzxDceg0C5URRpVaORV_yXJKJcbXEIJdBQ2xNQAWm7vp9koDioWG3SsJX8T8dmSEDHfpEAdTkbTpDZOWbBK5w9kC1gDeqnRi6DfxakZ78oF/s1600/joys+and+concerns.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576352341867853730" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEyGGXaOyYqOuh7HSkRVHS0AxqEzxDceg0C5URRpVaORV_yXJKJcbXEIJdBQ2xNQAWm7vp9koDioWG3SsJX8T8dmSEDHfpEAdTkbTpDZOWbBK5w9kC1gDeqnRi6DfxakZ78oF/s320/joys+and+concerns.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>43. The Negro Problem – JOYS AND CONCERNS</strong><br />Always difficult to pin down, Stew bends and twists disparate genres to fit his unique worldview. A song about a network news anchor morphs into a psychedelic near-freakout, a playful ditty about an iconic toy ponders its homosexuality, and so on, but you never doubt Stew's sincerity toward his subjects.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiJIS_SliCsQE8YcNX-bSmaw9lYDKUUnk_9gFjt5aDGgj0e21LQfsSx_DUmn_JSAk3eUsCdvH938PfQF0XKzmnxIJtFxxnkusXgfTjvGC9efXlZjGm2WzJm206Ul8Mg-L049s/s1600/diary+of+a+mod+housewife.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576348600383239554" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiJIS_SliCsQE8YcNX-bSmaw9lYDKUUnk_9gFjt5aDGgj0e21LQfsSx_DUmn_JSAk3eUsCdvH938PfQF0XKzmnxIJtFxxnkusXgfTjvGC9efXlZjGm2WzJm206Ul8Mg-L049s/s320/diary+of+a+mod+housewife.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>42. Amy Rigby – DIARY OF A MOD HOUSEWIFE</strong><br />If rock and roll is youthful by nature, then Rigby, in her late 30s when she cut this solo debut, never had a chance of becoming more than a cult artist. Fortunately, she effortlessly connects with anyone willing to listen, whether she’s wistful and sweet (“Beer and Kisses”) or swaggering and defiant (“20 Questions”).<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRQcyASUhmEPGQver9kBXmBQiC8owo0ahfo0U3bvx0xGfQ0tcq_fkqFg1A7FNhdPFCaMtjGZHbYEU_Q1lzKkdf_sFEVmv-tEfQQC5I0wGF92cK2OZkow8jjOR3vCGCv9Y74mm/s1600/apple+venus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576348524242991730" style="WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRQcyASUhmEPGQver9kBXmBQiC8owo0ahfo0U3bvx0xGfQ0tcq_fkqFg1A7FNhdPFCaMtjGZHbYEU_Q1lzKkdf_sFEVmv-tEfQQC5I0wGF92cK2OZkow8jjOR3vCGCv9Y74mm/s320/apple+venus.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>41. XTC – APPLE VENUS (VOLUME ONE)<br /></strong>Speaking of encroaching middle age, this “mature”, mostly orchestral work from a veteran new wave combo brims with more life than all of the young bands heavily influenced by their earlier work, thanks to often scathing, occasionally poignant, always eloquent ruminations on aging gracefully and honestly.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-35893071331584110282011-02-18T09:34:00.002-05:002011-02-18T09:39:32.545-05:00(STILL A) WEIRDO<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TUv9AMB9cz8?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="480" height="295" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />As I enter a new age bracket (in some questionnaires, anyway), this neatly sums up what I'm feeling today.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-43940965190480473282011-02-12T12:18:00.001-05:002011-02-12T12:18:18.732-05:00ISLAND LIFE<div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571502924901532642" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgY2kaG7q_V__BiXwnvF_mldynUEBEfAvnSqS01FCxj09OO2Ta5gop8smDOPqmBuadyiRWGfg28NzRG5pVL8NMkWLdNzkkvzOj5-6yi1PzocY79yufsEYnTgj91VxppK3D7YeQ/s400/St.+John+2011+435.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>Vacation photos, part 2! Since St. John does not have an airport, we had to fly into St. Thomas. We didn't spend much time there - it felt a little too busy, full of junky gift shops and cabbies harassing you for a ride at every corner.<br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571502578110128466" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxMuWcpguYjhPRi-5632TjeKL2e_A62ueKEWetEP1JKHxvZetSoBXNmj_G1pTvGXEUAaM81J8QKZjdSiAvN_B5AjFJRpeo4SpKfd03xJsZoIaWWME-8ZiOoOaSH2EKLoFjYO1/s400/St.+John+2011+240.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>Sleepy, remote St. John was more our speed. Most nights, we left the resort to have dinner in funky Cruz Bay, the island's only town of sorts (Coral Bay, on the island's other end, is more of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it village, complete with goats blocking traffic on the highway).</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU9G7MKKtcMfNPDzFOinbL6sFUFRG9uWIV6KKMfd0lJnHjkcDL-O96QTpDPZR_9pbqZc4SXcV0nQYKhlyYX7RvMuzwtx_MjFOjoTe6VcXPVB5YAmNLy-KPOSPe7LJYMycXZ5U/s1600/St.+John+2011+245.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571502220894965666" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU9G7MKKtcMfNPDzFOinbL6sFUFRG9uWIV6KKMfd0lJnHjkcDL-O96QTpDPZR_9pbqZc4SXcV0nQYKhlyYX7RvMuzwtx_MjFOjoTe6VcXPVB5YAmNLy-KPOSPe7LJYMycXZ5U/s400/St.+John+2011+245.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Not the island's most picturesque spot, Cruz Bay nonetheless has its charms...</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2lThvBLOniSUkOP88BTsCYfrLrjl5_3uv5Y3wvOgEXhgJQd56Cev6kPU4YoKyOTKqsqXVN92FHuOcLftFSyviPtxJTlwi3MUH5rfyvv2tmYgBOFtfQJBkW7flDle4MIMioAv/s1600/St.+John+2011+243.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571501908393140130" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2lThvBLOniSUkOP88BTsCYfrLrjl5_3uv5Y3wvOgEXhgJQd56Cev6kPU4YoKyOTKqsqXVN92FHuOcLftFSyviPtxJTlwi3MUH5rfyvv2tmYgBOFtfQJBkW7flDle4MIMioAv/s400/St.+John+2011+243.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>...such as this colorful residental space, organically tucked into a plaza full of restaurants and little shops.</div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-ehkR_x6cPmODbNN51sLD3hJC4Iihyl_s4GqV6lnltnXn1u1O6hVi86NSXZDo2N-r1HgLgjdblfxzxcRniATWWvDEbwLlNvD_3b7porjDnikZTWor0-OJh9EjoNwv_yNEfcJ/s1600/St.+John+2011+237.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571501503480246578" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-ehkR_x6cPmODbNN51sLD3hJC4Iihyl_s4GqV6lnltnXn1u1O6hVi86NSXZDo2N-r1HgLgjdblfxzxcRniATWWvDEbwLlNvD_3b7porjDnikZTWor0-OJh9EjoNwv_yNEfcJ/s400/St.+John+2011+237.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>I took this pic for the "N' Mo" and received an additional, one-of-a-kind sign (on the left) as a bonus.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxW4RgsANLX3ZiB4f2b08kctWAmPRp3LjU6wa9NoQ7qsmgEsuC-tz7_QYUeDiWC97ZW91DKq9cToNluF7FHhivMcQWfjb7W1C8SxwiHOwsmu6BI50AWIwubwFuHdHQE9_l9Yh/s1600/St.+John+2011+251.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571501064303515682" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxW4RgsANLX3ZiB4f2b08kctWAmPRp3LjU6wa9NoQ7qsmgEsuC-tz7_QYUeDiWC97ZW91DKq9cToNluF7FHhivMcQWfjb7W1C8SxwiHOwsmu6BI50AWIwubwFuHdHQE9_l9Yh/s400/St.+John+2011+251.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Even shopping complex Mongoose Junction, the town's most blatant tourist destination, seems unique and constructed to blend in with the surrounding landscape.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBbmXfjaMyeqLqsPNvFD_OZWw8ZOOYOXsp4WdYD7lrVNl6eeZak8WzxS81pIu_aXTmDw58fDELqLHOGX3IV_CENuj3LNl66in15OsyzCmpIgmBgYtPKXdZqypUlv76bRok37i/s1600/St.+John+2011+103.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571500745436905474" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBbmXfjaMyeqLqsPNvFD_OZWw8ZOOYOXsp4WdYD7lrVNl6eeZak8WzxS81pIu_aXTmDw58fDELqLHOGX3IV_CENuj3LNl66in15OsyzCmpIgmBgYtPKXdZqypUlv76bRok37i/s400/St.+John+2011+103.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>One day, we rented a jeep so we could explore the rest of the island. It proved a challenge - not only do people drive on the left side of the road, the roads themselves are among the steepest and curviest I've seen.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKaVQ3EVI6vphsC_ZTOX7oA0T2xVmoaS0_bqagpl5Q-Rogieys-sHsaCfOzXq6Plar-36BLFQvuk6zNzj7rCuPrK8csb1pJk0zy-FL4cE3Xd_fDiURtXSMlQCroZM2UiO3ve4/s1600/St.+John+2011+108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572829123443735762" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKaVQ3EVI6vphsC_ZTOX7oA0T2xVmoaS0_bqagpl5Q-Rogieys-sHsaCfOzXq6Plar-36BLFQvuk6zNzj7rCuPrK8csb1pJk0zy-FL4cE3Xd_fDiURtXSMlQCroZM2UiO3ve4/s400/St.+John+2011+108.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Overlooking Maho Bay (yes, the sea appears this gorgeously blue everywhere there).</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNZ9KI3H1vjMNiZrrm-sYLU3xmE_moBzO5joo6fQ7fHExTxkmYwP-v5p0E298SMjOO7piceZHLHbg6RKNFHHTWVQEsSuSSUnSxShuCcUd5KUrzRpyD5gL9gG96LoOeWeJ8ceJ/s1600/St.+John+2011+168.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571500011612135378" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNZ9KI3H1vjMNiZrrm-sYLU3xmE_moBzO5joo6fQ7fHExTxkmYwP-v5p0E298SMjOO7piceZHLHbg6RKNFHHTWVQEsSuSSUnSxShuCcUd5KUrzRpyD5gL9gG96LoOeWeJ8ceJ/s400/St.+John+2011+168.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>The Annaberg sugar ruins, which overlook this:</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0mkJhuOXh_ecYkQLVeCeexOBLZ0aY6HxVq_Wq5PzTxVl6Z1H27idUrz7X1ncsFdXhy7OLEs1WINhCziJKnzGl8ccZRbeZls0v7lMp7qjep1sRvQVq8dgU5hhvGN0VPtsBigk/s1600/St.+John+2011+152.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572826349039411682" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0mkJhuOXh_ecYkQLVeCeexOBLZ0aY6HxVq_Wq5PzTxVl6Z1H27idUrz7X1ncsFdXhy7OLEs1WINhCziJKnzGl8ccZRbeZls0v7lMp7qjep1sRvQVq8dgU5hhvGN0VPtsBigk/s400/St.+John+2011+152.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>A few shots of lovely Leinster Bay, with views of the British Virgin Islands in the distance:</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnhc8x2rCbLocGOjlbdbNTHHwo2RiWOAq6H94oFvLuZMRZKqJqWO71VxcU7ANxz0y-ZP7ymdKPnBgZ9Qcj7JTA8eB3_ghGTL6onckeL59UXR6WpScDXIUL6vmW-0ef9KEPbk5/s1600/St.+John+2011+113.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571498910356430146" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnhc8x2rCbLocGOjlbdbNTHHwo2RiWOAq6H94oFvLuZMRZKqJqWO71VxcU7ANxz0y-ZP7ymdKPnBgZ9Qcj7JTA8eB3_ghGTL6onckeL59UXR6WpScDXIUL6vmW-0ef9KEPbk5/s400/St.+John+2011+113.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzmqWfiFXluKhux9WHzLuow_scOKK5azTDYRnAX0pIguBTgo2d9H2ScvIPxYNlPK_N-FluGQD-kLcJKaxUjwb3b0_S2RsnPKz7zqyAtQWVWQt7zcJYf-_qVxXBG02wa63_nyY/s1600/St.+John+2011+119.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571498551269545810" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzmqWfiFXluKhux9WHzLuow_scOKK5azTDYRnAX0pIguBTgo2d9H2ScvIPxYNlPK_N-FluGQD-kLcJKaxUjwb3b0_S2RsnPKz7zqyAtQWVWQt7zcJYf-_qVxXBG02wa63_nyY/s400/St.+John+2011+119.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviX7lwNVKLFyJG6WSOlIxNzfIoCsb9fmfTyagp3K68IpKfg3xSYnHItQ07ByRloz9P7UAsk-zFVax5FdjPqjwC1BLmlguIiOkhBnp6Fmxh0FQ67z70bIzT7qHkd7Fzs8ZSJRr/s1600/St.+John+2011+123.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571498201825610898" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviX7lwNVKLFyJG6WSOlIxNzfIoCsb9fmfTyagp3K68IpKfg3xSYnHItQ07ByRloz9P7UAsk-zFVax5FdjPqjwC1BLmlguIiOkhBnp6Fmxh0FQ67z70bIzT7qHkd7Fzs8ZSJRr/s400/St.+John+2011+123.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP54KjEw2OuwJnHHhyphenhyphen6PnS2OLn9tL7cusJDMQWYT1UVlLdBx4UbNs9_vRg5B9IOTWcWvkJqiYU_LUQYoOeQ58RRRUV2ubmenZbfYKEH34ofZ-y8ZxfQW9Xc-AJPxaxM7vULBE/s1600/St.+John+2011+267.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571497832323827762" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXP54KjEw2OuwJnHHhyphenhyphen6PnS2OLn9tL7cusJDMQWYT1UVlLdBx4UbNs9_vRg5B9IOTWcWvkJqiYU_LUQYoOeQ58RRRUV2ubmenZbfYKEH34ofZ-y8ZxfQW9Xc-AJPxaxM7vULBE/s400/St.+John+2011+267.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Another day, we took a ferry to Virgin Gorda, which is part of the British V.I. Our resort, Caneel Bay has a sister property there called Little Dix Bay. The trip took a little over an hour and offered some stunning views along the way, such as this majestic house on a rock...<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHewwU-7UfUsksfHo8KzXNNjF5bonExMylY9c1DfQ5WpnKeAxKHzbDmM5cSjhCPwctBH2ymUBIuyaOocpf8t18OP65eAvt_QNqc6Rk9hGK6VI3D4_kaCvrTZvYudr55Nc8xcdK/s1600/St.+John+2011+271.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571497516597174002" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHewwU-7UfUsksfHo8KzXNNjF5bonExMylY9c1DfQ5WpnKeAxKHzbDmM5cSjhCPwctBH2ymUBIuyaOocpf8t18OP65eAvt_QNqc6Rk9hGK6VI3D4_kaCvrTZvYudr55Nc8xcdK/s400/St.+John+2011+271.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>...and this cool, old vessel.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8JRUDnY7FOztbtT63SnTdcJW1FmZAgmjKZqp3JKj6rH0pz5eZ5H40lKKADl3JDJZEM2nFtONojSGRRog2Z2WdrzGF4TYK9qVCtBxKTtZPGWTzuk_IjBhIBUmJwONqlVATrHL/s1600/St.+John+2011+273.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571497191310301042" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8JRUDnY7FOztbtT63SnTdcJW1FmZAgmjKZqp3JKj6rH0pz5eZ5H40lKKADl3JDJZEM2nFtONojSGRRog2Z2WdrzGF4TYK9qVCtBxKTtZPGWTzuk_IjBhIBUmJwONqlVATrHL/s400/St.+John+2011+273.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>After wading through customs and immigration, we boarded a taxi - note its awning, reminiscient of a 1970s lawn chair. </div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblEGzAeefrOLmYsKxcF3hq30Wb4ISRLfweHzRA0XKaCNjPOZHOFKlx95yUVObRzznbTwPeWQ1D3m7ZibvonDlDrXylYhfMEEtI5RSbewcmvgk_fQM7fojq8q-skd14ej8FCAv/s1600/St.+John+2011+296.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571496629675554514" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblEGzAeefrOLmYsKxcF3hq30Wb4ISRLfweHzRA0XKaCNjPOZHOFKlx95yUVObRzznbTwPeWQ1D3m7ZibvonDlDrXylYhfMEEtI5RSbewcmvgk_fQM7fojq8q-skd14ej8FCAv/s400/St.+John+2011+296.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Our first stop was The Baths, which first required a ten-minute walk down to the sea...<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtulmfIWI1ZVPrM81_51LwL9lymPkYzUaPI4LQifGqP_radLTIgk7EER6oekm0_9ZaLdHiYl7taKKsC_q2Mqm7As_eGzO4bbRYwtcJBv_nL7BiFDlZEZQDLd6B305Ym1NrJ4q/s1600/St.+John+2011+288.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571496182163782850" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtulmfIWI1ZVPrM81_51LwL9lymPkYzUaPI4LQifGqP_radLTIgk7EER6oekm0_9ZaLdHiYl7taKKsC_q2Mqm7As_eGzO4bbRYwtcJBv_nL7BiFDlZEZQDLd6B305Ym1NrJ4q/s400/St.+John+2011+288.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>...followed by another ten minutes wedging one's way through (often ridiculously narrow) caves.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZEJi8jlRqVw0ZPZKAmSots9swY_776W_ZNxj1YC8fAjIwHNb5bFsalyioZ4oTJJVvg2iZoZU8PaBlShqXK8eHd63VEGZKR74N03-HQyqZfPBhpNH2BraKdjNayruT_c59w3-/s1600/041.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571495715416597698" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZEJi8jlRqVw0ZPZKAmSots9swY_776W_ZNxj1YC8fAjIwHNb5bFsalyioZ4oTJJVvg2iZoZU8PaBlShqXK8eHd63VEGZKR74N03-HQyqZfPBhpNH2BraKdjNayruT_c59w3-/s400/041.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Fortunately, the destination featured some spectacular views.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60r9wpFCxcT6W5j1TbmBhivl2Doymmn6O6VIwG43vH4vYqTqBZG6hwhnRv7k6X48c5ETF6x4w1vIPnkb8OUh-p8tM0xpQI6vb9ioctX1leVjdlI4uBD3I5P9e5YKQAf0NGRHk/s1600/St.+John+2011+281.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571495538106399874" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60r9wpFCxcT6W5j1TbmBhivl2Doymmn6O6VIwG43vH4vYqTqBZG6hwhnRv7k6X48c5ETF6x4w1vIPnkb8OUh-p8tM0xpQI6vb9ioctX1leVjdlI4uBD3I5P9e5YKQAf0NGRHk/s400/St.+John+2011+281.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>A high surf prevented us from doing much swimming or snorkling, but it was still worth the trip.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJLVV50f4AZTFzxAtl36dO7UNNIi51Y-viLJVTqzcVEdzaVn0WkBNV4DsNpIfnZ0k8P_1g1rWk7DYmGD9futWdvK-S0J52AnIY2KS-2MC7jD5b8rzv5CXtdrYBZEu-z_BzjP2/s1600/St.+John+2011+322.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571495000603109602" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJLVV50f4AZTFzxAtl36dO7UNNIi51Y-viLJVTqzcVEdzaVn0WkBNV4DsNpIfnZ0k8P_1g1rWk7DYmGD9futWdvK-S0J52AnIY2KS-2MC7jD5b8rzv5CXtdrYBZEu-z_BzjP2/s400/St.+John+2011+322.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>Afterwards, we cabbed over to Little Dix Bay for lunch. It's a beautiful property, as you can see in the pictures below, but Steve and I preferred Caneel Bay's more spacious layout.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoOIc2rjVwNzDEbP2vPeWbqUdMTNPN41xKb1pZxDCroEadWjbvybvl7vkErlo0lLjKSz3RMug5lycFK3MndhdXwFz6ydPlBi9pR9gdSmQU_J690KhE4QGLkXvLKcOoM7a5T83/s1600/St.+John+2011+339.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571494092525305378" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoOIc2rjVwNzDEbP2vPeWbqUdMTNPN41xKb1pZxDCroEadWjbvybvl7vkErlo0lLjKSz3RMug5lycFK3MndhdXwFz6ydPlBi9pR9gdSmQU_J690KhE4QGLkXvLKcOoM7a5T83/s400/St.+John+2011+339.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxRmd-69PlMLTvXxrRhUnrAbYj2mvO5af6hBQh0y5mGm3MpGvWQs0MzS1JoGc9rcH8QChiIxKzdxNEPHiuY2RUYc3r5c_74F9Vq-QwBj_TderpVwP2SFonbjzS1zpg18qQ0RW/s1600/St.+John+2011+351.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571493694138050658" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxRmd-69PlMLTvXxrRhUnrAbYj2mvO5af6hBQh0y5mGm3MpGvWQs0MzS1JoGc9rcH8QChiIxKzdxNEPHiuY2RUYc3r5c_74F9Vq-QwBj_TderpVwP2SFonbjzS1zpg18qQ0RW/s400/St.+John+2011+351.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cUT0SjA35_sDF0XXzn26gK_YA-5QskalDX388cS7ZRFJGdL2EOl6p9K01jVtyolf54HMQIYesDSfUTSEFqZ3snGzAJHOF4v3NBNaVRg7YydxhwMwefnhaBn3zF9IGKz6mxTg/s1600/St.+John+2011+353.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571492907580614834" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cUT0SjA35_sDF0XXzn26gK_YA-5QskalDX388cS7ZRFJGdL2EOl6p9K01jVtyolf54HMQIYesDSfUTSEFqZ3snGzAJHOF4v3NBNaVRg7YydxhwMwefnhaBn3zF9IGKz6mxTg/s400/St.+John+2011+353.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReYF5uKomojcnVJd3S5gSv3zJCzcKNv3-7KqJlvQrBBHqRuUmhAy-vXaai5wOyfBEb58VzSkIkqDmPvEzpTI-SCQN8G5fHZCIb2zpDdiZ1Bg3mcmGKc60PGuSw0WdhcAJDryH/s1600/St.+John+2011+340.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571492542875215378" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReYF5uKomojcnVJd3S5gSv3zJCzcKNv3-7KqJlvQrBBHqRuUmhAy-vXaai5wOyfBEb58VzSkIkqDmPvEzpTI-SCQN8G5fHZCIb2zpDdiZ1Bg3mcmGKc60PGuSw0WdhcAJDryH/s400/St.+John+2011+340.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPegm5AMFakI0vQNkoQvc_-MYAB7cthumi-8YGsibq_89XOHoB2O13bv0cxh5QsH1yvB1T4dEPKfU9d1axC8ev3lQic8xmbKuhRUmQrhNxKcN0TTMGMy01AbPou338jFAohyphenhyphen-/s1600/St.+John+2011+331.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571492203541538754" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPegm5AMFakI0vQNkoQvc_-MYAB7cthumi-8YGsibq_89XOHoB2O13bv0cxh5QsH1yvB1T4dEPKfU9d1axC8ev3lQic8xmbKuhRUmQrhNxKcN0TTMGMy01AbPou338jFAohyphenhyphen-/s400/St.+John+2011+331.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>My favorite part of the whole vacation? Sitting here at Little Dix Bay for about a half-hour, watching the waves and letting any remaining stress just dissolve away. <em>This</em> is why we went to the Virgin Islands.</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-31566111095143528222011-02-07T00:00:00.008-05:002011-02-07T10:25:12.118-05:00ST. JOHN: CANEEL BAY<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4-wD5X-z2TDWuVyoJoYoIsOklI_eqXzu1IBXApjmx0DGx8pnSASozwvN15eClVawR9ERtad6SzTsWGh7bcoT6fRSfyQFca909Lk4whvch2hsLmquTDLi92a2F2OEBIeKzMMI/s1600/St.+John+2011+418.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570586190226794322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4-wD5X-z2TDWuVyoJoYoIsOklI_eqXzu1IBXApjmx0DGx8pnSASozwvN15eClVawR9ERtad6SzTsWGh7bcoT6fRSfyQFca909Lk4whvch2hsLmquTDLi92a2F2OEBIeKzMMI/s400/St.+John+2011+418.JPG" /></a><br /><br />After another soul-crushing New England winter, Steve and I decided it would be necessary to go someplace warm this year. We picked St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since more than half the island is a National Park, it's less developed and tourist-heavy than other Caribbean destinations such as St. Thomas - in other words, perfect for us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2atPIsUbl1lxaECqOOc61lMJevY-tHJidYEpdGFCG23m-rYuX2Q9V6TZpKxqpNAjQMtBhyphenhyphenkc_uE3O_RJsKInY7AUaw5E3Ut9RTESP_v_YuxSbFuyYgiGQ2B1KXhVgtaKBwfS6/s1600/St.+John+2011+366.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570585042587971938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2atPIsUbl1lxaECqOOc61lMJevY-tHJidYEpdGFCG23m-rYuX2Q9V6TZpKxqpNAjQMtBhyphenhyphenkc_uE3O_RJsKInY7AUaw5E3Ut9RTESP_v_YuxSbFuyYgiGQ2B1KXhVgtaKBwfS6/s400/St.+John+2011+366.JPG" /></a><br /><br />We stayed at Caneel Bay resort, which this post will feature. Because St. John does not have an airport, we flew into St. Thomas and then took a ferry directly to the resort - this was our most welcoming first view.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh679NEaQZ80L8k6rv2BsqwB3NgkvrwbiXsvhrKhLEF8TwtyGhCda_4eLd1gTYGQn_8w-QMKQGjccB_xvWaE3PSTwdAUAfaUtHElErE50Ji0_AFpt4qUAXAxH85GT-hOXlneiBC/s1600/St.+John+2011+198.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570584048873425010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh679NEaQZ80L8k6rv2BsqwB3NgkvrwbiXsvhrKhLEF8TwtyGhCda_4eLd1gTYGQn_8w-QMKQGjccB_xvWaE3PSTwdAUAfaUtHElErE50Ji0_AFpt4qUAXAxH85GT-hOXlneiBC/s400/St.+John+2011+198.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Consisting of 170 acres and 7 beaches, Caneel Bay is a spacious, beautiful property nestled between the coast and St. John's mountainous landscape.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6I5HdgOAbZWYnZlyimvHw5tcYXibbCB43o6hRnNb0KYPSBME1zFQarhni2B0Hx7BLkXGsJK4_dsQfzgci5Emyx6j05VGeRD1PDQWxBZaLJj-HbKW3g7oI1Hie-pv8XClgngw/s1600/St.+John+2011+373.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570583444370108162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6I5HdgOAbZWYnZlyimvHw5tcYXibbCB43o6hRnNb0KYPSBME1zFQarhni2B0Hx7BLkXGsJK4_dsQfzgci5Emyx6j05VGeRD1PDQWxBZaLJj-HbKW3g7oI1Hie-pv8XClgngw/s400/St.+John+2011+373.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Here's a wide-lens view with the resort's open-air Equator restaurant on the left.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB5GUhp8N7uOu96ZMkNrM9MFFk3H5hFstMwddFwWG2YzPygXI0RUHL_XtW_YiGImc8iKWGpLBjugXmJyUy4L9uzVbVrOxIIez-xcp_ZAwr-iCUhjGl-6ia23n3yo4gOBAVx86/s1600/St.+John+2011+396.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570582935179148482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB5GUhp8N7uOu96ZMkNrM9MFFk3H5hFstMwddFwWG2YzPygXI0RUHL_XtW_YiGImc8iKWGpLBjugXmJyUy4L9uzVbVrOxIIez-xcp_ZAwr-iCUhjGl-6ia23n3yo4gOBAVx86/s400/St.+John+2011+396.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Our accomodations appeared unremarkable from the outside...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis05Ehj4hqk4BdfRtelTHZDCAh1eb2Y8aWydA4BZaJQI6DuReCGiFuejefwcuvP1BQ47lmQ2FZ5uV9M-LiKR22SlTUU4phbRzfMz280fq_xEO1X7Zi9IetG3hDAM36-hcvVOkH/s1600/St.+John+2011+397.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570582363774135026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis05Ehj4hqk4BdfRtelTHZDCAh1eb2Y8aWydA4BZaJQI6DuReCGiFuejefwcuvP1BQ47lmQ2FZ5uV9M-LiKR22SlTUU4phbRzfMz280fq_xEO1X7Zi9IetG3hDAM36-hcvVOkH/s400/St.+John+2011+397.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Inside, however, was surprisingly lovely - cozy and just the right size.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DZOwbRQXvJpZ-nin5BVQdazGzupGH-H3UxQ1VlJIpcRSaZ5fi5oppEolLzLl-JihATG_sVvb1pFnVZPPjYcdR6agkCvn5ntrAZzU7DuxRGbPpdkMvriUlNNzgHo3aUrbMLMx/s1600/St.+John+2011+040.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570581910840779842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-DZOwbRQXvJpZ-nin5BVQdazGzupGH-H3UxQ1VlJIpcRSaZ5fi5oppEolLzLl-JihATG_sVvb1pFnVZPPjYcdR6agkCvn5ntrAZzU7DuxRGbPpdkMvriUlNNzgHo3aUrbMLMx/s400/St.+John+2011+040.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The property features some sugar mill ruins.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIUTyEfp4fgRUyVHg5NdSwH1ZpHYEI3FtLbgdbx7GHHrw9-G9TJb47Mzzl-4xys-O8B3iw9T5PgXldMHOoj2dP6VMa2tnpWB0eoLuHafYXxHgMASdxbnacETKNP8cer5z7Ndp/s1600/St.+John+2011+038.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 263px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570581373179741778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIUTyEfp4fgRUyVHg5NdSwH1ZpHYEI3FtLbgdbx7GHHrw9-G9TJb47Mzzl-4xys-O8B3iw9T5PgXldMHOoj2dP6VMa2tnpWB0eoLuHafYXxHgMASdxbnacETKNP8cer5z7Ndp/s400/St.+John+2011+038.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGp9zjJEkGpy9beLuXmJY_IhhiTT8cbPfG7f0cfFWTPA3_cSgv56_iNGKw3B6TTfIKS7MOBEePQk06txE2et5-6h9y8C8FDIigKnauLhZbM1y5j87Fs9gAhiEq7R0Dm1VVC6fZ/s1600/St.+John+2011+026.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570398298053391490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGp9zjJEkGpy9beLuXmJY_IhhiTT8cbPfG7f0cfFWTPA3_cSgv56_iNGKw3B6TTfIKS7MOBEePQk06txE2et5-6h9y8C8FDIigKnauLhZbM1y5j87Fs9gAhiEq7R0Dm1VVC6fZ/s400/St.+John+2011+026.JPG" /></a><br /><br />For a hefty price, I believe one can privately dine in them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRPAk3PyXq7XhmtqswWXmjEFh7zgnuJIet8ebxWQhmb2gLJwv8EGeSYZ8wHI-JqvV_2WCr5hburnWP9ejJ6B9mTn0_0yzpL51mxLkoariUZZiWI02BhLxmrpeGWmmcHchVD9r/s1600/St.+John+2011+222.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570394495100920482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlRPAk3PyXq7XhmtqswWXmjEFh7zgnuJIet8ebxWQhmb2gLJwv8EGeSYZ8wHI-JqvV_2WCr5hburnWP9ejJ6B9mTn0_0yzpL51mxLkoariUZZiWI02BhLxmrpeGWmmcHchVD9r/s400/St.+John+2011+222.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Caneel's vegetation often seemed more like something one would find in the desert than in the tropics.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeeZL5pKU4hTg7OwFgKg98rGtsHdnZNg8biLDFaeJx1WKLmXU4e__ThELjeG6FQ35sMz_IZDfl81A9Xma-zU0E4s9LcnPbchKZnCw99rOcHzhYuc1awJXsDrzKhlYtfeQ-c9U/s1600/St.+John+2011+056.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570393899791639506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeeZL5pKU4hTg7OwFgKg98rGtsHdnZNg8biLDFaeJx1WKLmXU4e__ThELjeG6FQ35sMz_IZDfl81A9Xma-zU0E4s9LcnPbchKZnCw99rOcHzhYuc1awJXsDrzKhlYtfeQ-c9U/s400/St.+John+2011+056.JPG" /></a><br /><br />However, there were plenty of trees laden with fruit...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO9d-cowcG6AsX5DP5NKWNxh08-u4CKunOgQMmVt0zsq83JDWMpGno199JRZIVlTMunAO5yyWc7UwxBhZgSCyFyJcFlavW5etl4TKau5gPTB1h4Z9ulQ4-mQzzyZoSbWmL7zG/s1600/St.+John+2011+390.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570393066152235042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO9d-cowcG6AsX5DP5NKWNxh08-u4CKunOgQMmVt0zsq83JDWMpGno199JRZIVlTMunAO5yyWc7UwxBhZgSCyFyJcFlavW5etl4TKau5gPTB1h4Z9ulQ4-mQzzyZoSbWmL7zG/s400/St.+John+2011+390.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And of course, palms everywhere.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVaiEP5ZGBTct3M9Hm_R7TLARYAkv0iDc993s4Qv5omz8xslkJSn-AomUeyF_NbMhETs6rDvMmeXpGSNYRdV9Nb1LFwI8vKQiI3q76D-NL8Jj7eynfLQpMQz9HILHoJjkaxr8/s1600/St.+John+2011+391.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570391721758821186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVaiEP5ZGBTct3M9Hm_R7TLARYAkv0iDc993s4Qv5omz8xslkJSn-AomUeyF_NbMhETs6rDvMmeXpGSNYRdV9Nb1LFwI8vKQiI3q76D-NL8Jj7eynfLQpMQz9HILHoJjkaxr8/s400/St.+John+2011+391.JPG" /></a><br /><br />In the background, if you squint hard enough, you can make out some of Caneel's most common animal residents.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUn26GX6Kma0D5lsN-eDak5ze2v-heq0SjxDHJt3oOageKI_EbsAYVBbAsHIpD2RU_M_lr0wqnldo6FTZ9fxAQsL7eqlmsFRkf34xJsoc4VhyphenhyphensK_vfjr7YMfMWAQldjyZde9n/s1600/St.+John+2011+388.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570390468841303506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUn26GX6Kma0D5lsN-eDak5ze2v-heq0SjxDHJt3oOageKI_EbsAYVBbAsHIpD2RU_M_lr0wqnldo6FTZ9fxAQsL7eqlmsFRkf34xJsoc4VhyphenhyphensK_vfjr7YMfMWAQldjyZde9n/s400/St.+John+2011+388.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Donkeys strolled the property with ease.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERtirmV-nzNrqA7s2lI6YXX51PTojiQ6ApIVeXt75GZv8_cXVBRnAE1rCSVF5QRw6RbSZ8spWbr6Rom669TPxeAkbTIUNKNAQvaCfiuPxNYCHarRufnQTpwHc9VNRE2b7SiSw/s1600/St.+John+2011+394.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570389783711091506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERtirmV-nzNrqA7s2lI6YXX51PTojiQ6ApIVeXt75GZv8_cXVBRnAE1rCSVF5QRw6RbSZ8spWbr6Rom669TPxeAkbTIUNKNAQvaCfiuPxNYCHarRufnQTpwHc9VNRE2b7SiSw/s400/St.+John+2011+394.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A few weren't shy, either. This one took an interest and kept inching towards me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYekfmDS9WfLKe-ub714RCYzh0P1V-IBA1PsHxw5OwEFYeZ15XKnBAUy7_uO50A64IRMY5KFCTY3YVcCwE6canFWSIq_GkVr7uqW-eXVwa1lwv0vug68eJh9JbE2dzW9TvZ11/s1600/St.+John+2011+423.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 293px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570389150734600802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYekfmDS9WfLKe-ub714RCYzh0P1V-IBA1PsHxw5OwEFYeZ15XKnBAUy7_uO50A64IRMY5KFCTY3YVcCwE6canFWSIq_GkVr7uqW-eXVwa1lwv0vug68eJh9JbE2dzW9TvZ11/s400/St.+John+2011+423.JPG" /></a><br /><br />We also spotted the occasional iguana.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3yAKuy3PfElVt_60lCbaAaiLdQQQyzWlon3dFSX0Inj6wVOljE-D6d1c-eAbLtVJO-YMCfcxtwjX1L4qxbG8gJxQax4zS9feXMJImcpwrUNUgFhghRR6SBkq3E-dhsmEfPK-/s1600/St.+John+2011+089.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 275px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570388781195124178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3yAKuy3PfElVt_60lCbaAaiLdQQQyzWlon3dFSX0Inj6wVOljE-D6d1c-eAbLtVJO-YMCfcxtwjX1L4qxbG8gJxQax4zS9feXMJImcpwrUNUgFhghRR6SBkq3E-dhsmEfPK-/s400/St.+John+2011+089.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I think I preferred the donkeys.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPK72cmsD2yih5Zx5Prc-tKCh1Ppu7IE306eIKWyv5AHpRLbRnKabD0ke45pgJTIsLUbDEbYx_7nFGhVHGAxOBTC6mLyOet6PDpgaC9iuIWejw7q0p_hF51SUUrCszAb6CZZ9z/s1600/St.+John+2011+061.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570388473462269906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPK72cmsD2yih5Zx5Prc-tKCh1Ppu7IE306eIKWyv5AHpRLbRnKabD0ke45pgJTIsLUbDEbYx_7nFGhVHGAxOBTC6mLyOet6PDpgaC9iuIWejw7q0p_hF51SUUrCszAb6CZZ9z/s400/St.+John+2011+061.JPG" /></a><br /><br />We saw plenty of teeny tiny birds, plus mightier ones such as this pelican-like beauty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-mceskw-pZmTwIC3GB39WaZepQ_sZYeout-yX-t9qXLTnxsRfaek_I4QvpmprrgQYJeefl6dBbxGSmSHs80FXXA3DAVpT5l46vkPGwTntu5nrdqL7ly1RdHqxmOHDVjRP8Ze/s1600/St.+John+2011+402.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570388214185964578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-mceskw-pZmTwIC3GB39WaZepQ_sZYeout-yX-t9qXLTnxsRfaek_I4QvpmprrgQYJeefl6dBbxGSmSHs80FXXA3DAVpT5l46vkPGwTntu5nrdqL7ly1RdHqxmOHDVjRP8Ze/s400/St.+John+2011+402.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I mentioned that Caneel has seven beaches - while we did not lounge at every single one, we spent one afternoon here at Scott Beach.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnykswW5ihuFFxhu6Dk7MuDKBrN_bdAIIpE3Cc_T5Gfu63wKu7wNmT-9oQocsSAwyqob4jafbKKItFHaZKap7EaQC0wH0cG1ZBErOcYOvAUipwayW3agfKSosUB-QZLgt-GhZD/s1600/St.+John+2011+405.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570386366617257186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnykswW5ihuFFxhu6Dk7MuDKBrN_bdAIIpE3Cc_T5Gfu63wKu7wNmT-9oQocsSAwyqob4jafbKKItFHaZKap7EaQC0wH0cG1ZBErOcYOvAUipwayW3agfKSosUB-QZLgt-GhZD/s400/St.+John+2011+405.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Snorkling in the clear blue Caribbean, we saw a stellar assortment of tropical fish, plus one massive turtle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe1GalSicOGNKzkwLqHOo13PmwHP-ssdrXv6ptClN794A9BmpyuF0b0N2gj_H2sYQ5iCVgaTdfGIHEQGmmLihyphenhyphentn3950vyrXaM8Taceto1x9TIQtWJwZEVKKPpzbnuyvCr3VF/s1600/St.+John+2011+367.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570387883411949746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFe1GalSicOGNKzkwLqHOo13PmwHP-ssdrXv6ptClN794A9BmpyuF0b0N2gj_H2sYQ5iCVgaTdfGIHEQGmmLihyphenhyphentn3950vyrXaM8Taceto1x9TIQtWJwZEVKKPpzbnuyvCr3VF/s400/St.+John+2011+367.JPG" /></a><br /><br />This lady had the right idea - although not oppressively hot, the temps reached the mid-80s every single day.<br /><br /><div><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570385737938812242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgo22bpP50C9yixylqe2pOdElsEqi8yZpj3x43uRmOGB82bfmsym5CpklzcOYbVE-rpL6TSK9UeGlnsusgdJnmKMMr7jEP_TrpRtaCu_XaBTGZi6tXRqk68dztWopSx0XGnzn/s400/St.+John+2011+412.JPG" /></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Sunset at the sugar mill ruins, gazing upon the St. Thomas horizon. Check back soon for more pictures from the rest of the island (and beyond).</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-58377151071957101902011-01-31T21:37:00.003-05:002011-01-31T21:41:02.116-05:00PARADISE FOUND<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS5utdKlQLH0Qu5usZqXWoUfxIneZQx6okMbbki55tNP1GTYt6ZEsJ9_p9lKHFSg3oenk9TTvkq0lZ_VfTHkqMAJdP73WGZxoBSp0BBFTQiDaoyIHMvWcP1d1kxg8EowAzN_W/s1600/045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568545092055799954" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglS5utdKlQLH0Qu5usZqXWoUfxIneZQx6okMbbki55tNP1GTYt6ZEsJ9_p9lKHFSg3oenk9TTvkq0lZ_VfTHkqMAJdP73WGZxoBSp0BBFTQiDaoyIHMvWcP1d1kxg8EowAzN_W/s400/045.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It feels absolutely <em>surreal</em> that I lounged on this Caribbean beach less than a week ago. More pictures to come...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-23368467182479235182011-01-20T00:00:00.004-05:002011-01-20T09:55:54.209-05:00THE BEST FILMS OF 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ0pCrcm0HXHuaDq9Tyi3f6oM0p_SZ4MJ-vC-zdgLAfrPrgyHiYwTS-K8iuPQVHs04ddr7yHxHq8OiRp1SKPz0UPNcmWzG_Wpgg29AxnmV_skjY3Ojxf1oRRKJL5UylRDM5co/s1600/exitgift.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 218px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564071619192365810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ0pCrcm0HXHuaDq9Tyi3f6oM0p_SZ4MJ-vC-zdgLAfrPrgyHiYwTS-K8iuPQVHs04ddr7yHxHq8OiRp1SKPz0UPNcmWzG_Wpgg29AxnmV_skjY3Ojxf1oRRKJL5UylRDM5co/s400/exitgift.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>1. EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP</strong><br />When I saw graffiti artist Bansky’s documentary early on in its theatrical run, I did not even question whether it was real or a hoax—I completely <em>bought</em> the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction account of transplanted French shopkeeper Thierry Guetta, who captured nearly an entire artistic movement with his video camera and then turned it on its head by becoming its most outlandish participant. At face value, the film exhilarates via its ingenuous construction and shrewd critique of street art’s inevitable commoditization. That it might all be made up is less a cheat and more a fascinating study of just what an audience will take at face value.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgEV5arUlfwV56r7mKKYDqBCXxZxBxKtvMeyCRF_y3eAMKG-3PMlLsR-GuZTWjpxduaojgr1VHb1ztitnKSvJJgFXaplPahRug5VpqzNRllg8GbfdP0DMurQg4hcuRiyP1xo5/s1600/winters-bone.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564071396087056978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgEV5arUlfwV56r7mKKYDqBCXxZxBxKtvMeyCRF_y3eAMKG-3PMlLsR-GuZTWjpxduaojgr1VHb1ztitnKSvJJgFXaplPahRug5VpqzNRllg8GbfdP0DMurQg4hcuRiyP1xo5/s400/winters-bone.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>2. WINTER’S BONE<br /></strong>Debra Granik’s award winner and surprise hit could be a textbook example of everything good about independent film, yet it’s almost too good to set aside as a mere example. The story concerns a teenager (the superb Jennifer Lawrence) in the Missouri Ozarks searching for her father, who has disappeared after selling the family house as a jail bond, but Granik is more concerned with creating a vivid sense of place and unforgettable characters such as John Hawke’s weathered, strung-out uncle and Dale Dickey’s vicious yet oddly maternal force-of-nature. Stark but deeply affecting and authentic, the film expertly humanizes a world foreign to most of us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W6l7yLAYQLdIfo1tTrtFsn8pm_KRKXdK-VQRlET8mocN7JTxrYhDhgfhyphenhyphenWuvYvPvk68xuneNCuIVpKiUrMdQ-I0X5cLVJldEsuEdK2QmLbuOUnjEQSUaAlqfieZT6RZ9GlZr/s1600/Jack-Goes-Boating-3.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564071182747667698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8W6l7yLAYQLdIfo1tTrtFsn8pm_KRKXdK-VQRlET8mocN7JTxrYhDhgfhyphenhyphenWuvYvPvk68xuneNCuIVpKiUrMdQ-I0X5cLVJldEsuEdK2QmLbuOUnjEQSUaAlqfieZT6RZ9GlZr/s400/Jack-Goes-Boating-3.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>3. JACK GOES BOATING<br /></strong>I’m baffled as to why most critics underrated or altogether dismissed actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s warm, poignant directorial debut. His adaptation of Robert Glaudini’s play is an actor’s showcase for sure as all four principals shine (particularly John Ortiz). However, Hoffman also demonstrates a real talent for combining a feel for life’s daily rhythms with a wistful, poetic style that points towards magic realism without seeming false or strained. He’s made a lovely little film about genuine people falling in and out of love, and I hope he gets to direct another one.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxUM7u8d2yDLghjLkAPHC_YTaVv20wfttHyGyZvGr-NKhajLfaiMXpsZn4VIJa-6Rd9Tto4YNferMq_vq8AW5EIKimwrIS2TpPHcugiWHjlbtPqgFKGkpgeTKLPl-Ut34H4b0/s1600/Marwencol.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 281px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564070959451305314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxUM7u8d2yDLghjLkAPHC_YTaVv20wfttHyGyZvGr-NKhajLfaiMXpsZn4VIJa-6Rd9Tto4YNferMq_vq8AW5EIKimwrIS2TpPHcugiWHjlbtPqgFKGkpgeTKLPl-Ut34H4b0/s400/Marwencol.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>4. MARWENCOL<br /></strong>A masterful illustration of art-as-therapy but also a haunting, riveting profile—after years of supervised rehabilitation following a violent attack on him by six men, Mark Hogencamp deals with his trauma on his own by constructing an ever-more elaborate facsimile of a World War II era Belgian village populated with dolls which he then photographs. Serious and profound rather than kitschy and flippant, he creates great art—as does director Jeff Malmberg, who carefully reveals one by one the hidden layers of Hogenkamp’s astonishing story without any exploitative slant.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJG4sn440OqyJekSSGhTakdAlFH2xOlLO7OpTpgXpcKVrbDLy7s9KDBZVAOx7oncaMNeFWGH2CBCCYVcEteYBHXFlmTvBXJtMU_4PCrAxC4OnCmt-T1Ty2H8jshLFm28dvv0z/s1600/the-social-network2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564070782408716018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJG4sn440OqyJekSSGhTakdAlFH2xOlLO7OpTpgXpcKVrbDLy7s9KDBZVAOx7oncaMNeFWGH2CBCCYVcEteYBHXFlmTvBXJtMU_4PCrAxC4OnCmt-T1Ty2H8jshLFm28dvv0z/s400/the-social-network2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>5. THE SOCIAL NETWORK<br /></strong>For something so closely linked to a specific moment in time (in this case, the social media boom of the early-mid Oughts), “The Facebook Movie” recalls 1970s New Hollywood auteur cinema in its preference to character development over generic plot fixtures and by placing faith in an audience’s ability to keep up with its moral ambiguities and briskly paced dialogue (it’s nearly the <em>Arrested Development</em> of biographical dramas). Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin bring out the best in each other, but Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg is for the ages: frightfully intelligent and ruthlessly deceptive, but also seriously flawed and <em>almost</em> someone to root for.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_ngTWoB31Wh5Tl6of_jC_beyq2ICB8KGPNfJLBU_E4xXzjYnN1gzYix8Lfs53yisoSjOom9FS1zNVckCdI9KT6Wt18w5MIpLBWOGoyYVgQg-GrA4aO0HeuwGhV7mJ6k-UeDC/s1600/i_killed_my_mother.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564070280187606770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_ngTWoB31Wh5Tl6of_jC_beyq2ICB8KGPNfJLBU_E4xXzjYnN1gzYix8Lfs53yisoSjOom9FS1zNVckCdI9KT6Wt18w5MIpLBWOGoyYVgQg-GrA4aO0HeuwGhV7mJ6k-UeDC/s400/i_killed_my_mother.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>6. I KILLED MY MOTHER</strong><br />Frankly, I’m a little scared of Xavier Dolan. He wrote, directed, produced and starred in this film and did it all before he turned 20. Not only has he made a personal, poetic work with a clear vision, he’s also uncommonly assured and perceptive—he sees the good in his screen alter-ego Hubert yet he also knows how much of a self-absorbed little prick he can be. Plus, he has an equally endearing/annoying counterpart in his mother (Anne Dorval)—their letter-perfect verbal sparing matches should resonate with any mother and son.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeocWYEq8LxZxGkXbTaw1j9JEiDli9ozkiPvB46uxhFA8MG5k2h5TsWJShyq4mQAks1Ha6MarGDHI8RS33q49NFwjfKHCgLsNLLkx_XX9l8_Rg2beh83XeXgkd6OwF8lDKun2t/s1600/dogtooth.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 265px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564070194626298994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeocWYEq8LxZxGkXbTaw1j9JEiDli9ozkiPvB46uxhFA8MG5k2h5TsWJShyq4mQAks1Ha6MarGDHI8RS33q49NFwjfKHCgLsNLLkx_XX9l8_Rg2beh83XeXgkd6OwF8lDKun2t/s400/dogtooth.jpg" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>7. DOGTOOTH</strong><br />Speaking of clear, unique visions, Giorgos Lanthimos is fully committed to his equally strange and compelling one. In his first feature to get any attention outside Greece, he presents a cautionary tale so theoretically outrageous that it sounds absurd on paper: a man and woman raise their children in complete isolation to protect them from the outside world and instill this artificial world with their own rules and language. A relentlessly black comedy, DOGTOOTH imagines an extreme but (as it plays out) startlingly plausible scenario and sees it through to the bitter (if deliciously ironic) end.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLpvySozLL2k9m3yDAPkubFRNkr0qFB-xUfTR3Ma3t1rxcU-tJ_DDJRTKFZwaEkJdsuqVxb0EbMbQuMIS9bSscMDpBZdetPXVMQz1z16xGF5AKgKDIWwlQWCDXpT8gUnB1R1i/s1600/black-swan.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 217px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564070054840727650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLpvySozLL2k9m3yDAPkubFRNkr0qFB-xUfTR3Ma3t1rxcU-tJ_DDJRTKFZwaEkJdsuqVxb0EbMbQuMIS9bSscMDpBZdetPXVMQz1z16xGF5AKgKDIWwlQWCDXpT8gUnB1R1i/s400/black-swan.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>8. BLACK SWAN</strong><br />Recognizing that the ballet provides an especially intoxicating setting for a psychological horror film, Darren Aronofsky more or less remakes THE RED SHOES with the wizardly, deliberate artificiality of a young Brian De Palma. Thankfully, by reveling in the narrative’s camp tendencies he doesn’t take himself too seriously; nor does he lose control of a roller coaster ride that forever threatens to spin off its rails. After years of showy, not-quite-there work, Natalie Portman gamely proves her mettle—she’s the film’s center, but she also gleefully, confidently loses herself in the process.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_Gzdnrqru8mPdeJENKbi_YzNsQAjoMhskMcnfS_KiCt8FZ3xErleY0vD_EHKc2aaFLyyHpM5nIgV4dDg14RpJav95lafeRe73vXovqJ4r-s_NJK3e3b6D25TbEkqsoefRxXk/s1600/fish-tank.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564069976955970914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_Gzdnrqru8mPdeJENKbi_YzNsQAjoMhskMcnfS_KiCt8FZ3xErleY0vD_EHKc2aaFLyyHpM5nIgV4dDg14RpJav95lafeRe73vXovqJ4r-s_NJK3e3b6D25TbEkqsoefRxXk/s400/fish-tank.jpg" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>9. FISH TANK<br /></strong>Tough teenage protagonist Mia (Katie Jarvis) uses her love of hip-hop dancing as a means of escape from her rough housing project home. Tension mounts as Mia and her young, immature mother’s charming boyfriend (Michael Fassbender) develop a mutual attraction. In her second feature, director Andrea Arnold redeems this not entirely original plot with strong performances and an inspired, dense visual composition (shot in an immediate, TV-like 1.33 aspect ratio), but her decidedly feminine point of view fully distinguishes the film from other British working class dramas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrl7Ie_vD1u1CnBE60G82hmkGIEuCd-kxegMqrUpHp5C4ehebTmBG9FZC3NzTngDgZnqINONgJBb_GwfXG9FzbI0KvEivzJiw5M_I_eu3stH1RU6vsM-LGP4Eus1PoZfbxrQV/s1600/i+am+love.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564069867116000914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrl7Ie_vD1u1CnBE60G82hmkGIEuCd-kxegMqrUpHp5C4ehebTmBG9FZC3NzTngDgZnqINONgJBb_GwfXG9FzbI0KvEivzJiw5M_I_eu3stH1RU6vsM-LGP4Eus1PoZfbxrQV/s400/i+am+love.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong>10. I AM LOVE</strong><br />An unapologetically old-fashioned melodrama centered on a wealthy Milanese family, it will not appease those seeking subtlety (or even logic), but for me, its skill, sheer chutzpah and a divine Tilda Swinton speaking fluent Italian obliterated such concerns. When did anyone last attempt something even remotely like this film’s operatic, furiously-edited finale where the thrilling, maddening score keeps building and building until the whole thing practically explodes? Ridiculously massive and moving, it may take itself more seriously than BLACK SWAN, but it goes for broke (not to mention <em>baroque</em>) without falling apart.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">HONORABLE MENTIONS:<br /></span></strong><br /><strong>BEST WORST MOVIE</strong><br />You can’t piss on hospitality, and you can barely find any flaws in this entertaining, oddly affectionate documentary about a most preposterous low-budget film called TROLL 2.<br /><br /><strong>BLUE VALENTINE<br /></strong>A brutal (if not altogether bleak) dissection of a souring relationship made palatable by strong performances and an honest (if blunt) viewpoint that’s refreshing by most relationship film standards—both indie and otherwise.<br /><br /><strong>EVERYONE ELSE<br /></strong>An even more intense (and thrilling) dissection of a romantic couple, or, to quote <a href="http://justgiblets.com/">Scot Colford</a>, “That moment in a relationship when you see your partner deciding whether he/she would rather be a freak or a douchebag.”<br /><br /><strong>THE GHOST WRITER<br /></strong>An expertly executed Roman Polanski thriller (not so common these days) that uses its eye-catching setting brilliantly and gets good, subtle work from Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan.<br /><br /><strong>THE GOOD HEART</strong><br />Brian Cox and Paul Dano inhabit an un-gentrified New York that tempers its ancient corridors and outdated misogyny with camaraderie and offbeat humor that won’t appeal to everyone, although it should have reached more viewers than it did.<br /><br /><strong>INSIDE JOB<br /></strong><em>This</em> is how to make a film about the 2008 financial crisis—it lays out the facts in a clear, concise manner, then, without any snark, offers real solutions that favor rational thinking over manipulated emotions.<br /><br /><strong>JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK</strong><br />A year in the life of everyone’s favorite bawdy female Jewish comedienne that gains momentum and purpose by exploring how much her ability to work and keep pushing herself is a life force.<br /><br /><strong>MICMACS<br /></strong>Shame on Sony Pictures Classics for almost burying Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest, in which a quirky assembly of misfits become a surrogate family and a makeshift army in typically, crazily inventive Jeunet fashion.<br /><br /><strong>MOTHER</strong><br />Bong Joon-ho (THE HOST) returns with an astutely, intricately plotted mystery anchored by a mother of a performance (literally!) from Kim Hye-ja as someone who takes the notion of protecting her son to an awesome, almost terrifying extreme.<br /><br /><strong>NIGHT CATCHES US</strong><br />Tanya Hamilton’s truly independent, long-gestating project is personal cinema of the sort one rarely sees anymore—her evocation of a specific time and place (1976 Philadelphia) matches her skillfulness in expressing its cultural meaning and significance.<br /><br /><strong>PATRIK, AGE 1.5<br /></strong>Maybe someday an American will make a gay-themed film as sharp and cliché-free as this affable Swedish adaptation of a stage play about a male couple whose adopted son is not what they were expecting.<br /><br /><strong>PLEASE GIVE</strong><br />In her most accomplished work to date, Nicole Holofcener proves herself Woody Allen’s real heir, insightfully weaving together a colorful set of New Yorkers either wracked with too much guilt or lacking an adequate dose of humility.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">TEN EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES...</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(that won't receive Academy Award nominations):</span><br /><br />Paprika Steen in APPLAUSE<br />Emma Stone in EASY A<br />Katie Jarvis in FISH TANK<br />Brian Cox in THE GOOD HEART<br />Anne Dorval in I KILLED MY MOTHER<br />John Ortiz in JACK GOES BOATING<br />Kim Hye-ja in MOTHER<br />Anthony Mackie in NIGHT CATCHES US<br />Ann Morgan Guilbert in PLEASE GIVE<br />Miles Teller in RABBIT HOLE<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>ALSO RECOMMENDED:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Other films which also received at least four stars out of five)</span><br /><br />APPLAUSE<br />CYRUS<br />GREENBERG<br />HIPSTERS<br />HOWL<br />INCEPTION<br />IT CAME FROM KUCHAR<br />THE KING’S SPEECH<br />LAST TRAIN HOME<br />LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL*<br />MY DOG TULIP<br />NEVER LET ME GO<br />PRODIGAL SONS<br />RABBIT HOLE<br />THE SECRET OF KELLS<br />SHUTTER ISLAND<br />SOUL KITCHEN<br />TINY FURNITURE<br />TRUE GRIT<br />WINNEBAGO MAN<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*released on DVD in the U.S. as MANSON, MY NAME IS EVIL, regrettably.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-80557542270531499602011-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:002011-01-11T00:00:05.670-05:00100 FILMS: 2000-2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CJoPcym7h546ozSFmf2-TCN8KH2oRYenPVJC9PNvIbjB82v2DKj3TqjEUJ89mSNOPLUohTvb0lgYWZ-7oLioLiobG1B81-DIQR8W4sDaHcN0fdKkWtmCnTLuscUO7pXmYiGI/s1600/saddest+music+in+the+world.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560763108058908754" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CJoPcym7h546ozSFmf2-TCN8KH2oRYenPVJC9PNvIbjB82v2DKj3TqjEUJ89mSNOPLUohTvb0lgYWZ-7oLioLiobG1B81-DIQR8W4sDaHcN0fdKkWtmCnTLuscUO7pXmYiGI/s400/saddest+music+in+the+world.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">#55 - The Saddest Music in The World</span></em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.chlotrudis.org/content/dreamy-year-end-list-%E2%80%98-mood-love%E2%80%99-heads-chlotrudis-society%E2%80%99s-top-100-films-decade-ish">This year's Chlotrudis poll</a> is a survey of favorite films from the last decade or so (specifically, 2000-2010). Members were asked to submit a top 20 list, which was extended to 50, and then again to 70. I already counted down <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/search/label/movies%2000s">my favorite 50 films of the '00s</a> about a year ago; here's my revised and expanded-to-100 list, with the inclusion of a few 2010 candidates.<br /><br />I wouldn't put too much weight every single ranking, given how fluidly my opinions shift--a week after making this list, I saw BLACK SWAN a second time and would now place it slightly higher.<br /><br />1. The Royal Tenenbaums<br />2. Mulholland Drive<br />3. Beau Travail<br />4. There Will Be Blood<br />5. Y Tu Mama Tambien<br />6. Me and You and Everyone We Know<br />7. Duck Season<br />8. In the Mood For Love<br />9. Yi Yi<br />10. The Return<br />11. Cache<br />12. Before Sunset<br />13. Still Walking<br />14. C.R.A.Z.Y.<br />15. Far From Heaven<br />16. Waking Life<br />17. Lost in Translation<br />18. Spirited Away<br />19. 49 Up<br />20. Let The Right One In<br />21. Exit Through the Gift Shop<br />22. Winter's Bone<br />23. What Time is it There?<br />24. Gosford Park<br />25. American Splendor<br />26. Synecdoche, New York<br />27. Punch Drunk Love<br />28. Man on Wire<br />29. Ghost World<br />30. Donnie Darko<br />31. My Winnipeg<br />32. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days<br />33. Jack Goes Boating<br />34. Talk To Her<br />35. Judy Berlin<br />36. Hedwig and The Angry Inch<br />37. Tarnation<br />38. Clean<br />39. Best in Show<br />40. Marwencol<br />41. 35 Shots of Rum<br />42. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou<br />43. Half Nelson<br />44. The Social Network<br />45. Dogville<br />46. Raising Victor Vargas<br />47. The Triplets of Belleville<br />48. Our Song<br />49. Mysterious Skin<br />50. Morvern Callar<br />51. Away From Her<br />52. The Squid and The Whale<br />53. The Hurt Locker<br />54. Volver<br />55. The Saddest Music in The World<br />56. Children of Men<br />57. The Best of Youth<br />58. Grizzly Man<br />59. I Killed My Mother<br />60. A Serious Man<br />61. The Visitor<br />62. The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters<br />63. The Happiness of the Katikuris<br />64. Amelie<br />65. Not One Less<br />66. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans<br />67. The Incredibles<br />68. Reprise<br />69. Shortbus<br />70. The Beaches of Agnes<br />71. Los Angeles Plays Itself<br />72. The Brand Upon The Brain!<br />73. Hunger<br />74. The Wind Will Carry Us<br />75. Double Dare<br />76. I'm Not There<br />77. The Gleaners and I<br />78. In The Loop<br />79. The Case of The Grinning Cat<br />80. The Host<br />81. Inland Empire<br />82. Goodbye Dragon Inn<br />83. The Flight of the Red Balloon<br />84. Elephant<br />85. 3-Iron<br />86. The Station Agent<br />87. Fantastic Mr. Fox<br />88. Revanche<br />89. Black Swan<br />90. Persepolis<br />91. Sideways<br />92. 25th Hour<br />93. Wonder Boys<br />94. Spellbound<br />95. Lilja 4 Ever<br />96. Dancer in the Dark<br />97. Tropical Malady<br />98. Day Night Day Night<br />99. Songs From the Second Floor<br />100. 2046Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-49697426696869050922011-01-06T00:00:00.002-05:002011-01-06T00:08:26.593-05:002010 BOOKLISTUsually I would rattle off a number of how many novels, memoirs, etc; I read over the past year, but as I examine my list, I'm seeing more than a few books falling into (or inbetween) multiple categories. Anyway, here's five that I really enjoyed:<br /><br /><strong>Robert Altman: An Oral Biography - Mitchell Zuckoff (ed.)</strong><br />Of course Altman's biography should be orally told--what better way to approach the effect of his films' deliberately messy, overlapping dialogue? With everyone from Julie Christie to Cher contributing, it's obviously entertaining but also resonant with echoes and contradictions, just like the omnipresent mirrors in <em>The Long Goodbye</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Party Animals - Robert Hofler</strong><br />A biography of Allan Carr, the larger-than-life caftan-enthusiast who found fame producing the film version of <em>Grease</em> and greater infamy for most of his following projects (including the Village People musical <em>Can't Stop the Music</em>). A frivolously fun must-read for aficionados of artistic folly, camp and 1970s/80s excess.<br /><br /><strong>Zeitoun - Dave Eggers</strong><br />Eggers' account of a Muslim family enduring Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath has all the richly-drawn characters and stop-at-a-dime plot twists of a great novel, even though it's a nonfiction work--perhaps the most damning and artful documentation of that disaster to date.<br /><br /><strong>I Know I Am, But What Are You? - Samantha Bee</strong><br /><em>The Daily Show</em> correspondent Bee's collection of scathingly funny essays presents a winning, bold but self-deprecating persona: she comes off like a friendly neighbor who seems perfectly normal at first glance until she relates to you the time she spent performing in a travelling live version of a Brazilian kids TV show. In other words, the closest female equivalent to David Sedaris I've yet read.<br /><br /><strong>Freedom - Jonathan Franzen</strong><br />One expected an ambitious, sprawling doorstop of a novel from Franzen, but never did I anticipate that it would surpass <em>The Corrections</em>. Once again, Franzen shows an innate knack for grabbing the reader's attention from the very first page and sustaining it; he also manages to somehow masterfully sum up the preceding decade's culture and attitude through a tale of one incredibly, touchingly flawed family.<br /><br />My 2010 Booklist:<br /><br />1. Eating the Dinosaur - Chuck Klosterman<br />2. Player Piano - Kurt Vonnegut<br />3. I Shudder - Paul Rudnick<br />4. Hitchcock/Truffaut - Francois Truffaut<br />5. But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz - Geoff Dyer<br />6. Robert Altman: An Oral Biography - Mitchell Zuckoff (ed.)<br />7. Worst Song on Played Ugliest Guitar (Achewood Vol. 2) - Chris Onstad<br />8. On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno - David Sheppard<br />9. 1989: Bob Dylan Didn't Have This to Sing About - Joshua Clover<br />10. Chicago - Alaa Al Aswamy<br />11. Radio On - Sarah Vowell*<br />12. Dusty in Memphis (33 1/3 series) - Warren Zanes<br />13. Ripped - Greg Kot<br />14. The Living End - Stanley Elkin<br />15. The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History - John Ortved<br />16. Last Words - George Carlin with Tony Hendra<br />17. Pure Drivel - Steve Martin*<br />18. Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates - Tom Robbins*<br />19. Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life - Steve Almond<br />20. Girls Like Us - Sheila Weller<br />21. Chronic City - Jonathan Lethem<br />22. Party Animals - Robert Hofler<br />23. Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris*<br />24. Girlfriend In a Coma - Douglas Coupland<br />25. The Discomfort Zone - Jonathan Franzen<br />26. Court and Spark (33 1/3 series) - Sean Nelson<br />27. Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs - Cheryl Peck<br />28. Trout Fishing in America - Richard Brautigan<br />29. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie<br />30. Role Models - John Waters<br />31. Zeitoun - Dave Eggers<br />32. Collected Stories - Carson McCullers*<br />33. Talking to Girls About Duran Duran - Rob Sheffield<br />34. I Was Told There'd Be Cake - Sloane Crosley<br />35. The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano<br />36. I Know I Am, But What Are You? - Samantha Bee<br />37. A Year at the Movies - Kevin Murphy*<br />38. Harvard Square: An Illustrated History Since 1950 - Mo Lotkin<br />39. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist<br />40. Freedom - Jonathan Franzen<br />41. My Year of Flops - Nathan Rabin<br />42. White Noise - Don DeLillo<br />43. One Day - David Nicholls<br />44. Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia - Jonathan Rosenbaum<br />45. Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo? - Jancee Dunn<br />46. Too Much Happiness - Alice Munro<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* re-read</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-6614320610593910282010-12-31T00:00:00.006-05:002010-12-31T00:00:02.319-05:0012 FROM 2010A dozen random pix from the past year:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556657526116496226" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXKq-UNvinuKco0tMGeFnP1fq3wfOGf7yKlGZsM5jfxFc8ypDhAYHj1uyfejDVJ4R_VM0Rbmx1poQQv0YeC3pkedup8R5JIqxthFI6k8S5G8WFmVg7ZzBvx59Qh6K7kVv-6XY/s400/005.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Fowle's in Newburyport on a frigid Saturday in January.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8faWx4gaWdXZ_hCjrStYhopjm-uYV0MgprhN1gUSIIGWTY9Sp38gIHCyIJR_z-mH1kK1cDpKnKLbTBMHseIpgyxpPWUWjAC-49Ax8tZ3RVMsANfiXdc7Ae5jQPa6uAbLGoN9/s1600/007+%25283%2529.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556657360108037122" style="WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8faWx4gaWdXZ_hCjrStYhopjm-uYV0MgprhN1gUSIIGWTY9Sp38gIHCyIJR_z-mH1kK1cDpKnKLbTBMHseIpgyxpPWUWjAC-49Ax8tZ3RVMsANfiXdc7Ae5jQPa6uAbLGoN9/s400/007+%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Snake(s) at Millenium Park in West Roxbury. I saw one at first, then two, and frankly I'd rather not know if a third lurks somewhere in there.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmMnXX-snzL-ADrd7vm71fnFpx9U-dKwHtPCmS3znwqsvKaQxj6q3QzQlQ268FSOcGqBF1VDailZqmUtR1C06w5TaedYM3o3eI64x-xWBOEA-6VFZeCK24nBYcttU7vT9uwyt/s1600/Kreos+Aug+2010+069.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556656923466425170" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmMnXX-snzL-ADrd7vm71fnFpx9U-dKwHtPCmS3znwqsvKaQxj6q3QzQlQ268FSOcGqBF1VDailZqmUtR1C06w5TaedYM3o3eI64x-xWBOEA-6VFZeCK24nBYcttU7vT9uwyt/s400/Kreos+Aug+2010+069.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Classy canisters in a kitchenette at the Mandarin Hotel Boston<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-g8VzOJOUphoxICPTo1XC47Ik5CDyJhHVtRtcN-kDIi7W32zUMIDbVnu5vkNN4YVQSBzhLz5geFD8GJzCrewpWs-Yb5uNhaXloWM2wK-55DKANhkpGkJfIb1xfyfv9itXKKw/s1600/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556655259294402066" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-g8VzOJOUphoxICPTo1XC47Ik5CDyJhHVtRtcN-kDIi7W32zUMIDbVnu5vkNN4YVQSBzhLz5geFD8GJzCrewpWs-Yb5uNhaXloWM2wK-55DKANhkpGkJfIb1xfyfv9itXKKw/s400/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Congress Street bridge across Fort Point Channel on a true blue Friday afternoon in August.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3J8CYtkK7_oitnhNSyVRQPtiMYEzsEQsS3PlvlEOSTgDU3Z7PZWvciE-YLQ6MCmgDmYivezpt0dUdR8zuDlaVMZD2F0nBUYo9_WCLa5vD3nMTjx6lgrfMmLFFyqtiPcuBu_Pe/s1600/005+%25282%2529.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556655114317266018" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3J8CYtkK7_oitnhNSyVRQPtiMYEzsEQsS3PlvlEOSTgDU3Z7PZWvciE-YLQ6MCmgDmYivezpt0dUdR8zuDlaVMZD2F0nBUYo9_WCLa5vD3nMTjx6lgrfMmLFFyqtiPcuBu_Pe/s400/005+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Old and new co-existing in Downtown Crossing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKerheOPgRJ6A4qGJiApXCHky39-SYxMjQDXM99Q87gyvPzN0r5-3IPHWQSC72xTyRYptqtEk-HVenSYHGpcy5038-7jqY5iP9dDzZJWL8gENQ7f-ZDVB4OXCzYLlJchPk85oJ/s1600/033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556654659914339762" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKerheOPgRJ6A4qGJiApXCHky39-SYxMjQDXM99Q87gyvPzN0r5-3IPHWQSC72xTyRYptqtEk-HVenSYHGpcy5038-7jqY5iP9dDzZJWL8gENQ7f-ZDVB4OXCzYLlJchPk85oJ/s400/033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An elaborate kite (you can barely make out the string on the mid-left) at Crane's Beach, Ipswich.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyUjw8Uo_q0K_rLCt-LqmSV5ioGgT7WCjUfDEZ3jJrr3_qYA2u9SJy2xfD1QTQOW29WYhVQGRimbZ1dvyK-Ly3Cr5hRZqk6ek7ZcxidQJ0jvvku-c65LF9Yu8uwdEvWQqoltx/s1600/119.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556654249742955058" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyUjw8Uo_q0K_rLCt-LqmSV5ioGgT7WCjUfDEZ3jJrr3_qYA2u9SJy2xfD1QTQOW29WYhVQGRimbZ1dvyK-Ly3Cr5hRZqk6ek7ZcxidQJ0jvvku-c65LF9Yu8uwdEvWQqoltx/s400/119.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Autumn sunset approaching Scituate Harbor (and "Mildred").<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnddrkXgeK3PZHzXzma8S5hnjhYcKGjY08i_AErNbLAgnQLUEFN-VgdIwBSUJZixY3iGEUbfzihiWqVObV163Za4W3vMrfQYls8dRLoziDUs5W58LjWBVbKw-JPQhryGXcqUIM/s1600/079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556653881556780818" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnddrkXgeK3PZHzXzma8S5hnjhYcKGjY08i_AErNbLAgnQLUEFN-VgdIwBSUJZixY3iGEUbfzihiWqVObV163Za4W3vMrfQYls8dRLoziDUs5W58LjWBVbKw-JPQhryGXcqUIM/s400/079.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A creative, welcoming archway at the Coastal Maine Botannical Garden.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEb9vZRbimTDSSno3lprvR0lKpammXkVz35FmLdvBKNivCnqUkzTfSypG4_Mdd3ouwjU-uIdx2OxnLb75jp0c6FvgImxyTa56QSFKtgRwiILSuzs-hD4t9CKMkd0itHzRzcga/s1600/079+%25282%2529.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556652485022255314" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEb9vZRbimTDSSno3lprvR0lKpammXkVz35FmLdvBKNivCnqUkzTfSypG4_Mdd3ouwjU-uIdx2OxnLb75jp0c6FvgImxyTa56QSFKtgRwiILSuzs-hD4t9CKMkd0itHzRzcga/s400/079+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A corridor teeming with a Green Wall (and single-use restrooms--no, really) at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XWuuGJV3niG4sJZmaC2zDh7L-L8Cx8R33lCzmI2mRqXAmcDyWAdvaYRwIVTTWOhEqXByRTlcpcv7edAZUQnoOl-S6pp0r8R2E9U6gQw1__fZn4YlFa-OyRrZymGxIQEEbQMP/s1600/097+%25282%2529.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556652041476333634" style="WIDTH: 399px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XWuuGJV3niG4sJZmaC2zDh7L-L8Cx8R33lCzmI2mRqXAmcDyWAdvaYRwIVTTWOhEqXByRTlcpcv7edAZUQnoOl-S6pp0r8R2E9U6gQw1__fZn4YlFa-OyRrZymGxIQEEbQMP/s400/097+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Also at Longwood Gardens--photographers pray for natural light and shadows like these.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FA06GlabTLD1Ilaho9vlvwMe5dgF6K1rHGak69xrlo4iIkQWAYtF7MC-goMTBGCJ5dXJRy8N2tjud1gHUTHuv1fvZcNpfx8jy8Px_oreHSeZS3NFB2KINga7jZ2we8T5k4Qe/s1600/215.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556651738529793506" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FA06GlabTLD1Ilaho9vlvwMe5dgF6K1rHGak69xrlo4iIkQWAYtF7MC-goMTBGCJ5dXJRy8N2tjud1gHUTHuv1fvZcNpfx8jy8Px_oreHSeZS3NFB2KINga7jZ2we8T5k4Qe/s400/215.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A mosaic of immense proportions on South Street in Philadelphia.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqrbGm183caHXSwIAcxXCVPr6YB8gHSAvp7sthXT0w5Pn7Sqa8cJ5BMdubBkW0hEHpUuhz94-CMOFM8SuPzHjLJJzICaPgY2NIltYUnEZgOLnEQWTHfQJlNbdnCPwAlAmkaXz/s1600/007+%25284%2529.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556651387124411634" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqrbGm183caHXSwIAcxXCVPr6YB8gHSAvp7sthXT0w5Pn7Sqa8cJ5BMdubBkW0hEHpUuhz94-CMOFM8SuPzHjLJJzICaPgY2NIltYUnEZgOLnEQWTHfQJlNbdnCPwAlAmkaXz/s400/007+%25284%2529.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Maggie lounging under our living room's entertainment center--her new favorite spot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-64654171722223474932010-12-18T12:15:00.000-05:002010-12-18T12:15:15.411-05:00THE BEST MUSIC OF 2010<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>TOP TEN ALBUMS</strong></span><br />(click on each link for individual posts)<br /><br /><strong>1. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-1.html">Tracey Thorn – LOVE AND ITS OPPOSITE</a><br />2. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-2.html">Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM</a><br />3. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-3.html">Hot Chip – ONE LIFE STAND</a><br />4. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-4.html">Laura Marling – I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN</a><br />5. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-5.html">Janelle Monae – THE ARCHANDROID</a><br />6. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-6.html">Spoon – TRANSFERENCE</a><br />7. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-7.html">Belle and Sebastian – WRITE ABOUT LOVE</a><br />8. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-8.html">Joanna Newsom – HAVE ONE ON ME</a><br />9. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-9.html">V.V. Brown – TRAVELLING LIKE THE LIGHT</a><br />10. <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-albums-of-2010-10.html">The Divine Comedy – BANG GOES THE KNIGHTHOOD</a></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>ALSO RECOMMENDED <span style="font-size:100%;">(with favorite tracks):</span></strong></span><br /><br /><strong>The Arcade Fire – THE SUBURBS</strong><br />Still too ambitious for their own good, but at least they’re less pompous while retaining their singular grandeur. (“Modern Man”, “Ready to Start”, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”)<br /><br /><strong>David Byrne and Fatboy Slim – HERE LIES LOVE<br /></strong>An all-star concept double album about Imelda Marcos? Works better than it has any right to—credit the impressive cast rather than the material. (“Here Lies Love” with Florence and the Machine, “Walk Like a Woman” with Charmaine Clamor, “Why Don’t You Love Me” with Tori Amos and Cyndi Lauper)<br /><br /><strong>Field Music – MEASURE<br /></strong>Another double album that would’ve made a tidy single one, but their accessible (if angular) smartypants pop is often a welcome respite from scores of Pitchfork-approved humorless indie rock. (“Effortlessly”, “Let’s Write a Book”, “Them That Do Nothing”)<br /><br /><strong>Goldfrapp – HEAD FIRST<br /></strong>Hardly their most profound effort, this extended tribute to synthetic ‘80s gloss is no less fun than any ‘80s appropriation of ‘60s culture (and it has the year’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0036EBARO/ref=dp_image_z_0?">best album cover</a>). (“Rocket”, “Alive”, “I Wanna Life”)<br /><br /><strong>Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – I LEARNED THE HARD WAY</strong><br />They posit another loving tribute to a past era, but sincerity and a wealth of talent keep them from sounding like a tribute band—they continue to find new colors in their limited palette. (“The Game Gets Old”, “I Learned the Hard Way”)<br /><br /><strong>LCD Soundsystem – THIS IS HAPPENING</strong><br />Contains this year’s best clever non-sequitur lyric (“Eat it Michael Musto, you’re no Bruce Vilanch”), but with increasing alacrity, the standouts aim for more than laffs.<br />(“Home”, “All I Want”, “One Touch”)<br /><br /><strong>Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – THE BRUTALIST BRICKS<br /></strong>His most consistent album since HEARTS OF OAK: not so much an advance as a refinement, with wisdom now supplementing his ample passion.<br />(“Bottled in Cork”, “Ativan Eyes”, “One Polaroid a Day”)<br /><br /><strong>Scissor Sisters – NIGHT WORK<br /></strong>Sleazy, a bit cheesy, and on occasion, gloriously vulgar—who else would juxtapose AD/DC with The Bee Gees?<br />(“Invisible Light”, “Night Life”, “Harder You Get”)<br /><br /><strong>Sufjan Stevens – THE AGE OF ADZ<br /></strong>As one track puts it early on, it’s all a bit “Too Much”, but I have to admit this certifiably peculiar detour has grown on me, albeit at a more glacial pace than I’d prefer.<br />(“I Walked”, “Vesuvius”)<br /><br /><strong>Vampire Weekend – CONTRA<br /></strong>As with their debut, can a person absolutely admire the music while finding it actively annoying at times? Chalk that up as a rationale for why it came <em>this close</em> to making my top ten.<br />(“Giving Up the Gun”, “White Sky”, “Taxi Cab”)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">OTHER FAVORITE TRACKS:</span><br /></strong><br />Joan Armatrading, “This Charming Life”<br />Best Coast, “Boyfriend”<br />Broken Bells, “The Ghost Inside”<br />Cee-Lo Green, “Fuck You”<br />Four Tet, “Angel Echoes”<br />The Gaslight Anthem, “American Slang”<br />Gorillaz, “On Melancholy Beach”<br />Emm Gryner, “Stray Bullet”<br />Nellie McKay, “Caribbean Time”<br />Morcheeba, “Even Though”<br />The New Pornographers, “Crash Years”<br />Pernice Brothers, “The Great Depression”<br />Robyn, “Dancing on My Own”<br />Gil Scott-Heron, “New York is Killing Me”<br />Stars, “Fixed”<br />Sufjan Stevens, “Heirloom”<br />KT Tunstall, “(Still a) Weirdo”<br />Laura Veirs, “July Flame”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-77558399024052497122010-12-17T00:00:00.003-05:002010-12-17T00:00:05.249-05:00BEST ALBUMS OF 2010: # 1I had exceptional difficulty picking a number one album this year, as I loved the top four almost equally. However, I can't have a four-way-tie on a top ten list, so after much deliberation...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7tJEmcTFFhCfb0Y2th1sRKYOO7_dw1gapUMIFwaNqBG3PxJf5-ihgP4pPsk_oswenbjDx9_rnGqD5T4onKTRVY9GK3tgPl6ZIaPu4F9W1VVNNatUx7ejvsHPbKf6AWe6yrwV/s1600/love+and+its+opposite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549887176932829682" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7tJEmcTFFhCfb0Y2th1sRKYOO7_dw1gapUMIFwaNqBG3PxJf5-ihgP4pPsk_oswenbjDx9_rnGqD5T4onKTRVY9GK3tgPl6ZIaPu4F9W1VVNNatUx7ejvsHPbKf6AWe6yrwV/s320/love+and+its+opposite.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>1. Tracey Thorn - LOVE AND ITS OPPOSITE</strong><br /><br />Thorn recently married Ben Watt, her longtime partner in Everything But The Girl with whom she has three children, so it initially seems a little odd that her third solo effort contains songs about heartbreak, divorce and working up the courage to attend a “Singles Bar”. But EBTG’s best work always offered an unusually sobering, brutally honest perspective on romantic love and you believed every word regardless of whether or not Thorn and Watt lived it. Largely eschewing the dance music that defined 2007’s <em>Out of the Woods</em> and the later EBTG albums, this is mostly stripped-down chamber pop full of unexpected but earned epiphanies: the opening piano waltz “Oh, the Divorces!” blossoming into orchestral bliss on its bridge, the peppy, charming mother-to-daughter heart-to-heart of “Hormones”, the woozy cover of Lee Hazelwood’s “Come On Home to Me” (sung as a duet with Jens Lekman) that’s so perfect one would think Hazelwood composed it specifically for them, the ineffable sense of wintry dread piercing through the autumnal reflection of “Late in the Afternoon”. More than anything, <em>Love and Its Opposite</em> recalls and is often of a piece with EBTG's masterpiece, 1994’s <em>Amplified Heart</em>.<br /><br />Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7V7SYq-its">Hormones</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=887H3usgcbQ">Oh, The Divorces!</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gai_V-SsyWc">Why Does the Wind?</a> Come On Home to Me, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueRM9-Bbt-Q">Kentish Town</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-73906126188504886472010-12-16T00:00:00.002-05:002010-12-16T00:00:04.537-05:00BEST ALBUMS OF 2010: # 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I4rPRvQjokcEPIgHUntS61E9j7ycDJA2WuTlFPgDRC6N43p1X400GIFjWJ-330Ej7iJVf7xBGmrv3xJ5YPZ2_TQxfKrdKmsZTScDaElj5qAbjIGMz9T3tPZofpLuAx9VMOEj/s1600/IRM.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550375043236668530" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I4rPRvQjokcEPIgHUntS61E9j7ycDJA2WuTlFPgDRC6N43p1X400GIFjWJ-330Ej7iJVf7xBGmrv3xJ5YPZ2_TQxfKrdKmsZTScDaElj5qAbjIGMz9T3tPZofpLuAx9VMOEj/s320/IRM.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>2. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM</strong><br /><br />To give you a sense of Gainsbourg’s apparent fearlessness, she took on the challenging lead role in Lars von Trier’s <em>Antichrist</em> not long after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. The latter inspired this album’s title (the French acronym of an MRI scanner) and music. Similarly fearless, it’s a sonic playground, an ever-changing canvas for Gainsbourg’s reedy but magnetic vocals: the title track simulates its namesake's mechanical milieu, “Dandelion” coolly shuffles along like a rootsy Donovan song, “Time of the Assassins” beams in from an alternate-world '70s AM radio station, the dramatic-yet-barely-there “Vanities” feels almost unbearably poignant and “Le Chat du Café des Artistes” even apes her famous father Serge’s style and gets away with it. Beck co-wrote and produced nearly every track, and he proves an ideal collaborator; like Gainsbourg, he’s a polymath who does more than merely pay homage to his influences. I wouldn’t mind if the two reconvene for a sequel, but as with her unconventional acting career, I suspect Gainsbourg would rather try something new on her next album.<br /><br />Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrJ3kK9L0h4">Dandelion</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZwlUfIF8Qs">Time of the Assassins</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svX_z4765xY">Heaven Can Wait</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7gDM0_C70s">Trick Pony</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sebabKRVEiw">Vanities</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-79961194746000782832010-12-15T00:00:00.001-05:002010-12-15T00:00:04.532-05:00BEST ALBUMS OF 2010: # 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw40dvaO9bAkyZPjQvmjXIwKrtPmdDEqY8IpE_p1v4bxg-Bl5WfC6INFYXvb9mCEGZliGoije-doXRPtyqRXYZwBcN5rONG8EeHbXLF7SiFO21VSidhVRUzu5YGsLAk5HdlIx0/s1600/one+life+stand.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549493912621864882" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw40dvaO9bAkyZPjQvmjXIwKrtPmdDEqY8IpE_p1v4bxg-Bl5WfC6INFYXvb9mCEGZliGoije-doXRPtyqRXYZwBcN5rONG8EeHbXLF7SiFO21VSidhVRUzu5YGsLAk5HdlIx0/s320/one+life+stand.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>3. Hot Chip - ONE LIFE STAND</strong><br /><br />Increasingly disappointed by some of the albums I anticipated most this year, I found ample pleasure in others that I had absolutely no expectations for, like the fourth full-length by this British male quintet. Although sporadically capable of a great single, much of their previous stuff scanned like the output of prankster, laptop-wielding geeks. Here, they beef up the instrumentation to symphonic levels but also court the heart rather than just the feet or the funny bone. You can still dance to most of it (the irresistible Tamla-groove-with-strings of “Hand Me Down Your Love”; the title track’s oddly cheery Depeche Mode-isms), but the lyrics (“I only want to be your one life stand”, “It’s a wild love that I have for my brothers”) and Alexis Taylor’s androgynous but ever more expressive vocals exude sincerity and deep emotion without feeling sappy. And practically every song here could be a single.<br /><br />Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy6h9pF9i18">Hand Me Down Your Love</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPXPIx1LlPY">One Life Stand</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLYLXDtNy2k">Take It In</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GOZjlwIwfk">I Feel Better</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9o8FinrR2Y">Brothers</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-89817293254672524882010-12-14T00:00:00.002-05:002010-12-14T00:00:07.186-05:00BEST ALBUMS OF 2010: # 4<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIdJgeh4trEQgarmxOuKBLGzPcppIlHhE0R1hcT8gu4ZtelkZGyTgdl_l1FxZV6tRXiivhFl7sMuDqlcuf-XP_-qZ8l2zwjOkGHcjN271J4G0gHh5yAkkDIrySViEtequ6WMQ/s1600/i+speak+because+i+can.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549482085834648658" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIdJgeh4trEQgarmxOuKBLGzPcppIlHhE0R1hcT8gu4ZtelkZGyTgdl_l1FxZV6tRXiivhFl7sMuDqlcuf-XP_-qZ8l2zwjOkGHcjN271J4G0gHh5yAkkDIrySViEtequ6WMQ/s320/i+speak+because+i+can.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>4. Laura Marling - I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN</strong><br /><br />As a 20-year-old Brit singing potent, exceedingly dark folk music, Marling would seem a novelty if both her vocals and words did not bespeak such rare maturity and wisdom for any age. She expertly builds from a hushed stillness to menacing rage on “Hope in the Air”, but also steeps the musically jaunty “Darkness Descends” with just enough self-deprecation to temper her misery. A major advance on her recorded-at-the-age-of-17 debut <em>Alas, I Cannot Swim</em>, this ten-song set reminds me of nothing less seminal than <em>The Songs of Leonard Cohen</em>—one can intuit a sustained sense of awe in its austerity, especially on those occasions when the simple arrangements swell into something magisterial. As Robert Altman did with Cohen on <em>McCabe & Ms. Miller</em>, some likeminded young director should score a film to these songs.<br /><br />Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKrYOUhOeaI">Hope in the Air</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvwWzcLfH-k">Rambling Man</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2W9qfXodWQ">Darkness Descends</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJPRRUH07k">Devil’s Spoke</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28750126.post-6149005876521937542010-12-13T00:00:00.002-05:002010-12-13T00:00:01.491-05:00BEST ALBUMS OF 2010: # 5<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikf-kMO7krXKHgkmGhogr3Oo2um3B_nDXDg_SayrXzfSBcFiuiojZDJVGc8w1K7RVO8obp5WZYXjL_jYXjomC4trN0aW8-u1z5zd4ZZUSmKxkB8RBFzUIR04R1qBwWD6tZ01Vg/s1600/archandroid.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549481170963121186" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikf-kMO7krXKHgkmGhogr3Oo2um3B_nDXDg_SayrXzfSBcFiuiojZDJVGc8w1K7RVO8obp5WZYXjL_jYXjomC4trN0aW8-u1z5zd4ZZUSmKxkB8RBFzUIR04R1qBwWD6tZ01Vg/s320/archandroid.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>5. Janelle Monáe - THE ARCHANDROID</strong><br /><br />Monáe’s full-length debut reminds me of my <a href="http://kriofske-mix.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-music-of-2009.html">favorite album of 2009</a> in its openness and endless possibilities and also ‘cause it’s nuts. Where to begin classifying a sci-fi conceptual piece in two suites that encompasses prime Stevie Wonder soul (“Oh, Maker”), disco boogie (“Locked Inside”), giddy ‘80s electropop (“Wondaland”), reverbed-to-the-max psychedelia (“Mushrooms and Roses”), hot swing-band jazz (“Come Alive (War of the Roses)”), haunted folk (“57821”) and Prince-like new wave (the Of Montreal-assisted “Make the Bus”)? And that’s not even mentioning the orchestral interludes, the Philip K. Dick tribute or the genre-defying singles (“Cold War” and “Tightrope”). Altogether it astonishes, it nearly overwhelms and it’s as precocious and promising a full-length debut as fellow delightful nutjob Nellie McKay’s <em>Get Away From Me</em>.<br /><br />Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv10t488Zpo">Wondaland</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqmORiHNtN4">Cold War</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yQgciCLaWU">57821</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc">Tightrope</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0